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Microsoft readying Touch Pack for Windows 7

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Ed Bott writes about his experiences with Windows 7 multitouch and a heretofore unannounced Microsoft Touch Pack for Windows 7.

The Windows 7 team blog writes about the Microsoft Touch Pack for Windows 7 here.

I’ll say this for the ol’ Windows team. They’re definitely trying. I said in GBM podcast #68 that Microsoft ought to try to engage users through attention-grabbing apps like games. I’m flattered by their taking my suggestion.

The number 1 thing that Microsoft can do to help with touch input adoption is to produce lightweight, prototype applications that people want to use. Rotating and zooming/shrinking pictures gets old after a while, unless you’re a magazine art director. Simple, fun apps like Rebound and the Collage! wallpaper composer will do wonders for enduser acceptance of touch and multitouch.

Microsoft Rebound

Microsoft Rebound

The next thing that Microsoft can do for touch input is to encourage and/or enforce touch digitizer performance standards. Assuming that Microsoft’s $24M investment in Ntrig is aimed at producing some tangible results, Microsoft needs to ensure that Tablets with Ntrig digitizers are the most responsive touch experience available.

I definitely like the Touch Pack idea, even though it should be built into the OS like Minesweeper and Solitaire. Way to go!

4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. GoodThings2Life

    05/27/2009 at 6:31 pm

    Once it starts shipping with systems that can use it, I suspect it will also be available for download from Microsoft as well, much the same as the Tablet PC PowerToys and Experience Packs that were released for XP Tablet Edition.

    That said, very cool stuff, indeed! :)

  2. ChrisRS

    05/27/2009 at 6:50 pm

    Is there anything interesting/applicabtle to pen/tablet users?

  3. Hilton Locke

    05/27/2009 at 8:39 pm

    @ChrisRS: Although I haven’t been able to see the Touch Pack in person, the very fact they’ve named it the Touch Pack seems to indicate there’s little to nothing in it for pen users.

  4. ChrisRS

    05/27/2009 at 9:57 pm

    Thanks, Hilton. That is what I suspected. I guess MS is leaving pen users in their own little niche. What a surprise!

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