I very much doubt things will be any different in terms of accessibility than it is now with a mouse. George. -----Original Message----- From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Vanja Sudar Sent: 29 May 2008 13:50 To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [access-uk] Re: Windows 7 ? And to bring accessibility in to this, I wonder is this a bad news for those of us who are blind or VI? I know it's very early days now, but there are questions to be raised here. For example: would this touch screen interface be possible to be disabled? Would some features only be available if you use touch screen? Vanja http://www.sudar.co.uk http://mashupradio.net MSN/windows live messenger: sudar23@xxxxxxxxxxx AIM: vanja121 Skype: vanja121 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Derek Hornby" <derek.hornby_uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: "Access-Uk@Freelists. Org" <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2008 12:29 PM Subject: [access-uk] Windows 7 ? > Hi all > I thought the floowing would be of interest here. > Sorry rather long. > > Touch and go for the new Windows system: > By Jonathan Richards > The Times 29 May 2008 > > Microsoft is signalling the end of the mouse with its latest > operating system, which aims to build on the success of its rival > Apple's iPhone touch screen. > > Windows 7 will allow PC users to touch, rather than point and click, > in a move which indicates that the world's most influential software > company believes that the days of the keyboard-mouse combination are > coming to an end. But some critics claim that Microsoft is a long way > from replacing what has been the dominant human-computer interface > since its invention by Xerox researchers in the 1970s. > > It is unclear how willing office workers or home users are to abandon > hard-won typing skills and lean forward to start manipulating images > on a large computer screen. > > Windows 7 -which is not due to be released until 2010 -represents the > latest in a long line of attempts by Microsoft to catch up with the > technical lead established by Apple -though the software giant > usually overhauls its rival in the end. > > "The way you interact with the system will change dramatically," Bill > Gates, Microsoft's billionaire chairman, said at a conference in > California this week. "Today, almost all the interaction is > keyboard-mouse." He indicated that he expected users to talk and use > a pen to interact with their computers as well as caress them. > > But Roberta Cozza, an analyst at Gartner, said: "With mobiles, which > you hold in your hand, touch can make things easier -you get to the > phone's functions faster, whereas with a PC you'd have to lift your > arm every time, and with a screen that's 17 inches wide that's going > to become more difficult." > > Although Microsoft is loath publicly to acknowledge the success of > its competitors, except when it is trying to buy them, it is clearly > worried about the popularity of the touch-screen interface on a > string of handheld devices, ranging from sat-navs to iPhones. A > touch-screen BlackBerry is expected this year. > > "Touch-enabled surfaces are popping up everywhere, including > cellphones, remote controls, GPS devices, and more," Chris Flores, a > director on the Windows Client team at Microsoft, said. > > Microsoft is in need of a lift after the success of the Apple iPod > and other handheld technologies, the losing battle that it continues > to fight with Google over control of the internet, and the lacklustre > release of Vista, the operating system released last year. > > Nevertheless, Windows remains the dominant desktop computer standard, > and Microsoft could not resist a swipe at its rival. > > Asked whether Microsoft or Apple would be first to market with > touchscreen computer software for desktop computers, Steve Ballmer, > Microsoft's chief executive, suggested that the two companies were > not in direct competition. > > "We'll sell 290 million PCs, and Apple will sell 10 million PCs. > Steve (Jobs, Apple's chief executive) can flip his hand and sell a > few models -they're fantastically successful and so are we, but it's > a different job." > > This month, the company was forced to abandon a $47.5 billion bid to > acquire Yahoo!, the internet portal, in an attempt to wrest control > of the internet from the search-engine giant Google. That collapsed > because it could not agree a price, although Yahoo! was reluctant to > be bought by a company seen as anathema to the entrepreneurial > creativity of Silicon Valley. > > Meanwhile, most of its customers -including businesses -have not > upgraded their computers to Vista. The majority of the 140 million > copies Microsoft says that it has shipped so far have been sold > bundled with new machines. A video of Windows 7 on Microsoft's > website shows the technology being used to spin an on-screen globe, > zoom in on a map, and scroll through menu lists in a gentle, flicking > motion. > > Yet, despite the slick demonstration, it is not clear that computer > makers are clamouring to follow the Windows 7 ideal. Dell, the > second-largest PC manufacturer, said that "multi-touch" was > "interesting", but declined to say whether it would release a > touchscreen laptop in time for January 2010, when Microsoft said it > expected Windows 7 to be introduced. > > LOOKING BACK > > * Windows 3.0 (1990) > > Microsoft's first succesful attempt at a graphical user interface > (GUI). Still inferior to the look and feel of Apple's Macintosh > system, but PCs sold better than its overpriced rival. The tiled > windows are still fondly remembered > > * Windows 95 > > Microsoft finally caught up with Apple, launching an operating system > with an easy-to-use interface and natural language file names. Bill > Gates persuaded Mick Jagger to allow the use of Start Me Up on its > launch > > * Windows XP (2001) > > After a succession of upgrades to Windows 95, XP came in. It was more > stable than the 95 family and sold well, but had security flaws, > exposed by the Sobig virus, which generated e-mails that filled > in-boxes worldwide > > * Windows Vista (2007) > > Software demands meant that only higher-end computers could run the > system adequately. Concerns on compatibility held back uptake. Sold > 20million in first month. Bill Gates claimed sales of 100million by > Jan 2008 > > > ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- > ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] > ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: > ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > ** and in the Subject line type > ** unsubscribe > ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the > ** immediately-following link:- > ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] > ** or send a message, to > ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq > > > ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** and in the Subject line type ** unsubscribe ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the ** immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] ** or send a message, to ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** and in the Subject line type ** unsubscribe ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the ** immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] ** or send a message, to ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq