Yes, ladies and gentleman, it's hard to believe, but Microsoft has just announced that Windows 7, the $20 billion a year operating system that runs on hundreds of millions of PCs around the world will be way better than your...wait for it...wait a little more... i...wait...Phone! It will be an amazing feat. In about 5 years when Microsoft releases Windows 7, it will be better than the iPhone is today. I can't wait!
OK, maybe I'm being a little too sarcastic. The real quote from Microsoft is that Windows 7's multi-touch feature will "blow you away" if you are impressed with the iPhone's multi-touch. Is that the best Microsoft can do? Compare a future PC operating system to an existing phone? If I remember correctly Microsoft was telling people the iPhone was irrelevant just a short while ago and they touted the vastly more capable Windows Mobile platform. They couldn't imagine why anybody would want an iPhone and now they're talking about a future Desktop OS whose release date is yet to be determined will be better than the iPhone is today? What happened to making Windows Mobile better than iPhone? Was that project canceled?
The irony here is that in order for Multi-Touch to even work, you have to have hardware that supports it. So don't hold your breath for any PC today to be able to use the multi-touch features coming in Windows 7. Microsoft still has to convince a bunch of dinosaur hardware makers (HP, Dell, etc.) to make hardware that allows for multi-touch. Oh and they have to keep praying that when Windows 7 is released 2, 3 or 5 years in the future, that Apple is frozen in time to today's technology. Yeh, that will happen!
Microsoft products have been unbelievably disappointing lately and the rhetoric that comes from Washington is starting to show the same desperation and logic of the rhetoric that comes from the other Washington. Come on Microsoft! As a former Microsoft employee and a business owner who's entire company is focused on the Microsoft platform I expect more from you. It's time to stop talking, stop bashing competitors, stop copying and start creating damn good products. Now get to it!