Microsoft to unveil new operating system

Oh great, just when the service pack finally comes out for Vista, Billy G. and the boys in Redmond want to screw up my mouse and keyboard too.

A Microsoft employee showed possible applications like enlarging and shrinking photos and navigating a map of San Diego by stroking the screen.

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates framed the new feature as an evolution away from the mouse.

"Today almost all the interaction is keyboard-mouse," Gates said. "Over years to come, the role of speech, vision, ink - all of those - will be huge."

Microsoft's top two executives defended the company's last operating system, Vista, while acknowledging mistakes.

Gates said he has never been 100 per cent satisfied with any Microsoft product, and that the company prides itself on fixing shortcomings in later versions.

"Vista has given more opportunity to exercise our culture than some products," he said.

What was that last line again? More opportunity to exercise our culture? The only exercise most Vista owners get is the cardio vascular workout and high blood pressure brought on by reformatting their hard drive for the sixth time after Vista crashes.

I swear I am this close (finger and thumb almost touching) to buying a new iMac. Please Bill, just give me a new version of XP and stop this silliness before I am forced to join the dark side.