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January 09, 2004 | Comments: (0)

Microsoft gets it all wrong

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Whatever possessed Microsoft to drop support for Mira technology and in the same week actually go ahead with SPOT, in the form factor of a so-called smart watch. It is beyond me.

Sure Mira, which allowed users to have a portable display, connected via WiFi back to the PC, was over priced. But given a chance that technology would have taken off and prices would have come down.

For years, Microsoft has been trying to get into the home entertainment, or home electronics business and this could have been their entrée.

As video, both in movies and home movies, becomes increasingly more accessible on your PC what better way to win the hearts and minds of home entertainment freaks than to have a portable screen to watch videos on. Anywhere you go, just unhitch if from a stand and bring it to the next room.

No more yelling across the house, "honey, you have to see this, come in here, you won't believe it!" scenarios. Instead, you just bring what your honey must see to her or him.

No, too logical I suppose, So instead, Big Red drops that and goes with a watch upon which you can get weather reports, stock quotes and CNN. Big deal.
Just what we all need another device blinking, tinkling and vibrating on our body to alert us to more useless information.

Microsoft has ruined my day.

Posted by Ephraim Schwartz on January 9, 2004 03:33 PM

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