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Microsoft Rolls Out iLoo

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the one-square-at-a-time dept.

TommyTyker writes "According to this CNet article, Microsoft is using England as a test bed for the iLoo -- a 'PortaJohn' that allows the 'user' to surf the net while taking care of 'business.' MSN is even looking at getting TP manufacturers to create some of their product with URL's printed on them. Pooptastic!" Life does not imitate the Onion. No, sir.

8 of 416 comments (clear)

  1. Mores sense if it was outside the loo! by implex · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I would not be using that! They don't seem to think about where they but the internet these days. Being inside one of these porta loos is not a place to spend quality internet time.

    But it would be much better for the people waiting.

  2. England?? No, Japan! by DeadVulcan · · Score: 4, Insightful

    England is their testbed?

    They should be taking it to Japan, where toilets are already equipped with countless unimaginable electronic doodads.

    --
    Accountability on the heads of the powerful.
    Power in the hands of the accountable.
  3. A new golden age for.... by C_nemo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Its bad enough to use the keyboards at semi-public computer labs. But using the keyboard and mouse of a public toilet?

    think of all the pr0n surfing one could do at a iLoo.

  4. Trying to one-up Apple? by Dixie_Flatline · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Apple releases the iTunes music store, a revolutionary (or at least *evolutionary*) way to buy music online.

    Microsoft responds with a hygiene disaster, and a way to make sure there are a lot of people at public events banging on the doors of porta-potties and peeing their pants.

    Way to go, Microsoft. You've hereby invented the WORST IDEA EVER. That's innovation.

  5. Brand association by doorbot.com · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'm not a marketing guru, but isn't this the kind of brand association that you don't want?

  6. The Onion as the source of inspiration? by BlueEar · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Somebody should tell MS marketing department that The Onion, that published the following eToilet article, is a satirical (as in "do not take this stuff seriously") magazine.

    --
    A religious war is an adult version of a fight over who has the best imaginary friend
  7. How sanitary is this? by Phoenix823 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Exactly how clean will this thing be? Honestly, it sounds completely disgusting. There's a reason they made the keyboard waterproof, and that alone would be a good reason not to use it. I don't think I need to go into any more detail here.

    Perhaps a better, cleaner idea would be to have a machine with voice recognition built in and no keyboard. One might have to limit the types of pages someone could view because of the limited environment, but I'd much more readily use that then ever pick up one of those disgusting keyboards.

  8. Re:NYC Desktop. by Deadstick · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Hey, people routinely put food in that shelf at the back end of the grocery cart, where they also put kids in diapers...you gotta have faith.

    rj