Microsoft R&D shows off multi-touch laptop

You can't help but think that the term multi-touch is a shoe-in for Buzzword of the Year, as we've seen it on tables, in a regular old phone, and now we're getting it on a laptop -- at least according to Microsoft's on10 (blogging about the company's Cambridge-based research team). Whatever the case may be, this multi-touch screen looks pretty damn good to us (kind of like Surface on a notebook), and the technology they're using (off-the-shelf laptop, IR sensors) gives us the impression that these might come to market sooner rather than later. Be sure to watch the video after the break.

[Via istartedsomething, thanks Mitchel T]

[Pedro @ Jun 22nd 2007 3:44PM]

Looks promising... now just make me a screen that is finger-gunk and grease proof.

[coffee @ Jun 22nd 2007 5:14PM]

agreed, i need a finger-condom or something for all these touch-screens that are going to be coming out.

[brendan Sheehan jnr @ Jun 22nd 2007 5:18PM]

To be honest, for one of the biggest companies in the world, you'd expect their R&D labs to be doing stuff more impressive than this. The software lags big time, and the look of the demo software looks kind of like when you get stuck inside a wall in one of the old Tomb Raider games.

I hate to make this into an Apple V Microsoft comment, but if Apple can make a small phone with super-smooth transitions, you'd think Microsoft's labs could do it with a modified notebook.

[Dam @ Jun 22nd 2007 3:46PM]

"how do we replace the mouse because its a single pointer?"

WTF about gaming?

[Mike @ Jun 22nd 2007 4:56PM]

i think the gaming world will be one of the last to utilize touch screens or multi touch or IR sensing displays if at all - you need more flexibility and command with certain professions and activities then you do with other, more traditional computing actions.

now, i think it would be sweet to have a touch sensitive (or some sort of reactive input device) that took the place of the mouse, but not integrated into the screen when you are talkign about gaming, etc...

[HyperHacker @ Jul 8th 2007 9:16PM]

The real problem is mice are pixel-precise. You click on exactly one pixel. Fingers and styli are not. Ever try to draw on a touch screen? It's a pain in the butt.

[Gil @ Jun 22nd 2007 3:47PM]

Before anybody says this is just like the iPhone please remember that the iPhone uses capacitive sensors while this uses IR. It's a VERY different tech.

[Constable Odo @ Jun 22nd 2007 6:15PM]

Okay, this is almost like the iPhone....EXCEPT it uses IR technology. Close enough, but not quite. :)

[Bad Beaver @ Jun 22nd 2007 3:50PM]

Oh, and has he mentioned it, they've added a lot of extra sensors behind the display. Yawn.

[Moogah @ Jun 22nd 2007 4:06PM]

Multitouch seems gimmicky. What interface problems does it solve?

How is putting my hand on a screen and making arcane gestures supposed to be useful?

[noob @ Jun 25th 2007 9:17AM]

while for personal use it might not be very useful at the moment, until at least someone comes up with good voice recognition software or some other type of input to supplement this tech, some obvious applications would be for kiosks and really large display screens.

[Kaminix @ Jun 22nd 2007 6:16PM]

In the long run I can see a laptop without a keyboard and without a mouse. Just a big screen you can put on your table and get going with.

So far it just looks like a bad adaption of Apples invention though.

[Mile @ Jun 22nd 2007 4:37PM]

"really large display screens"

Like maybe a coffee table top display screen?

[John @ Jun 22nd 2007 9:10PM]

as for it being a "bad imitation of apples [sic] invention", multitouch wasn't actually invented by Apple, and this uses IR anyway, unlike the iPhone.

[uclatommy @ Jun 22nd 2007 11:02PM]

Because with multi-touch, you can zoom a picture, rotate, select, copy and paste all with the way you interact with the objects on screen. The same actions with a mouse would require you to move the pointer to the magnifying glass, click, move the mouse to the picture, click, move the mouse to the rotation tool, click, move the mouse to the picture, click and drag... well, you get the idea. That is because a mouse can only perform one action at a time. It can only interact with objects on screen in one way, whereas, with multitouch, you can manipulate objects without having to select various tools and whatnot.

[CharlieX @ Jun 22nd 2007 4:09PM]

Does a multi-touch laptop give you a permanent hunch and baldness?

[HyperHacker @ Jul 8th 2007 9:18PM]

I think they call this the gorilla problem or something like that. Touch screens didn't catch on a while ago because people using them look like a gorilla poking at things, and more importantly, get arm cramps quickly.

[Van @ Jun 22nd 2007 4:28PM]

Well this kills my invention of adding a middle finger key onto the keyboard

[dom.rout @ Jun 22nd 2007 4:31PM]

I love how he said "This is an another example" after demoing the same example 3 times.

[Mile @ Jun 22nd 2007 4:42PM]

You almost made me spit my drink all over my monitor!

[Mile @ Jun 22nd 2007 4:35PM]

Hey! This is just like the iPhone!

[rp @ Jun 22nd 2007 4:35PM]

Ooh, innovative.

[Kevo @ Jun 22nd 2007 4:39PM]

He should have shown it doing anything cool. We're no longer impressed with "the pinch".

I loved when he rotated a PDF looking doc on the 3rd axis to show the back.... as if I have ever been interested with what is on the back of a Word or PDF document. If you're going to show off "spinning things around", do it on something useful like a 3d model of something.

[dramamoose @ Jun 22nd 2007 8:55PM]

I don't know. It sounds like a good way to send a secret message.
"Look on the back of the PDF!"

[Bob @ Jun 22nd 2007 4:39PM]

That picture just screams..."I like them French fried potaters mmmmm hmmmm"

[war @ Jun 22nd 2007 4:41PM]

What is up with all this touch screen love? Sure it is a great idea for a kiosk or a hand held device, such as the iPhone, but not such a great idea for a computer. It looks neat and all but your arms would get pretty tired after using it for a few minutes. For us office workers that spend 8 or 9 hours a day on their computer having your arms extended out for that long just isn't realistic. Consider how many older people work in corporate and it's easy to see this idea isn't going to take hold in any office. It's like the flip 3D thing in vista.. looks really cool but in all reality it isn't very useful.

[Justin @ Jun 22nd 2007 4:46PM]

Count how many times he uses the word "Display"

[REDbULL Runner @ Jun 23rd 2007 8:32AM]

Microsoft Drinking Game!

[Malkieri @ Jun 22nd 2007 4:47PM]

Graem Bauer survived?

[Spyvie @ Jun 22nd 2007 11:00PM]

I thought it was Clint Howard, Opie's bro...

[Don @ Jun 22nd 2007 5:10PM]

"What is up with all this touch screen love? Sure it is a great idea for a kiosk or a hand held device, such as the iPhone, but not such a great idea for a computer."

Says you. I wish I had this today; it would make controlling my music software MUCH easier. Goodbye, MIDI, hello touchscreen.

[Sotheby @ Jun 22nd 2007 5:11PM]

Looks pretty good, could definitely see this being of use for the tablet crowd.
However, I would have some hesitation in buying a product that is endorsed by the guy that killed President David Palmer.

http://24.wikia.com/wiki/Graem_Bauer

[logyk @ Jun 22nd 2007 5:16PM]

as far as games go RTS would rock with this tech.. FPS not so much...
it all depends on your Acronym of choice really..

I think the real potential for this is in Video & Music Production, that and Arresting people before they commit murder or worse, get a Zune tattoo.

all i know is i'm gonna put off buying a tablet for a little while.

[derek @ Jun 22nd 2007 5:22PM]

i don't understand... i thought apple patented the hell out of multi-touch?

[Karim Farouki @ Jun 23rd 2007 12:08AM]

Unlikely that APPL has any patents that would block this level of work -- recall that MSFT has been working on multi-touch with their very viable "surface" for ~5 years. Neither the technological approach nor the UI metaphors APPL has unveiled with the iPhone are novel. Likewise, none of the UI metaphors explored in this video are novel either --> what is interesting is this tech approach. Just as the tech approach behind MSFT's "surface" is also unique/different.

[Zeke @ Jun 23rd 2007 12:05AM]

They did.
And Microsoft knows this.
And Apple will likely make a pretty penny in licensing fees. Apple is not a party to the MS-Linux patent wars. Apple and MS are still very much in bed, even if their PR pretends otherwise.

[Ryhan @ Jun 22nd 2007 11:29PM]

apple didn't invent multi-touch; it existed long before. I believe that apple patented the hardware (which allows it to capture more than one "touch"), not the software aspect..

[dj spinz @ Jun 22nd 2007 5:34PM]

Im sure Apple is working on something like this also but with the tech behind the iPhone, it should be a tablet with no keyboard no folding no nothing, just a big ass screen called iPad... apple notepad. running a modified vesion of OS X. I'm willing to put money on this coming out within a year or two. p.s i am not an apple fanboy and dont even own an apple computer but it seams to be the obvious thing for them to do.

[ExcavatE @ Jun 22nd 2007 5:36PM]

Hmmmmmm...

This would be really awesome if it were integrated into a Cintiq (Wacom) type display. The combination of a pen tool and gestures (to forgo most of the menu system) could really streamline a photographer's/artists workflow ! I don't know how much I would dig this tech on a laptop but on a 20+ inch widescreen I say Bring It On !!!!!!

[mike @ Jun 22nd 2007 5:49PM]

"STEVE JOBS IS KILLING US!!!!"

[Todd @ Jun 22nd 2007 6:00PM]

I think the IR approach could cause a lot of problems. There are a lot of devices these days that spit out IR signals, and with this technology any of them could interfere with my machine.

Can you imagine the pranks people could pull on you if you had this setup with a simple TV remote?

[duramater @ Jun 22nd 2007 6:03PM]

Umm... If I'm not mistaken Multi-touch is already on laptops. Lenovo is advertising multi-touch displays on its high end thinkpad convertible tablets.

[blog.ifallacy @ Jun 22nd 2007 6:36PM]

what interests me is how they got the technology so thin. typically, the iphone (and i'm guessing the lenovo laptops) use capacitative sensors (similar to your standard laptop touchpad, just with a bunch of them in a grid)

but the msft guy said that this was IR - now the IR stuff like jefferson han from nyu showed w/ the multi-touch table had a camera directly underneath and and projected reflected off a mirror on the side (i think - this is the typical FTIR table setup), but the msft guy is using an IR based multi-touch display that's pretty thin (IE no projectors involved, just a nice thin LCD)

any DIYers up to the challenge?

[Dam @ Jun 22nd 2007 6:37PM]

Also...It shines infrared light through the display? is that safe?

[n3rrd @ Jun 22nd 2007 7:06PM]

...are you serious? It's infrared. Have you ever felt threatened by your television remote?

[Dam @ Jun 22nd 2007 8:26PM]

actually yes...that little bugger is a monster it eats people....and i was just kidding i know infrared is harmless

[Constable Odo @ Jun 22nd 2007 7:06PM]

Using full-screen Infrared Technology, can you manipulate the objects on the screen AND get a tan at the same time? That way I won't have to sneak time at the beach when I should be working at the office.

[n3rrd @ Jun 22nd 2007 7:07PM]

...ultra-violet?

[Constable Odo @ Jun 23rd 2007 2:47AM]

I was playing off this article discussing far infrared waves:
http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/infrared.html

But you're right. I probably wouldn't get a tan. I'd just be roasted.

[jamesc @ Jun 22nd 2007 8:02PM]

I mean, it's good to know that they are working on those things. Multi-touch definitely has a future. What I don't understand is how they actually made a video showcasing resizing and rotating pictures around. You'd think they would have came up with SOME new ideas... what else does this guy do all day? This is about as innovative as Windows Vista. Come on, here's a box [ ]. Now think OUTSIDE of it.