Windows 7 Touch logo program detailed, Release Candidate "at the end of May"
By Thomas Ricker 
posted March 26th 2009 9:22AM
posted March 26th 2009 9:22AM
In a bid to help consumers recognize PCs optimized for new Windows 7 multi-touch controls, Microsoft has started... (can you guess?)... a logo program. Not that those "Vista Capable" stickers were of much use. Just think, now our new convertible laptops will be graced with loads of crapware and stickers touting Designed for Window 7, Intel inside, nVIDIA graphics or similar, and now Windows Touch, too. Of course, Microsoft's slide-ruled hearts are in the right place: the Windows Touch logo is meant to identify machines featuring all the required improvements in hardware (such as accuracy, sample rate, and resolution of the display) to ensure that gestures are recognized and that users can successfully target common UI elements like "I'm over 18" boxes. The logo program also quantifies the requirements for drivers (hooray!) and applications (natch). Certified machines must pass a 43-step test that validates the core requirements under different conditions. Every device submitted for logo will be tested in-house by Microsoft. Hit the read link for the exhaustive detail straight from the unicorn's mouth. P.S. The BBC's report on the new logo program says that Microsoft will kick out the Windows 7 release candidate for users "at the end of May," not April as previously rumored.
[Via BBC]
It's somewhere in between your two extremes.
There is no such thing as "Touch Mode" on Windows 7, so it's not going to change the way the GUI looks.
There is, however, a distinction internally between what a mouse click is and what a screen touch is, so controls are able to react differently if you're touching the screen or using a mouse.
Simple changes to make a semi-decent touch interface...
1. No close button on windows. Use flick gesture to close (+1 to Palm)
2. 4 finger drag to cycle "peek" windows.
3. 3 finger drag to move windows.
4. Drag opposite window corners to resize/rotate.
5. No start button. Use gesture to bring it up (+2 to Palm)
6. Absolutely no double click (tap).
Thats what I can think of in just 5 minutes. Seems like an easy addition.
hopefully this would be supported by themes. I haven't used windows 7 yet so couldn't say.
Soon as i'm ready and 7 is ready msdn here I come.
It looks like I'll be adding Vista to the list of Windows versions I've never used. It's a pretty exclusive list:
- Windows 1.0
- Windows 2.0
- Windows Vista
Where did you get a copy of Windows 1 and 2?? You buddies with Billy?
"Windows versions I've _!_never_!_ used"
I was certainly hoping that Windows 7 would be pushed out for retail by June, before MS engineers gets too clever and start adding things we don't need. That mess a perfectly good OS up, like they did with Vista.
If you take out all of things we didn't need from Vista, you get an OS called "Windows XP".
I really just hope 7 has a new filesystem implemented, as discussed by many. NTFS = FAIL; compared to ZFS or HFS+ or some Linux FS', it's really awful. It's 2009: we can clone sheep, but data integrity at a software level still exists?!?!
Microsoft: I really don't care about new user features. I enjoy Leopard, but I enjoyed going from Panther to Tiger WAY more than going from Tiger to Leopard, because the feature list was focused at making me EFFICIENT. Spotlight is a perfect example. Give me UNDERLYING features like Snow Leopard: Grand Central, OpenCL, etc. Let me get my ish done faster, with less chance of failure, rather than telling me to upgrade hardware to get back to my old speeds.
NTFS is easily superior to HFS+, ext4, etc. Unlike the cobbled together piece of crap that is HFS+ (Why do you think Apple is replacing it?), it's been consistent and designed from the get-go with almost everything it needed. It's comparable to ZFS+, Reiser, etc. in many regards.
Awesome.
Bring it.
I'm loving the 64 bit beta. Build 7000, no less!
I'm probably being naive, but I have a question:
I can see how a touch interface could be useful with certain applications, but wouldn't your arms get achy and tired having to hover out in front of you for extended periods of time?
Thus, the point of a convertible tablet where you can fold over the screen and lay it flat, I suppose.
Anyway, the mouse and keyboard aren't going anywhere, at least on the desktop... so the idea is that you can have touch on certain applications where it's convenient, use the mouse where that makes more sense... it's adding a new method of interaction, not getting rid of an old one.
I tend to think of it like a Palm Treo, if you've ever used one of those... most of the time you don't need the touchscreen to interact with the device, but it's there and is convenient for some things.
but then the tablet services runs by default one very windows install....wtf microsoft.
Tablet features are currently only switched on by default when the OS detects compatible hardware (i.e. a touchscreen). Why should Windows 7 be any different?
your mistaken my friend.
http://www.blackviper.com/WinVista/Services/Tablet_PC_Input_Service.htm
I don't think that this is a good idea. I hope that they do what maveric101 said and only use a different sticker and don't add an additional sticker.
I don't think this is a bad idea. The Window Vista Capable sticker idea was not a bad idea it was just implemented wrong. I don't care about the stickers. The stickers have never been in my way. I have known friends that collect the stickers and plaster there computers with them.
I have a feeling Windows 7 will end up as bloated as Vista.
Oh no, stickers. The only reason they use stickers is so when people see it in the store, they know exactly what it has inside without having to ask the employees (who might not be so knowledgeable). Stickers are useful to a lot of people that aren't familiar with the latest and greatest. The only problem with them is that sometimes they use too strong glue.
I don't get it; why aren't trackpads used as touchscreens in laptops? Like a mini Wacom tablet or an iphone screen? Hear that Sony/Dell/Acer/HP/etc?
Hm, the problem with that is that you usually need the trackpad to move the mouse around on the "big screen"... so having it recognize both mouse movements and whatever screen stuff is going on there could be problematic if it doesn't work well.
Now, it would work well for people like me who prefer to use trackpoint... but unfortunately no one in the industry cares about the trackpoint anymore, Lenovo only puts it on the ThinkPad because the ThinkPad design can never be changed ever in even the slightest way, and Dell only puts it on the Latitude because it's on the ThinkPad.
Is anyone here even over 18?
Let me tell you something about 18ers, most of them are 12.
12, 18, whatever, bunch of babies all of them
no pun intended
Why do you need a sticker, when you it's printed on the box, or the manual, or even findable on the OS?
Stickers are something annoying that we have to attempt at peeling off.