According to information detailed at an official Windows 7 blog, Microsoft engineers are much closer to ensuring that users of their next OS can ditch the mouse in favour of finger control.
The official videos demonstrate how the iPhone-style multi-touch control is being built into Windows 7, with an emphasis on multiple finger twists and taps taking the place of left and right mouse clicks. Recently, Microsoft have also been pushing touch technology with products such as Secondlight.
Users will also be able to use their fingers to flick, hold, twist, rotate and press and hold pictures and applications within the Windows 7 desktop.
A physical testing application, which forms part of the Windows Touch Logo design programme, will help hardware manufacturers design their touchscreens with Windows 7 software in mind.
As part of the hardware vouching programme, Windows 7 engineers have built an interactive test suite that includes 43 separate tests to validate a number of core conditions which should be met in order to create touch screens that make best use of Windows 7.
The blog also shows another interesting video: Microsoft Globe. It's a touch-friendly piece of software that allows users to zoom into cityscapes using their fingers.