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CES 2010: Shoulda rushed the stage

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BallmerHPslateAll that fanfare and the epic HP slate tablet was demoed for all of 20 seconds and just to see the Kindle app in action. No name, no date, no reason to get excited. They could have run the same demo with any number of existing slates, including the TC1100, albeit without the multi-touch, but let’s face it, you don’t really need multi-touch input to read an eBook.

Adding insult to injury was the demo of Blio, their new eBook system. Show us something that snazzy first then something that simple on the new slate? I shoulda rushed the stage if only to tase my spirit back from being crushed.

4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. Osiris

    01/07/2010 at 2:36 am

    Very Very disappointing CES keynote. At least some light has come out of CES in lieu of a Courier, MSI seem to be on the right track – with the notable exception of calling it an e-reader for something running full Win7:

    https://www.engadget.com/2010/01/06/msi-dualscreen-e-reader-hands-on

  2. everbrave

    01/07/2010 at 3:10 am

    I still prefer my TC1100.I just don’t understand why/how can Mr. Ballmer take so much embarrassment!

  3. Mickey Segal

    01/07/2010 at 7:16 am

    The HP slate looks like a cross between the Transmeta Webslate, which we recalled at https://gottabemobile.staging.wpengine.com/2009/09/11/flashback-webslate-concept-from-1999, and the iPod touch. It looks very interesting, though a lot depends on details such as battery life, speed, price and dockability.

    It was odd that its capabilities were demonstrated by showing only how it can do the work of a Kindle. That is fine, but it can also be a good size GPS device and do things for which one needs a real computer, such as run our web-based medical diagnostic software (https://www.simulconsult.com).

    If the Forums were working I’d start a thread entitled “Design the slate demo that Stebe Ballmer should have done”. Apple does a great job of showing why you’d want their devices in such demos at their events. Microsoft has gotten the technology working well already, but needs some help in the presentation. Microsoft should sponsor a contest of people doing such demo videos.

  4. helio99

    01/07/2010 at 11:50 am

    What I’ve seen from MS’s CES was disastrous IMHO. Nothing there we had not already heard about. Just tweaking 8 year old design without bringing more conceptual thought about why someone needs a tablet is just very sad. Their approach is “your computer…in tablet form!” People are not asking for that which they should have learned the first go around. You need to give them reasons to want a tablet other than a kindle app. I just can’t get over the fact that the Courier video is the first thing from the computer side of MS that really captured your imagination in years and Ballmer had not even seen the thing when first asked about it. Simply unbelievable and very troubling. The poor bastard thinks a slate is enough. The one thing I will admit that apple will do is give a reason for their product, whatever it is, to exist.

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