Microsoft's Prototype Multi-Touch Tablet/Booklet

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/09/22/microsofts-prototype-multi-touch-tablet-booklet/)


http://images.macrumors.com/article/2009/09/22/235539-500x_courier8.jpg

Gizmodo reveals (http://gizmodo.com/5365299/courier-first-details-of-microsofts-secret-tablet) some details about a top secret Microsoft project working to introduce a new booklet device with dual 7-inch multi-touch screens. The dual 7-inch (or so) screens are multitouch, and designed for writing, flicking and drawing with a stylus, in addition to fingers. They're connected by a hinge that holds a single iPhone-esque home button. Statuses, like wireless signal and battery life, are displayed along the rim of one of the screens. On the back cover is a camera, and it might charge through an inductive pad, like the Palm Touchstone charging dock for Pre.
The concept video (http://gizmodo.com/5365299/courier-first-details-of-microsofts-secret-tablet) provided shows the device in use. It incorporates a stylus with handwriting recognition, swipe gestures, and multi-touch actions including pinch zoom.

All the visuals of the devices appear to be concept mockups rather than showing an actual device in action. While Gizmodo describes the device as "late prototype", Engadget (http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/22/microsofts-courier-booklet-emerges-said-to-be-in-late-prototy/) claims it isn't near production.

Meanwhile, Apple has been rumored (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/09/15/apple-tablet-rumors-revived-february-2010-launch-p-a-semi-processor/) to be entering the tablet market as early as 2010.

Article Link: Microsoft's Prototype Multi-Touch Tablet/Booklet (http://www.macrumors.com/2009/09/22/microsofts-prototype-multi-touch-tablet-booklet/)

[MasterDev]

While this is a neat idea, I can imagine how many people will treat it as a real booklet and end up breaking/shattering it.

[MovieCutter]

Doesn't mean squat until I can actually use it. Still don't have access to a "Surface" dining room table. Apple will have an ACTUAL shipping device in Q1/10...until then, Microsoft can create mockups of unicorns and it'd be just as real.

[ShiftyPig]

... but it runs on a MS operating system.

I'm sure people will love the blue left page of death.

[Cboss]

I'm sure people will love the blue left page of death.

Very true :D

But it's nice to see Microsoft stepping it up a bit lately. Windows 7, Zune HD, now this...
Now I'm anxious to see what Jobs has up his sleeves.

[MasterDev]

... but it runs on a MS operating system.

I'm sure people will love the blue left page of death.

Not only that, but I wonder how loud + how badly it will overheat like the Xbox 360...

[ShiftyPig]

Doesn't mean squat until I can actually use it. Still don't have access to a "Surface" dining room table. Apple will have an ACTUAL shipping device in Q1/10...until then, Microsoft can create mockups of unicorns and it'd be just as real.

Apple has released less info about a tablet than this, tbf.

[backtothefuture]

Ahhhhhh....let the fanboys begin...
From a competition standpoint, this is freaking great. Lots of people might compare this to iPod/Zune war, but the key difference is that Apple and Microsoft's products could be introduced at similar times- meaning much more comparisons and (hopefully) improvements for both.

I'm just damn suprised we hadnt heard of this sooner- this is already in the prototype stage. Score one for Microsoft.

I just watched the video....damn, this thing is killer. I'm excited. And personally, I like the "booklet", folding in half idea better than a large, flat tablet.
I hope this really jacks up Steve and Co. to bring a new level to the MacTablet.

[travisjacques]

is it just me or does that thing look incredibly uncomfortable to use? you could only really use it on a table of some sort. the "mobile" just isnt there for me.

[MasterDev]

I'm just damn suprised we hadnt heard of this sooner- this is already in the prototype stage. Score one for Microsoft.

Since when does Apple ever tell us they have a prototype?

[DUSTmurph]

Microsoft? Innovation? Something original?!?! WOW this really is news!

[notjustjay]

Oh, stop with the hate.

That looks AMAZING. Instant sale, if they can hurry up and get one to market, and if it isn't hindered too badly by the usual suspects -- battery life, software, sunlight readability (let's not use OLEDs this time, OK?) etc.

It's the Hitchhiker's Guide -- for real! :D

[Foxglove9]

looks really cool but I feel the final product will be much much different.

[MasterDev]

It's the Hitchhiker's Guide -- for real! :D

YES! I'm liking this product now that you said that.

But, the only issue I would have, would be the screen breaking from me using it like I use current booklets. You know the basic toss, throw, slam down, and jam into your bag. Stuff like that I would see people having to get used to with this. Otherwise it looks great from a design point.

[powers74]

... And it will be hitting shelves eighteen to twenty-four months after Apple's iTablet swallows the tablet market...

[backtothefuture]

Since when does Apple ever tell us they have a prototype?

Since when does Microsoft ever design something, this...great?

[MovieCutter]

Apple has released less info about a tablet than this, tbf.

They released less info about an iPod in Q3/01, about an Intel transition in Q2/05, and about an iPhone in Q4/05...just because Apple hasn't released info, doesn't mean they aren't ready to dominate the market...

[mugwump]

Will it do screen spanning to teh Big Ass Table™?

[mrmayor92]

microsoft has been stepping up their game lately :)

[MovieCutter]

Oh, stop with the hate.

That looks AMAZING. Instant sale, if they can hurry up and get one to market

Well that's the real problem isn't it....

[MasterDev]

Since when does Microsoft ever design something, this...great?

The Xbox 360

[mugwump]

Where's the START menu? Otherwise, where will new users go first?

[Chris Welch]

Doesn't mean squat until I can actually use it. Still don't have access to a "Surface" dining room table. Apple will have an ACTUAL shipping device in Q1/10...until then, Microsoft can create mockups of unicorns and it'd be just as real.

Yeah... Because that rumored Q1/2010 launch window is so credible. :rolleyes:

[nickXedge]

Doesn't mean squat until I can actually use it. Still don't have access to a "Surface" dining room table. Apple will have an ACTUAL shipping device in Q1/10...until then, Microsoft can create mockups of unicorns and it'd be just as real.

You seem pretty certain about Apple's release of a tablet device. I was just wondering how long you've been with the company because you seem to be able to confirm rumors that don't seem, until now, to have any type of realistic confirmation.

While I love Apple and think they are great, this looks amazing. Not only that, you can clearly see the functional implementation it carries, which is important. Perhaps Apple will reveal a tablet very soon, because they do have a habit of keeping this very secret until they are ready to be distributed. Even if Apple hold a special event tomorrow and show off a groundbreaking magical tablet that no one could have predicted and they announce it ships tomorrow, this is still a cool device.

I do agree that a major problem is the Microsoft OS and what will probably inevitably lead to a "blue left page of death," however people, myself included, constantly slam Microsoft for copying Apple all the time and not being innovative themselves. I think this product squashes all of that. Even if Apple comes out with a better product and even launches it sooner than this is available, it still shows that Microsoft is trying new things, and that's good.

Competition is never bad. The video attached to this article raises the stakes all on its own. Steve Jobs will see this and either feel good about what he's focused on or will up the ante in his own product.

Just my thoughts on the matter. Bring on the flaming of Microsoft from the irrational fanboys...

[backtothefuture]

...just because Apple hasn't released info, doesn't mean they aren't ready to dominate the market...

and microsoft is hoping to lose this game? :rolleyes:

[mugwump]

Excuse me, sir. Could I borrow your stylus for a minute or two?

[DUSTmurph]

The Xbox 360

hahaha. well thats quite the knee slapper.

[HLdan]

Since it's from Microsoft, HATE IT!!!!

[simsandwhich]

That looks great - More of a net book style rather than a tablet, which I like :)

I guess the stylus is there for more precise input, such as Hand Writing... You can't use fingers for everything you know :p

[backtothefuture]

is it just me or does that thing look incredibly uncomfortable to use? you could only really use it on a table of some sort. the "mobile" just isnt there for me.

would you rather read a book or a scroll?

[mugwump]

You can protect it and then decorate the cover with a folded brown paper bag.

[mugwump]

It's certainly better than a Trapper Keeper.

[travisjacques]

It's certainly better than a Trapper Keeper.

no vel-cro = fail

[notjustjay]

Since it's from Microsoft, HATE IT!!!!

And if the headline had read "Mockup of Upcoming Apple Tablet", and it had a little white apple logo somewhere on it, would you suddenly love it?

Come on, let's judge a product by how good it really is (or has potential to be, in the case of mockups and prototypes), not by the name on the sticker.

The hate I have for Microsoft is reserved for the times when they blatantly copy, cheat, steal, or generally make clueless decisions (squirting my music? huh?) This mockup suggests none of those things.

[age234]

Impressive video. Knowledge Navigator, anyone? Does it have a little talking Bill Nye lookalike?

[ingenious]

Personally, I think it looks like a great idea... and it's almost exactly what I'd be looking for in a tablet.

Now, the fact that it's made by MS gives me some doubts, but I'm sure Apple will have a good answer.

On the other hand, if the software is stable, the price is good, and it has some sort of OS X compatibility, I might just pick myself up one when they come out.

[tabasco70]

surprised because it actually looks slick.

[cleanup]

Do want! This would replace my MBP.

[mugwump]

Order now, and you'll also receive both the yellow highlighter and Ticonderoga #2 styluses, absolutely free!

[splashnader]

Looks nice. Don't know about it's functionality, or how I would use it day-to-day. Sort of a gadget that would be nice for a while and then would end up collecting dust. I don't see this device as being a major seller for Microsoft.

[DUSTmurph]

Do want! This would replace my MBP.

well lets hear some specs of this thing first.....

[travisjacques]

Looks nice. Don't know about it's functionality, or how I would use it day-to-day. Sort of a gadget that would be nice for a while and then would end up collecting dust. I don't see this device as being a major seller for Microsoft.

agreed, i just dont get the use of this. We can have a digital agenda? I cant see it replacing a computer at all, i type much faster than i can write.

[.Andy]

Gorgeous. Could definitely use something like that :D!

I type much faster than i can write.
Not once you start drawing diagrams, writing, drawing a picture, underlining/highlighting, writing again, drawing an arrow, doing a sketch, and then writing again.

[dongmin]

I love how the demo video starts with Google Maps! So Microsoft is going to phase out Bing in favor of Google? ;)

Not way in hell this is an actual demo/prototype from Microsoft itself. At best, it's just an artist's concept drawing based on some loose descriptions.

The ideas are nice, but when was the last time Microsoft wowed people with a shipping product?

[simsandwhich]

I'm still holding out for those Microsoft Oxygen / Carbon concepts from a while back... those were sleek :rolleyes:

[dwhittington]

This does look like a cool technology. But the need for the stylus seems a bit too archaic these days. But, I'm sure they will have a nice pop-up keyboard for people like me who lose their styli.

[TimmyDee]

A book... Interesting concept. Where have I seen that before?

Oh yeah! In 1987 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WdS4TscWH8)!

(I know, I know. It was just a concept.)

[cocky jeremy]

It looks ugly as ****, regardless of who is making it. :eek:

[mugwump]

Well, Billy, make up your mind. Do you want the Big Ass Tablet for the next four years or do you want the laptop?

[nagromme]

People have made lots of folding-screen mockups, and the idea IS pretty cool. Is it practical, desirable, and better than a thinner single screen? Maybe, maybe not, but definitely cool!

Of course, the devil is in the details (and especially the software/UI) and my expectations from Microsoft are low, compared to what I'd expect Apple to create. (Think Zune HD vs. iPod Touch.)

[millerrh]

I know it's microsoft, but this thing is innovative and a really fresh take on the tablet. Touch + Pen = the only way a tablet can work IMO. Something like this actually might be a regular notepad replacement with a whole lot of extra functionality. Looking forward to the future :) If this is microsofts entry, i can only imagine what apple has in store.

[powers74]

Since when does Microsoft ever design something, this...great?


They don't, they farm it out to firms like Astro Studios. See --> http://www.astrostudios.com/projects/archive/?client=xbox

[simsandwhich]

Watch the video if you wanna know why there's a stylus!

YouTube link here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmIgNfp-MdI)

[Cask]

Fanboys are really funny. Dismissing a possible MS product in favor of a nonexistant yet but long rumored Apple tablet. And claiming that MS will lose market share on this to Apple.......yeah right......Only thing Apple has outsold Microsoft is iPods. On Personal Computers Apple has never come close, and now with Win 7 fixing Vista's mistakes the outlook for MS looks better than ever. Zune HD, Win 7, Bing, Office 2010.......all promise to be quality products, and this tablet could be an amazing one, especially if they use Win 7 which is a really solid base with proper multitouch implementation and adapted to a device like this. Looking forward for seeing this in action along with a possible tablet device from Apple, competition with this kind of stuff could certainly get interesting.

[SLCentral]

Wow, this forum has really changed compared to a few years ago...disappointing. Let's blindly bash a product because it is made by Microsoft, compare it to a product that has no confirmation of even being DESIGNED, and even go as far as saying that it will be released AFTER aforementioned product.

Come on guys, grow up. The Zune HD looks like an awesome MP3 player, the 360 won this console war generation (rightfully so), and Windows 7 is a damn good OS. Time to get off the pedestal, and move on from this lame Microsoft hating. It hasn't been justified for months, if not years.

[.Andy]

Watch the video if you wanna know why there's a stylus!

YouTube link here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmIgNfp-MdI)
Very nice. I dig how the toolbar pops up.

[nkawtg72]

i'm an Apple fanboy and i think this is pretty cool. the only real reason i'd not want it is it would be based on a Windows OS.

also, i'm curious as to when all the anti-apple crowd folks on here are going to call it an epic fail (see iPhone/iPod Touch) because of its total lack of a keyboard!!!!! hello?!?!?! (insert crickets here)

thought so.

[millerrh]

They don't, they farm it out to firms like Astro Studios. See --> http://www.astrostudios.com/projects/archive/?client=xbox

Most companies hire outside industrial design firms for projects such as this. Apple is a rarity that they have this internally. Dell hires outside help as well.

[jaw04005]

Microsoft is very much a platform company. Therefore, I don’t expect this to materialize as a shipping product anytime soon.

It is an awesome concept though. Like many of their other concepts, who knows if their third-party partners will actually ship anything like it. Judging from past history (just think of all concepts they’ve showed at CES over the years), I wouldn’t bet on it.

However, it’s good to see competition in this space. Bill Gates declared the TabletPC the PC of the future years ago. It’ll be interesting to see if 2010/2011 becomes at least the year of the tablet.

[inkswamp]

The Xbox 360

I sit in an office every day with a guy whose XBox 360 has died three times now. I don't think it's going out on a limb to say that any product with that kind of failure rate is far from "great."

[Surely]

Well, Billy, make up your mind. Do you want the Big Ass Tablet for the next four years or do you want the laptop?

The box! The box!



I think it's an interesting concept. I like that you can fold it in half so that it's smaller to carry around. Let's see where they take this....

[nkawtg72]

.... and move on from this lame Microsoft hating. It hasn't been justified for months, if not years.

and all the APPLE hate on a Mac forum has been justified?!?!

[Horus]

OMG, Microsoft is starting to hire 10 years old kids instead of monkeys.:eek:

[MovieCutter]

You seem pretty certain about Apple's release of a tablet device.

I used to work for Apple and still have connections...

and microsoft is hoping to lose this game? :rolleyes:

Not at all. I wish Microsoft the best. It pushed competition, and therefore forces Apple to make better products. I just don't see the thing shipping in physical form anytime in the next year. And even if it DOES launch, I probably won't buy it because of the ecosystem of my workflow.

Yeah... Because that rumored Q1/2010 launch window is so credible. :rolleyes:

You'd be amazed....

[powers74]

Most companies hire outside industrial design firms for projects such as this. Apple is a rarity that they have this internally. Dell hires outside help as well.

I know, I'm an industrial designer, but thanks for the update anyway. The point is Apple doesn't.

[Cask]

I sit in an office every day with a guy whose XBox 360 has died three times now. I don't think it's going out on a limb to say that any product with that kind of failure rate is far from "great."

Well ask TheSpaz how many time has he exchanged Apple products. I have a 360 since launch day and it still works great.

[.Andy]

I used to work for Apple and still have connections...
Come on then. Out with your predictions. What, where, and when.

[MovieCutter]

Come on then. Out with your predictions. What, where, and when.

I can't compromise my sources. You joined MR earlier than I did. You know how Apple works...

[bbadalucco]

is it just me or does that thing look incredibly uncomfortable to use? you could only really use it on a table of some sort. the "mobile" just isnt there for me.

I'm confused by this? Basically you'd either set it on a table as you would a laptop of you could put in in your lap as you would a laptop. I don't think its meant to type papers on.

[inkswamp]

Well ask TheSpaz how many time has he exchanged Apple products. I have a 360 since launch day and it still works great.

Most of us on this site read tech news on a daily basis. The XBox 360 has a well-documented hardware issue that results in an inordinately high failure rate, whereas Apple products have some of the lowest hardware failures rates in the industry. I didn't explain that because it's common knowledge, especially on this site, and I only related an anecdotal account because it falls into line with the known statistics.

[.Andy]

I can't compromise my sources. You joined MR earlier than I did. You know how Apple works...
Pffffffffff. I can't believe you'd give up macrumors notoriety for something as replaceable as a friend.

[ventro]

Looks REALLY good. And you can tell, based on how uncomfortable it's making everyone here. Now it's a matter of seeing if Microsoft has fixed its inability to bring a great concept to market.

[rhett7660]

Ok, I will preface this, I really like the idea of the two screens and this looks slick.

However, from the way the screens moved and the way the pinching and opening up of stuff this seemed really Apple style not Microsoft styel.

Very impressed. If it comes out like this I will buy one in a heart beat. I am wondering if you can fold it up like a book also?

[thejadedmonkey]

and all the APPLE hate on a Mac forum has been justified?!?!

Have you seen Apple's fall from grace to greed? I certainly think it's justified, and the recent article highlighting all of the cut-throat practices that Apple retail does only further cements my thinking.

[nkawtg72]

i couldn't help but laugh when i looked closely at the brainstorming example presented in this image of the courier

http://gizmodo.com/5365297///gallery?selectedImage=2

you'll see an icon, clearly representative of a Courier device, along with a desktop computer, and a mobile device, syncing their data to Microsoft's new sync service through the "Cloud"....errrr....um....."WhiteFluffySkyThing"

[elpmas]

This has potential.

[rhett7660]

Answered my question of it will fold or not here: http://gizmodo.com/5365297///gallery?selectedImage=2

I think this looks really slick. I could see this doing some damage to Apple, if Apple ever do end up doing something in this area.

I really like the idea of being able to take notes etc.... Pretty slick little device.

Has anybody been able to confirm if this is Microsoft's project?

[nkawtg72]

Have you seen Apple's fall from grace to greed? I certainly think it's justified, and the recent article highlighting all of the cut-throat practices that Apple retail does only further cements my thinking.

please provide link to said article, then i'll comment.

additionally, your opinion that Apple has fallen "from grace to greed" is not shared by everyone, and it certainly doesn't make it a fact just because it's your opinion.

my opinion is that ONE of the reasons Apple is in the business is to make money. in the last 8 years, they've done a darn good job of doing that. can you explain how that is a problem?!

edit:
i like how you so gloriously proclaim your Apple trophies in your signature. seems to me you're just as much to blame for apple making so much money, as you've been buying into their greedy practices you so despise

[RebootD]

... but it runs on a MS operating system.

I'm sure people will love the blue left page of death.

Cause it's the joke that never ends! It just goes on and on my friends!

Seriously.. let it die.

[aristotle]

Tablet concept by Apple circa 1987:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WdS4TscWH8

[Matthew Yohe]

Boring.

Concept videos are easy to make, but pulling off a real device with a real interface...

Microsoft loves making these things: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9JBSEBu2q8

[nkawtg72]

Seriously.. let it die.

put Windows on it, and it won't be long before it does :D

[kockgunner]

For some things like zooming out of journals, you pinch in, but for photos, you pinch out? The device looks pretty cool though, but do I really have to write out URLs?

[Agathon]

The hardware looks OK, but the UI is terrible. I'm guessing this is just "making it look cool" because using a stylus to write is inefficient compared to using a software keyboard. If Apple releases a tablet, it won't be like this, but will have a UI that makes sense.

For example, I can no longer hand write with any speed, because it is something I almost never do. I'm sure I am not alone. Hence, I wonder why anyone thinks that a stylus for text entry makes any sense at all. I can see why one would use a pointing device to draw, but not to write.

[majordude]

I used to work for Apple and still have connections...

Riiiggghhht.

Ever watch Falcon and the Snowman? Even if true, which it isn't, all you did was expose your "connections".

[LagunaSol]

Some 3D renderings and a multimedia mockup of how it's supposed to work and we're supposed to be impressed? There's no more substance here than in those "imagine the day" Microsoft ads with their pie in the sky concepts.

Ship an actual product, Microsoft, and you'll deserve respect.

I see this as a preemptive FUD attack on the rumored Apple tablet. Apple will announce an actual, shipping product and Microsoft will say "See, we're not copying Apple - we demoed our stuff 3 months ago (but won't ship for another 18)."

[MovieCutter]

Pffffffffff. I can't believe you'd give up macrumors notoriety for something as replaceable as a friend.

I haven't, that's the point.

Riiiggghhht.

Ever watch Falcon and the Snowman? Even if true, which it isn't, all you did was expose your "connections".


I have a portfolio of employee-purchased Apple stock, 3 years worth of Apple Retail t-shirts (and yes, people from retail DO move onto bigger and better things in Cupertino, you'd be amazed), among other things to prove it. And saying what every other site has already said is hardly "exposing my connections."

[billystlyes]

Microsoft is on a roll with design. I can't wait until W7 comes out. There is a T400s out there with my name on it. So take it easy my Apple amigos. Apple has become far too controlling for my tastes. Hardware quality ain't what it used to be either.

[LagunaSol]

Boring.

Concept videos are easy to make, but pulling off a real device with a real interface...

Bingo. I could have done a demo like this myself. Seriously.

[jav6454]

Good idea, but one big flaw.

The Stylus, get rid of it. Apple didn't include one for a reason.

[mac jones]

Apple creates MS rips off

So what else is new.

Hey, if Apple can't deliver....what the heck :D

But seriously this is no joke

Wacom just started production of a nice capacitive/pen interface for tablets and Wacom is a class act so it's gaining some momentum.

The iPhone is so hot the fire is speading.

[toujames]

I would have expect this from apple, but Microsoft? am I in the right WOrld?:D

[RebootD]

Good idea, but one big flaw.

The Stylus, get rid of it. Apple didn't include one for a reason.

Except for people like me in the creative field who use a wacom tablet for photo editing, illustrating and layout right?

So the consensus here as of late is;

1. If Apple designed it = Brilliant! Game Changing! M$ucksors!
2. If anyone else designed it = COPYCATS! GARBAGE! M$ucksors!

[jav6454]

Except for people like me in the creative field who use a wacom tablet for photo editing, illustrating and layout right?

You got on you currently 10 stylus on your hands. I suggest you learn how to use those. They tend to work better in art than a pen (art as drawing, sculpting, not writing obviously)

[RebootD]

You got on you currently 10 stylus on your hands. I suggest you learn how to use those. They tend to work better in art than a pen (art as drawing, sculpting, not writing obviously)

So before the almighty iphone touch screen artists never used brushes, pencils or charcoal? They just pricked their 10 styluses and bled out artwork right?

Know what you are talking about before you speak, it helps.

[rhett7660]

Except for people like me in the creative field who use a wacom tablet for photo editing, illustrating and layout right?

So the consensus here as of late is;

1. If Apple designed it = Brilliant! Game Changing! M$ucksors!
2. If anyone else designed it = COPYCATS! GARBAGE! M$ucksors!

Bingo, I was thinking the same thing when I read this. I use my tablet a lot. I could see this being very cool indead. I would like it if you could have the option of not using and for those items that it calls for using it you could whip it out of the spine and use it.

[mac jones]

You got on you currently 10 stylus on your hands. I suggest you learn how to use those. They tend to work better in art than a pen (art as drawing, sculpting, not writing obviously)

Never got past finger painting eh?:D

[dicklacara]

I think it is a slick concept, with many good ideas and some bad ones.

First this is not a demonstration of an existing product-- it's an animation of what a product would be. Especially notice the drawn hands and stylus.

Second, Samsung has publicly demoed a similar product: clamshell with 2 side-by-side displays.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtN_TkZUOt4

Third, on the Samsung, when open, the displays were contiguous with an almost invisible separation between the displays. The product shown here appears to have a dead area separation of 0.5-1.0 " between the displays-- the so-called "well". Also, each display appears to have about a .25 inch dead area around its edges. This means that there is about 1" separation between the content displayed on the displays.

Fourth, it does not appear practical to combine the displays into one big display. Though, you could do a pretty good version of a full-size virtual QWERTY keyboard.

So, again, slick concept!


*

[creon]

Microsoft you have my attention.

I have heard that Microsoft was going to release its prototype/product after Apple's announcement but I guess I had heard wrong.

Looks awesome, but what sparks my interest is to see what Apple has in store.

The market is eating NetBooks up and its a share Apple could take a bite out of.

Giving me MMS and a rumored Q1/10 Tablet?!?!?! Apple, you have out done yourself.

[jav6454]

So before the almighty iphone touch screen artists never used brushes, pencils or charcoal? They just pricked their 10 styluses and bled out artwork right?

Know what you are talking about before you speak, it helps.

You know the first drawings where done in caves by hand right? (Just so you know if we are going down that route)

Never got past finger painting eh?:D

Right you are;)

[iBookG4user]

This looks pretty awesome, depending on the price I might pick one up if it's released! I will say that any device that is small and has such big screens like that will probably not have a great battery. So hopefully some external battery will come along like for the iPhone. But the UI and device look great, I don't care who it's from :)

[dicklacara]

Never got past finger painting eh?:D

It's tough being anal retentive with a stylus :eek:

[jav6454]

It's tough being anal retentive with a stylus :eek:

I don't if to cry or laugh at this:confused::cool:

[ziggyonice]

Looks awesome, but what sparks my interest is to see what Apple has in store.

Exactly. I'll admit I love the book-like design. Could easily slip into a backpack, and from the outside, it just looks like one of the notebooks one might keep with them. I'm definitely impressed with the concept, although obviously nothing has been finalized yet. So, Apple... time to play your cards.

[RebootD]

You know the first drawings where done in caves by hand right? (Just so you know if we are going down that route))

So Apple = Cavemen, MS = Future? :D

(and the chewed the pigments and mixed them with saliva then spit them onto the rocks first if you REALLY want to go down that route!)

[Justinf79]

Looks kinda cool, but I'm not sure just how "mobile" it can be compared to a tablet device. With the thing hinged and all, it looks like it would be hard to hold with one hand and write with the other. Just my opinion anyways. :D

[simsandwhich]

Exactly. I'll admit I love the book-like design. Could easily slip into a backpack, and from the outside, it just looks like one of the notebooks one might keep with them. I'm definitely impressed with the concept, although obviously nothing has been finalized yet. So, Apple... time to play your cards.

I really like the UI design. It's very different the the modern yet cold UI of the iPhoneOS/OSX :)

[jav6454]

So Apple = Cavemen, MS = Future? :D

So easy a Caveman can do it!:D

Remember, Apple is known for simplicity and aesthetics.

[almond]

Of course, the devil is in the details (and especially the software/UI) and my expectations from Microsoft are low, compared to what I'd expect Apple to create. (Think Zune HD vs. iPod Touch.)

Agreed about the details. Especially in a tablet, where in a lot of tasks you are actually competing against good old pen and paper. The user experience here is critical (in other words, I am going to be very picky about buying a tablet).

That said, I think Apple has really made other companies wake up to the importance of user experience. You have to admit that the Zune HD is quite a step up from the usual MS offerings.

Not to mention that MS has been pushing electronic note-taking for years now - I bet they have tons of R&D dedicated to it. Tablet PCs, great handwriting recognition, OneNote... and they're not afraid of the stylus. I have no reason to expect an MS offering to be slicker than an Apple one, but if something like this materializes I wouldn't be surprised if it's competitive.

[Thex1138]

This 'leak' is simply to gauge public perception of it's idea in both this forum and the bloggosphere...

[ziggyonice]

The hardware looks OK, but the UI is terrible. I'm guessing this is just "making it look cool" because using a stylus to write is inefficient compared to using a software keyboard.

Hardware definitely looks good. The UI does need a lot of improvement, however. And frankly, I'm still not sure how I feel about the stylus. Sometimes it seems like it'd be really convenient (taking notes in a meeting or in class), but potentially that could be done with a software keyboard so that you don't have to worry about the problematic and annoying use of the stylus to begin with.

[a.gomez]

very nice... I could see myself buying something like this. Guess Microsoft is trying to make stuff to fill their new store :cool:

[RazHyena]

Yes but.....can it download porn from 4chan?

That is the ultimate question.

[jav6454]

Yes but.....can it download porn from 4chan?

That is the ultimate question.

No it's not.

The ultimate question is:

Can it run Crysis? (Over used meme, but it's a valid question nonetheless)

[MattBaker]

I had a Palm Pilot back in the day, and I can see how I'd use this for the same relatively trivial set of functions.

But:


I can't watch video on it with that gap between screens.
I can't take meeting notes because a stylus sucks for extended data input. Not only is it slow, but my hand gets tired, my handwriting gets bad, and that skyrockets the OCR error rate.
If I read an ebook I (probably) only use one of the two screens.
If I browse the web it's probably on one of the two screens. Effectively I'm using the top 2/3 of 1/2 the available area -- that's tiny!
I can't work with a spreadsheet that's bigger than probably three columns wide, because that gap in the middle makes it difficult to track across the row.
I can't work with a text document unless, maybe, I turn the whole device 90 degrees. Then I put the text in the top box and have an ultra-cramped virtual keyboard below? (Except the top box will only show a fragment of a page of text when rotated, so that's not practical.)


I'm not convinced that Apple will do a better job, because I'm only about 50% convinced there's a mass market for tablet devices. I don't even use an iPhone, because ATT hasn't graced my neighborhood with decent coverage.

But somebody tell me... what problem does this thing solve that isn't solved with an iPhone, or an Android phone, or Pre?

[RazHyena]

No it's not.

The ultimate question is:

Can it run Crysis? (Over used meme, but it's a valid question nonetheless)

Look, all I'm saying is....if it can't download my Rule #34 Renamon/Daffy Duck hentai animated .gifs then I'm afraid I'm not interested in this tablet system, good sir.

[blahblah100]

I sit in an office every day with a guy whose XBox 360 has died three times now. I don't think it's going out on a limb to say that any product with that kind of failure rate is far from "great."

I'm on my third warrantied white Macbook. You were saying?

[Iori]

Love the concept, but I still have major issues with such a device from MS.

1. I am left handed, and I feel that it could be awkward to write on the right screen.

2. This device could create competition not only to apple, but to hp, toshiba, dell, and other PC manufacturers, which could eventually take sales from such companies.

3. What ever happened to Origami? Did we soon forget of such failure? :rolleyes:

[peterdevries]

I think there are actually some really nice ideas in that video and I hope Apple is paying attention.

I'm not sure about the dual screen though. Although it might provide some extra features, it decreases the portability.

[spillproof]

Looks really cool. I could see myself using that for college. I am a bit excited to see what final products comes of this.

looks really cool but I feel the final product will be much much different.

Sadly, me too.

[blahblah100]

i'm an Apple fanboy and i think this is pretty cool. the only real reason i'd not want it is it would be based on a Windows OS.

also, i'm curious as to when all the anti-apple crowd folks on here are going to call it an epic fail (see iPhone/iPod Touch) because of its total lack of a keyboard!!!!! hello?!?!?! (insert crickets here)

thought so.

I would call it an epic fail when Microsoft starts telling me what applications I can install on it.

[dmelgar]

Looks amazing, excellent. Solves the form factor issue. Walking around with an open glass tablet with no cover is a recipe for quick disaster.
This elegantly solves the problem. Plenty of space for onscreen keyboard and display.
I hope Apple is going to do something like this, otherwise they're toast.

This thing is so cool, it could be the standard form factor for future laptops.

Other than the form factor though... I didn't like much that I saw in the video. I have the utmost confidence in Microsoft that they'll figure out a way to screw up any good idea.

[randyc]

wow this actually looks really cool! :eek:

[hypermark]

First off, this is a really cool looking prototype. Second, I would hearken to what others raise; namely, when will the real product ship and what's the OS and tools side of the equation, as Apple has pretty much shown this to be the bar for success.

Clearly, Apple learned this lesson from Microsoft (in PC 1.0) but MS feels long removed from those days (i.e., cultivating and growing a software centered ecosystem), especially in light of all of the legacy that they have to support.

Btw, here are some thoughts on where Apple's Tablet and the e-Book is headed:

Rebooting the Book (One Apple iPad Tablet at a Time):
http://bit.ly/zOoEu

Check it out if interested.

Mark

[Mr. Gates]

I would call it an epic fail when Microsoft starts telling me what applications I can install on it.

Are you kidding me?
Do you know ANYTHING about Apple and their sneaky ways?
Ever hear of " Jailbreaking" ....... why do you think people feel forced to do that?

That's right, now .....tell me : what application can you NOT install on a Windows machine ?

[rhett7660]

I think that was sarcasm...aimed at apple.

[aeryck]

I love the movie, but that maybe just a movie.

I love the stylus (pencil). Its something I grew up with and feel more comfortable using than a mouse, especially for sketching. Maybe that says something about the people designing it, or critiquing it because I think younger people may not feel that way about pencils/ styluses.

What I do see as a problem are the edges of the table where your wrist and fore arm will scrape. It needs a bevel there to relieve the edge and be more comfortable to use when its on a desktop.

I'm sure a USB keyboard can plug right in when you are doing serious typing, but of course it will probably have a touchscreen keyboard too, like when you turn it side ways. Or, maybe Voice Recognition, finally.

On the other hand, if MS gets enough traction with this vaporpad, it might be a marketing coup so that when the Apple version comes out, it will be compared to this sexy neat idea by MS. The vaporpad "might" do all kind of things that the real one won't, or not as well as the one in the video. But, MS gets to the high design ground first and says: "Apple copied us!"

[teme]

Not only that, but I wonder how loud + how badly it will overheat like the Xbox 360...

When I'm playing games, Unibody Macbook Pro is the loudest and hottest notebook I've ever had, and the black screen of death is a known problem and overheating is causing it... so better be quiet about Microsoft having overheating products, when Apple is known to have them too. At least Microsoft is willing to fix their problems, while Apple hasn't done anything to fix overheating Macbook Pro.

[mixel]

I vote stylus too, it looks like a nifty concept. If MS started producing these, and Apple started producing soully capacitance based ones I'd have to seriously consider the MS one, particularly if it has pressure sensitivity.

Pens are still necessary for art stuff.

And I'm loving the Xbox360 comments. :D

[wackymacky]

I never though I would say it, but I am warming to the idea of getting a tablet device.

if only for broswing my e-mail and the weekend paper on-line in bed etc :). (Yes I can do it on my iPhone but the screen is too damn small to read a lot.)

[Jodlesx]

...But:


I can't watch video on it with that gap between screens.
I can't take meeting notes because a stylus sucks for extended data input. Not only is it slow, but my hand gets tired, my handwriting gets bad, and that skyrockets the OCR error rate.
If I read an ebook I (probably) only use one of the two screens.
If I browse the web it's probably on one of the two screens. Effectively I'm using the top 2/3 of 1/2 the available area -- that's tiny!
I can't work with a spreadsheet that's bigger than probably three columns wide, because that gap in the middle makes it difficult to track across the row.
I can't work with a text document unless, maybe, I turn the whole device 90 degrees. Then I put the text in the top box and have an ultra-cramped virtual keyboard below? (Except the top box will only show a fragment of a page of text when rotated, so that's not practical.)


...

Multitasking?

[mikeppc225]

If this is an apple prototype being leaked as a MS one to cover up the real Apple one.

A few notes: the icons look very Mac like. (camera icon, tabs). The use of the term "App" is an Apple thing. Microsoft likes to call them programs.

Someone mentioned being left handed. How easy would it be to have some sort of setting that flips the layout?

I am waiting to see this. I wont buy an XBox b/c it's MS. I won't buy a mouse b/c it says MS, but if MS were miraculously to deliver this very much like this and Apple comes out with something that doesnt top this, I will be looking at an Apple product over a MS product for the first time ever.

[CQd44]

If this is an apple prototype being leaked as a MS one to cover up the real Apple one.

A few notes: the icons look very Mac like. (camera icon, tabs). The use of the term "App" is an Apple thing. Microsoft likes to call them programs.

Someone mentioned being left handed. How easy would it be to have some sort of setting that flips the layout?

I am waiting to see this. I wont buy an XBox b/c it's MS. I won't buy a mouse b/c it says MS, but if MS were miraculously to deliver this very much like this and Apple comes out with something that doesnt top this, I will be looking at an Apple product over a MS product for the first time ever.

Microsoft mice and keyboards are very good though >:

[Snowy_River]

Impressive video. Knowledge Navigator, anyone? Does it have a little talking Bill Nye lookalike?

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who thought of that. For those who are interested:

Apple Knowledge Navigator (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5144094928842683632#)

I do think that this looks interesting. I would, however, regard a product like this to be a niche product. It fills a gap between something like the iPhone and a laptop. Relatively few people will really see the need for a product like this, but for those who did need it, it would be indispensable.

As a side note, has anyone else thought that it could be set up with one "page" tilted up and the bottom "page" displaying a soft keyboard, resulting in a netbook like functionality?

[Vanilla]

I never thought I'd see the day in my lifetime but Microsoft have come up with a really nice concept.

My only query/sadness is that we're still attempting to replicate old-world habits in an electronic form. By this I mean as a Digital Immigrant the use of a stylus, the 'feel' of paper folding/turning and the hardback book form is indeed comforting, but really at some point it would be nice if someone embraced the growing army of digital natives and came up with a completely new interface paradigm. Apple?

Vanilla

[simsandwhich]

I am waiting to see this. I wont buy an XBox b/c it's MS. I won't buy a mouse b/c it says MS, but if MS were miraculously to deliver this very much like this and Apple comes out with something that doesnt top this, I will be looking at an Apple product over a MS product for the first time ever.

Prejudice much?

[simsandwhich]

My only query/sadness is that we're still attempting to replicate old-world habits in an electronic form. By this I mean as a Digital Immigrant the use of a stylus

The stylus is for things that a finger can't do, such as writing and finer input with drawing. Fingers are for everything else :)

[Iori]

I still want to know what happened to MS's previous promise...
epic fail! :rolleyes:

[SFStateStudent]

I'd buy it and Hackintosh it until it dies.....:p

[kernkraft]

Not only that, but I wonder how loud + how badly it will overheat like the Xbox 360...

I haven't got an Xbox, but I've had several MacBooks, MacBook Airs and a MacBook Pro with overheating issues. There is not much excessive thermal paste that can be applied, so I think MS will be fine.

I don't mind, whoever will bring one out, I have been wanting a tablet for a very long time ago. However, I must say that there is an Apple tablet around, made from plastic MacBooks by a small company and it still remains a niche product. For its price, I would never buy one. Something dramatically different is needed. Something smaller, lighter, more user friendly, recognising pinching and gestures; something fun.

I suppose, Apple can succeed in bringing out a small, 6-9 inch tablet for the masses, whilst MS has more potential with the corporate, engineering and health market. I can never imagine my doctor using anything Mac. Frankly, sometimes a Mac just doesn't cut it. Or those specialist companies ignore Apple.

Just one final thought... I don't have a netbook, because it's just a smaller, cheaper and underpowered version of a laptop. What would MS do differently with a tablet? After all, usability will play a large role in this game. Anything larger than a small book and I'm out.

[Marx55]

Great, as long as:

- Runs Mac.
- Light and small (500 g or less and pocketable)
- Has video-out and USB 2 ports for videopresentations from NATIVE Keynote and PowerPoint files.

[talkingfuture]

The video looks awesome, will be interesting to see if the physical execution lives up to it. I think this could be a great competitor for Apple if/when they launch a tablet.

[bloodycape]

Looks very nice, and promising if they actually deliver it. Hopefully when the real device comes out it at least has one usb 3.0. What would really be cool is an AMOLED screen, and then hit a switch to make it an e-ink screen to make it more readable in direct sunlight.

What is odd is HP, Toshiba, and Fujistu back in the days of Windows 2000 had keyboard less(or at least it detached) tablets.They came in like size from 8in to 12in, but they were mostly sold to the industrial and business sector. Even still most of the tablets out on the market now(even thoughts with multi-touch support), are mainly being target to that sector still. This, and the Mac tablet could help shift trends to more consumer oriented tablets.

BTW I am seeing more and more AIO touch screen desktops coming out to the market and I hope Apple ads that option the iMac.

[djchuckc27]

i dunno but that chick sounds hott!

[Woz Beard]

Oooh.....Microsoft DS Heavy. I like it.


God bless competition.

[sushi]

Interesting concept.

Reminds me of the Knowledge Navigator in a HP-19BII business calculator format.

Looking forward to see how the real deal actually works.

[alabanco]

That thing (lets not focus which OS inside and who will manufacture it) will definitely be not good for "children" as they will have to learn again how to write.:D

[tjcampbell]

If apple released this exact same product people would go mental for it.

[forgetaboutpro]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7C144 Safari/528.16)

You have to give them the benefit of the doubt, good effort.

[seashellz]

>>microsoft has been stepping up their game lately

Unfortunately we are in the 21st Century

MS will never be a part of that
a legacy company, a legacy business model, legacy OS in a company full of aging post baby boomers
*So* 20th Century
MS is fast becoming irrelevant in todays world
like the dinosaur
big and ferocious at first
then slink off to die

No MS "hate" here
I just get annoyed seeing mediocrity held up as an example of mankinds best and brightest achievements in IT when we all know we can do so much better

[Gm7Cadd9]

great concept, but Steve Jobs said it best with:

"Real artists ship"

this is the yin to the yang of Apple, the zig to the zag... Apple wants to keep 100% secrecy until launch... Microsoft wants to show you the future you will have in the next 2-3 years today. Both styles have advantages.

In this particular case I see it as a strategic move by any company. Everyone knows Apple is working on something, so if you cant beat them to the street with a product why not try to steal some thunder by showing off amazing concepts...

Why not even take it a step further and show RIDICULOUS concepts that wont be available for 10 years, that way when the Apple tablet comes out it will be a letdown.

Well played Microsoft, well played.

[bartzilla]

Doesn't mean squat until I can actually use it. Still don't have access to a "Surface" dining room table. Apple will have an ACTUAL shipping device in Q1/10...until then, Microsoft can create mockups of unicorns and it'd be just as real.

Ok firstly, Microsoft for all their faults currently have a shipping tablet product. It isn't great but it exists.

Apple have released zero information about their plans for a tablet, yet you're certain they're going to ship in Q1 2010? Based on what?

It seems to me that it isn't Microsoft who are dreaming of unicorns here...

[rmclachlan]

As with most Microsoft products (and this is not even a product yet) it is very derivative. Some of the UI stuff looks interesting but whether that makes it to the final product is moot. There seems a lot of iPhone derived stuff here- all that pinching, flicking etc.

Unless MS are using some new screen technology my experience is that using a stylus is pretty horrible and absoloutely nothing like pen/pencil on paper and next to useless for sketching.

As has been pointed out earlier this is an animation, not a real product. Possibly a spoiler from Microsoft to try and kill off any forthcoming Apple tablet -they did this way back by announcing the at the time non-existent "Windows for Pen" and effectively killed off the Penpoint operating system.

Another knowledge navigator type video - whether it will turn into a real product, well we will have to wait and see. I am sure that Apple will beat them to market regardless.

[rhinosrcool]

I am waiting to see this. I wont buy an XBox b/c it's MS. I won't buy a mouse b/c it says MS, but if MS were miraculously to deliver this very much like this and Apple comes out with something that doesnt top this, I will be looking at an Apple product over a MS product for the first time ever.

?? First, you state that you wouldn't buy something because it's a MS product. Then, you state that, if this is a MS product and is what is shown, you would, for the first time, pick an Apple product over a MS product.:confused:

[The General]

im not going to write out a website

we use keyboards for that sort of thing

[NightFox]

>>microsoft has been stepping up their game lately

Unfortunately we are in the 21st Century

MS will never be a part of that
a legacy company, a legacy business model, legacy OS in a company full of aging post baby boomers
*So* 20th Century
MS is fast becoming irrelevant in todays world
like the dinosaur
big and ferocious at first
then slink off to die

No MS "hate" here
I just get annoyed seeing mediocrity held up as an example of mankinds best and brightest achievements in IT when we all know we can do so much better

But we're nearly a tenth of the way through the 21st Century, and MS still seems a long way from extinction

[smg9779]

I cannot wait for Apple's version that will likely be missing key features that will slowly get added over the course of the next decade but it will definitely be prettier!

[NightFox]

im not going to write out a website

we use keyboards for that sort of thing

To be fair, I don't think the point of a device like this (be it MS or Apple) is to replace a desktop/laptop for keyboard based work; it's a complementary device aimed at a different type of user.

[NightFox]

I cannot wait for Apple's version that will likely be missing key features that will slowly get added over the course of the next decade but it will definitely be prettier!

It's going to be a bitch waiting for copy and paste for 2 years. Remind me to avoid MacRumors over that time.

[pmjoe]

The video is just a video mockup of what the user interface might be like. It's unclear to me if the photos are of a working device or not, but it looks like it's non-functional, pieced together from computer parts, other plastic, paper and some faux leather.

Given that I could probably throw together the same in about a week, I don't see any evidence of this being a functional prototype. Just looks like somebody's concept that may or may not be developed.

That said, if Microsoft chose to make this, I could certainly see their Surface technology coming into play here.

[MorphingDragon]

The Xbox 360, until the RROD fiasco.

Fixed it for ya.

The surface is a lovely thing to have on a display shelf...
Wait What?

The surface is a waste of space IMO.

[Snowy_River]

The video is just a video mockup of what the user interface might be like. It's unclear to me if the photos are of a working device or not, but it looks like it's non-functional, pieced together from computer parts, other plastic, paper and some faux leather.

Given that I could probably throw together the same in about a week, I don't see any evidence of this being a functional prototype. Just looks like somebody's concept that may or may not be developed.

That said, if Microsoft chose to make this, I could certainly see their Surface technology coming into play here.

Or it's a computer rendered model, which a good designer could put together in about a day...

[Otaviano]

Great concept, I would love to have such a device even though a lot of it's features I can already accomplish on my iPhone.

Still putting aside the praise for this concept product I can't help but feel that Microsoft has no direction. Now it seems they are determined to try and morph themselves into Apple. However I wonder how companies like Dell and HP are going to feel about competing with Microsoft. The line between traditional computer and these type of devices is quickly disappearing. Could Microsoft risk their biggest asset (Windows) by trying to become the new Apple?

[MacMonster1985]

Knowing MS it will RROD and BSOD all the time. I mean when was the last time they made any decent consumer hardware?

[MorphingDragon]

Knowing MS it will RROD and BSOD all the time. I mean when was the last time they made any decent consumer hardware?

Their Keyboard and Mice before XP SP1 was released. Before they got all crap and black looking. They were some damn good mice. I still use the old intelli explorer occasionally.

[SandynJosh]

Now we know what MS may be wanting to show in their retail stores besides a Zune. Maybe they will call it a Zablet?

[pfml07]

Now we know what MS may be wanting to show in their retail stores besides a Zune. Maybe they will call it a Zablet?

No worse than putting an i in front of everything!:p

What is good for both Apple and Microsoft is the fact that its competition.
It's healthy for companies to battle

It actually looks promising from Microsoft. It should push the Apple to raise the bar even further!

[NightFox]

Knowing MS it will RROD and BSOD all the time. I mean when was the last time they made any decent consumer hardware?

Ever used a MS mouse or keyboard?

And the PC's that BSOD aren't MS hardware, they're MS software running on third party hardware. If MS can control the OS's operating environment (i.e. the hardware) like Apple do with Macs, then the OS will become much more stable. I'm guessing the we'd get a lot more "spinning beach balls" on OS X if Apple started letting us install any old motherboard/CPU/graphics card.

RROD? Yeah, serious problem, but look at the number of people who go straight out and buy a replacement; the 360 can't be all that bad.

[SandynJosh]

When you see the real product it will have you watch a dancing monkey while it grinds away loading another huge hunk of code.

I only considered a MS mobile phone once for a few seconds. I touched a button and thought that maybe the phone wasn't operational, then just when I was about to put it down, it reacted. Talk about unresponsive!

[iMat77]

1. Who is going to manufacture it? Will the shown quality match the real life quality?
2. Will this new Microsoft strategy of building their own products create problems with their Windows "partners" OEM?
3. Will they license the software OEM so that Dell and others can build a specced down, crappier and cheaper version of this?
4. Will OEM partners feel bypassed by Microsoft and hence look further in Linux or Chrome OS? This is happening in smartphones and I guess the next step is computer OS.
5. Will this concept be like Microsoft Surface? Full of promises which never came true?
6. Is Microsoft slowly changing attitude and shifting towards the Apple model of business (control every step of the user experience)?

My guess is that point 6. is true and that Microsoft stores will sell exclusive products such as these. I wonder how long it will take for OEM manufacturers to see that this is bad for them, and start looking for alternative OS. This, more than anything, will hurt Microsoft badly, because a lot of their revenues come from their monopoly of the OS.

Apple, on the other hand, must not forget their business users (Aperture, Logic, etc).

Tablet is not for me. But a concept like the shown one could be interesting for a lot of users. Remember, it is just a concept, and the product might be available in more than one configuration. Still, the question about where Microsoft is going, and how this choices affect their overall bottom line remain open.

Microsoft is realizing that Apple has a good strategy in place and are trying to copy it as much as they possibly can (because it allow bigger margins). Let's see how long it takes before Dell, HP and so on look for something else than Windows for their PCs

[Macmel]

>>microsoft has been stepping up their game lately

Unfortunately we are in the 21st Century

MS will never be a part of that
a legacy company, a legacy business model, legacy OS in a company full of aging post baby boomers
*So* 20th Century
MS is fast becoming irrelevant in todays world
like the dinosaur
big and ferocious at first
then slink off to die

No MS "hate" here
I just get annoyed seeing mediocrity held up as an example of mankinds best and brightest achievements in IT when we all know we can do so much better

Yeah, because... They dominate over 90% of the market share (in which Apple growth has been basically insignificant for the past 15 years). Because... Virtually every company in the world relies on MS technology. Because... is Apple who in the past 15 years almost disappeared. Because... They are the only gaming platform available. Because... MSOffice is the world standard for business documents and iWork is not even known by half of the Mac community and the whole PC community.
Yeah, those are clear signs that MS is disappearing soon. Maybe tomorrow.

[NightFox]

...6. Is Microsoft slowly changing attitude and shifting towards the Apple model of business (control every step of the user experience)?

My guess is that point 6. is true and that Microsoft stores will sell exclusive products such as these. I wonder how long it will take for OEM manufacturers to see that this is bad for them, and start looking for alternative OS. This, more than anything, will hurt Microsoft badly, because a lot of their revenues come from their monopoly of the OS.

I'm confused by your logic - if you think that (6) will be an obviously catastrophic move for MS, why do you also think that that will be the direction they go in?

[DMann]

Boring.

Concept videos are easy to make, but pulling off a real device with a real interface...

Microsoft loves making these things: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9JBSEBu2q8

Some 3D renderings and a multimedia mockup of how it's supposed to work and we're supposed to be impressed? There's no more substance here than in those "imagine the day" Microsoft ads with their pie in the sky concepts.

Ship an actual product, Microsoft, and you'll deserve respect.

I see this as a preemptive FUD attack on the rumored Apple tablet. Apple will announce an actual, shipping product and Microsoft will say "See, we're not copying Apple - we demoed our stuff 3 months ago (but won't ship for another 18)."Quite true.

For some things like zooming out of journals, you pinch in, but for photos, you pinch out? The device looks pretty cool though, but do I really have to write out URLs?

im not going to write out a website

we use keyboards for that sort of thingA good indicator that this is merely a concept, which was farmed out, perhaps through a contest.

I think it is a slick concept, with many good ideas and some bad ones.

First this is not a demonstration of an existing product-- it's an animation of what a product would be. Especially notice the drawn hands and stylus.

Second, Samsung has publicly demoed a similar product: clamshell with 2 side-by-side displays.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtN_TkZUOt4Though Samsung would have the caliber and capacity to actually pull it off.

Interesting concept.

Reminds me of the Knowledge Navigator in a HP-19BII business calculator format.Yes, sans the voice recognition.

Or it's a computer rendered model, which a good designer could put together in about a day...

great concept, but Steve Jobs said it best with:

"Real artists ship"This remains to be seen.

[womble2k2]

Since when does Microsoft ever design something, this...great?

Project Natal ?

[womble2k2]

Apple will have an ACTUAL shipping device in Q1/10

Really!?! Where is the press release?

I do not believe Apple have made any announcements of a tablet product launch for Q1/10. There have been rumours of a product, but until you see it, it is not a product.

[MorphingDragon]

Project Natal ?

Eyetoy on steroids? And something thats sounds slightly dirty to people who speak real english.

[Macmel]

1. Who is going to manufacture it? Will the shown quality match the real life quality?
2. Will this new Microsoft strategy of building their own products create problems with their Windows "partners" OEM?
3. Will they license the software OEM so that Dell and others can build a specced down, crappier and cheaper version of this?
4. Will OEM partners feel bypassed by Microsoft and hence look further in Linux or Chrome OS? This is happening in smartphones and I guess the next step is computer OS.
5. Will this concept be like Microsoft Surface? Full of promises which never came true?
6. Is Microsoft slowly changing attitude and shifting towards the Apple model of business (control every step of the user experience)?

My guess is that point 6. is true and that Microsoft stores will sell exclusive products such as these. I wonder how long it will take for OEM manufacturers to see that this is bad for them, and start looking for alternative OS. This, more than anything, will hurt Microsoft badly, because a lot of their revenues come from their monopoly of the OS.

Apple, on the other hand, must not forget their business users (Aperture, Logic, etc).

Tablet is not for me. But a concept like the shown one could be interesting for a lot of users. Remember, it is just a concept, and the product might be available in more than one configuration. Still, the question about where Microsoft is going, and how this choices affect their overall bottom line remain open.

Microsoft is realizing that Apple has a good strategy in place and are trying to copy it as much as they possibly can (because it allow bigger margins). Let's see how long it takes before Dell, HP and so on look for something else than Windows for their PCs

1.- The same guys that make the MBP with the screen bent or the breaking hinges for MBA.

2.-No, as long as they don't make exactly the same. Anyway, the computer manufacturers put windows on their machines because the other options are not possible or wanted by the vast majority. I know some of them put Linux and the like, bur honestly, which percentage actually orders that?

3.- Who knows?

4.- No way. Vast majority of sales are to regular costumers that want windows. Personally, I would never buy a PC without it, especially knowing I can get the others for free if I'm ever interested.

5.- I haven't heard MS announce this. I do remember Jobs promising G5 MBPs and 3.0 GHz G5 processors.

6.- You mean cripple every step of user experience with lack of choices?.

I seriously doubt you can get bigger margins than MS. They just make and sell software. Hardware is a little bit more problematic (repairs, manufacture, shipping, etc). MS charge $300 for a DVD that costs $1. And they sell millions.

[MH01]

Doesn't mean squat until I can actually use it. Still don't have access to a "Surface" dining room table. Apple will have an ACTUAL shipping device in Q1/10...until then, Microsoft can create mockups of unicorns and it'd be just as real.

Last I heard the ACTUAL shipping device was coming in Sept 2009.... no one has any idea when it coming, what makes you so certain its coming in Q1/2010 when Apple has said jack about it. The truth is you have no idea when Apple will release it, cause Apple loves the whole secrecy approach, for all we know it might not ship till Q4/2010.

[chameleon81]

Nice concept, I really like it.

Apple's touch screen implementation has really changed the industry

[womble2k2]

Whoever made the prototype, obviously likes Apple products, as many ideas are developments of exisiting Apple products, technologies or methods.

For example;

- When she flicks the address to the Google Map, the pin it creates looks a lot like the one on iPhone / iPod Touch, with a right arrow to get more info, etc. It is more like the Apple version that the Google one provided on the maps.google.com website.

- When she scrolls her address book, it looks very similar to the address book on iPhone / iPod Touch. Main difference is that the index is on the left, not right as on Apple products.

- When actions are taking place, such as when she flicks an address to the maps, there is a rotating icon to say the machine is busy, not an hour glass.

- Pinch, swipe and other gestures are on other products now, but the demo does make me think Apple, not MS.

- The way objects 'animate' when moved, flicked, turned over, etc, is very like the Apple Genie effect.

So I wonder if the person who did this, once worked at Apple?

[peterdevries]

Eyetoy on steroids? And something thats sounds slightly dirty to people who speak real english.

I personally wouldn't buy it, but have you taken a look at what it can do and what it would mean for gaming?

And Project Natal is just a working name..

[talkingfuture]

Having had a couple more hours to reflect on this, I am quite excited to see the final product. I think that rather than it being a wannabe, me too product like the Zune was it may be a sign that MS has cracked why Apples iPods/iPhones have been successful and that they are going to be making their own products that appeal in the same way without being copies of ideas that work for Apple.

At the end of the day that must be good for us as consumers.

[Setmose]

Makes me feel like I'm a zombie in an elevator with freshly-scrubbed Microsoft sales people. Slowly, I feel the rising need to eat B-R-A-I-N-S !!!!!!!!! :apple:

[artpoetryfictio]

So will it get an Android or an Ubuntu hack first?

[Dagless]

Whats up with Microsoft, they seem to be on a roll of late. I wouldn't get a Zune but people seem quite happy with them, some people seem to really like Windows 7 too.
I guess we won't be seeing such conservative updates from Apple in the upcoming year.

[slackpacker]

I'm sorry Apples tablet product will be nowhere close to this ....

Courier is my new I WANT I WANT IWANT

[Bodypainter]

seems like some group at microsoft knows how to make user interfaces. how come, they didn't add this visual look to vista/windows7? would have been much better. and about the device itself: it seems to be so logical and practical. i am curious when apple will release something like this! this concept is way better than the "normal" tablet, because it also protects the screen when foldet and is only half the size.

[BongoBanger]

I would read this topic but I know it's going to be full of three things:

1) People saying "It's by Microsoft so it must be crap".
2) People accusing Microsoft of copying Apple.
3) People accusing other posters of being Microsoft shills because they say somethign vaguely positive about the device.

So I don't think I'll bother.

The devcice looks nice though.

[MorphingDragon]

I personally wouldn't buy it, but have you taken a look at what it can do and what it would mean for gaming?

And Project Natal is just a working name..

Umm, every gimmick has to come to the reality that people play games to blow off some steam. Not to flail around breaking objects. Until we can get true VR in a suspension chamber Im not particularly interested in wasting money.

I suggest people watch this http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/779-The-Second-Annual-E3-Hype-Massacre

[slackpacker]

seems like some group at microsoft knows how to make user interfaces. how come, they didn't add this visual look to vista/windows7? would have been much better. and about the device itself: it seems to be so logical and practical. i am curious when apple will release something like this! this concept is way better than the "normal" tablet, because it also protects the screen when foldet and is only half the size.

Don't know why but I can only guess the millions of Apple already out use the current interface. They have to do something like this to introduce something totally new. Look at the Zune HD and the Surface Tables and you will get an idea which team at MS worked on this.

I am very impressed with what they have done..... I will still want to use a keyboard though no writing for me.

[pcorajr]

Apple will have an ACTUAL shipping device in Q1/10...until then, Microsoft can create mockups of unicorns and it'd be just as real.

Really!!!! you must be one of those guys that works in one of the Chinese manufacturing plants somewhere in asia!!!

Listen can you please let us know if Apples device is going to be in a tablet format or is it going to resemble something like what the Microsoft booklet looks like? Also if possible and with out having to put you like in danger, can you snap some pics of it and send it to us. Just please be careful I heard apple will send their death squad if you get caught leaking info.

Wow this is amazing why are the people at macrumors ignoring this post Hello!!!!!!!!!:confused:

[OutSpoken]

Doesn't mean squat until I can actually use it. Still don't have access to a "Surface" dining room table. Apple will have an ACTUAL shipping device in Q1/10...until then, Microsoft can create mockups of unicorns and it'd be just as real.

Its people like you who give apple mac fans a bad name.:rolleyes:

Although just a concept, I see nothing wrong with that device.

[AdeFowler]

I think it's pretty neat and we'd all be wetting ourselves with excitement if it was from Apple. :) However;

How much is this likely to cost bearing in mind it's got two screens?
How dependent is its operation on the pen? My handwriting/drawing it diabolical.
Does it run yet another OS?
Will it ever happen?

[Bonte]

With current technical limitations this is a impossible device, you can't write that many text on a 7' screen.

Having a camera on the back and taking pictures with the booklet open is also ridicules, having a front facing camera would be perfect for chat en then open the device 360° to take pictures with the 'back' facing camera is a much better option imho.

Like many Mac users i have 2 screens and the concept of a booklet device is very inspiring but for some time to come, it will stay a concept.

Is this idea currently possible? Make a leather wallet to put 2 ipod Touches in side by side and have them act like it is one device. ?

[Shasterball]

Not only that, but I wonder how loud + how badly it will overheat like the Xbox 360...

Maybe, but have you heard some MacBook Pros? They can hold their own weight in the loud fan category....

[simsandwhich]

Doesn't mean squat until I can actually use it. Still don't have access to a "Surface" dining room table.
It's designed for use in business environments, particularly retail stores. Not for your living room.

[ratGT]

Micro$oft: The king of prototypes/concept-products and zer0-realization...

[Shivetya]

WOW.

I want.


and to think I purged my house of MS products except my work laptop; but it sits in the corner when I am not at work :P

[JS77]

Come on guys, grow up. The Zune HD looks like an awesome MP3 player,

...Agreed

Windows 7 is a damn good OS.

... Agreed

the 360 won this console war generation (rightfully so)

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! I must have missed that memo! ;) 360 had a 1 year head start, it's still waaaay behind the Wii and only 6-7m units ahead of the PS3 (With a whole 12-18month headstart!)...(Source: http://www.vgchartz.com/) It's a great console but it hasn't won the "console war" by a long shot yet...

Time to get off the pedestal, and move on from this lame Microsoft hating.

Well, based on this tablet mock-up and the awesome video, I'd have to agree... infact, I'm pretty sure if you slapped an Apple logo on this mock-up and called it the iTablet, everyone would be pleased with how it's turned out...

Anyway, it''s great to see a real MS innovation for once... let's hope the real thing works as smoothly as it does in that video.

On a side note, it would be really interesting if Apple and MS released their respective Tablet products within the same timeframe...

[simsandwhich]

Is this idea currently possible? Make a leather wallet to put 2 ipod Touches in side by side and have them act like it is one device. ?

The device itself looks more like a laptop, only smaller and with another screen where there's a keyboard. The leather is actually not a part of it at all, just a coaster thing :)

I'd imagine the camera would be on one of the screen fronts, which you twist backward so one screen is facing you that you take a photo with. That way it's comfortable for both uses (just an idea)

[ditzy]

This looks really amazing. If it makes it into production I would probably buy it. It feels weird to say this about a Microsoft product, but I am genuinely impressed.

[NightFox]

Umm, every gimmick has to come to the reality that people play games to blow off some steam. Not to flail around breaking objects...

Yes, Wii, epic fail.

[MorphingDragon]

...Agreed



... Agreed



Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! I must have missed that memo! ;) 360 had a 1 year head start, it's still waaaay behind the Wii and only 6-7m units ahead of the PS3 (With a whole 12-18month headstart!)...(Source: http://www.vgchartz.com/) It's a great console but it hasn't won the "console war" by a long shot yet...



Well, based on this tablet mock-up and the awesome video, I'd have to agree... infact, I'm pretty sure if you slapped an Apple logo on this mock-up and called it the iTablet, everyone would be pleased with how it's turned out...

Anyway, it''s great to see a real MS innovation for once... let's hope the real thing works as smoothly as it does in that video.

On a side note, it would be really interesting if Apple and MS released their respective Tablet products within the same timeframe...

So something that melts after a few months is winning the console war.

Yea...

I like what Microsoft is doing with Windows and the Zune but they still cut corners in the gaming market. Direct X still fails where OpenGL/AL SHINES. After how many years? ID managed to make a tech engine using openGL 2.1 that has features DirectX 10 doesnt have. (Primitive Shadows etc)

[FlagellumDei]

Not only that, but I wonder how loud + how badly it will overheat like the Xbox 360...

Just play a "heavy" game on a MacBook Pro and you can bake eggs on it...

[Shasterball]

This looks really amazing. If it makes it into production I would probably buy it. It feels weird to say this about a Microsoft product, but I am genuinely impressed.

I'm not sure I would buy it. But, I'm with you, it's more innovative that I would have thought for a Microsoft product.

[dicklacara]

Whoever made the prototype, obviously likes Apple products, as many ideas are developments of exisiting Apple products, technologies or methods.

For example;

- When she flicks the address to the Google Map, the pin it creates looks a lot like the one on iPhone / iPod Touch, with a right arrow to get more info, etc. It is more like the Apple version that the Google one provided on the maps.google.com website.

- When she scrolls her address book, it looks very similar to the address book on iPhone / iPod Touch. Main difference is that the index is on the left, not right as on Apple products.

- When actions are taking place, such as when she flicks an address to the maps, there is a rotating icon to say the machine is busy, not an hour glass.

- Pinch, swipe and other gestures are on other products now, but the demo does make me think Apple, not MS.

- The way objects 'animate' when moved, flicked, turned over, etc, is very like the Apple Genie effect.

So I wonder if the person who did this, once worked at Apple?


Ha! Likely, the video was prepared on a Mac using Pro tools like Final Cut Studio.

[Bonte]

I'd imagine the camera would be on one of the screen fronts, which you twist backward so one screen is facing you that you take a photo with. That way it's comfortable for both uses (just an idea)

Exactly how i see it but the video shows a camera on the back, so the booklet needs to be open to take pictures.

[carmenodie]

kiss my a** every which till Sunday!!!
You ain't going to see non of this MS RDF crap ever!!!!!! Never never never.

[sth]

I think it's rather cool. There seems to be a lot of Apple influence in the UI design and the device itself. If the real thing works anything like the concept-video, it would probably the first useful (as in "everyday use") tablet computer.

I really dig the two-screen, "book-like" design. In fact, this could be the first really innovative Microsoft product... well... ever!

However, it's still just a concept and Microsoft isn't really known as a company that's taking radical steps, so lets wait and see if the final product will look and work like the concept or if it's going to be just another Windows Mobile UMPC.

[MorphingDragon]

Just play a "heavy" game on a MacBook Pro and you can bake eggs on it...

You can cook eggs on most processors. Moot point.

[tny]

Cause it's the joke that never ends! It just goes on and on my friends!

Seriously.. let it die.

I spent the day reinstalling Windows on a workstation that BSODed because a bad uninstaller corrupted the registry. I'll let it die when MS fixes their software architecture so this kind of thing can't happen.

The device looks nice; so did Origami. I hav me doots.

[slackpacker]

kiss my a** every which till Sunday!!!
You ain't going to see non of this MS RDF crap ever!!!!!! Never never never.

Ok I am holding you to task on this. :eek:

[slackpacker]

Ha! Likely, the video was prepared on a Mac using Pro tools like Final Cut Studio.

Yes and a mouse pointer looks the same on the mac and the PC.... Any more crap arguments about who stole whose interface.... This is far beyond what I could have expected. Better... and nothing like the Mac or the iPhone.

Apple is the Success here... Microsoft is the Scrappy newcomer... I think they have finally shown some promise.

[*LTD*]

MS can baely get WinMo to work right, and after two years it's still practically stillborn. And we exepct them to pull off something like this?

This is just smoke. It's a video. Let's see them actually release this, before Apple, and do it on time. It's just not the MS way.

[mrboult]

Looks awesome! But whether it will ever be made. . . .

Thing about this form factor is that it could potentially double up to have more standard laptop functionality. With a touch keyboard and trackpad on one screen.

[JMax1]

What about watching a movie? I wish there would be a way to not have a space down the middle so you can watch a movie across the whole two screens. Or bend it in half a little, rotate it 30 degrees and watch a movie on it like you would a laptop, with the one half holding up the other half to watch your something-something on.

I kinda like it. Like a nintendo DS on steroids.

[Lesser Evets]

A rumor only slightly more relevant than those photoshopped ideas for future products scattered on the internet. MS is becoming its own biggest fan.

The idea is interesting, but when would this be plausibly released? 2015? 2017?

[Macmoney]

looks like they were using multi-touch gestures
doesnt apple have copyright on that lol:apple:

Other than that man this think looks great!

[macinfojunkie]

Oh, stop with the hate.

That looks AMAZING. Instant sale, if they can hurry up and get one to market, and if it isn't hindered too badly by the usual suspects -- battery life, software, sunlight readability (let's not use OLEDs this time, OK?) etc.

It's the Hitchhiker's Guide -- for real! :D

I agree it looks great. If they can deliver it then I'm sure it would sell. Windows 7 will give the OSX fanboys a little shock I'm sure. Both are great system, so there's no real need to hate this just because it is an MS product. Competition is good and it seems MS have stepped up their game in this area. Apple just need to get on with it and release their tablet so that we can compare both offerings.

[Digitalclips]

Since when does Apple ever tell us they have a prototype?

This is the look and feel I expect from Dell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=049_U-0C9qU

[kdarling]

Whoever made the prototype, obviously likes Apple products, as many ideas are developments of exisiting Apple products, technologies or methods.

One reason there are similarities is because a lot of this stuff has been around for decades. They're familiar to touch engineers like me. They're just totally new to the public.

Other hints like the Google pins are on every mobile device nowadays, and the spinner has been used on websites since before the iPhone.

Microsoft came to our mobile R&D lab back around 1999 or 2000 and showed us some of their future handheld ideas under NDA. Their innovations would look very familiar today. The trouble was, some of their ideas were beyond the hardware that was cheaply available at the time. (Apple waited until the price was right before jumping into the market.)

Ideas do not come from companies. They come from people, many of whom have worked for Apple, Microsoft, HP and others. The main difference is that Apple actually markets their best ones, while Microsoft (not being a hardware maker, usually) often just sits on theirs.

[zub3qin]

Boring.

Concept videos are easy to make, but pulling off a real device with a real interface...

Microsoft loves making these things: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9JBSEBu2q8

I believe this is more than concept.

According to Gizmodo, who I trust, "Courier is a real device, and we've heard that it's in the "late prototype" stage of development. "

I, for one, hope this is very very close to Apple's touchpad. Because it will really piss off SJ to know that some of his "reveal" has been deflated by this video.

Furthermore, my hunch is the reason the Apple device is not out yet is that Apple is so keen on partnering with a wireless company. I for one DO NOT want a device that I have to pay AT&T or Verizon a monthly fee for. Apple loves this business model, but just shoving a 3G card in there so I have to be forced to pay a subscription is going to anger a lot of people. MARK MY WORDS, Apple will only release a subscription-based device.

[nwcs]

My first impression on seeing this is that it would probably work well in clinical environments and maybe journalism. I wouldn't use a device of this shape myself but I can see some jobs where it can come in handy. If/when Apple releases a tablet it will be interesting to see what their take is on it and how they envision its use.

[SPUY767]

The Xbox 360

I don't think that buying off developers to program for your comparatively underpowered, failure prone console qualifies as "great".

[markgodley]

microsoft has been stepping up their game lately :)

Maybe so.. but not in my eyes.

Zune... copied from iphone
Now this Tablet.... only cos they hear apple are making one... now this prototype pops up.

They copy apple.... always have always will!

Speaking of which don't apple have copyright to the pinch effect?

[RyanR.]

I know this is just a mock up video, but that doesn't look anything like any M$ OS. I laughed when she said "Home Button" I find it funny that it looks like the iPhone Home button.

Is there any way this could be the Apple Tablet??? Thrown out to see reactions by the public?

If it worked like that I would probably us it. (maybe) I'm still wishing for Apple tablet w/ full OS 10.6.xx:D

[SkippyThorson]

Could they stop blatantly ripping off Apple now? This is really getting to be a bit much. I've never seen such a lack of creative thinking in my life. Microsoft is literally walking in the exact footsteps of Apple, hoping to cash in on every move they make. When will Microsoft realize that this entirely different company can't just emulate and duplicate Apple at every turn.

This has just got to stop. It's so annoying I can't express it. Obvious. Blatant. Ripoff...

Apple has stores? We want stores! Snow Leopard is $29? Windows 7 is $29! Apple's doing a Tablet? We're doing a Tablet!

Oh. My. God.

[Povilas]

Device is yet to be seen, but for now I must say there are some pretty amazing ideas on the software side.

[scottm4321]

They've created an electronic dayplanner. A real day planner probably costs about $20. What added value does this bring? What will this cost and why should I buy it?

[jayducharme]

microsoft has been stepping up their game lately :)

This appears to finally be heading MS in the right direction. I agree, the form factor is a little odd unless it actually folds up.

But the paradigm MS is using is still a business one -- from the demo, it doesn't appear to be designed for average home users or students. Everything shown in the demo is about managing a business project (which it seems to do very well). Maybe MS is playing to its strength with this, re-focusing on business users rather than trying to appeal to consumers as a poor imitation of Apple.

[MacMonster1985]

I don't think that buying off developers to program for your comparatively underpowered, failure prone console qualifies as "great".

:up: PS3 is far superior and more reliable. MS is using abusing it's Windows monopoly to buy out developers. Typical M$ strategy. If you can't build a decent product, just throw money at it.

[BongoBanger]

Could they stop blatantly ripping off Apple now?

Quick question for you, sparky.

Which operating system already runs on multi-touch tablets like the Lenovo X200?

So who's ripping off whom here?

Hmm?

[VoR]

:up: PS3 is far superior and more reliable. MS is using abusing it's Windows monopoly to buy out developers. Typical M$ strategy. If you can't build a decent product, just throw money at it.

Isn't the GPU in the xbox slightly better? Pretty important for games right? Isn't the shared memory for the system/gpu a pretty well advertised strength on the xbox? Isn't ease of development pretty important for making software? Isn't it a bit silly to be a 'fan' of a certain corporation and to base judgement on that? Isn't sony a pretty damn awful company with a huge history of anti-consumer incompetence themselves?

[dernhelm]

I didn't read all the rest of the comments here (I'm sure there's a lot of negative ones), but myself, I thought it sounded kind of cool. A little like a sophisticated Nintendo DS turned on it's side. I would be concerned with the "hinge" aspect of it, and the original DS hinges were terrible (but they did get some better with the DS Lite).

It doesn't sound like this is even a real "hold it in your hand" prototype. Which means unless it gets fast-tracked it's a few years off at best. By then we should have a better handle on what some other manufacturers think a multi-touch tablet should look like.

But for a photoshop concept, it isn't a bad idea. The devil would be in the details.

[Chupa Chupa]

I never thought I'd see the day (or say) that M$ has finally put some heat under Apple in the innovation dept. As a concept I think this is fantastic. It's a tablet, but with the familiarity and convenience of a paper notebook. Very clever, and if Apple came up with this concept first I'm sure people would be peeing in their pants.

Of course the proof is in the shipping model (assuming it ships). There are plenty of factors like s/w compatibility (does it run on Win 7? WinMo? Something else?), as well as the usual reliability, battery life, aesthetics issues (does it feel like a plastic brick?). Of course price also a factor, though I'm guessing this is running on an Atom.

But right now I'm impressed that M$ could pull this off before Apple -- even if parts of it like the single button were "borrowed" from Apple. Honestly, if this shipped before Apple's rumored tablet and the reviews were decent I'd probably stop waiting for the AppTab and try this one out. On it's face it seems like a decent netbook alternative, and more useful at that.

[W1LLk]

This has just got to stop. It's so annoying I can't express it. Obvious. Blatant. Ripoff...

Apple has stores? We want stores! Snow Leopard is $29? Windows 7 is $29! Apple's doing a Tablet? We're doing a Tablet!

Oh. My. God.

I hear Mr. Gates ate an Apple for lunch yesterday.

Just play a "heavy" game on a MacBook Pro and you can bake eggs on it...

Wait, did you just say a "Heavy" game on OSX? What game would this be? (Restraining from Crysis reference)...

[MacMonster1985]

Isn't the GPU in the xbox slightly better? Pretty important for games right? Isn't the shared memory for the system/gpu a pretty well advertised strength on the xbox? Isn't ease of development pretty important for making software? Isn't it a bit silly to be a 'fan' of a certain corporation and to base judgement on that? Isn't sony a pretty damn awful company with a huge history of anti-consumer incompetence themselves?

Better hardware doesn't mean anything if its keeps breaking down and if the software doesn't taken advantage of the hardware. That's the same reason why Macs are so much better than PCs with similar hardware. PCs keep breaking down a lot and Windows is bloated compared to OS X.

[EricBrian]

Very cool. I can't wait to try one of these in a Microsoft store.

[captmatt]

I wonder if it isn't really the Apple device? The OS seems to run more like the iPhone. And it is quite a departure from expectations that have been put out.

Hitchhiker's Guide indeed!

[Padraig]

Really nice looking design, but as noted I'll wait till they're demonstrating a physical device before getting excited. You've got to hand it to MS, the different divisions are really starting to come together in a cohesive manner. It'll be interesting to see where they are in another year, they've got most of the building blocks for an excellent eco-system.

[SkippyThorson]

Quick question for you, sparky.

Which operating system already runs on multi-touch tablets like the Lenovo X200?

So who's ripping off whom here?

Hmm?

I know that Jimbo, but realize those are function devices. That allow you to productively work with Windows. Look at the folding dual screen. The fact that you can use your fingers demonstrates one thing no one notices.

Is there really any work getting done with your fingertips, or are you just using them as pointing devices? Touchscreen devices that require one to use their hands have all so far been for leisure. No typical work gets done. It adds to an experience, and that's all.

That is the latest that Microsoft is trying to copy. The leisure side of the user experience using a touch tablet that engages the user instead of the typical work environment.

[W1LLk]

I never thought I'd see the day (or say) that M$ has finally put some heat under Apple in the innovation dept. As a concept I think this is fantastic.

I agree, this will only fuel the products to be better, as competition always gives rise to innovation. :)

[Chupa Chupa]

It doesn't sound like this is even a real "hold it in your hand" prototype. Which means unless it gets fast-tracked it's a few years off at best. By then we should have a better handle on what some other manufacturers think a multi-touch tablet should look like.

But for a photoshop concept, it isn't a bad idea. The devil would be in the details.


According to Gizmodo it's in the final prototype stage, so it is more real than not. The video is of the actual prototype, not a simulation...except the hands. My guess is that M$ will want to beat Apple to the punch here otherwise it's likely to become an also-ran. I have to believe Apple tablet will be every bit -- if not more innovative, plus built with better materials.

http://gizmodo.com/5365299/courier-first-details-of-microsofts-secret-tablet

[W1LLk]

I wonder if it isn't really the Apple device? The OS seems to run more like the iPhone. And it is quite a departure from expectations that have been put out.

Hitchhiker's Guide indeed!

If this thing ever actually makes it to the market, you can count on someone working a GUI to run the hitchhikers guide. There will be an app for that. :D

[Cloudane]

Good on them - apart from actually looking quite cool (I know, from Microsoft!) it could be the kick up the slow ass that Apple needs, considering the tablet rumour has been around for a number of years.

[travisjacques]

Could they stop blatantly ripping off Apple now? This is really getting to be a bit much. I've never seen such a lack of creative thinking in my life. Microsoft is literally walking in the exact footsteps of Apple, hoping to cash in on every move they make. When will Microsoft realize that this entirely different company can't just emulate and duplicate Apple at every turn.

This has just got to stop. It's so annoying I can't express it. Obvious. Blatant. Ripoff...

Apple has stores? We want stores! Snow Leopard is $29? Windows 7 is $29! Apple's doing a Tablet? We're doing a Tablet!

Oh. My. God.

hate to burst your bubble but at All Things Digital 5, in an interview with Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, Mr. Gates blatantly said that he saw the future revolving around tablet like devices. The tablet idea is nothing new and apple clearly was not the first company to tackle such a task (assuming they are).

[BJB Productions]

Sorry, but I must say this looks pretty slick.

[randomusername]

I think that thing looks cool, but just like with the Zune HD, it's not that intuitive. Microsoft is trying to put too much of a wow factor into that and usability is sacrificed. But I'm not saying this won't be a great product. Microsoft has really gotten their act together this year and unfortunately, and Apple has mostly just done minor updates this year (Snow Leopard, Mac Lineup refresh, iPod Classic and iPod Touch had minor updates, no new body for iPhone). Let's hope Apple really tries to kick ass next year.

[MH01]

Could they stop blatantly ripping off Apple now? This is really getting to be a bit much. I've never seen such a lack of creative thinking in my life. Microsoft is literally walking in the exact footsteps of Apple, hoping to cash in on every move they make. When will Microsoft realize that this entirely different company can't just emulate and duplicate Apple at every turn.

This has just got to stop. It's so annoying I can't express it. Obvious. Blatant. Ripoff...

Apple has stores? We want stores! Snow Leopard is $29? Windows 7 is $29! Apple's doing a Tablet? We're doing a Tablet!

Oh. My. God.

Please explain how they copied the Apple tablet with this? Given no one has seen even a prototype of the Apple tablet? I very much doubt the apple product will be made up of two screens. Apple does not invent everything in the whole world, they take current tech and apply innovation to it, its amazing how many individuals now think apple invented the touch surface due to the iphone, for gods sake learn to google.

Windows 7 is not $29! State your facts correctly, that is a student discount only, and incase you never went through university both Apple and M$ offer very nice Student discounts for a very long time.

The Apple tablet has not even been confirmed yet.

[acurafan]

oh me likey. a powerful business-class tablet...it looks nice too!