Surfing the net, I noticed that FingerWorks has created both the hardware & software that maximises MultiTouch to truly revolutionise the user interface. Their touchpad-based systems’ ergonomic sophistication dispense with the need for either mouse or touchscreen, and should minimise the incidences of both repetitive strain injury & complaints of smudged screens.

Ideally, Windows 7 should have a sufficiently varied repertoire of MultiTouch gestures to enable the user to perform most tasks within each programme in Microsoft Office that currently require accurately moving the cursor across screens & zigzagging into specific submenus. In Microsoft Word and Excel, for example, file, edit, formatting, view and data tasks should have gestures that obviate the need to use a mouse. Note that FingerWorks offered products that would even allow the user to configure their own gesture-based Macros! Further, hardware manufacturers should consider facilities to allow MultiTouch gestures based on TouchPads (with appropriate controls to suppress input from inadvertent touches during typing), or else there will be cases of arm strain from touchScreen use!

At the minimum, WIndows 7 will hopefully provide a touchScreen interface that overcomes the human finger’s inherent inaccuracy. IMHO, this could be either 1) automagnification of any area of the screen that is touched, akin to the way the Mac OS X Dock responds to a cursor, or 2) a “fingercot” which graphically translates touch into a contextually intelligent cursor and allows at least 3 multitouch gestures representing left-, right- and double-clicking.