Microsoft touchscreen to spell end for mouse
The world's first market-ready Touch Watch Phone (Model: LG-GD910) with 3G which was unveiled in the US yesterday
Thursday January 08 2009
MICROSOFT has developed a touchscreen operating system that could signal the end of the computer mouse.
Windows 7, a test version of which will be available from next week, is part of Microsoft's attempts to restore its reputation for innovation, and to catch up with Apple, whose iPhone has been a huge success.
The company says that the new version of its software could revolutionise the way we use computers, paving the way for touchscreen monitors in every home.
Users will be able to perform simple tasks such as selecting a folder without using a mouse, and write on the screen. Unlike small-screen devices such as the iPhone, the new Windows system has a multi-touch feature that will allow more than one person to manipulate objects simultaneously.
Critics have suggested that office workers or home users would be reluctant to abandon their carefully honed typing skills in favour of poking and prodding their monitors.
The arrival of the new system will be announced today by Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's chief executive officer, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. (© The Times, London)
- Murad Ahmed in Las Vegas
