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Microsoft rolls out multi-touch technology - Microsoft Surface - not in Windows Mobile yet ! May 30, 2007 [General] | By Edward J. R. We were present during Microsoft press conference where UMPC (ultra mobile PC) was unveiled for the first time in the world to the public! As you can hear in audio recording we were also the ones who asked the very last question during this press conference: "what about multi-touch support?" and the answer was like "it is coming in Windows Vista time frame". Now, merely half year after commercial release of Vista it really happens: Microsoft is unveiling multi-touch technology and it should even be available commercially by the end of 2007! At this phase of development it is "just" a table with multi-touch display that will cost around 10,000 USD, but... ... but we can expect roll-out of this technology also to Windows Vista powered notebooks and possibly also to Windows Mobile, particularly because competition (Apple iPhone) already offers multi-touch! Please note that some notebooks currently on the market (Tablet PC from Dell and from IBM Lenovo) already offer "multi-touch" but in different sense: that the screen can be used as touch screen - if used with fingers or stylus, or as digitizer - if used with digitizer pen. The multi-touch offered in Microsoft Surface and Apple iPhone is working on different principle: it means that user can touch screen in more than one place, what drastically increases usability. Microsoft Surface, the first in a new category of surface computing products from Microsoft that breaks down traditional barriers between people and technology. Surface turns an ordinary tabletop into a vibrant, dynamic surface that provides effortless interaction with all forms of digital content through natural gestures, touch and physical objects. Beginning at the end of this year, consumers will be able to interact with Surface in hotels, retail establishments, restaurants and public entertainment venues. To learn more, click here. Conclusion: Microsoft is on the path to multi-touch in whole product portfolio, starting with the table. It would be wise for Microsoft to offer multi-touch as soon as possible also in Windows Mobile... because competition will not be waiting for Microsoft. While for many users lack of QWERTY keyboard in Apple iPhone will be not acceptable, many more users will be appealed exactly by this what Microsoft Surface offers, but Windows Mobile not yet: multi-touch.
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