Spotlight On Windows-Powered Gadgets And Gizmos

An anonymous reader writes "WindowsForDevices has published a big article showcasing seventy-three consumer devices that were on display in Microsoft's device expo at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Each device runs Windows CE, Windows Mobile (Pocket PC, Smartphone, etc.), or Windows XP Embedded. A photo and brief description are provided for each. Some cool stuff!"

Comments

Runs windows or will run Windows?

[wilko11]

I note that a bunch of these items are not yet shipping, including the Phantom Gaming System that came in 3rd in this years Vaporware Awards

Re:But the important question is...

[pesc]

Does it run linux?

Actually, the Intrinsyc MicroPDA does. RTFA! ;-)

Interesting, eh?

Apparently this is a tough market for Microsoft

[mauriatm]

According to Computerworld MS is losing big in the embedded sector.

"To the tune of US$1.6 billion in fiscal year 2003, Microsoft bled money from its Business Solutions, Mobile and Embedded Devices, MSN, and Home and Entertainment divisions."

"The Mobile and Embedded device division remains Microsoft's smallest business unit after historic failures such as the collapse of a $5 billion deal with AT&T Corp. Despite years of development and some success in Europe, October was the first time a Windows Smartphone was introduced in North America."

So these devices maybe cool, but I guess no one buys them. The alternatives are probably better.

Re:How about a phone that is a phone first...

[Fortunato_NC]

There is no keypad on her phone...launching the phone application brings up a picture of a keypad, and you tap the screen to use it.

Even if there is a shortcut to the phone functionality, I know for a fact that the people at my wife's company who use this phone daily (and have for over four months) don't know where it is. I've watched people with multiple college degrees pull this device out, tap the start menu, and tap phone every time they want to make a call, then put the call on speakerphone, because they don't like holding the damned thing to their heads (especially in the convenient leatherette binder thingy that comes with it).

Windows-based "smartphones" have serious usability issues. They're too complicated, and they don't do their #1 job (that is, be a phone) very well. Hell, while you're in a call, if you do hold the phone up to your head, your ear keeps tapping the screen, and the person you're calling wonders why you keep punching out touch tones.

The issues I raise are real, and they're legitimate concerns. It's easy to bash me, since, yes, I pointed out that it is my wife's phone, and I don't use it every day. But the fact of the matter is that I *listen* to my wife every single day, and she and her co-workers complain about these phones constantly. It would be foolish of a phone manufacturer to ignore these issues if they want to succeed in the marketplace.

Ultimately, however, I think smartphones solve a problem that no one asked for a solution to. I'll steal a line from "The Daily Show" and ask, who really wants a device that combines the battery life of a digital camera with the image processing capability of a cell phone?