Microsoft previewed Windows 7 a couple of days back   Bill Gates says it’s the beginning of an era of computing based on a new hierarchy of input systems. Today the machine is really set up for one person to sit at a keyboard. “We’re at an interesting junction,” he says. “In the next few years, the roles of speech, gesture, vision, ink, all of those will become huge. For the person at home and the person at work, that interaction will change dramatically.”

Interesting. On one had the web is looking to be more semantic and on the other hand, hardware is going to be more ‘hands on’. So inputs beyond just letters and mouse gestures will matter. So we are moving towards a more symbolic interface. This can do wonders for the spread of computing and the empowerment of technologically dark communities. The problem then arises with language. Windows can look towards making a more symbolic interface for communities that are technologically dark. One thing is for sure – people will ‘learn’ computers in a completely different way.  

With respect to Windows Vista Ballmer has admited there’s room for improvement: “Steve Jobs has a great business”, he says. “His model works well. But so does ours. 10 million people like his model. 290 million like ours.”

Interestingly, Windows XP is going to be put to rest soon.  Here’s a preview of Windows 7. It does remind me a lot of the iPhone. Even though these are standard technological developments that are very often applied across platforms, the very fact that the Windows 7 platform reminds people of the iPhone shows the importance of being a technological leader ‘in the mind’. 

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