Swype spotted swiftly slinging fingers across Windows 7 screens?

That's not your grandpappy's touchscreen panel, nor his standard Windows 7 input method of choice, oh no -- unless our eyes deceive us, we're looking at a 3M M2256PW ten-finger multitouch display, and on it, a genuine Swype keyboard. Though we've heard nothing about a partnership between Microsoft and Swype and we see nary a mention on the internet at large, there's no denying the idea -- spotted during last week's Internet Explorer demo at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference -- is an attractive one. The question is when and how Redmond might deliver such functionality to the existing OS... and if we might possibly see the same on the company's upcoming phones as well. See it in action at the source link, and fast forward to 2:58:30 for the goods. Trust us and skip ahead -- we've got a feeling you won't want to hear Microsoft kick this party off.

[Thanks, Abed R.]

[tvick47 Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:15AM]

There's the input I've been waiting for

[NuklearPanda Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:18AM]

Engadget said a mouthful.

[tvick47 Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:19AM]

@tvick47 Ironically typed on an iPad...

[JonnyB Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:19AM]

@tvick47
I can imagine now, your finger becoming incredibly whatever the word is when your slide your finger on a glass screen too much

[grummy Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:30AM]

@tvick47

You just don't know how ipad look like

[abedinthehouse Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:45AM]

Just love it when ur tips are used!
=)

Can't wiat for this feature 2 be standard

[Sly Cooper Posted Jul 18th 2010 1:05AM]

@tvick47

That's what she said.

[DrScope Posted Jul 18th 2010 1:09AM]

@tvick47 Fantastic!! About time!

[RhymeMaster Posted Jul 18th 2010 1:40AM]

@tvick47
I feel your pain bro, See, Watch what will happen when i say 'sent from my Macbook Pro'

People are downranking me into a Casper so fast, they don't even realize i'm lying.

[jellotime91 Posted Jul 18th 2010 1:43AM]

@tvick47
Really? This input was made for one-handed typing on small touch-screen devices. It seems a little out of place on a screen of this size.

[VAVA Mk 2 Posted Jul 18th 2010 1:44AM]

@tvick47

That's what she said.

[VAVA Mk 2 Posted Jul 18th 2010 1:47AM]

@tvick47

You're an idiot.

[Mike10010100 Posted Jul 18th 2010 1:52AM]

@tvick47

THAT. IS. AWESOME.

WANT.

[McKirf Posted Jul 18th 2010 2:48AM]

@tvick47

Wow! The Engadget logo sure it popular! The fine folks at RadarOnline.com, who brought you the exclusive Mel Gibson tapes, have integrated it into their own logo!

[liuping Posted Jul 18th 2010 3:04AM]

@jellotime91 No kidding. Sliding one finger all over a big screen makes no sense what so ever as a way to type...

[xperimental Posted Jul 18th 2010 3:18AM]

[cdf74dc9 Posted Jul 18th 2010 8:13AM]

@jellotime91 "Really? This input was made for one-handed typing on small touch-screen devices. It seems a little out of place on a screen of this size."

Swype is an art. I think it's quicker to draw a quick line to get a word than poking at the touchscreen. Can never really get use to poking at gigantic screen anyway.

[JONNNathannn Posted Jul 18th 2010 10:20AM]

@jellotime91 Have you tried typing on an iPad?

A tablet screams for Swype. Typing with one finger or typing with both hands, stretching as far as you can to reach the keys just does not work.

[tadghostal Posted Jul 18th 2010 10:55AM]

@McKirf Not hardly. If you're talking about the "expanding arcs" design, that ain't unique to anyone's logo, any more than the letter "e" is. You could say the same thing about the "RSS Feed" symbol

[AJ2000 Posted Jul 18th 2010 1:56PM]

@RhymeMaster ...that was actually a good one.. (too bad I still had to downrank you)...

[RhymeMaster Posted Jul 18th 2010 3:23PM]

@AJ2000
I kno bro, don't blame yourself, blame engadget :)

[Ploni Almoni Posted Jul 18th 2010 5:03PM]

@tvick47 since it's Windows, the question is, how easy is it to swype "Control-Alt-Delete" when the system locks up? ;-)

[ngko Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:15AM]

Wow now that's a big of a hell screen. Probably better to swype on.

[tvick47 Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:18AM]

@ngko All the better to Swype you with, my dear.

[fledge Posted Jul 18th 2010 1:32AM]

@tvick47
Loved Swype on the HTC Desire, my only gripe was my fingers were a bit too fat and sometimes letters overlapped.
I feel I would have no problem with a keyboard this size, wicked.

[E30 Kid Posted Jul 18th 2010 2:01AM]

@fledge
Swype is amazing, even on my Incredible. Best input mechanism available.

[fledge Posted Jul 18th 2010 2:23AM]

@E30 Kid
Definitely. I'm often stunned at the accuracy where I laugh and think to myself "no, it will never pick that up..." and then it does!

[Gillz123 Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:17AM]

Awesome! I tried swipe on the Droid X and it was very accurate.

[Sepirioth Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:17AM]

thats sweet. I tried it on that samsung that has it its MAD fast way of typing

[cdf74dc9 Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:21AM]

I don't have Swype on my Evo :(
Is this for 2.2/root only?

[tvick47 Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:24AM]

@cdf74dc9 No you should be able to get it on 2.1, whether or not it's available on the eve is not my guess. I knew before it was in beta for android and they closed the beta but something tells me it's out now, just look around since you'll prolly have to side load it.

[DefPoet Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:24AM]

@cdf74dc9
goole my dear friend
also mediafire megaupload etc
download transfer to device install and see unicorns appear

[detusueno Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:28AM]

@cdf74dc9 I have it on mine. Even created a non-ugly, stock Android theme for it.

[cdf74dc9 Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:54AM]

@DefPoet

No wonder it's not in the market because it's still in beta. OMG I love Swype and I only use it for 10 second.

[Chino23 Posted Jul 18th 2010 3:58PM]

I have it on my evo. Just download the beta on their website.

[Waltah Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:24AM]

Sweet.

[DefPoet Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:27AM]

I'd much rather see Microsoft's Steve start a event than Apple's Steve
Ballmer is so unpredictable and crazy you never know what he might do
Jobs does every keynote the same (which is very well done) .
For pure excitement Ballmer is the way to go, but for overall body of work Jobs cant be beat

[oldpass56 Posted Jul 18th 2010 1:19PM]

@DefPoet well done for demonstrating how to make absoloutly no sense.

[JakeG895 Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:28AM]

mmmmm yer i spose its ok, i dont think i would use it.
(more off a novelty)
apple should put it in ipads and iphones (making sure there is a way to turn it off).

[pinktacoyummm Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:31AM]

I'm digging that flickr app.

IE 9 is going to be sweet!

[Sean Connery Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:56AM]

IE9 really took the leap over Chrome,IE9 seems very quick!

Microsoft is getting back on its feet!

[KOYHOY Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:31AM]

The real question is... 10 point MULTISWYPE!?

[DrScope Posted Jul 18th 2010 1:10AM]

@KOYHOY Interesting idea lol that would be awesome!

[burnblue Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:34AM]

I just hope Microsoft isn't too shortsighted to not get it or one of its competitors into WP7. I know they're real proud of the little keyboard they built but Swype is what's up right now. If they're not for sale, buy ShapeWriter or one of those guys and get an alternate keyboard into Windows Phone 7

[scl23enN4m3 Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:36AM]

I installed Swype on my Evo, but I love two-fingered typing too much to keep it installed. I think it's a great piece of software for the people who enjoy it. Then again I don't see two fingers or hands being comfortably used on a tablet that big while holding it in your lap...so Swype does make sense here. Go Microsoft!

[burnblue Posted Jul 18th 2010 2:59AM]

@scl23enN4m3
You can tap-type on it just like any other keyboard.

[scl23enN4m3 Posted Jul 18th 2010 9:43AM]

@burnblue

Yup. I don't like having stuff I don't use though. The stock keyboard was more than enough so it had to go.

[shmulik Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:38AM]

what's going to happen to all this future win7 tablats when win8 will come out hu?

[Rockchan Posted Jul 18th 2010 2:01AM]

@shmulik

Just continue to use Win 7 tablet. This is the same as what many XP users are doing after Win 7 was released.

Win 7 may not be very good for a tablet, but software like Swype can make it shine. When Win 7 tablet become popular, more and more software will appear to improve its touch screen experience. We also don't need to wait for approval or jailbreak our Win 7 tablet in order to use these softwares.

[shmulik Posted Jul 18th 2010 2:29AM]

@Rockchan here we go everyone is all bz with apple and again apple and again apple working to get a jailbroken iPhone and iPad and whatever it is the bottem line is apple=headache ur limited with everything can't do anything... I'd get a android phone and a pc (im a young teenager as of now with the pixi) hope you got the same!