The out of the box experience of multi-touch in Windows Vista will be limited to third party software at this stage, but Windows 7 takes multi-touch the whole nine yards.
The following demos from Gizmodo are of the HP TouchSmart desktop PC, but you can expect the same experience from the HP TouchSmart Tx2.
Windows 7 Touch and Multitouch on HP TouchSmart PC from Gizmodo on Vimeo.
As you can see, the multi-touch experience is built into the system from the ground up… it’s even in good ol’ paint.
Multitouch Air Hockey in Windows 7 on a TouchSmart PC from Gizmodo on Vimeo.
Air Hockey on a Tablet PC! Now that will be something special! We’re excited just thinking about the possibilities of multi-digit, multi-hand and multi-user interaction…
there are also tx2 drivers @ ntrig fo win7 multitouch and gestures
I went to the N-Trig site and they removed the link to the tx2 drivers for Win 7. They currently only provide drivers for Dell XT & XT2. Bummer. I was looking forward to loading Win 7 beta on my tx2.
I recently wrote an article with Vista on Coding for Gestures and Flicks on Tablet PC running Vista.
http://www.therobotgeek.net/articles/gestureblocks.aspx
I was hoping to test this code on Win 7 but it looks like I’ll have to wait.
Hi Travis,
Interesting that they have taken the link down. Perhaps they were having to many issues supporting it. With so much interest in the Tx2, there would be lots of people getting into trouble with this Win 7 scenario.
The file is still there though. http://www.n-trig.com/Data/Uploads/Misc/DuoSense_MT_BetaforWin7_32bit_TouchSmartTX2.exe
I grabbed a copy just in case they take it down.
Let us know how you go.
– Brett
I happen to be searching the web on HP Smart Touch desk top, multi-touching and I came across your site.
Anyway, I asked an HP technical support person about it and she said that it would be a COUPLE of years before it might be available. I was very disappointed with that response.
I’m not gonna buy any touch screen monitor/all-in-1 computer unless it has multi-touch and gesture and finger tap.
Am I asking for too much? And will I have to wait 2 years for HP to get their act together?
Hi Leo,
I would check the credentials of your HP contact. The product shown above is an actual off the shelf HP computer running the Windows 7 Beta. As you can see in the video, it is Multi-Touch!
COUPLE of years? I don’t think so. It is here now.
You have the HP Pavillion Tx2 that’s been selling for a couple of months now. You also have the Touch Smart IQ520 Desktop with capacitive “multitouch” screen shown above.
With Windows 7 due out later this year you will have full native support in the OS as well.
– Brett