Streaming Gates

Microsoft Touch Pack is an extra package of multi-touch optimized applications for Windows 7 that are taking advantage of improved and enhanced touch sensitive capabilities and showcasing Windows Touch in Windows 7. For user with a touchscreen computer, or already enable laptop’s or notebook’s TouchPad for multitouch functionalities, a leaked version of Windows 7 Touch Pack with version newer than OEM Drop 4 is available for download.

With the leak of OEM documents, more information on Touch Pack for Windows 7 is also known. Microsoft Touch Pack will be available Windows 7 Ultimate, Professional, and Home Premium operating system. Touch Pack will be preinstalled on OEM machines and are not intended for end-user installations. If this statement stays true, it means that Microsoft won’t provide standalone downloadable setup installer or update package via Windows Update (WU) to deliver Touch Pack for supported Windows 7 editions. So, consumers should make sure Touch Pack is installed and available before ordering a branded computer with capability.

The Touch Pack for Windows 7 OEM Drop 4 supports Windows 7 Beta (Build 7000) or higher, and thus also can run on the just released Windows 7 RTM Build 7600. Windows 7 Touch Pack has the following 6 touch-optimized software, namely:

• Globe – The main showcase application in Touch Pack, Microsoft Surface Globe leverages Virtual Earth to create an immersive environment for navigating the globe from outer-space down to a street-level view. Customers can zoom, pan, rotate the globe, search for points of interest, and create and view custom location markers.
• Collage – A full-screen photo experience that puts photos at your finger tips, Microsoft Surface Collage allows customers to view, interact, and frame their pictures. After creating their collage, they can save it as their wallpaper, giving their desktop a very personal feel.
• Lagoon – An immersive touch screensaver that simulates a fish pond, Microsoft Surface Lagoon allows customers to walk up to the machine and immediately enjoy the touch aspects of the hardware. Customers can “feed” the fish by holding their fingers in the same place or scare the fish away by creating ripples.
• Rebound – In this high-speed, twitchy game based on classic air hockey, two players use rubber-band paddles to bounce the puck past obstacles and into the opponent’s goal. You can play either against the computer or another player.
• Garden Pond – In this Origami boat game, two players compete to get their origami boats into their harbors first. There are also other game play elements, like being able to set your opponent’s boat on fire with floating candles.
• Blackboard – In this game, the customer learns the core gestures by using them to modify the objects in the virtual world and move their piece (such as a balloon or ball) to the goal. Blackboard features 50 game levels that begin at an easy level and build as your confidence and skill increases.

Of the six, the first three is Microsoft Surface applications, while the last 3 is casual games. The Touch Pack for Windows 7 OEM Drop 4 can be downloaded with the following HTTP direct download link:

Download Windows_7_Touch_Pack.rar

To install Touch Pack for Windows 7, two or three dependency components have to be installed – XNA Framework Redistributable 3.0, Virtual Earth 3D and/or Nvidia PhysX. Run the TouchPackInstall.cmd of Install After folder inside the RAR archive after extracting the content to a folder to automatically install Touch Pack for Windows 7 with all its dependencies. Note that TouchPackForWindows7.exe setup installer in “Install After” has a newer build version of 1.0.40429.0 compared with “Install Parts First” which has build version of 1.0.40331.0.

For users who install Touch Pack for Windows 7 on Windows 7 RC who apply also WindowsRCTouchFix.reg file to fix a bug (568789) where multi-touch dragging causes touch to stop working until the machine is rebooted.