Microsoft developing Windows 7 touch interface?

Rumours that the next version of Windows, currently codenamed Windows 7, will feature a touch interface, have grown from a blog post by Microsoft engineer Hilton Locke.

Locke, who works on Microsoft’s Windows Shell team, mentioned Windows 7 in relation to touch features, while blogging about Dell’s new Latitude XT Tablet PC.

In his post, he said: “All I will say that if you are impressed by the ‘touch features’ in the iPhone, you’ll be blown away by what’s coming in Windows 7. Now if only we could convince more OEMs that Windows Touch Technology is going to drive their sales.”

Locke didn’t reveal any details about Windows 7, which is the successor to Vista, and the OS is still in the early stages of development.