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Microsoft: No Tablets Until It's Distinctive
BogenDorpher pointed us in the direction of a pocket-lint story saying
"Microsoft’s UK managing director and ex-BBC man Ashley Highfield has exclusively told Pocket-lint that the company won’t produce a tablet device, and therefore follow in the footsteps of Apple and Google, until it's got something to shout about. 'We won't do anything in the tablet market unless we can be distinctive,' he told us." Have you considered making it light enough that your arm doesn't ache after 5 minutes?
then, don't hold your breath
We're looking for an idea but we ain't got squat.
Microsoft Courier.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Courier
This is not a signature.
...not spending so much time staring at a screen and exercising a bit?
So not only are they late to the party, they're not even sure what to bring and whether they'll come at all.
That's some solid vision you're showing there, mister Ballmer.
Pretty good is actually pretty bad.
The BSOD is arguably the most distinctive screen of any OS... and probably more recognizable to most people than the Microsoft, Apple or Google logo
I think tablets really have the potential to be more than just toys, but it's going to take several generations.
Quite often, I'm an early adopter, but not this time. (Suckers)
A folding tablet design which allowed pen entry. I already have a BT keyboard for my iPad as I found that I as used it more that input became more and more of an issue. Voice recognition won't work in a meeting and the built in keyboard can be a pain. Hence I have a clam shell case with BT keyboard. I remember the old Palm days with their shorthand and such. Adapt that idea. Give me alternative methods of entering data. Tie it all together with One Note. The folding / split screen approach would allow easy separation of work as well let alone make it more compact to carry.
Still the more I use my tablet the more I begin to wonder how long they will persist, they are good for presenting what I have, not so much for creating on, at least in the business environment
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
They are really not that heavy. I use mine as a remote control for my mac while lecturing in one of those large classrooms. The podium for the computer is way back in the corner and the iPad allows me to get out in front of the students. Thus I have it in my hands for a 1 hour lecture, and I'm certainly not in that great of shape. I have a Kindle which has a long battery life, but thats because of a monochrome e-ink display. Turning on the wifi also substantially reduces battery life.
Atlas stands on the earth and carries the celestial sphere on his shoulders.
Have you considered making it light enough that your arm doesn't ache after 5 minutes?
My arm gets plenty of exercise.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_XP_editions#Tablet_PC_Edition The old tablets were certainly a lot more functional than today's toys. It's a large phone, NOT a small laptop.
Microsoft has been big on tablets cince 1992. Vista and 7 come with tablet functions in it and XP was the last good iteration with their tablet add on package.
Plus why should they make a tablet? Fujitsu and others make tablet hardware that is 900X better than anything that Microsoft could ever make.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
I wonder if "Microsoft’s UK managing director" is really in the loop.
I am sure Microsoft will do a tablet within a year.
Of course, they probably won't do the hardware.
The distinctive things will be: familiar dotnet environment, runs your legacy windows apps, put some small new thing like a transparent mode.
Good for Microsoft. It's nice to see a company realizing that a shitty product could be worse than no product. When they do come out with something, it should be worth a look.
I'm guessing Windows Phone 7 / CE is going to be their tablet OS of choice, or perhaps their XBox OS.
After five minutes, it explodes and showers everything in a five foot radius with white phosphorus.
How about a "widescreen" tablet that is shaped such that it can strap to the back of the wrist, like the play cheat sheets quarterbacks use? That should reduce arm fatigue and make it easier to carry.
It is pretty clear from various leaks that Microsoft is working furiously to release an iPad competitor. It will apparently run Windows 8 on ARM CPUs, and include some kind of WP7-esque Metro style of user interface.
Have you considered making it light enough that your arm doesn't ache after 5 minutes?
The problem isn't the tablet. It's your arm.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
In the world of tablets, the expectation isn't to be compatible with anything in particular. It's mostly about viewing things and not so much about editing or creating things. To that end, this is why Android tablets and iPad are successful -- it doesn't have to be "compatible" with anything but web standards.
Being able to view Office documents is just about the only thing of interest which is typically no big deal as those apps exist in abundance.
As for the user interface? It's all about touch gestures and there's just not a lot you can do without getting confusing. "swipe" for example, goes beyond what I am comfortable with where simplicity and intuitiveness are concerned. Simple is pretty much all there is and this late in the game, it would not only be HARD to be distinctive, but counter-productive as user habits and expectations are already formed.
Currently using Motion F5vs with Windows 7 on. I have to say that the handwriting recognition is superb. Fiddly at times but is a genuine joy to use most of the time, especially with OneNote.
Zune was distinctive, and not just its colour scheme. I'm sure they could 'biggie' that squirt technology and have a tablet that could fling a poo. Imagine the Blamer dance with a poo flinging Bune.
Knowing Microsoft, it'll probably be all brown. Now that's distinctive.
We don't need any more Microsoft "magic" in the future of computing. I am thankful they are bowing out here. Due to their apparent lack in innovation and resultant lack of monopoly destruction, we the users have a real chance of improvements in personal computer interfaces and OS.
the problem for Microsoft is that new developments in hardware start low and build up - thus the PC grew out of the enthusiast market and came to replace the minicomputer, and the smartphone replaced the phone. AFAIK nobody has successfully done the reverse - i.e. started big and made it small. Microsoft's phones have been failures. Why should a tablet be any different? They will simply be unable to leave out all the stuff that makes Windows what it is, so it will always be more bloated, slower and less tablet like than the competition.
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
If you can notbhold an iPad 2 for more than 5 minutes your upper body strength is nit even measurable. Are you really saying your that sad?
Maybe you only tried the misshapen Xoom which is heavier an akward to hold, even so an average 12 year old girl would last more then 5 minutes with it.
Have you considered making it light enough that your arm doesn't ache after 5 minutes?
Have you considered developing some muscle tone? My 4 year old can use the iPad for as long as I will let him with no complaints, and I have the heavier old model.
- Vincit qui patitur.
Not being distinctive has never stopped Microsoft from doing, well, pretty much anything in the past. Why is it stopping them now, I wonder?
want a lightweight device that can run their Photoshop/Painter/etc. and has good pressure sensitivity (>512 "levels").
They practically all broke down in tears when they found out the ipad was essentially a giant iphone and not a productivity device they could really utilize.
Granted - the processing power required to run those programs might currently be a bit much for the form factor of the ipad, but it's definitely something to strive for, IMO. The market is definitely there.
The Microsoft Courier is EXACTLY what they should be making. Go take a look at the design art they had, and it was well on it's way as a prototype. It would be PERFECT. Two touch screens, with one that could be used as a touch keyboard if you needed to write a document (make them both horizontal and put a kickstand into the leather carrycase it could come with, like the kindle's). Reading a book would feel like reading a book. Browsing webpages would have become a snap. Taking notes would be a breeze. It was EXACTLY the kind of device they are talking about know.
Morons.
You're not masturbating nearly enough.
"Have you considered making it light enough that your arm doesn't ache after 5 minutes?"
Have you considered getting a 10-pound weight and lifting it a couple of times?
They tried, it sucked, they buried it.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
...? How does that makes them "big on tablets cince (sic) 1992"?
Oblivion Awaits
Translation:
WinMo 7 Ain't selling, and we're not going to throw any more money down that hole until we see some results.
review
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
How does that makes them "big on tablets cince (sic) 1992"?
I think he means: Microsoft have been trying to sell tablets to people since 1992 and consistently failed. Now more innovative companies have taken over the market Microsoft are taking their ball and going home.
Not being made by Apple is good enough for me!
So are they waiting until they can come up with another fastastic failure like the Zune or the Kin? Sell it for 3 months and then drop it! That is pretty distinctive.
-- ssoorrrryy,, dduupplleexx sswwiittcchh oonn.. -Quote found on actual fortune cookie.
I wonder how many of today's creators are only creating because they happened to be in a home with a desktop or laptop because that was previously the only choice for consuming?
I'm working on an essay about stepping up from consuming to creating, and I'd appreciate your comments.
"If we come out with one now, we can't shed our, 'Me too!' image."
And in all honesty, it's not exactly the worst move for them either.
OCO is Loco
as opposed to good, useful, or innovative, they could just add Clippy to the interface. That'ld make it distinctive.
Very few of MS's products are "distinctive". The zune was one of them. Unfortunately, when you arrive very late to a market that's already occupied by several popular products, all of which carry several similar niche-defining traits, "distinctive" is not a good way to nudge into the market. Once people come to expect certain things from a product, even if you have some good, revolutionary features, they won't easily be embraced.
Zune's squirt and subscription service were both good ideas, but they weren't features people were expecting or looking for because they were already used to how MP3 players like the iPod worked and expected at least that base functionality to be taken seriously. Replacing some of the expected features with your "distinctive" features doesn't usually go over well.
In summary, if you want to be successful at "distinctive", you need to be innovative too. You need to be one of the first big players in a new market. Then, distinctive rocks. The iPod enjoyed this advantage. If it had come to market a year after the Zune, the tables would have been turned. Unfortunately, MS is not known for being innovative. They tend to look at what people are buying, and then try to develop an improved competing product, and use the power of their brand name to get over the hump of unfamiliarity. And over the years that's been less and less of a successful strategy. I'd say xbox was their last real success with that strategy. Windows7 phone wasn't the disaster that the zune was, but that should have been a warning. Anyone that tries to introduce anything that looks like a tablet in 2012 better have a tablet that at LEAST works like the public expects it to, or they're in very a very rough release, regardless of the product's merit.
I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
I would love to see a windows compatible tablet...but it truly needs to be designed around touch. That's something MS has failed to do in each previous attempt. Its just not practical to tack on a touch response onto a mouse and keyboard designed operating system, even pen based with more precision it just end up being a poor way to navigate and get anything done. I have an HP TC1100 which looks like a thick ipad and was made 7 years ago, hardware wise its actually still a capable device except that with windows on it, its practically unusable for anything but goofing around.
Give it time. They'll copy the iPad and make it brown. It will be distinctive.
http://www.acetonestudio.com
I'm still using my little fujitsu lte c-500 on xp to run a custom home automation interface written in flash. works great and more reliably than using my nook with gingerbread.... at least until i re-write the thing.
Microsoft have also commented that their tablet "ain't done until Linux won't run".
"Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
Isn't the generic sucktitude that any Microsoft portable device has "distinctive" enough?
That is all.
Have you considered making it light enough that your arm doesn't ache after 5 minutes?
Dude, you need to push away from your computer, climb out of your mother's basement, and get some exercise. Yeah, I know the Sun is bright. It won't kill you. (Well, it might, one day, but that's a subject for another discussion).
If MS had managed to show that level of restraint when releasing operating systems.....
Has the OP considered exercise?
.. would be one Apple hasn't implemented yet in the iPad. Three letters:
U
S
B
I'm sorry but how is the company that came into the game 18 years latter the innovative one. Do you mean its lighter or that programs are automatically organized with a shortcut on the desktop.
Rocket Surgeon.
Have you considered making it light enough that your arm doesn't ache after 5 minutes?
Have you considered using your arms occasionally so that they might develop muscles?