Windows 7’s touching impact on 2010 hardware sales?

By Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Thursday, 11 June 2009 15:04

Opinion and Analysis

Although Microsoft itself is lowering expectations of large new hardware sales thanks to Windows 7, and could yet set its Win 7 upgrade and retail prices lower in response to the $29 OS X 10.6 challenge, one of Windows 7’s very touching benefits is something you’ll want to put one, two or even more fingers on!

CNET’s Ina Fried has recently reported on Windows 7 not being set to jolt the hardware market roaring back to life, quoting Microsoft Senior VP Bill Veghte saying: "History would tell us that generally as you ship a Windows release into the market...the bump is very modest. You will see a little bit, but it is modest."

Veghte went on to explain that people would go on to buy new PCs as the economy recovered and that no-one is using PCs any less at the moment.

Apple’s US $29 OS X upgrade for existing OS X 10.5 users to 10.6 is a clear challenge to Microsoft’s pricing policy for Windows 7 upgrades, and in likely retaliation for Microsoft’s “Laptop Hunter” TV ads which saw “Lauren” proclaim she wasn’t cool enough to own a Mac.

But even if Microsoft launches Windows 7 in its two retail versions at really incredibly low pricing, which could encourage PC owners to try upgrading to postpone spending money on buying a new computer, Windows 7’s support for multi-touch technology is fantastic.

Using a Tablet PC running Windows 7 with (currently) 4 points of multi-touch enabled is really fantastic, bringing the iPhone experience to a much larger screen, with more points of multi-touch to be software enabled on HP’s TouchSmart tx2 tablet (and coming on future devices).

I’ve been able to try it on that HP tx2, with the upcoming Windows 7 Touch Pack, and unlike some earlier demos I’ve seen on the web, the experience is smooth, very iPhone-like in some programs, and brings the entire Tablet PC concept to life – especially when you retain the ability to use a proper stylus as well.

The Win 7 Touch Pack includes a Virtual Earth app as seen on the Surface PC, the “photo” corkboard also from Surface that two people can independently manipulate photos on-screen, with fingers, at the same time (up to 84 fingers simultaneously on Surface however), the Blackboard which is similar to Crayon Physics, games and more, and is but a continuing indicator of a rich touch interface future to come.

Dell’s Studio One 19 supports multi-touch, and plenty more touch and multi-touch screens, systems, notebooks, netbooks and smartphones are on the way.

Asus has its Eee PC T91 multitouch netbook tablet coming soon, and with Windows 7 the true explosion of Windows based touch products is expected to come, with Apple still yet to make its on-screen multi-touch technology a reality beyond the 3.5-inch iPhone.

But aren't touch screens too expensive? Aren't they just being called unneeded bells and whistles?

Please read on to page 2...