Hot Virtual Keyboard for Windows 7 is hot, virtual, multitouch

Thought that multitouch support in Windows 7 was only good for putting twice the smudges on your screen in half the time? Here's the app that makes all those blemishes worthwhile. It's the 5.0 release of Hot Virtual Keyboard, which provides the ability to do mindblowing things like hold a shift key while pressing another key to make on-screen letters bigger! Crazy, right? It offers a variety of flavors, including thumb-friendly UMPC models and even a pseudo-ergonomic one, complete with comically oversized spacebar, as apparently those with bad wrists have big thumbs. It's all hugely customizable and could make text entry on that svelte new tablet of yours a little less of a chore -- if you don't mind fronting the $29.95 entry fee.

[CJ Posted Dec 17th 2009 7:29AM]

I think I'll pass on this one.

For UMPCs? Fantastic, but most tablets have keyboards already, and the mild convenience of not having to flip the screen around isn't really worth 30 dollars.

[eugeneaction Posted Dec 17th 2009 3:26PM]

@CJ put this on the fridge and I'm SOLD

[Macmee Posted Dec 17th 2009 7:34AM]

That's the ugliest thing I've ever seen.

[Rem DX Posted Dec 17th 2009 8:28AM]

@Macmee
What's ugly about an on-screen keyboard? Or did you just want to get your early morning douche on?

[Federaly Posted Dec 17th 2009 9:08AM]

@Macmee

Wow who ever would've thought..."Macmee" has something anti-windows to say, You must be like totally the funniest person out of you 2 friends.

[Macmee Posted Dec 17th 2009 11:04AM]

@Federaly wrong. Im using windows 7. Surprisingly other peope other than mac noobs dont stand behind every product microsoft makes.

This is where youre ahocked that a windows user doesnt like an app on windows!

Grow up, moron.

[Tiptup300 Posted Dec 18th 2009 4:30AM]

@Rem DX

I agree, that is some really ugly UI. Waaaay too much gloss.

[Outsider Posted Dec 17th 2009 7:37AM]

"Hot Virtual Keyboard for Windows 7 is hot, virtual, multitouch"

I mean, if the title was going to state the obvious, we should mention somewhere in there that it is a keyboard for the sake of completeness.

[pk Posted Dec 17th 2009 7:43AM]

Funny how there's the big ctrl+alt+del thing. Is that a button?

[sharples696 Posted Dec 17th 2009 7:53AM]

@pk its just to remind you that because its windows "if things go wrong" you can find the help button.

[grammar Posted Dec 17th 2009 8:52AM]

@pk
I think I love it.

[Boss Skill Posted Dec 17th 2009 9:33AM]

@sharples696 , or for unlocking a machine quickly. You know, people that actually use a PC for work.

[korbas12 Posted Dec 17th 2009 10:01AM]

@grammar I think I love you.

[UnixSystemsEngineer Posted Dec 17th 2009 11:43AM]

@(Unverified)

.. "for people that actually use a PC for work?"

Who are you even poking fun at? It's not like gamers don't have to unlock their machines from time to time....

[Processing Posted Dec 17th 2009 12:02PM]

@korbas12 so what are you so afraid of?

[mattcoz Posted Dec 17th 2009 1:50PM]

@UnixSystemsEngineer Yes, but you only get the "ctrl-alt-del to login" if you belong to a domain, which would most likely only be the case if you're on a corporate network. Home users, gamers, whatever, would just get the standard lock screen where you sign in or click "switch user".

[mattcoz Posted Dec 17th 2009 1:52PM]

@Processing he's afraid that he's not so sure of a love there is no cure for

[iofthestorm Posted Dec 17th 2009 2:49PM]

@mattcoz You could disable the Welcome screen even if you weren't connected to a domain in XP, I think you probably can do the same in Windows 7.

[MMMM Posted Dec 17th 2009 7:52AM]

Exactly what I need for my dual tablet. Thanks Engadget again!

[Jimbob Posted Dec 17th 2009 7:52AM]

If it was freeware i'd at least give it a go. $5 i'd think about it for a bit but jesus $30!!!

[Dries Posted Dec 17th 2009 7:58AM]

Actually, I'm pretty sure that's Vista...

[Rem DX Posted Dec 17th 2009 8:29AM]

@Dries
It is!

[andreab Posted Dec 17th 2009 8:49AM]

@Dries

You must be new at Engadget. They have a long tradition of using outdated pictures when reporting on Microsoft products.

[dicobalt Posted Dec 17th 2009 9:18AM]

OMG you are not going to believe this. They make actual real life keyboards!!!! They even have wireless ones that you can use from your couch! It's totally awesome! Touch screens are as much a fad now as they were back when they came out decades ago.

[richb93 Posted Dec 17th 2009 9:39AM]

@dicobalt

Ohmigod NO WAY!?!


/s

[Processing Posted Dec 17th 2009 12:03PM]

@dicobalt UR2COOL!

[Tes Posted Dec 17th 2009 9:46AM]

Why am I taken to the EyeTV website when I click the picture?

[TimStevens Posted Dec 17th 2009 9:47AM]

@Tes Sorry, fixed it. We're having some system issues with links this am.

[Xudd Posted Dec 17th 2009 9:50AM]

It looks ugly and out of place, and they could have made the keys a little bigger..

[Verythrax Posted Dec 17th 2009 10:14AM]

twice in half of time? 4 points multitouch?

[normaldotcom Posted Dec 17th 2009 11:15AM]

Windows 7's built-in keyboard already supports multitouch, and resizing... but it would be nice to have a more customizable option.

[Alan Strangis Posted Dec 17th 2009 1:49PM]

I'M TESTING THE SHIFT KEY MULTITOUCH FEATURE RIGHT NOW! IT'S SWEET!

[kenny goo Posted Dec 17th 2009 3:44PM]

Gotta love how Microsoft cant figure out how to do this themselves.

>_>

[Pies Posted Dec 17th 2009 5:24PM]

@kenny Yeah, except they did.