What would make you shell out $130 for a new version of OS:X.
for me it would be the following
ZFS integration.
More Linux libraries (For things like compiz fusion)
DirectX (while not a need it would be nice)
More native 64bit apps.
Extended multitouch features that will work on current multitouch macs.
I'm not crazy about mulitouch support simply because it would force a hardware upgrade on most Mac users. The only users who would really benefit from it are Mac Pro users if a touch sensitive Cinema Display is released. Some iMac users would go for that as well but it would diminish the appeal of that model. And all laptop users wouldn't be able to use it on the road.
Additionally, I'm not convinced that multitouch is useful or practical for the current form factor of computers. Leaving aside the cost of an upgrade and even the blemishes that such an interface would leave on pristine compuer screens, the UI just doesn't seem to be practical for desktop apps. Will users really reach across their desktops to touch the screens in order to invoke a zoom in or a swipe when a mouse is more convenient, albeit less glamorous, for these functions? Perhaps on multitouch enabled laptops this would be a better course but that runs into the above mentioned problem of leaving all current users out of the game.
Instead, I think a far more appealing and practical alternative to multitouch is motion tracking. There are many reasons why this is more appealing. First, virtually all users could use this feature if it were implemented now. All current iMacs and Mac laptops come with a built in camera. And cameras are available for Cinema Displays as well. This doubles the utility of the built in iSights, which seem to be under used anyway for their intended video conferencing purposes. No one would be required to purchase new hardware, which may be prohibitively expensive, in order to gain access to these features.
And secondly, perhaps more importantly, it's a more practical UI, at least in the interim until the hardware form factors properly adopt to multitouch. Users won't have to reach across their desks to touch their screens. And screens won't be covered with smudges.
How close are we to seeing this in OS X? Very close, even if Apple doesn't include it. Take for instance this soon to be released freeware application for OS X, Vista, and Linux that is presently in beta:
http://camspace.com/
Such an implementation wouldn't only hopskip Windows again, which recently added multitouch to Windows 7. It would also push into the same space that Nintendo has succesfully pioneered with the Wii.
