Windows 7 at D6

[Commodore Max]

This demo shows good promise, but this is still real early. I like this new approach pertaining to the PR aspect of development. Hopefully we wont have another Longhorn in that department this time.

[EduardValencia]

Microsoft just has a habit of coming up with ideas before the hardware and the rest of the ecosystem is really ready for them. Unfortunately, this often seems to get MS stuck in situations like Windows CE - where the platform made sacrifices to accomodate the limited hardware. Then when the hardware caught up to the original vision, Microsoft is hesitant to scrap its original platform investment, and it takes longer to work back in those things that were sacrificed early on because they wanted to be a driving force and push the envelope from the software side.

I think this is working out better for multi-touch, though. It's still really early in the game, of course, but I think leveraging the Windows platform to accelerate the development of these new PC experiences will pay off in the long run.

Yes brandon,but people dont understand the vision that microsoft has,it's not the biggest company in the world because of nothing,i think that multitouch is one feature that will make windows 7 revolutionize the way we interact with PC's,also we can expect better use of the voice recognition command with these new PC's.

I only see progress in how a user could interact in the future with computing systems,that's all.

But let the negative people moan and moan,anyways their life will still be miserable even if we discover the anti-gravity technology for spacecrafts.

[Denis W. Veteran]

<<Picture>>

Engadget got some pretty good close-up shots! Looks like a nice watch :p

Maximized window text has a Office 2007-esque background, coupled that with a oversized taskbar with textless taskbar buttons... hmm. Someone did some cheap hacks to Vista msstyles. :p

@everyone else complaining about so little features shown: Let's see. For Vista they blew people away at PDC 2003. The rock video with user interface concepts, all those fancy spinning windows - basically Compiz Fusion for Windows that never materialized, the crazy effects that is. Then ever since word got out they restarted the codebase off Server 2003, the media picked up on this crazy anti-Vista campaign that's still carrying on.

Now it's roughly the same time after Vista's release. 2001 to 2003, now it's 2006 to 2008. So this time, they'll try the reverse. Show off something most people know about already such as Microsoft's work on Surface, and leave it at that. They'll expect people to be disappointed - that's probably the plan. Then no one can blow any dropped features out of proportion.

[Brandon Live Veteran]

@everyone else complaining about so little features shown: Let's see. For Vista they blew people away at PDC 2003. The rock video with user interface concepts, all those fancy spinning windows - basically Compiz Fusion for Windows that never materialized, the crazy effects that is. Then ever since word got out they restarted the codebase off Server 2003, the media picked up on this crazy anti-Vista campaign that's still carrying on.

Vista already has all the graphical capabilities of Compiz Fusion (with higher quality output). It just doesn't use many of those gimmicky effects that look cool but aren't really useful. The only one like that they included was Flip 3D... but how often do people really use that?

[liveseven]

Microsoft just has a habit of coming up with ideas before the hardware and the rest of the ecosystem is really ready for them. Unfortunately, this often seems to get MS stuck in situations like Windows CE - where the platform made sacrifices to accomodate the limited hardware. Then when the hardware caught up to the original vision, Microsoft is hesitant to scrap its original platform investment, and it takes longer to work back in those things that were sacrificed early on because they wanted to be a driving force and push the envelope from the software side.

I think this is working out better for multi-touch, though. It's still really early in the game, of course, but I think leveraging the Windows platform to accelerate the development of these new PC experiences will pay off in the long run.

yes, but only if microsoft takes apples aproach and people wouldnt be so negtive on them. Apple actully keeps the ideas to them self and sees what the world REALLY needs or wants, not what some 21 year old tranie thinks....

Vista already has all the graphical capabilities of Compiz Fusion (with higher quality output). It just doesn't use many of those gimmicky effects that look cool but aren't really useful. The only one like that they included was Flip 3D... but how often do people really use that?

I forget its there....... even the alt tab thing..... never knew it existed till microsoft showed that they updated it in vista

I thought they were gonna add video of the presention on engadget not the one with the old dumb dell laptop

[ObiWanToby]

Vista already has all the graphical capabilities of Compiz Fusion (with higher quality output). It just doesn't use many of those gimmicky effects that look cool but aren't really useful. The only one like that they included was Flip 3D... but how often do people really use that?

You have to admit, there are a lot of fancy animations that Vista could have used still. Plus Vista doesn't exactly have the best performing graphical capabilities of Compiz Fusion. It is fast sometimes, but other times it really isn't where it needs to be. The author of switcher even sees this.

Q: Switcher is too slow and jerky.

A: Unfortunately I think it's a performance issue elsewhere, such as in DWM or video drivers/hardware. This problem is especially apparent if all your windows are maximized; restoring them to smaller rectangles improves performance. Regardless, I'm still looking for workarounds to improve performance.

[SakuraKira]

The future of computing, multi-touch displays will be orientated much like our keyboard now, flat on a surface and perhaps slightly slanted. That is the optimum position for the hand, and that is where it will take off. Multi-touch will also be great for tablets and portable devices.

I can see that happening. However, if the entire display is on a desk, even if it's slanted upward, my head will still be angled down... if I understand you correctly. That doesn't seem too comfortable.

What I can see though, is a multi-touch display that can double as a keyboard. You have a keyboard on the desk that you can use for normal activities, with a normal monitor screen in front of your face and a trusty mouse at your hand. Then you can transform the keyboard into a display to use other features like Surface, or graphics programs.

[zerologic]

So now I guess the next step is the Windows 7 Beta.

I hope that multi-touch will be able to be excluded from the standard install of Windows 7.

Engadget got some pretty good close-up shots! Looks like a nice watch :p

I think the new taskbar there looks pretty horrid. I hope that funny blue ball isn;t the new start menu button.

:/

[Berserk87]

were going to have vista themes on win 7 :rofl:

[NEVER85]

well there was neptune, then blackcomb, then vienna and then 7

Huh? Neptune was supposed to be a home version of Windows 2000, but was scrapped.

[Master_X]

I highly doubt the current theme is what will be final. Wait for much later. As far as features I didn't really care too much since I don't even have a use for single touch screens. I prefer keyboard shortcuts and mouse. All that comes to my mind when thinking about touch screens is the crud on the screen from everybodies fingers being on them. Sure it looks nice at first, but wait a few months for you and all your friends to use it too.

[briguy992]

Man it looks awesome.

Too bad I don't have a touch-capable PC, nor do I see myself using it any time soon.

Also, about voice, I don't use it because the experience is a little wierd. I really do feel like I'm talking to a brick wall. Perhaps one day they can add a computer which can talk back a bit like the movies. That would be cool, but not anywhere in the near future I won't think.

[EduardValencia]

So now I guess the next step is the Windows 7 Beta.

I hope that multi-touch will be able to be excluded from the standard install of Windows 7.

I think the new taskbar there looks pretty horrid. I hope that funny blue ball isn;t the new start menu button.

:/

Bleive me that isn't the final UI,in fact it's very far from it lo,,that interface was only made to show a feature,nothing more

Chill mate :)

[liveseven]

were going to have vista themes on win 7 :rofl:

WORNG! the new UI wont show up untill beta 1 or 2 at the least..... look at the early longhorn bulids (3xxx) they had the xp UI

[zerologic]

Bleive me that isn't the final UI,in fact it's very far from it lo,,that interface was only made to show a feature,nothing more

Chill mate :)

I thought Microsoft would put more care into what might be visible during their presentation.

:/

So now it's an exercise in waiting and seeing how Windows 7 evolves during betas.

WORNG! the new UI wont show up untill beta 1 or 2 at the least..... look at the early longhorn bulids (3xxx) they had the xp UI

WIRGHT! :punk: Bring on Beta 1!

[briguy992]

Apple was first to market with actual good gesture in a product, but to call them first and say that MS copied them is completely false.

[Gamerhomie]

I think people are expecting big things especially since Bill is leaving and they are just waiting for something amazing to happen as soon as he says goodbye one last time. But I'm kind of disappointed. I just don't know. Right now I'm on my laptop and I'm really tired. But I can use my up and down keys or vertical bar on my mousepad to scroll down the topic and I don't see how I could do it any differently. To me it seems like all this gesture, touch, multi- everything is somewhat of a gimmick and it doesn't seem to prove it's usefuness with usability, etc... What others have already said. This type of technology might be worth it, but in a more developed future. I wait until the day that Microsoft will blow us away with something truly revolutionary.

[briguy992]

Well I think there is definitely an issue that the hardware that we are using now is just glorified stuff that has been in use since the 80's.

I'm thinking there will be a big switch in computing. Perhaps not on the PC space as much, but touch will definitely play a big part in other areas in Microsoft's "eHome"

[osirisX]

Timeline of what will happen:

2007: Microsoft announces Multi-touch will be a feature in the next version of Windows.

2007-2009: A few hardware manufactures announce they will bring out computers with Multi-touch screens.

2009: Microsoft releases Windows 7.

2009 onwards: One or two manufactures make a big fuss that they have multi-touch in one or two of their models. Eventually multi-touch will be forgotten in Windows because the majority of hardware manufactures can't be bothered to support it and the ones that do support it price the hardware too high.

[primexx]

anyone got a video?

[briguy992]

http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-us&...f7-65659dd1f14f

[pyehac]

Personally, I sometimes use applications that require myself touching the screen (actually, its just google earth so far) but I do applaud MS for trying to integrate new technology into our lives (well, on a bigger scale - almost everyone has an iPhone or iPod touch)

[Scirwode]

I'm not really that surprised to be honest. Microsoft more or less confirmed that touch gestures would be a major feature in Windows 7. That said, I am disappointed that there wasn't something like PDC2003 but then again, look what happened afterwards. All in all, a pretty standard presentation.

Scirwode

[primexx]

the only problem with windows 7 and multi-touch is nobody has the capable hardware. And if it's released in 2009/2010 it'll still be expensive enough to keep most people out of the experience. Just about all present-day tabletPCs won't even work with it.

[Vykranth]

I honestly cannot understand why the expectations for a simple presentation have been so much increased by the rumor mill.

Some news of Windows Seven are likely to present in October at PDC08, not in a small presentation like this one.