Microsoft CEO Ballmer: In 2010, we’ll expand beyond keyboard and mouse into touch and gestures

“For years, we’ve relied on familiar GUI (graphical user interface) tools and methods — the keyboard and mouse; menus and commands; clicking and scrolling; files and folders — to control and manipulate computers and the applications that run on them,” Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer writes for The Huffington Post.

“But I believe we will look back on 2010 as the year we expanded beyond the mouse and keyboard and started incorporating more natural forms of interaction such as touch, speech, gestures, handwriting, and vision — what computer scientists call the ‘NUI’ or natural user interface,” Ballmer writes.

Full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Steve Ballmer, visionary.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Joe J.” for the heads up.]

70 Comments

  1. 2010 is the year we start incorporating vision into computing. Does that mean that up until now we have been using computers with our eyes closed, or that the IT industry has been meandering along without any clear direction or purpose?

  2. For years, we’ve relied on Apple methods — the keyboard and mouse; menus and commands; clicking and scrolling; files and folders — to control and manipulate computers and the applications that run on them,” Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer writes for The Huffington Post.

    “But I believe we will look back on 2010 as the year we relied on Apple even more and expand beyond the mouse and keyboard and started incorporating more natural forms of interaction such as touch, speech, gestures, handwriting, and vision — what computer scientists call the ‘NUI’ or natural user interface,” Ballmer writes.

  3. Nothing to see here, just your typical me-too reaction to counter forthcoming new Apple hardware. It’s gotta be wearing thin for most people by now – surely?

    I want innovation by Microsoft to push Apple but this is embarrasing

  4. Sorry, but I doubt the keyboard and mouse will go away. Far too intuitive and engrained into how we work at this point. And pretty darn logical too. MultiTouch as Apple has presented it and developed it works great for certain applications, but I doubt it can work as a replacement for both the keyboard and the mouse on anything more than a tablet.

  5. But I believe we will look back on 2010 as the year we expanded beyond . . . no . . . make that 2011 . . . no, wait, 2012, or maybe 2013.
    D’oh! Just make it 2020.

  6. But does he know WHY they should add gestures to the interface? I bet he can’t answer that question because he doesn’t get it that you only add something if there’s a good reason to, not just because everyone else is doing it.

    I suppose if Apple was selling dog pooh sandwiches he would declare 2010 the year of the s**t sandwich.

  7. Ballmer acts like this ‘revolution’ is news simply because Microsoft hasn’t done it before… that is, since they haven’t it must not exist.

    While I’ve always thought OUR Steve is the most arrogant man on the planet, Ballmer (as always) is trying real hard to take the title away from Jobs.

    Note to Ballmer: something else Apple does you can’t beat.

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