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MS Expo?
What if they threw a trade show and only Microsoft showed up? That's sort of what it felt like at this year's TechXNY.
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By John Morris
Executive editor, CNET Reviews
(7/1/02)
The most striking aspect of this year's PC Expo trade show (still known by that moniker no matter how hard organizers push TechXNY) is how little it actually has to do with the PC. Sure, the PC is still there behind the scenes, like the engine in a car. But the emphasis has clearly shifted away from the computer itself to the cool things you'll soon be able to do with it, especially in the home, as well as the devices and software that make it happen. That's bad news for those who make their living off of computer trade shows, but it's great news for the rest of us.
Of course, there were the usual hardware announcements: new handhelds from HP, Kyocera, RIM, and Sony; cool flat-panels from Dell, Samsung, Sony, and ViewSonic; printers from HP and Lexmark; and scanners from Epson, HP, and Microtek. And Panasonic made a splash with DVD Multi, setting up a holiday battle with a growing list of internal and external DVD+RW drives. All interesting, but pretty standard stuff. What was more surprising is how Microsoft is using its clout and its ubiquitous Windows XP code to push personal computing beyond the box.
The off-show show
Like most major companies, Microsoft skipped the trade show itself and set up what it billed as a "Consumer Holiday Experience" in a nearby studio where the company demonstrated a long list of hardware, software, services, new Xbox games, and even a truck with a 7,000-watt home-theater system designed to show off Windows Media. (I'm pretty sure the truck won't be available by the holidays.) After spending a couple of hours there, I came away impressed with how Microsoft is building on Windows XP to create whole new categories of gadgets and applications.
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What was more surprising is how Microsoft is using its clout and its ubiquitous Windows XP code to push personal computing beyond the box.
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First, there's the tablet PC. A lot of ink has already been spilled on tablet PCs, so I won't spend too much time on it. Tablets with touch screens are nothing new; Fujitsu has been making them for years. But Microsoft is attempting to reach a broader audience with Windows XP Tablet Edition, which will be available on tablets from Acer, Fujitsu, HP, Sony, Toshiba, ViewSonic, and others starting November 7. Some will look like ultraportables with swiveling screens (the Acer TravelMate 100); others will look more like tablets with separate wireless keyboards (ViewSonic Tablet PC 1100). All of them will offer handwriting recognition and other new features; they should cost slightly more than ultraportable notebooks with similar specs. Microsoft also plans to make a version of Office for tablet PCs, and at the show, others announced applications for them, including Corel's Project Coligo and Franklin Covey's 1Planner.
Then there's Mira, the code name for the operating system for LCD displays that lets you access an existing PC wirelessly so you can browse the Web from your couch or answer e-mail in the kitchen. At the show, Microsoft announced the official name for the operating system, Windows CE for Smart Displays, and demonstrated working models. While the concept is sound, there are some real hurdles. The biggest problem is that Smart Displays require remote-access features found only in Windows XP Professional, which is geared toward businesses, not home users. Fujitsu, Intel, NEC, Philips, ViewSonic, Wyse, and others plan to offer 10- or 15-inch Smart Displays, which should be available in the U.S. by the end of this year at costs ranging from $500 to $1,000 depending on the size.
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Microsoft is setting itself up for a drubbing when at first these products don't meet expectations.
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Finally, there's Freestyle, which looks like another operating system but is really an application running on top of Windows XP. Designed for home PCs, Freestyle is basically a new interface that lets you remotely control TV and digital audio, video, and images. You can use it with a PC in a home office or bedroom, but eventually it will probably be most compelling on a PC that is connected to a TV and home stereo system. Microsoft hasn't announced availability or pricing yet, but Freestyle will likely be sold as an alternative or add-on to Windows XP on high-end PCs and digital media products such as flat-panel displays and TV tuners from HP, NEC, Samsung, and others.
How many operating systems does it take
All told, by the end of this year, Microsoft will be pitching six different operating systems for PCs and PDAs. Don't believe me? Count them: Windows XP Home, Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Tablet Edition, Pocket PC 2002 (Windows CE 3.0), Windows CE 3.0 for Handhelds, and Windows CE for Smart Displays. All of that is bound to cause loads of confusion. Many of the new devices will be truly effective only with broadband access and a wireless network, limiting the audience for now. And the true demand for computing on the couch and in the kitchen is still largely untested. All of which means Microsoft is setting itself up for a drubbing when at first these products don't meet expectations.
It would be easy to pile on, but Microsoft deserves credit for sticking its neck out. When you think about it, the company doesn't have a whole lot of incentive to do any of this. It has billions in the bank, its operating systems and applications already dominate both at home and at work, and every time it tries to expand into new areas, it runs into legal troubles. Yet Microsoft continues to push the PC in new directions, arguably, more than ever before, with this array of operating systems, applications, and devices. Not all of them will make it, but at a time when trade shows (and the industry as a whole) keep on shrinking, it's good to see that someone is still excited about tech.
John Morris is an executive editor for hardware and software coverage at CNET. Have a question for him? Let us know!
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