Go hands-on with Microsoft's Touch Pack Video

Go hands-on with Microsoft's Touch Pack Video Transcript

>> To paraphrase the famous technologist Clay Shirky, if the screen doesn't ship with a mouse kids will think that it's broken. Very soon that will have to be amended to, if it doesn't ship with a touchscreen kids will think it's broken too. ^m00:00:12 [ Music ] ^m00:00:14 I am Seth Rosenblatt for CNET Download.com. In this first look video we're going to play around with Microsoft Touch Pack for Windows 7, which they have just made available for free to home consumers for the first time. Previously you could only get it if your computer's shipped with it already installed. The Touch Pack comes with 6 games and apps. The programs are all for Microsoft Surface. Surface Global look familiar to fans of Google maps and Google Earth? You can zoom in and out by double tapping or using 1 hand, or 2 hands, toggle between satellite and road view, tilt the globe, and search by text. If you get lost you can either tap the center nav button to zoom out, or the compass to right yourself. Surface collage helps arrange a gallery of photos with your fingertips. You can save them as a collage, or display them on your Windows desktop. Originally I thought it was something that would appeal most to kids. But if you've ever made a collage of friend's photos, this can be a lot easier than crop, cut, and paste. Surface Lagoon asks you to move your fingers around the water to see how fish react. It's a screen saver, but you can test it out by hitting preview when you launch it. It's pretty, but it doesn't do much else. The games are pretty cool too, but much of that has to do with the novelty of the touchscreen itself. Blackboard challenges you to solve a puzzle by creating your own unique Rube Goldberg style machine on a blackboard. It uses a school room setting and details charts to follow to advance to the next level. ^m00:01:36 Garden Pond is a peaceful game that asks you to move an origami shape around a pond by touching the screen to create tiny ripples. Watch out for the candles, since origami and fire tend not to mix too well. Rebound prompts you to use your fingertips to move tesla balls, which respond to touch with an electrical light show. The goal is to try to catapult a game ball into your opponent's goal. You can play this one on your own, or with a friend. Now Microsoft Touch Pack makes the reality of what touchscreens are good for a little bit more tangible, and since the Pack is free there's no reason not to download it and give it a try. With a first look at the Microsoft Touch Pack, I'm Seth Rosenblatt for Download.com. ^m00:02:15 [ Music ]