| 7 comes with improved speech recognition and | | | | Handwriting Recognition |
| handwriting recognition, according to Microsoft. It | | | | Windows 7 hand writing recognition Windows 7 |
| also comes with multi touch support built into the | | | | can recognize natural handwriting. My own |
| operating system. Theoretically, this makes it | | | | experiments with it revealed surprisingly good |
| possible to use Windows 7 machines without the | | | | results. I drew some very crude letters using a |
| need for a keyboard or mouse. Although it is not | | | | track ball, and Windows 7 was able to recognize |
| quite there yet, according to some reports, it is a | | | | most of what I scrawled out. Handwriting |
| reasonable attempt to make tablet PCs useful, | | | | recognition is really meant to be used with a |
| and computers in general more accessible to | | | | tablet or touch screen, but still has some |
| people with physical challenges (including slow | | | | application when using a mouse. One interesting |
| typing). | | | | built-in application for handwriting recognition is the |
| Speech Recognition | | | | Math Input Panel. You can use it to hand-write |
| Windows 7 comes with a fairly credible speech | | | | complex mathematical formulae, which is |
| recognition program. Speech recognition programs | | | | converted to typographical script. In order to |
| have been frustratingly inaccurate in the past, and | | | | make use of the Math Input Panel, you need |
| given that you can spend $200 on stand-alone | | | | software that works with the MathML protocol. |
| speech recognition software, it is truly amazing | | | | Multi Touch |
| that speech recognition is bundled into the | | | | Multi touch support allows interpretation of |
| operating system. Like all speech recognition | | | | touch-sensitive devices, such as a touch pad or |
| software, it does require that you train the | | | | touch screen. This allows you to interact with |
| software to recognize your unique voice. The | | | | software in a more sophisticated way. For |
| Windows 7 version does this in an interesting | | | | example, you can touch a map in two places, |
| way, integrating the tutorial with voice training. | | | | then rotate and zoom the map with |
| There is also considerably less to read than with | | | | corresponding finger gestures. The overall design |
| competing products. It does seem to be fairly | | | | of the desktop has been altered to make touch |
| accurate even after basic training. I found that it | | | | easier. For example, the taskbar is 10 pixels taller, |
| was even operational (although not very | | | | to make the task icons easier to touch. Touch |
| accurate) when my headset was several feet | | | | accuracy can still be a problem though, and |
| away, lying on the desk. Further evaluation is | | | | gestures for shortcuts like cut and paste can be |
| required to see if Windows 7 speech recognition is | | | | hard to trigger, except when you don't want |
| accurate and reliable enough to be truly useful. | | | | them, according to some reports. |