Lux: multi-touch for OS X

Neat, but no thanks.

There is really no indication of this interacting with the OS, The Dock could be simulated. The response time of this multi-touch implementation is also really slow compared to many others.

It's unlikely to be "shut down", so to speak, since it's an open source project.

Also, I doubt that it's OSX that it's running on. Nowhere on the site does it say so. They've certainly done a good job of imitating the dock behavior, but in the hi-res stills you can see it's not right. Also, why would they bother writing their own compiler if it were running on OSX? I think that such a radical input system overhaul would be unfeasible in OSX; they're probably using *nix (where they would be free to edit the kernel as much as they liked), but liked the idea of having some OSX icons in their interface.

I suppose we'll find out in June.

Graphical User Interface, GUI, is old news. Yet, sales of traditional key board & mouse interface type computers is still outstrips any other: sales of tablet PCs, touch screen systems, etc just don't match those of traditional computers.

The Newton failed in the market place, yet PC makers created some interest in palm computers and even tablet PCs. Why don't we like Tablets? Are we that addicted to the key board and mouse? The answer might lie in the lack of advance of other interfaces, not in the interest itself. Voice recognition has come a long way in 10 years, but it still lacks any reliability. Touch screen is great for navigating GUI, but entering text with an on-screen keyboard is as useful as a smoke alarm to Helen Keller. Now if you advanced both of these technologies and linked them together, you would have an interface tool worth BILLIONS.

Until then, we will be stuck with the good 'ol key board and the mouse.

Dominick Leone

How can you say that this has no practical consumer use when we are currently using iPhones with multi-touch technology. Actually, I was playing around with a HP computer that has a touchscreen a few months back and its was very consumer practical. I wouldn't mind touching my big 22" screen to get around and launch programs now so as far as something like this just being just practical for business not a chance. That's like saying the iPhone is just practical for businesses. We are already used to multi-touch folks its just a matter of time until we start seeing more of this in our everyday computers.

Jeez, Microsoft is so unoriginal. This just came out and they already stole it from Apple.

this thing sucks!!! it's just a show off thing... it reminds me the era effect in vista...
no ease of use, no functionality, almost nothing

Wait; Now they want me to get even CLOSER to my screen? I'm already seeing a degradation in my vision from being at a recommended distance from it! Now, they want me to get less than arm's length away from a big heat and light-emitting LCD screen so I can use TWO hands to make things happen in OS X programs instead of ONE hand on a mouse.

The mouse is already causing me to reach a bit, but now I'll be expected to have my arms in the air, flailing around, ALL THE TIME just to do simple things.

This is not a step forward. It's a step back. Multi-touch makes sense on a portable device because it eliminates the need for input hardware like keyboards or cursor-controllers. But on my home system, it's a bother and a lot more work than just pointing and clicking, or using the keyboard shortcuts.

And that's not even considering the fact that I'm not keen on smudging up my screen by laying fingers on it.

Do Not Want -- At least, not in this form.

Cool as a proof of concept, but useless as a home OS interface. Make it 3D and project from a table as a hologram (ala Iron Man) and it might make sense.

ooh, they made a nice pick on the UNKLE track for the music, thats called "Celestial Annihilation"

One day, your computer will be a big-ass table. :)