Windows 7 Media Center gets touch-input; multi-touch coming

Windows 7 has been gradually showing off some of what it has to offer, and today’s tidbit is touch-control of the Media Center GUI.  Gizmodo stopped by and their video (which you can see after the cut) certainly looks impressive; right now it’s set up for single-point input, but we’re told that multi-touch control is coming. 

Of course, there’s the serious question of whether touch-control on your HDTV is a desired or even likely possibility.  Those who have an HTPC sat under their plasma TV will be better served with the same old remote control and keyboard combo they have now.  However those who use Media Center on a touchscreen PC such as the HP TouchSmart in the video, or who use a touch-based remote, will probably be gleeful with excitement.

There are certainly still a few areas that look to need tweaking.  The controls long the bottom of the display could do with being larger if they’re going to play nicely with finger-stabs.  But it’s great to see one of Microsoft’s more successful interfaces getting brought up to date.

[via Gizmodo]