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Windows 7 Touch: It's For The Kitchen? (MSFT)

kitchen-computers.jpgMicrosoft (MSFT) thinks there's a future in "touch" PCs, so much so the company is set to invest millions in Israeli start-up N-Trig to help ensure new touch technologies will work well with Windows 7.

Seems prudent. But just what could a touch PC be used for? There's no way we want strangers touching our PC monitor or enterprise workstation. And while we love some of the touch-based games for our Apple (AAPL) iPhone, but there's no sign (yet) Microsoft sees touch as pushing new frontiers in PC-based gaming.

No, Microsoft thinks we'll use touch in the kitchen.

WSJ: Bill Veghte, senior vice president for Microsoft's Windows business, says some likely applications are in education, as well as for shared PCs in places like the kitchen, where they can be used for things like recipes, online traffic reports and directions.

That reminds us of the early marketing for the IBM (IBM) PC in the 80s, where the home computer was said to help mothers organize recipes, or even earlier concepts like the Honeywell H316 Kitchen Computer.

Of course, PCs ended up being huge, just not for the reasons IBM imagined. Microsoft's investment in N-Trig is smart, the money involved is small enough it's worth it even if the touch PC concept doesn't pan out. But how come the kitchen is still the first place engineers think their tech will catch on?

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See Also:
Microsoft Windows 7? We Already Hate It

 

 

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