Though Microsoft has been pretty quiet about the next version of Windows (tentatively titled Windows 7), here and there a bit of information leaks, and so it was at the Wall Street Journal’s D: All Things Digital conference, which began yesterday and ends tomorrow.

Microsoft revealed the next OS, which is expected for release late next year, will feature touch screen capabilities as an alternative to the tradtional mouse. Showing off the functions, they appear to work and look similarly to what iPhone and iPod touch users are seeing now, having the capability to enlarge and shrink photos on screen. A program called Touchable Paint was shown too, and map navigating software which can be operated with the user's fingers. Update: A video of it in action can be found over on the Windows Vista Blog.

Founder and chairman Bill Gates stated we may be content with our mice now, but just wait a few years:

"We’re at an interesting juncture where almost all the interaction is with the computer and mouse, today, and, over the years to come, the role of speech, vision, ink, all of those will become huge."

Funny, because I was just recently thinking the same thing. To take it even farther, I'm envisioning a system much like the Wii/Wiimote, except instead of using some kind of controller device, you simply use your hand. Perhaps attach some kind of transmitting device, and off you go! And on the topic of game consoles, I can't help but wonder if the world's wide adoption of the Wii and DS had any effect on Microsoft's decision to move in this direction. Interesting stuff.

When questioned about whether or not Vista was a failure, both Gates and CEO Steve Ballmer said while there is room for improvement, they certainly don't look at it as a failure:

“It’s not a failure, it’s not a mistake. Are there things we’ll modify and improve going forward? Sure."

Bill Gates was quoted as saying, "There’s no product that we’ve ever shipped that was 100% of what I wanted. That’s part of the magic of software, people give you feedback... and you get to make a new version. ... We have a culture of ’we need to do better."

I'm all for that sort of envrionment, but when you have 3500 words and over 85 references over on Wikipedia detailing all the criticisms of the OS (XP, in contrast, has 1760 and 22), and entire sites dedicated to why Vista is terrible, I think it's a little more than just 'there's room for improvement.' But of course, who would expect Microsoft to say that? Anyway, since we technically get support for XP until 2014, I'm happily skipping over Vista, myself, and hoping Windows 7 offers an overall better experience than both OS'. If not, I suppose ReactOS will be in beta by then.