With multitouch support baked in to Windows 7, PC makers are rushing to bring machines to market with touchscreen interfaces just like the iPhone's

HP TouchSmart 600

Computer users of all stripes—whether they usually say “I’m a PC” or “I’m a Mac”—have a few reasons to look forward to the launch of Windows 7 next Thursday. For one, this latest version of Microsoft’s operating system has a clean, easy-to-use interface and a significant structural overhaul that makes up for a lot of Vista’s mistakes. For another, it’s ushering in a new wave of finger-friendly computers. Learn why—and see the breakdown on eight brand-new multitouch machines built for Windows 7.


Before, manufacturers had to develop or buy special code to understand gestures like pinching to zoom, but now Windows 7 is the first major computer OS to build the code necessary to work with multitouch displays right into the foundation. That means it’s getting easier and less expensive for PC makers to include iPhone-like screens—and with the cost of the screens themselves coming down, nearly every major PC maker has at least one multitouch Windows 7 machine on the way. Check out our gallery for eight standouts.

5 Comments

Who needs a dirty finger smudged screen? Leave me and my humble mouse be!

Apple OS-X was the first major OS to implement the "finger" motions directly into the operating system i.e., MacBook mousepad and iPhone screen.

I am looking forward to the built-in touch interface and using it in conjunction with speech recognition (I use talkingdesktop software) to really enhance my usage experience.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pYiNyGKB84

watch and learn...about hardware

My first comment!: I Love touchscreen

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