Is touch input a boon or a boondoggle?
Windows 7 is the first version of the OS with special support for multitouch input — for example, if it notices that you’ve opened the Start menu with your finger rather than the mouse pointer, you’ll see a roomier version of the menu that takes less precision to navigate. Of course, all of that requires a multitouch-capable PC, and only a handful (such as the upscale HP TouchSmart) are on the market. Windows 7’s arrival might prompt a profusion of interesting new touch-enabled PCs — but even then, what we really need are interesting touch-enabled applications. (Microsoft’s touch demos have tended to feature such ho-hum uses as fingerpainting in Windows’ own Paint program.
