Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer Officially Opens CES, Briefly Demos Forthcoming HP Slate

[DMann]

Well, at a keynote you usually sell your products and show your innovations. Most of the innovations they had to display were realized by hardware that is not manufactured by them.

When Apple's partners bring something to their product line they are usually allowed to present their contributions at the keynote addresses.

I know nothing about Steve Ballmer. But it is painfully apparent that he is out of touch with what his employer produces and is more fittingly a businessman.

And sorry, I am not a leg humping Steve Jobs fan. However, Steve knows his product line and you can tell that he is very focused and passionate about not allowing something to make it to market that does not fit within the vision of the company. Yeah, they have had some stumbles in the last couple of years but overall their track record has been very good at not only refining but also innovating.

Couldn't agree more - there's no comparison between the two. Passion for developing and presenting products vs. "Look at what our "partners" schlept together for us."

Why bother with a keynote for this dreck? Just place 'em on the shelves in Staples, and run ads in the paper.

I'm sorry, but MS seems to do everything so half assed.

You can't teach an old dog new tricks, anymore than you can make a racehorse out of a jackass.

Look at the thing, there is no real effort in design and construct, that's plain to see.
All they did was fit a case around an LCD with a capacitive layer in front, a main board form factor designed to be compact of course to integrate all the bits. There's nothing innovative, there's no real research or work involved.


The screen is framed and chunky, plastic like all PC's... It would make a nice picture frame on the wall or in a dusty PC archive vault of trial and fail... or 'We did it too'

They just took current parts form factors and chocked em into a smaller case.
I have a robotic kit and in it's back is a 1ghz pc. It's got a micro SD 16gb HDD. USB, COMMs ports, VGA Monitor, HDD controller, web cam, mic, a lot of servo controllers as well... and it's 3x2 inches square inside the back of my lil' Boba Fett robot... so for a multi-billion $ computer corp to come up with this tablet is a bit of a joke...


Anyone can make a small form factor PC, it's not that hard.

They rant year after year about their coffee table research... but there are no products to the consumer market??? What are they selling to us [yes the PC I am typing on yeah but I wanna burn my Amex on something kewl...!]

Then in the end all he's done is installed Win 7.

He was babbling about thousands of engineers... Meh!

Wake me when he's no longer in charge... Gatesy left while the going was good.

Gatsey planned to bail after he realized that Longhorn was to be scrapped, shoveled together, and renamed Vista.

He left on the proverbial "Low Note," and managed to escape without accountability.

Thousands of engineers to design and build the Slate.

How impressive!

 

[CFreymarc]

Rushed together!

This is a classic Microsoft trying to rush something to show they are not behind Apple. They did this in the past going all they way back to the Quicktime announcement in the early 90s.

My take is that they had a tablet concept kicked around for years, calls were made to HP to put something together quick due to the Apple rumors getting to a furor. The fumbling of the demo tells me that Balmer may have had that day or last night to get this together with some engineers running red line for two weeks getting this together.

The demo is not impressive other than saying "We have a tablet too!" so the stock price wasn't hit much when Apple launches their launch. To techies, it was not good. To a stockbroker, it could be as quick of a dialog as:

Stockbroker, "Apple has a tablet. Does Microsoft?"
Microsoft PR, "Yes we demo'ed it at CES this month."
Stockbroker, "Thanks."

And the stockbroker doesn't sell Microsoft shares.

 

[Scottgfx]

And it is also Steve Jobs who always refused to license Mac OS to other OEMs, and by doing so he opened the doors to the success of Windows. We wouldn't have one BILLION Microsoft installations world-wide if Mr Jobs would have made the right choice. But Mr Jobs wanted to be like IBM (blah, blah, blah, blah, blah)

When the debate within Apple to license MacOS was going on, Steve Jobs wasn't even working at Apple. (Perhaps you were thinking of John Sculley?)

It was Steve who shut down the clones in `97... Only after asking if they would be willing to pay more for the license. He left the door open, but companies like Power Computing were already in trouble before that. I'll blame the whole Clone debacle on Michael Spindler... The Apple CEO that hid under his desk!

 

[aucl]

It could be the other way around. Or the result of millions in market research to see what people like. Or....

Plus, HP built this thing months ago in order to have it there tonight. The IKEA video only came out this week.

Actually i saw that some time ago already, but maybe i just lost track of time

My guess is that there are several things go hand in hand.
1st some new low powered platforms become available which are in the right category for netbooks and tablets, like the freescale one (i'm sure bigger corps like HP might have had early access to that already…)
2nd some companies get nervous about the buzz apple is having for the rumored tablet and try to use some of it. They might have rushed out something just so they will not be called the ones copying from .

not so much new from MS since I once had my Acer Travelmate with XP tablet edition years ago, ...

 

[imacdaddy]

and Mr. Slate

Slate versus iSlate?

This is getting tedious and the products haven't even hit the market yet.

Kinda looks like the monkey too!

 

[Marx55]

The GREAT thing about the Microsoft - HP slate is that it runs a true Windows OS. If only the Apple tablet would run a true Mac OS X (touch) that would be the killer device!

 

[TMar]

That doesn't change ANYTHING about the statement of the guy.. Stolen, inspired by or not, the design of Apple products is at the least very attractive to many people, and whether that design was inspired by the Braun designer or whatever doesn't play any role at all.

So Apple is inspired by others, while anything Apple like is stolen. Gotcha.

 

[SydneyDev]

I'm watching the keynote now. Let's just say it's giving me a new appreciation for how good Steve Jobs is at these things.

 

[guet]

The GREAT thing about the Microsoft - HP slate is that it runs a true Windows OS. If only the Apple tablet would run a true Mac OS X (touch) that would be the killer device!

You mean an OS based on Mac OS X, and adapted for a touch screen interface, which was not created with keyboard or stylus input in mind, and which is cut down to run on less powerful processors and provide long battery life on a portable device? An OS like Mobile OS X?

As far as I'm concerned the worst thing about the HP slate is that it runs full Windows, with all the problems that brings. Even Ballmer had trouble using it in his keynote. Glomming on some touch-screen gestures to a desktop OS does not make for a satisfying experience with a mobile device, and leaves you with interfaces designed for something else entirely.

Perhaps you want more control over which apps you can install, or have other criticisms of iPhone OS (fair enough, as far as they go), but don't imagine for a minute that desktop apps can magically be ported to a portable device with the same interface and behaviour without producing a sucky device full of compromises. Better to be using iPhone apps on a bigger screen (with a tweaked UI), than desktop apps on a smaller screen, and if you disagree with (say) app store policy, disagree with that, rather than demanding something that cannot work.

If you want a full desktop experience on a portable, just buy one of those hideous frankentablets which has a keyboard or a netbook and be done with it. It's all about the interface, which is something you completely miss when talking about a 'true' OS.

The iMac design was actually stolen from a 1960s radio design by the German company Braun. Braun's chief designer had a huge impact on generations of later designers.

That comparison is laughable - particularly the imac one. Rams definitely had a lot of influence on people like Ives, and Ives and Jobs are certainly influenced by that aesthetic of less is more (which goes back to Bauhaus really, not just Rams), however anything but a superficial comparison of those objects reveals they're completely different in function and thus in form. The comparison of an iMac with one central pedestal to a speaker with two spindly side legs and a large flat speaker panel is ludicrous. As are the other comparisons on that page.

The influence is more in the overall styling of objects, and note that Apple has borrowed elements (evenly spaced grills and flat metal surfaces) without copying any particular design. That's the difference between Ballmer aping what he thinks an Apple slate might look like based on rumours, while missing the entire point of the form factor, and Apple rethinking designs like the all in one, MP3 player, or Phone, while borrowing elements from great designs of the past.

This HP slate is a forlorn echo of rumours for a product Apple hasn't even produced yet - why did they not produce something based on the Courier concept? That was so much better in every way, and avoided the trap of trying to squash a desktop PC into a slate form factor.

 

[zebualvi]

So Apple is inspired by others, while anything Apple like is stolen. Gotcha.

Hahaha i absolutely agree with you here. Looking at some of the forums here, the general trend goes like this: If somebody announces something before apple does, they stole the idea from something that apply would do in the future. And if somebody announces something similar to what apple has done already then they still stole the idea. Is there anyway a company which is not apple could be acknowledged atleast once for their product? Keeping that in mind that apple DID NOT INVENT tablet. Most people here have the idea that tablet is something that only apple has the rights to. Also whats to say that apple wont copy ideas from this HP slate? "Oh no you didnt.. apple doesnt follow trend, they make their own.." Give me a break here willya.

Im no apple fanboy and im certainly not a microsoft fanboy. I own a nano and an iphone and im planning on buying a mbp later this month to use only with windows 7. I used osx for a week and hated it. I found win7 much better than osx. If apple's upcoming tablet is any good than the competition then ill get it.

Call me selfish but I'm just looking out for myself.

 

[garybUK]

Difference here is you'll be able to install anything on this device, assuming the way Apple are going, you probably won't be able to do that on a iTard device.

Apple hasn't even hinted at a device yet, and microsoft being first is a big psychological advantage ... just as they got Windows out before MacOS.

 

[arkitect]

microsoft being first is a big psychological advantage

Since 2002.

just as they got Windows out before MacOS.

Really?
Mac OS - 1984
Windows - 1985…

 

[teetoo]

I think one of the key things related to the success of a tablet will be how to hold it rather than what happens on screen (notice how clumsy Ballmer is with the tablet demo). The beauty of the iPhone is that it fits in one hand freeing up the other for touch interaction. It's form factor is key to the success, sizing up the current iPhone isn't the solution.

A tablet being bigger and heavier becomes a problem to hold - I wonder if a glove/pocket like solution might developed by Apple on the reverse of the tablet for holding it.

Also if placed flat on a desk, the viewing angle won't be great - again another key issue for me that needs resolving.

 

[bengst]

to summarize..

1~15 minutes: Black Stage of Doom™ demo
16~36 minutes: Betatesters... betatesters... betatesters...
37~57 minutes: re-presenting last year tech
58~58.1 minutes: Slate computing
...

 

[FightTheFuture]

Difference here is you'll be able to install anything on this device, assuming the way Apple are going, you probably won't be able to do that on a iTard device.

you got that right man. Crysis is gonna ROOCCCK on the HP Tablet!


/sarcasm

 

[Strippervicar]

Apple hasn't even hinted at a device yet, and microsoft being first is a big psychological advantage ... just as they got Windows out before MacOS.

someone knows their history

 

[Droid13]

Microsoft do a keynote...

and now they're getting slated for it. Sorry, had to say it...

I have never seen the point of a tablet, regardless of who makes it. That and it is so much more convenient to slouch in bed on a weekend morning with the laptop, screen at a comfortable viewing angle, than a tablet ever would be.

Super iPod Touch syndrome is a big problem.

Absolutely.

 

[peterdevries]

So Apple is inspired by others, while anything Apple like is stolen. Gotcha.

Don't put words into my mouth.. Never did I say that others steal Apple's design.. I couldn't care less whether an HP PC looks like an iMac or some MP3 player like an iPod.

Learn to quote..

 

[DMann]

As far as I'm concerned the worst thing about the HP slate is that it runs full Windows, with all the problems that brings. Even Ballmer had trouble using it in his keynote. Glomming on some touch-screen gestures to a desktop OS does not make for a satisfying experience with a mobile device, and leaves you with interfaces designed for something else entirely.

Absolutely agree - running full W7, on a mobile platform, is a recipe for problems. The 'multi-touch' capabilities of W7 are unreliable, at best, even on a desktop PC.

A Slate sporting unresponsive radio buttons, dialogue boxes, scroll bars, zooming, etc., would likely offer a sub-par user experience, at best.

Much preferred would be an OS designed from the ground up for Multi-Touch response, fluidity, and overall capability - hopefully, we'll see this on January 27th.

That comparison is laughable - particularly the imac one. Rams definitely had a lot of influence on people like Ives, and Ives and Jobs are certainly influenced by that aesthetic of less is more (which goes back to Bauhaus really, not just Rams), however anything but a superficial comparison of those objects reveals they're completely different in function and thus in form. The comparison of an iMac with one central pedestal to a speaker with two spindly side legs and a large flat speaker panel is ludicrous. As are the other comparisons on that page.

The influence is more in the overall styling of objects, and note that Apple has borrowed elements (evenly spaced grills and flat metal surfaces) without copying any particular design. That's the difference between Ballmer aping what he thinks an Apple slate might look like based on rumours, while missing the entire point of the form factor, and Apple rethinking designs like the all in one, MP3 player, or Phone, while borrowing elements from great designs of the past.

Laughable it is - the act of merely positioning the products side by side, at similar angles, does not necessarily reveal evidence of replication. The iMac had it's own, unique evolution of design, as did the iPod, and Mac Pro.

This HP slate is a forlorn echo of rumours for a product Apple hasn't even produced yet - why did they not produce something based on the Courier concept? That was so much better in every way, and avoided the trap of trying to squash a desktop PC into a slate form factor.

The Courier was a concept video, and nothing more. MS has produced several wonderful concept videos such as their Microsoft Office Labs Vision, NATAL, and Courier.

While NATAL has emerged only as a fraction of what it's concept video forecasts, the potential to realize something as advanced as the likes of the Courier seems to be 3 years off, at best.

The video of Courier, although impressive on certain levels, would likely entail extreme UI challenges for the user, in several respects.

The greatest feat in tech, in this regard, is bringing concept to reality - this is something which Apple, so far, has been very successful at doing.

Here's hoping for a great Tablet offering later this month.

 

[204353]

Vaio L not a laptop

Forgive me if this has already been pointed out (no patience to read through the entire thread), but the Vaio L Series is not a laptop, it's a desktop PC with a 24-inch touchscreen. 24" on a laptop would be madness!

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&categoryId=8198552921644671994

 

[Journojulz]

They can say it, but I don't think it will. You buy a $3.99 magazine off the rack and it's loaded with millions of dollars worth of ads. Publishers can't turn their backs on that. $3.99 for a digital copy, ad-free? Right

When you buy a newspaper - it costs more than you pay for it

Used to work for a newspaper. If the cover price is 33p, it probably costs a third of that to print the actual item, but three times that to produce.

Switching to electronic formats would probably only save the publisher 15%.

But to buy an "ad free" epaper - you would probably have to pay double the cover price.

 

[kernkraft]

Make a two-legged chair!

Is it just me, or does everything HP make look like an Apple rip-off?

When the unibody MacBooks/Pros came out, I thought that they looked like Sony laptops from a year earlier. Sometimes function defines the shape. Have you ever thought about how much cars look the same?

 

[Revivalution]

Looks like an iPhone

Is it just me or does the Slate look just like a large first generation iPhone? It seems like Microsoft/HP has a bunch of programers and zero designers. That's what you get when your a company based on stealing your ideas from others and making it look like it was your own. Unfortunately for them you simply can't continue to grow your company with that business model.

 

[Journojulz]

Apple hasn't even hinted at a device yet, and microsoft being first is a big psychological advantage ...

Not really that big. Anyone reading any article about the HP slate will hear "rumoured apple tablet imminent".

And anyone who decides to buy the first thing they see when they know there will shortly be a wider choice (from a company with a track record for making things that work) will probably have spent their money on gimmicks already.

Any sensible consumer will wait until the competition is announced and by then the hp buzz will have died down.

By the time you pay the restaurant bill, you have forgotten the starter, but can still taste the dessert.

 

[carmenodie]

HP is ghetto tech now. They have perfected the perfect balance of cheap tech and saturation. Just look at their graphing calcs for instance. The same crap after 17 years(and their scientific line is equally nasty and cheap). It is just packaged differently. Their printers are garbage too. You know already that you just pay for for the ink. And why is Ballmer talking for HP? Oh let me see... Cause HP's computers run on MS's OS. Duh!
Wait for Apple to drop the bomb and that a**. BOOOOOM!