Took the opportunity to watch Bill Gates and team present at CES 2007. The theme of the Microsoft show was Connected Experiences.
All devices, including the ‘fridge, all connected: this is the vision as described at the beginning, and shown in a futuristic bus-stop, kitchen and bedroom of the future. More than consumer, it pervades other environment – as we are seeing the explosion of the digital decade. In Microsoft’s vision, its most recent products are foundational: Windows Vista, Office 2007 to the Live services: we all must share files, connect email, schedules and files.
Justin Hutchinson gave an overview of Windows Vista, and a glimpse of a couple of things not shown publicly before: not searching, but finding files/apps/websites visted from all local computers. Thumbnails for files in your file system; restore previous copies (named Shadowcopy: “better than going back in time”). From Office 2007, link to live.com to navigate through Live3D using an XBox360 controller into Vista = Live3D fly thru’ (cool)
Also shown was SportsLounge, a new feature of Media Center: HD feed, Media Center, Fox Sports (SportsLounge) alerts based on players. The sooner Australian digital cable has extra, open features such as PVR the better.
Also, there is something in Vista Ultimate: Extras. This will download extra software pieces to the Vista desktop. For example: Groupshot for fixing images where there are multiple people.
Final “wow” feature is a Full motion video desktop background. Oooh, aaahs all round.
Windows Home Server, due in the second half 2007. The video cast feed was cut as a HP video was shown. Auto backup from home network; connectivity Zune XBox, remote from outside home network. Capacity, put new storage in – software move data around. Any house with more than one computer and loads of digital content need a server. From personal experience, doing this by yourself is too tough for the average user. May not be a hit in 2007, but certainly will go off in 2008.
Also coming XBox Live on Vista (Windows) and XBox 360 with IPTV along with HD DVD and Movies download (7Gb for Spiderman returns, formatted HD!). More into on Channel 10.
It will be interesting to compare and contrast with Apple in a few days time. Will Apple get this connectedness? It pervades Microsoft: from Zune to XBox; everything is connected.
Run downs: Engagdet, and Read/Write Web.