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Microsoft's Prototype Multi-Touch Tablet/Booklet

MH01 said:
Sadly sony dropped the ball big time with the PS3, people wanted a powerful gaming console, they got a bl**dy expansive console that came with blueray that your gaming community did not care for. With the PS2 they owned the console market. Even sony has come out openly and admitted they stuffed up. Same as they did with the MP3 market.

M$ was smarter, make the HDD separate to the xbox, lowering the price of the console itself so the average gamer could afford it.

And nintendo cleaned up by being dirt cheap and fun. Something both Sony and M$ both forgot about in their rivalry for performance and features.

Sony got smoked by all.
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Actually, this is a case where people said what they wanted, it was delivered, and then they didn't buy it. With a PS3 you basically get one of the most future-proof Blu-Ray players on the market, and incredibly powerful gaming hardware that developers are too lazy to leverage. The games that are really developed to stress the PS3 look incredible. The games that are ported after being **** out for the XBox look like hell. I own both systems, and the xbox never gets turned on because I bore too easily of current gen games, with the exception of driving sims.

Microsoft paid 50 million dollars to Take Two in order for them to make an expansion pack, downloadable content, exclusive, and that's not including what they paid them originally to get them to jump ship from being a PS3 exclusive. Microsoft is still bleeding money on this console, but they don't care. MS is looking ten years down the road when they've bled all the other console makers dry and they cant just phone it in on the next system.
 
This thing looks really cool. Too bad MS will have it designed by Acer, built by Samsung and it will turn out to be a steaming pile of crap
 
That actually looks like a good idea... MS, you aren't hopeless!!!

Hm... I'm imagining actually using a device like this.

I'm not too sure about the mobility.

:) It looks great for working on a flat surface: Desk, airplane, table. There are just great possibilities with the multiple screens.

:) I looks great for carrying it around. It's not a pocket device, it's a purse/briefcase/backpack device. Just fold it closed, slip it in your bag and go... Pull it out, unfold and go.

:( I'm not a big fan of the stylus interface. It's just not that great. You're always fumbling with it, losing it, etc. Hopefully that's not important.

:confused: How well does it work in your lap, or in bed? It needs to be pretty rigid, I think, when open, so you don't need to support it with one hand.

:confused: It needs a great on-screen keyboard. At this form-factor is needs to be able to replace a notebook for most uses.
 
SPUY767 said:
Actually, this is a case where people said what they wanted, it was delivered, and then they didn't buy it. With a PS3 you basically get one of the most future-proof Blu-Ray players on the market, and incredibly powerful gaming hardware that developers are too lazy to leverage. The games that are really developed to stress the PS3 look incredible. The games that are ported after being **** out for the XBox look like hell. I own both systems, and the xbox never gets turned on because I bore too easily of current gen games, with the exception of driving sims.

Microsoft paid 50 million dollars to Take Two in order for them to make an expansion pack, downloadable content, exclusive, and that's not including what they paid them originally to get them to jump ship from being a PS3 exclusive. Microsoft is still bleeding money on this console, but they don't care. MS is looking ten years down the road when they've bled all the other console makers dry and they cant just phone it in on the next system.
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That's exactly what I am talking about. All M$ does is throw money at a product. Buy out exclusives. Lock out competitors from services like Netflix etc. M$ never does anything innovative. What scares me is that even Apple fans are giving money to M$ by buying the Xbox. MS will certainely have a monopoly in the next generation of consoles.
 
BongoBanger said:
*Looks at Zune HD*

Sorry, you were saying?

You guys don't get it, do you? After years of being schooled by Apple on design and user functionality did you really think they would never learn?

Microsoft are a different beast these days. They've taken a pounding - and rightly so - and come out with a very different philosophy on what an acceptabel product should look and feel like.

Which is actually good news for everyone considering the stagnant pit Apple seem to be wallowing in over the last year or so.
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What you are missing is that MS is terrible at execution. The reason that Apple is so successful is that they design the hardware, create the software and spend eons refining the UI.
 
Finally... they got it right!

Microsoft has finally solved their basic problem, what to do while their systems are rebooting. Have two. The right one can provide a game to play while the left one reboots and vice versa. Let's bet on it.... how many years will Apple have had a useful tablet before a working MS product is released. We know that in the final analysis MS will have to have an Apple product to copy anyway.
 
chaynes said:
Microsoft has finally solved their basic problem, what to do while their systems are rebooting. Have two. The right one can provide a game to play while the left one reboots and vice versa. Let's bet on it.... how many years will Apple have had a useful tablet before a working MS product is released. We know that in the final analysis MS will have to have an Apple product to copy anyway.
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Shame there are already tablets running Windows then.

Wrong answer. Try again.
 
microsoft

very good idea however i bet it will still get the blue screen of death unlike the mac tablet when it does arrive :apple::apple::apple::apple::apple:
 
Masquerade said:
insanely cool. really this is breaktaking.
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I agree it's impressive but you realize this is a mock up right? The device might be functioning but I'm extremely skeptical that the actual usability is anything like what is shown in the video.

MS is great at making videos like this, if you reviewed the last 10 technology concept videos from them you'd assume that Vista was the greatest thing ever, that WinMo was going to change the world, etc.

MS showed similar videos a few years ago for their palm top type computer tablets, which were a complete and total failure.

MS is great at showing what could be and fails miserably at making it happen.

Where as a Steve or other passionate Apple employee would say 'it's not good enough' the typical MS executive seems to say 'just ship it'.
 
MovieCutter said:
Still don't have access to a "Surface" dining room table.
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Wouldn't it be great to eat dinner off of a "blue screen of death" table?

The "blue screen of death" has become such a cliche, I was wondering why MS didn't just change the color to shake things up a bit. Then I realized the color blue is supposed to have a "calming" effect. Wouldn't you feel "calm" if a nice blue screen popped up? :D
 
Shame? What shame... Oh yeah.

Yes, it is a shame there are tablets running Windows. You're absolutely right.
 
What iPod/Zune war?

backtothefuture said:
Lots of people might compare this to iPod/Zune war
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Sorry but unless you're living on another planet (Neptune perhaps), what war are you referring to? There is no war, never has been one between iPod and Zune.

Zune is a pathetic bit player at 1% market share and Microsoft has evidently decided in it's infinite wisdom to not even compete with the iPod Touch. What does the latest and greatest Zune HD do today (their latest feeble attempt)? Play tunes and show videos. Been there done that, says iPod ... many years ago. Microsoft is so far behind it's not funny.
 
I think this is VERY clever of Microsoft.

I don't mean the device itself (which yes, might have an initial "wow" factor with the UI -- but then you wonder what else it can really do, and then you realize it's just an overly expensive, more cumbersome day-planner. It's the equivalent of "cover flow" on the iPhone -- neat to "show off" with, but how important is it really in the grand scheme of things?).

No, the reason MS is so clever is because by simply putting this concept "out there" -- and this concept can actually come out...or not...that's not really the point -- they have already taken away something from the general anticipation people have for the Apple Tablet. So now, no matter what Apple gives us, and no matter how cool and useful and functional it actually is, it might not have something "cool-seeming" that this MS tablet has. And because of that, Microsoft has already done its job -- even if their tablet ends up not being a particularly useful or practical device in the end.

The same thing happened when MS demoed the Surface Table, which was announced AFTER the announcement of the iPhone, but before the iPhone actually came out. People were wowed by what the iPhone could do, but then they saw what Surface could do, and it somehow "seemed" even MORE impressive. It doesn't matter that the iPhone was an incredibly useful functioning device that ANYONE could have, and that Surface was an EXTREMELY limited bulky item with VERY limited use -- MS still managed to take away some of Apple's thunder. And now they're doing it again, in an even more effective way since it will be a more similar device now.

People already expect WAY too much any time Apple is rumored to have a product, so that when it inevitably comes out, there is almost always some disappointment. And Microsoft is cleverly adding to that before Apple even has a chance to announce anything.
 
The iPhone launched something like 24 months after the first leaks started to surface about it... which would put us in for a Fall '10 launch of a new Apple Tablet.

Considering how much Apple have learned about multi touch technologies from their iPhone/Touch work it wouldn't be crazy to say that they might be able to launch a little earlier this time.
 
BongoBanger said:
*Looks at Zune HD*

Sorry, you were saying?

You guys don't get it, do you? After years of being schooled by Apple on design and user functionality did you really think they would never learn?

Microsoft are a different beast these days. They've taken a pounding - and rightly so - and come out with a very different philosophy on what an acceptable product should look and feel like.

Which is actually good news for everyone considering the stagnant pit Apple seem to be wallowing in over the last year or so.
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Thats cute. You implied that I said something about Apple when I was commenting on how Microsoft likes to release PR shots of their design team dreaming about what-ifs that are decades down the line. So, where are those floating icons? Where are those translating windows? Where are those multipart phones? Funny you mention the Zune HD. They actually released specs on those when they first showed it of. Tell me, where are the specs for this Gizmodo "leaked" tablet? Oh, thats right. Apple is the devil. Those are the tech specs. Get back to me when you get over your hatred of Apple and then maybe we have a real discussion regarding Microsoft's products (and only their products).
 
BongoBanger said:
*Looks at Zune HD*
The BSoD still exists on Vista but it's exceedingly rare and usually due to hardware conflicts. However, they're far more prevalent than viruses for Vista or W7 - by which I mean remote access malware that can install, replicate and transmit without third party intervention - mainly because there actually aren't any meaningful ones out there at all.

The trouble with a lot of the posters in this Forum is that their calendars seem to be stuck in 2006.
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But even about the Viruses. I haven't used an anti virus since 2003, simply because I know enough about computers to exercise good common sense. Here people seem to think that if you just turn on a Windows computer it will get a virus. Anti viruses are mostly for people who don't really understand computer, and like to google celebrity pics, or naughty pics.
 
Chupa Chupa said:
I hope this is the case, but you have to admit Apple has not been particularly innovative since the iPhone announcement. In fact, I think you could say, of late, they have been throwing things together to sell something.
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Lol maybe a lil, every here and there, but even the best need a rest sometimes. :D
 
Gasu E. said:
Wouldn't it be great to eat dinner off of a "blue screen of death" table?

The "blue screen of death" has become such a cliche, I was wondering why MS didn't just change the color to shake things up a bit. Then I realized the color blue is supposed to have a "calming" effect. Wouldn't you feel "calm" if a nice blue screen popped up? :D
Click to expand...

See, this is exactly what I was talking about. Kind of turning me off to macs. The same outdated critism over and over which makes the person making them look silly. We're in 2009, I haven't had a blue screen of death since the year 2000 when I was using Windows 98.
 
inlovewithi said:
See, this is exactly what I was talking about. Kind of turning me off to macs. The same outdated critism over and over which makes the person making them look silly. We're in 2009, I haven't had a blue screen of death since the year 2000 when I was using Windows 98.
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I just had one yesterday.
 
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