Win7 is not a tablet OS, no matter what the boys in Redmond think.
- by John Conwell
Despite what execs at Microsoft think, Windows 7 is NOT a tablet OS. Just because you can install some software (or OS) on a device, doesn't mean that device is meant to run that software. This seems to be the step that the non-engineer execs at Microsoft have seem to not understood.
In order to seamlessly work with a device, the software needs to be designed with that device in mind. That has been the problem with the Windows PDA platform, the Windows Mobil platform, and now with trying to force fit Windows 7 on a tablet. Its just not designed for that style of interaction.
Windows is designed to be interacted with via a mouse and keyboard. In fact, it is brilliant at that. But, It is NOT designed to be interacted with by your fingers. And that is why the Windows tablet failed 10 years ago, and why it will fail today. Its not the hardware's fault like Microsoft claimed 10 years ago. Its the User Interaction design that failed.
And this is why the iPhone and Android OS's work wonderfully on a tablet. The user interaction was designed for small screens, navigated by big fat fingers. I love these OS's and how I interact with them. And when I play with a touch screen Windows 7 device, I am feel like I'm playing with a brittle wana-be. And its not the hardware's fault. The touchscreen is very responsive. I actually like the hardware. But the OS and the software are just not designed to be interacted with, with my big fat fingers.
In order to be successful, Microsoft needs to start from scratch, and build a platform AND SOFTWARE specifically for use by fingers. Thats why everyone was so excited when they though Microsoft was going to release the Courier tablet. Because it looked like a totally different platform. Something that might actually work. But Windows 7...I hate to burst your bubble, but you are not a touch platform.
