Windows 7: Will touch ever take off?

There's a reason the first thing in Windows 7 that Microsoft chose to show publicly was its support for touch input.

That built-in ability to use two fingers to rotate, scroll and zoom offers tangible proof that the operating system is different from its predecessor, not to mention being something not found on a Mac.

However, many say that comparatively few Windows 7 PC owners will actually be reaching out to touch their screen. That's because it requires a screen that can support the technology - something that often adds $100 or more to the cost of a PC.

As a result, many expect touch-capable computers to be just a tiny fraction of the market for desktop and notebook computers, even after Windows 7 arrives on store shelves on 22 October.

"We're thinking like five per cent to 10 per cent of shipments for 2010," said IDC analyst Richard Shim. And Shim said that, unless circumstances change, the rate isn't likely to climb significantly in the coming years.

Part of the problem is that there really isn't a killer application for touch on the PC, despite the "cool" factor in the mobile phone market.

It's not that there isn't interest in selling touchscreen devices. HP introduced its TouchSmart all-in-one in 2007. The company now has several touch models, including both desktop and laptop machines. Dell has a Latitude notebook aimed at businesses and has also added an all-in-one with a touchscreen option.

And once Windows 7 hits the market, others will no doubt follow suit, particularly since Microsoft has done a lot of the work. Shim said he expects nearly all the major PC makers to have at least one touchscreen model when Windows 7 launches in the fall. Monitor makers are also expected to offer touchscreen displays that can plug into standard PCs.

Microsoft senior vice president, Bill Veghte, said in an interview last week: "Touch will roll out. We'll see it in all-in-ones and we'll see it in some laptops and you will see it across the different PC markets."

But just how many of these models will actually get sold is another matter. Some reports suggest that the low-cost netbook market could actually see things pick up fastest, given their smaller (and therefore cheaper to touch-enable) screens and the fact that people are often using them on the go, without a mouse.

Although Microsoft offers a standard interface for gestures in Windows 7, there are actually several different technologies that computer makers can use to build a touch-capable computer.

New Zealand-based NextWindow uses an optical technology in which tiny sensors are mounted on the top corners of the display and allow the fingers' positions to be captured. It is the company behind the technology used in the all-in-ones from HP and Dell.

Israel's N-Trig, meanwhile, uses capacitive resistance, the type of technology used on the iPhone to read finger input. It combines this with a second technology to also allow input from a stylus. Its technology is employed in HP and Dell laptops, and N-Trig has also received funding from Microsoft.

Touch is not...

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