"Reaction [beta]"
Multi-touch vs. multi-gesture 17 Jan 2007
If the iPhone's multi-touch user interface raises interesting questions about the importance of tactile feedback, then Microsoft Research takes the discussion to a whole new level. What if you could interact without touching anything at all? Take a look at the video clip below:
Accessible? No. Impressive? Mos Def (as the kids say).
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7 comments so far
dmob 17 Jan 2007 11:33 AM
Amazing clip but the interviewer isn't exactly Sherlock Holmes is he? "Woah your fingers are doing that?", "Did you program that?". Erm...of course he did - you muppet!
spk 17 Jan 2007 08:00 PM
ZZzzzzzzzzzzz... Everything about this video demonstrates the massive gulf in intuition and real-world application between Apple and Microsoft. Microsoft do it because they can; Apple do it because they should. Imagine the learning curve for users, memorising stupid gestures which they *hope* the system will remember. Apple's multi-touch is useful and obvious and doesn't need to be learned. This demo, albeit impressive, doesn't suggest any real-world application or any respect for the end-user. In that respect, it's typical MS and typical geekery.
Bramus! 17 Jan 2007 08:11 PM
About the linkback to the Jeff Han post ... check that little update line over at his website: "Yes, we saw the keynote too! We have some very, very exciting updates coming soon- stay tuned!" ...
Joey Z. 21 Jan 2007 12:18 AM
So, I guess you need really pale skin for the camera to see your gestures. That UI is so discriminating!
xtc 1 Feb 2007 07:54 AM
is that bill gates? he's fat and old :p
i preffer multitouch. much more flexible.
Shamunda 14 Mar 2007 04:47 PM
Look people, MS has been playing with this technology since 2003 in a generic and primitive form called GWindows (http://research.microsoft.com/%7Enuria/GWindows/GWindows.htm).
The technology not only incorporated gestures but also the ability to control objects using voice commands within an area of space independet of physical contact to a device.
The newer Multi-Touch method is an update to the technology already handed down from Fingerworks (http://www.fingerworks.com/) to the world.
No, MS doesn't create things because they can, they create tons of things that everyone uses everday in every aspect of your life, you simply don't know what they are (http://research.microsoft.com/research/projects/default.aspx) everything from technology within the military to technology that you use to shave.
Tell me what use I have for a phone that is bound to one carrier (not even a good one at that) when I'm satified with the carrier I already have? Will you then spend another 600 bucks on a newer iPhone when they decide to create another one shortly after you've made your purchase of the previous $500 iPhone? Or perhaps you'll have to to switch providers :P
Say what you want about "what people can use" but if I were to put my money on a company that has research touching every aspect benefitting industry in every corner of the world (hence being 'used' as- well-as being useful, leaving windows out of the discussion) I'd have to put my money on MS.
Many or some of us already know the research that the PARC team did for the tech world, and if you don't, then perhaps you shouldn't be involved with tech to begin with.
Take heed ms research is the same way.
Nuph said.
bofu 31 May 2007 02:57 PM
Apple hired the guy from Fingerworks, also acquiring their multi-touch patents, a while ago. MS is good at one thing, unnecessary graphics, that bog down your system. Oh wait, two things, crashes too. Apple's stronghold is in user-friendly and ease of use. Like every other technology, Apple will have the more intuitive one, if Microsoft doesn't get sued for patent infringement.