Microsoft: Sexier? More Intuitive? Not Yet but Maybe in 2019
Vista, the overbearing and rigid operating system that many deemed Microsoft's greatest disaster, and others considered to be the beginning of the end for Microsoft, may have been exactly what the company needed. A hard lesson certainly, but also a shocking wake up call.
A video released by Microsoft's Business Division today demonstrates technologies that we do not generally associate with Microsoft. Intuitive, seamless and sexy, the future as Microsoft sees it, could just be its saving grace.
The Future Vision Montage, which we've embedded below, comes from a presentation given Friday by Microsoft's Business Division president Stephen Elop at the Wharton Business Technology Conference, and shows how technology could look in 2019 according to Microsoft. (Elop's slides are well worth a look as well.)
The video may be confusing at first. Very few of the technologies shown would be recognizable as technologies created by Microsoft. An electronic newspaper (much like The Daily Prophet from the Harry Potter series), bendable, unbreakable, transparent displays, an XWand, real-time language translation, remote collaboration with transparent walls linking classrooms around the world - all amazing stuff. You'll have to watch the video to get the full effect.
But what are the chances of these futuristic images becoming reality? Not as ridiculous as they may seem.
The Tragedy of Vista
Vista, as we all know was pretty much considered a failure; a tragedy for Microsoft, which was trying to do the right thing with the then new operating system. Previous versions of Windows had been so flexible they were almost an invitation to malware writers. Vista was Microsoft's attempt to secure the system, but perhaps it went too far and created an operating system so defensive that even users had a difficult time using it.
What Can We Expect from Microsoft in the Future?
Two years ago, Microsoft's Surface showed us that Microsoft not only has the technical know how, but also the vision to revolutionize the computer human interaction. In 2007, we wrote: "This is the kind of technology Microsoft does best - a hardware/software amalgam, but not requiring the branding and design touches that Apple is so good at."
Microsoft may well have learned from the success of the iPhone's user interface and recognized that its products need to be more intuitive, less cluttered, and exactly the opposite of Vista. We hope so. If their execution matches their vision, we can't wait until 2019.
We've embedded the 1:54 version of the video below, but if you want to watch the full five minutes, check out Long Zheng's post.
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I look forward to many of these technologies. They will revolutionize the way books are delivered, created, published, and read. The Internet is already the new book. These technologies will make the Internet even more of a replacement for books. That's fine with me.
I love this ultra idealized vision. Too bad it will never be that way. Where were the "will you allow such and such to do whatever" screens? Or better yet, how the women just holds up her screen and effortlessly "captures" the larger presentation data...just like how zunes make it so easy for you to, oh wait, nevermind. But it is nice to imagine a microsoft world without the microsoft bullshit.
Lots of falsities and dis-information in this post, which is surprising given RWW's reputation.
1 - The surface is not a consumer product, so it cannot be put in the "I'm sorry for how much Vista sucked" category. The only time we as Consumers will get to use a surface is in a place where we have to pay to get into the place it resides ( bars and nightclubs, hotels, etc. ). So it actually adheres to Microsoft's 30 year long pattern of abuse.
2 - I find it hilarious that they have to make producing an intuitive product a special division of the company - as if the concept of making a useful product is so alien, so "out there".
Rather than state that the above exercise by Microsoft is a big lie, and merely a PR campaign ahead of Windows 7's launch, I'll just quote prophetic Gary Vee from last week:
"People doing it just to make money are f*cked up!"
http://garyvaynerchuk.com/post/81884788/fowa-2009-keynote
@3
what shameless, irrelevant self promotion...why'd you even bother?
Those are all wonderful innovation ideas. Microsoft doesn't have a problem with vision. They have a problem with delivering a reliable product. To make the video more believable a an app or two should have locked up, acted goofy, our gave a blue screen of death. That is the Microsoft we have all came to love... I mean hate.
Great demos or lab tech hardly ever becomes great product from Microsoft. Vista looked good on paper, feature list, early staged demos and looked what popped out as an actual product.
At least give MS a chance to redeem itself.
I run Vista SP1 Home Premium. The integration of Media Center, XBox 360 and Hi Def is great.
I for one can only wait and see to pass judgement.
The only problem I have with Vista is it does not run some of my ten year old software, or support my antique hardware.
Otherwise I have it set up simply for performance in "My Computer", most cannot tell I am even running Vista... Updates are flawless and I have yet to have a problem after over a year.
Overall Vista is OK, more secure without a doubt, comes with many more extras than XP and "just works".
Will I ever upgrade my XP machines with Vista, ah hell no.
But downgrading my Vista machines no Vista works just fine.
I have loved Microsoft Surface since I first heard about it. This video tells we are in for some really exciting new hardware to play with..
Microsoft always tries to sell us the future, but somehow their future visions never arrive in reality. Apple, on the other hand, doesn't do "pie in the sky" marketing, but always surprises us with real innovative products that we can buy as soon as they are announced.
Too little, too late, too much vapor.
Microsoft ist doomed. What their misguided strategy won't destroy, Conficker and friends surely will.
"Two years ago, Microsoft's Surface showed us that Microsoft not only has the technical know how, but also the vision to revolutionize the computer human interaction."
Oh, come oooonn! "Surface" is just a copy of technology that has been researched and well demonstrated before MS brought out their version --- perhaps most notably by NYU's Jeff Han.
(See Han at TED on YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLhMVNdplJc.)
Something that caught my eye, the drawings that animate with a touch. Microsoft is already doing this, after a fashion. They funded ItzaBitza (www.itzabitza.com), a learning game for children in which kids draw objects that become animated. It'll be interesting to see what other companies receiving Microsoft funding and grants are doing, especially if they can be correlated into this video.
It's Microsoft, Jake...
@Michael (#11): Dude - multi-touch has ben in the works for over two decades. Just ask Bill Buxton. Microsoft Research has been working on for a lot longer than Han. At least you didn't make Apple the inventor of multi-touch with their iPhone...
I like the ideas in the video. Agreed that Microsoft doesn't have a problem with vision as it does with delivery, but the fact that people out there have these visions are nice.
For it to become a reality, a lot of interoperability has to be put in place and fewer walled gardens. Open data needs to go a long way to get to what we see in the video, else we'll have a bunch of incompatible systems making a mess of the whole thing.
Car manufacturers also had future cars on display on the trade shows.
Today these car manufacturers are struggling to survive.
Apparently these cars of the (near) future were marketing teasers.
Funny how even though this video is cool, the player itself still comes with a healthy dose of typical microsoft fail...it overlays a message sa[ying flash player must be installed even while the thing is playing just fine.
I use Windows vista Sp1. Interface of windows vista is very nice to see. but OS takes lot of time to boot. my problem is some of softwares ( including Microsoft softwares ) Doesn't work properly in windows vista
very good
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