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.]

[Rockchan Posted Jul 18th 2010 5:23AM]

@shmulik

If I need to get an Android tablet, I would rather get an ipad at this moment. Android tablet has a OS upgrading problem. At at today, the update of Andriod OS is not something that can be easily done by us on all kind of Andriod devices. Moreover, we may not be able to use some new applications until we have upgraded the OS to the new version.

Until the Andriod operation system is stable enough and can be used for years with enough support from new applications, I am not going to buy one.

I can still use XP today and install most of the new softwares that are available in the market. I doubt whether it will be the same for Android 2.2 ten years later (if we can't simply upgrade the OS ourselves).

Anyway, my original reply is just let you know why Win 7 tablet will still be used when Win 8 has been released. My answer is simple: There will be a lot of software available to solve many of the issues that may affect Win 7's touch screen experience. Win 8 is better but not a must in such situation.

[EpicBlob Posted Jul 18th 2010 11:23AM]

@shmulik dood u gotta get this combo pixi+laptop+ipod/zune=ftw!! the pixi got free hotspot and i just ordered mine :D

[shmulik Posted Jul 18th 2010 11:42AM]

@EpicBlob I have the sprint pixi NO wifi NO hotspot NO service :(

[shmulik Posted Jul 18th 2010 11:45AM]

@Rockchan thanks for replying and for the time you gave me :D

[CRA1G Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:51AM]

I smell an acquisition.

[Ed T Posted Jul 18th 2010 10:51AM]

@CRA1G
That smell is typical whenever Microsoft is around.

[oahceasgnikgneas Posted Jul 18th 2010 1:17AM]

Swype is very fast on a small sized touch screen (I'm using it right now) but I think that for a screen that size it might be faster to touch type like with a regular keyboard. That's just my opinion though.

[Ducman69 Posted Jul 18th 2010 1:44AM]

@oahceasgnikgneas

It would depend on whether you are a fast homerow typist or a pecker.

I'm a big pecker. Huge.

[oahceasgnikgneas Posted Jul 18th 2010 1:51AM]

@Ducman69
Agreed.

Also, I misread "I'm" as "I've." That makes a significant difference, especially if you've got a dirty mind like I do.

[Chris7197 Posted Jul 18th 2010 5:10AM]

@Ducman69

A 'that's what she said' is called for but I think it's pretty obvious as it is.

[AdrianWerner Posted Jul 18th 2010 7:57AM]

@oahceasgnikgneas
You can't really "touch type" on touch screen you know :)

[JONNNathannn Posted Jul 18th 2010 10:26AM]

@oahceasgnikgneas It's easy to type on big screens like that when you have somewhere to lean comfortably, on a table-stand or resting it on your knees.

In most cases, like on a bus or sitting at a table or standing, you have nowhere to make a comfortable angle or you're holding it with one hand. Enter: Swype.

[Pryomancer Posted Jul 18th 2010 1:18AM]

This is where properly haptic touchscreens will be brilliant.

[iKid Posted Jul 18th 2010 2:04AM]

Did anyone else find that guy's hand rather ghastly?

[cdf74dc9 Posted Jul 18th 2010 8:00AM]

@iKid

"Release the hounds" said Mr. Burns

[iKid Posted Jul 18th 2010 8:27AM]

@cdf74dc9 Hahaha

[AdhesiveWombat Posted Jul 18th 2010 2:36AM]

Soon enough, swyping will be so fast that we will have no need for actual vocal conversations and all communication will be done by madly rubbing your finger all over the nearest screen.

[goseki Posted Jul 18th 2010 2:39AM]

is it me or does swype on a large (>7") screen make next to no sense at all.. remain to be convinced on this.

[leemarkin Posted Jul 18th 2010 4:27AM]

this is just a bad idea, swype is perfectly fit small display like droid x or nexus, but swyping on display like ipad? no way it could better than traditional keyboard

[cdf74dc9 Posted Jul 18th 2010 8:08AM]

@leemarkin

Well, it's hard to say. Swype is like drawing with a brush so it more comfortable than poking at the gigantic touchscreen. Poke or Swype, poke or Swype. Well see when some Android tablet might show up. But I'll put my money on Swype. It's a dang great ideas for touchscreen typing.

[PCG Posted Jul 18th 2010 5:19AM]

would love to have this for my laptop touchpad, just as a folly for my laziness

[Dogmann Posted Jul 18th 2010 6:23AM]

I never really understood all the excitement about Swype right up to and until I tired it. Now just a few weeks later with all the settings turned to as fast as possible and it having learnt my most used words it's truly amazing IMHO.

It's just so much faster and more accurate then anything I've used prior to it and after a short while just feels so natural I can't imagine going back to use anything else. I really don't think using it on a larger screen would be a disadvantage either it's the fact that you just slide to the letters rather then hitting indvisual keys that makes it work faster along with the great correction engine and word suggestion.

But the more options we users get the better the chances of each of us finding the best solution for our needs which has to be a good thing doesn't it?

[MAA Posted Jul 18th 2010 7:21AM]

I would like to remind you all of the cross licensing agreement between MS and HTC. This could be a partnership that works out great for the end user.

[floplo48 Posted Jul 18th 2010 9:53AM]

Wait, this is so 2004....
IBM SHARK/Shapewriter, bringing swipes to your touchscreen since Windows 2000

[LANjackal Posted Jul 18th 2010 11:32AM]

Sounds like a good idea, but I don't have a lot of confidence in MS bringing this to market effectively, if at all. They've managed to screw up plenty of their own good new ideas.

[magallanes Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:07PM]

Star Trek blueish.

[Apple Smasher Posted Jul 18th 2010 12:17PM]

That's cool; guess windows phones will suck a little less.... But ill sitck with android, The originator not the impersonator.

[byroni00 Posted Jul 18th 2010 1:28PM]

@Apple Smasher

Originator? Cause they've been in the market for so much longer? Grab a bib and a cold drink, cause you'll likely be eating those words in 6 months.

[Kyle P Posted Jul 18th 2010 1:40PM]

Swype is great on my EVO in portrait mode. I really don't like using it in landscape mode, however. Typing is too slow. Ergo, I don't think Swype is meant for large screens. It's almost counterintuitive.

[kaitlin2010 Posted Jul 18th 2010 1:51PM]

From the looks of it, this could be the future for new typing technology for laptops replacing keyboards with virtual keyboards.

[fourblades Posted Jul 18th 2010 2:19PM]

I want one, just for the fact that touch screen monitors are actually hard to type on... would rather use the keyboard...

[Templarian Posted Jul 18th 2010 4:24PM]

Will be very nice when it it standard on all devices, also wonder if we will see it in Windows Phone 7.

[toddjy Posted Jul 19th 2010 2:23AM]

I might replace my computer with a Windows tablet of that size.

You walk down the street carrying that, people will ask what you're overcompensating for.

[RogerGee Posted Jul 23rd 2010 8:13PM]

How do they suppose a user find the home keys without looking (for touch-typing) - littles bumps on the screen where the 'F' and 'H' keys are???