Well, for worse & worser, multi-touch is about to hit consumer products across the board (I'd guess) and it will be implemented in the absolute worst way possible by so many different consumer products companies eager to flog the trend to death.
Just how many times does MS think it can play this same scam?
1. Good product A comes out (oh, say Dr DOS)
2. MS makes huge announcement that they have a version 'about to be released' that will blow everyone away.
3. Everyone puts off buying product A (encouraged by MS sponsored trade rags) because we all know that MS wouldn't BS people.
4. Product A withers away because of 3.
5. MS comes out far later then they promised with their rip-off of Product A, except that their product sucks. (But competition matters not, because Company A has been driven out of business.
The difference is that Apple isn't Company A (at least this time), and MS has never succeeded in a market where they have to compete.
But give them credit for trying the same FUD play yet again.
(BTW, aren't they embarrassed yet calling 'Surface' a real interface? Its essentially a 100 pound box of projectors pointing up. About as sophisticated as the kids games you see in malls with projectors overhead that project on the floor as kids stomp around on the bubbles to make them move.
Pathetic.
Oh....you mean like the promised shifts in paradigm such as; Cairo, Origami, NT (pre-New Technology), Longhorn, "The iPod Killer", Sparkle, shall I continue?
Unfortunately for Microsoft, you can't believe anything they say about future product implementation.
Windows ME was supposed to be XP, Windows XP was supposed to be Vista, and they pulled out all of the top major functionality they were going to include in Vista, making it another minor upgrade instead of a major one and covering it up with bling.
Multi-touch will be great, but with Microsoft's track record, it will be lucky to make it into Windows 8. They need to re-write their OS from the scratch and they're too scared to do it.
I also have to question the authenticity of a test engineer releasing this information. Right now all Hilton Locke has is a test plan on paper saying all the wonderful things it does.
MultiTouch is sooooooooo overrated. It is not going to replace the keyboard and mouse/touchpad. It's a fad. The main drawback? Economy of motion, or the lack thereof. Sit down in front of your computer and imagine reaching up and out to touch the screen as often as you manipulate your mouse now, or even more often if some multitouch proponents are to be heeded. It's an ergonomic nightmare!
MultiTouch is sooooooooo overrated. It is not going to replace the keyboard and mouse/touchpad. It's a fad. The main drawback? Economy of motion, or the lack thereof. Sit down in front of your computer and imagine reaching up and out to touch the screen as often as you manipulate your mouse now, or even more often if some multitouch proponents are to be heeded. It's an ergonomic nightmare!
Actually, Apple's filed a patent for a multitouch input device (a la Keyboard). So I seriously doubt they're wanting the consumer to reach up and touch the screen. I admit, it's not for everyone, my dad loves his old school clacker IBM keyboard on his PC, my mom loves her MacBook Pro's keyboard, but I would love a user customizable multitouch keyboard. It'd make navigating Photoshop/Illustrator/Flash's shortcuts, etc.
OMgosh.... here we go again with Microsoft.... we can copy that and make it better, just wait, you watch, it'll be better, you'll see...... Microsoft is always out to duplicate everything everyone else does.... do they ever come up with something on their own.... Nooooo, cuz they don't care about the consumer, they only care about owning the market and reaping in the money no matter how bad the product really is. If Microsoft actually gave a crap about creating something like a craftsman did then Microsoft would be so much better. It's unfortunate, how Microsoft is and it's even more unfortunate how many people buy into the Microsoft way.
I would feel different about Microsoft if they actually cared about their consumers and their products so they didn't suck so bad. Sucks for me, cuz I have to spend all day fixing desktop problems where it's 90% related to a Microsoft product; but it does keep me a job so maybe I should be thanking them for sucking so bad.
I didn't see any multitouch in that video. What I saw was capacitive touch sensing, MS OneNote, the same old inefective touch-as-mouse paradigm, and some really non-intuitive gestural controls. DOA if you ask me. That flick thing was really awful. I think about ten flicks into scrolling through a long document I'd be ready to throw that thing through the nearest window.
I totally agree. It was painful to watch him try to flip through his Vista-rolodex of windows one at a time, flick, flick, flick, flick. Anyone with an iPhone who was used to breezing through coverflow with a single flick would be appalled.
If they're trying to design a product that blows away the iPhone, they're halfway there -- they have a product that blows.
Microsoft test engineer Hilton Locke drew attention on Wednesday by touting that the next major upgrade to Windows, currently dubbed Windows 7, will outshine any of Apple's current efforts in multi-touch interfaces.
What a laughable comment. Microsoft is hoping to surpass the iPhone with their next version of Windows. So their goal is now to surpass the 2007 Mac OSX by 2012? Way to raise the bar, kids.
Microsoft test engineer Hilton Locke drew attention on Wednesday by touting that the next major upgrade to Windows, currently dubbed Windows 7, will outshine any of Apple's current efforts in multi-touch interfaces.
Those who know the iPhone will be "blown away" by what's possible, Locke says.
Is Windows 7 a code name for 2017?
Microsoft is all about talk and no action, whereas Apple is more action and less talk. I guess it's just a way for MS to say, "hey, we can come up with something good too"... not! The only way I can see being blown away by Windows is because it will be nothing but a fart.
MultiTouch is sooooooooo overrated. It is not going to replace the keyboard and mouse/touchpad. It's a fad. The main drawback? Economy of motion, or the lack thereof. Sit down in front of your computer and imagine reaching up and out to touch the screen as often as you manipulate your mouse now, or even more often if some multitouch proponents are to be heeded. It's an ergonomic nightmare!
That's true if you assume all multitouch is for is replacing the other inputs. However, if you see it as enhancing and adding to what and how we input it is a different story. Remember how similar arguments were made against the mouse by keyboard aficionados back in 1984? Yet try to imagine using Photoshop without a mouse! Of course there was no Photoshop until Apple created Mac Paint and Mac Draw to point the way. Uses for multitouch will emerge that we will look back on 2007 and see it as a turning point in what can be done in the same way we look back at 1984. One small example is the iPhone and that is probably going to seem like a Mac Plus in a few years in terms of its simplicity.
One good thing is Apple has stopped helping the likes of Adobe who just took Mac Paint and ran with it (not to take away from Adobe's work on PostScript). These days Apple keep their genius in house and I can't wait to see what Apple develop for multitouch that will be Apple only.
MultiTouch is sooooooooo overrated. It is not going to replace the keyboard and mouse/touchpad. It's a fad. The main drawback? Economy of motion, or the lack thereof. Sit down in front of your computer and imagine reaching up and out to touch the screen as often as you manipulate your mouse now, or even more often if some multitouch proponents are to be heeded. It's an ergonomic nightmare!
Written like someone who doesn't know what he's talking about. For the last time: MultiTouch is NOT synonymous with a touchscreen. FingerWorks, which developed the MT technology Apple uses, sold quite a few devices, none of which were touchscreen-related. Read the link above to an AppleInsider story about new Apple patents on MultiTouch. Do you really think they're talking about curved touchscreens under your hands? Do try to learn something about the topics before spouting off about them.
FYI, I'm on my fourth year with a FingerWorks iGesture tablet. I can do ten times what anyone else can do with a mouse or trackball with much less hand motion. How's that for your "economy of motion, or the lack thereof"?
MultiTouch is sooooooooo overrated. It is not going to replace the keyboard and mouse/touchpad. It's a fad. The main drawback? Economy of motion, or the lack thereof. Sit down in front of your computer and imagine reaching up and out to touch the screen as often as you manipulate your mouse now, or even more often if some multitouch proponents are to be heeded. It's an ergonomic nightmare!
I don't think it has to be a vertical screen. It may be that the conventional computer form factor has ruined people's imagination. It could be on the work surface like you would with a piece of paper. I think Avid was showing off such a concept at NAB'07, but it's probably too expensive for most people to see.
Quote:
Originally Posted by freelander51
Quote from "Casino Royale" : Isn't funny what you can do with Photoshop these days.....
Microsoft did have a lot of knowledge about touch in Windows since they introduced the Tablet PC concept. The new Dell Tablet PC will get multi touch in a software update soon, here's a video
OMG, that was so painful to watch. I only made it about 3 minutes and I couldn't watch anymore. It seemed like he was loosing patience with himself flicking through those items one.....at......a......time and would just select one from the middle, not being able to wait for it to come into view.
And that "gesture". Does it really bring up a picture of a mouse and you click the left or right mouse buttons to simulate a left or right mouse button click???
Comments
Just how many times does MS think it can play this same scam?
1. Good product A comes out (oh, say Dr DOS)
2. MS makes huge announcement that they have a version 'about to be released' that will blow everyone away.
3. Everyone puts off buying product A (encouraged by MS sponsored trade rags) because we all know that MS wouldn't BS people.
4. Product A withers away because of 3.
5. MS comes out far later then they promised with their rip-off of Product A, except that their product sucks. (But competition matters not, because Company A has been driven out of business.
The difference is that Apple isn't Company A (at least this time), and MS has never succeeded in a market where they have to compete.
But give them credit for trying the same FUD play yet again.
(BTW, aren't they embarrassed yet calling 'Surface' a real interface? Its essentially a 100 pound box of projectors pointing up. About as sophisticated as the kids games you see in malls with projectors overhead that project on the floor as kids stomp around on the bubbles to make them move.
Pathetic.
Oh....you mean like the promised shifts in paradigm such as; Cairo, Origami, NT (pre-New Technology), Longhorn, "The iPod Killer", Sparkle, shall I continue?
Windows ME was supposed to be XP, Windows XP was supposed to be Vista, and they pulled out all of the top major functionality they were going to include in Vista, making it another minor upgrade instead of a major one and covering it up with bling.
Multi-touch will be great, but with Microsoft's track record, it will be lucky to make it into Windows 8. They need to re-write their OS from the scratch and they're too scared to do it.
I also have to question the authenticity of a test engineer releasing this information. Right now all Hilton Locke has is a test plan on paper saying all the wonderful things it does.
MultiTouch is sooooooooo overrated. It is not going to replace the keyboard and mouse/touchpad. It's a fad. The main drawback? Economy of motion, or the lack thereof. Sit down in front of your computer and imagine reaching up and out to touch the screen as often as you manipulate your mouse now, or even more often if some multitouch proponents are to be heeded. It's an ergonomic nightmare!
Actually, Apple's filed a patent for a multitouch input device (a la Keyboard). So I seriously doubt they're wanting the consumer to reach up and touch the screen. I admit, it's not for everyone, my dad loves his old school clacker IBM keyboard on his PC, my mom loves her MacBook Pro's keyboard, but I would love a user customizable multitouch keyboard. It'd make navigating Photoshop/Illustrator/Flash's shortcuts, etc.
I would feel different about Microsoft if they actually cared about their consumers and their products so they didn't suck so bad. Sucks for me, cuz I have to spend all day fixing desktop problems where it's 90% related to a Microsoft product; but it does keep me a job so maybe I should be thanking them for sucking so bad.
A Dutch tipster has submitted a photo to Engadget of what he claims is evidence of a GPS receiver in the works by TomTom for the iPhone.
Quote from "Casino Royale" : Isn't funny what you can do with Photoshop these days.....
I didn't see any multitouch in that video. What I saw was capacitive touch sensing, MS OneNote, the same old inefective touch-as-mouse paradigm, and some really non-intuitive gestural controls. DOA if you ask me. That flick thing was really awful. I think about ten flicks into scrolling through a long document I'd be ready to throw that thing through the nearest window.
I totally agree. It was painful to watch him try to flip through his Vista-rolodex of windows one at a time, flick, flick, flick, flick. Anyone with an iPhone who was used to breezing through coverflow with a single flick would be appalled.
If they're trying to design a product that blows away the iPhone, they're halfway there -- they have a product that blows.
Microsoft test engineer Hilton Locke drew attention on Wednesday by touting that the next major upgrade to Windows, currently dubbed Windows 7, will outshine any of Apple's current efforts in multi-touch interfaces.
What a laughable comment. Microsoft is hoping to surpass the iPhone with their next version of Windows. So their goal is now to surpass the 2007 Mac OSX by 2012? Way to raise the bar, kids.
Quote from "Casino Royale" : Isn't funny what you can do with Photoshop these days.....
Isn't it funny
If they're trying to design a product that blows away the iPhone, they're halfway there -- they have a product that blows.
That was a good one!
Microsoft test engineer Hilton Locke drew attention on Wednesday by touting that the next major upgrade to Windows, currently dubbed Windows 7, will outshine any of Apple's current efforts in multi-touch interfaces.
Those who know the iPhone will be "blown away" by what's possible, Locke says.
Is Windows 7 a code name for 2017?
Microsoft is all about talk and no action, whereas Apple is more action and less talk. I guess it's just a way for MS to say, "hey, we can come up with something good too"... not! The only way I can see being blown away by Windows is because it will be nothing but a fart.
Wow, In 10 years, They have what I have today. Way cool.
Ah but to outshine Apple and knowing Microsoft's genius, theirs will probably require a THREE HAND INPUT ....
MultiTouch is sooooooooo overrated. It is not going to replace the keyboard and mouse/touchpad. It's a fad. The main drawback? Economy of motion, or the lack thereof. Sit down in front of your computer and imagine reaching up and out to touch the screen as often as you manipulate your mouse now, or even more often if some multitouch proponents are to be heeded. It's an ergonomic nightmare!
That's true if you assume all multitouch is for is replacing the other inputs. However, if you see it as enhancing and adding to what and how we input it is a different story. Remember how similar arguments were made against the mouse by keyboard aficionados back in 1984? Yet try to imagine using Photoshop without a mouse! Of course there was no Photoshop until Apple created Mac Paint and Mac Draw to point the way. Uses for multitouch will emerge that we will look back on 2007 and see it as a turning point in what can be done in the same way we look back at 1984. One small example is the iPhone and that is probably going to seem like a Mac Plus in a few years in terms of its simplicity.
One good thing is Apple has stopped helping the likes of Adobe who just took Mac Paint and ran with it (not to take away from Adobe's work on PostScript). These days Apple keep their genius in house and I can't wait to see what Apple develop for multitouch that will be Apple only.
MultiTouch is sooooooooo overrated. It is not going to replace the keyboard and mouse/touchpad. It's a fad. The main drawback? Economy of motion, or the lack thereof. Sit down in front of your computer and imagine reaching up and out to touch the screen as often as you manipulate your mouse now, or even more often if some multitouch proponents are to be heeded. It's an ergonomic nightmare!
Written like someone who doesn't know what he's talking about. For the last time: MultiTouch is NOT synonymous with a touchscreen. FingerWorks, which developed the MT technology Apple uses, sold quite a few devices, none of which were touchscreen-related. Read the link above to an AppleInsider story about new Apple patents on MultiTouch. Do you really think they're talking about curved touchscreens under your hands? Do try to learn something about the topics before spouting off about them.
FYI, I'm on my fourth year with a FingerWorks iGesture tablet. I can do ten times what anyone else can do with a mouse or trackball with much less hand motion. How's that for your "economy of motion, or the lack thereof"?
MultiTouch is sooooooooo overrated. It is not going to replace the keyboard and mouse/touchpad. It's a fad. The main drawback? Economy of motion, or the lack thereof. Sit down in front of your computer and imagine reaching up and out to touch the screen as often as you manipulate your mouse now, or even more often if some multitouch proponents are to be heeded. It's an ergonomic nightmare!
I don't think it has to be a vertical screen. It may be that the conventional computer form factor has ruined people's imagination. It could be on the work surface like you would with a piece of paper. I think Avid was showing off such a concept at NAB'07, but it's probably too expensive for most people to see.
Quote from "Casino Royale" : Isn't funny what you can do with Photoshop these days.....
I missed that line.
Microsoft did have a lot of knowledge about touch in Windows since they introduced the Tablet PC concept. The new Dell Tablet PC will get multi touch in a software update soon, here's a video
OMG, that was so painful to watch. I only made it about 3 minutes and I couldn't watch anymore. It seemed like he was loosing patience with himself flicking through those items one.....at......a......time and would just select one from the middle, not being able to wait for it to come into view.
And that "gesture". Does it really bring up a picture of a mouse and you click the left or right mouse buttons to simulate a left or right mouse button click???