Microsoft plans to add multitouch interface to Windows 7, ZDNet.com.au's sister site, CNET News.com has learned.
Speaking at the D6 event in Carlsbad, California, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says the technology will arrive in late 2009.
Microsoft Corporate VP Julie Larson-Green demonstrated the multitouch technology, painting with several fingers at the same time to show how it can process not just touch, but multiple simultaneous input.
"It's much faster to do certain tasks than using a mouse," Larson-Green said. She also showed rotating photos by pinching and rotating, much like Microsoft's surface or Apple's iPhone.
Microsoft had previously hinted that the touch gestures would find their way into Windows. In an interesting twist though, the new technology will work with existing touch screens, Microsoft said, and went on to show it running on an existing Dell laptop.
Glide CEO Donald Leka, whose company also presented its technology at D6, discussed how it [Glide] allows documents to be shared across devices, such as a Mac user trying to share a QuickTime file with a mobile phone user that happens to have RealPlayer or Windows Media on their device. The company's support for the iPhone, in particular, has been a boon, Leka said.
"The iPhone is probably the best thing that ever happened," he said.
Glorified touchscreen - do doubt a keyboard and mouse will still be the preferred /more confortable desktop input method. perhaps nice at a shopping center information kiosk but the desktop?