Microsoft Mobile Platforms Division Partner Briefing
By Chris De Herrera, February 2, 2006

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Here's my rough notes from the first day of the Mobile Platforms Division Partner Briefing which was presented on February 1, 2006. - Chris

Here's some statistics Microsoft provided regarding growth of Mobile PCs:

2004 mid - fastest growing segment - 17% CGAR 2002-2007
22% of teens surveyed think desktop PCs will disappear
Greatest need for software innovations, power mgmt, user interaction, lifestyle applications
2004 to 2009 - CAGR 18% Commercial notebooks
2004 to 2009 - CAGR 23% Consumer notebooks

Lifestyle Mobiles - Ultra Mobile PCs
Presenter Bill Mitchell

They will have specific OS software and components.

They think that this space is $500 price range

More than 1 PC Per Person post Vista

Ultra Mobile Features

Ideal Wearable, conveniently carryable
All day battery life (12hrs)
 $500 msrp
Always on Always-connected (built-in 3G radio)
Instant-Use

Chris's Commentary - Keep in mind that there are major trade offs that OEMs make when deciding how small, how long the battery life is and the price.  Generally the longer the battery life and the smaller the unit the more expensive the units are.

Top 8 characteristics

1. Portability
2. Usability - spontaneous vs. immersive use)
3. Usefulness (task relevance)
4. Affordable (as an Nth pc)
5. Vitality (battery life)
6. Compatibility (base of software & protocols)
7. Connectivity (local wwlan)
8. Desirability (style, cool-factor)

Ultramobile PC Notes:

Think that if you are trying to get to machines that have broad interactions - supports pen and ink

Get something rugged enough - Has to be small enough Has to be stylish

Might want to watch a movie when on the exercise bike

The OS is full Windows

They think that touch is important to add to apps - for Windows XP Tablet PC Edition and Vista

State of Business
Presenter Robert Williams

If it runs x86 then it's the Windows Mobile Division's teams - not Pocket PCs or Smartphones

Added resistive touch support in 2005.

They will open the Tablet PC OS up to the system builder channel.

Improved Tablet enabled notebooks launching between now and Vista

Kinesis designs at Windows Vista timeframe - Acer C200 - Microsoft created hinge - screen to fold face up - when carrying it around - with Vista there will be a fast resume

Lifestyle PC Opportunities

Generation 1 Lifestyle and Ultra-mobile PCs launching over the next 12 months - includes Tablet PC Features

Haiku vision realized in 2008

Focused on what the partners can build that is cheap and small - component vendors and ISVs

Mobile PC and Tablet PC Features in Windows Vista
Ian LeGrow

Tablet PC Windows Vista Goals

Improve end to end user experience

Improve overall e-mail address experience Web browsing Note taking Form filling

Key Drivers - Reduce repetitive errors and actions - learn from user Improve overall Pen experience with Windows Introduce technology innovations - touch

Improve Deployment and Manageability for IT departments Single image - install one image on desktops, laptops and tablets Group Policy for all features

Pen tapping does not provide enough feedback - made the cursor smaller - get tiny rings around taps

Trouble selecting multiple items - used to have to use ctrl - now a check box shows up. - requires active digitizer - won't work on touch

Extended the tip to add same behavior for showing a auto fill like IE does - now works with ink

Added flicks - up/down/left/right - if they use them they are prompted after 2 weeks to turn on other gestures - Paste undo delete and copy - 8 total - works in touch - user can customize them - supports external digitizer if you desire

Newer snipping tool - with new window where it shows the user the snip where you can annotate and then e-mail or paste it

The tip comes from the left of the screen as a line and moves out when you click on it - it's free floating

Security - logon keyboard for Tablet PCs do not display the keys you tap

Handwriting Recognition Overview
Presented by Jay Pittman

Vista Adds Learning to the Handwriting Recognition

Training the handwriting recognition takes 1/2 hour to do - can train individual words - write it 4 times

Will churn away for 10 minutes to merge the reco ink into the database.

The longer training session  is 300 sentences you have to write.

Can transfer the results from one PC to another?

Settings are shared in user profiles - separate for each user.

Right now it's on or off - no incremental way to go back.

API to perform a backup - writing a whitepaper on where files are and how to transfer from machine to machine

English and Asian languages only for personalization - future for other languages

With Asian - implicit learning as you correct languages

Users can report handwriting recognition to Microsoft to be used for future testing

Added press and hold on buttons - doubles the number of functions

Benefit is better for shortcuts than mouse/keyboard

Entreg offers a dual mode digitizer

Touch screen and active active digitizer - demo'd at CES

Touch screen option to use a hovering mouse to target smaller targets - cursor flips around based the location of the mouse icon on the screen. - good for handicapped people with a pen

With pen in range, it turns off the touch digitizer

Projector API

Microsoft will offer a projector api via wsd to identify the projector and allow you to select it

Initially they will be a dongle and then be built in

Vista Mobility Center

Problems and opportunities - mobile PC users change settings more frequently than desktop users - adapt machines to different environments and usage scenarios

Settings are scattered and not always in discoverable locations

User Experience Goals Single place to change key mobile settings Quickly accessible & discoverable Direct manipulation of settings Not a replacement for control panels

Can use many different displays with projector mode - as soon as you plug in the monitor it goes into this mode.

Vista Power Management

Goals - Simplify the user experience

Blocked Shutdown Resolver - allows the system to turn off the PC - apps we don't care about will be shut - hung apps will end - apps w/o displays will end

Your app will not be able to stop sleep

New power state - hibersleep - marries together hibernate and sleep - this will be the default for desktop in Vista

Driving the concept of sleep further

New battery meter - system tray icon - 10 levels of fill

Out of the box are 3 plans - balanced, power saver, high performance

There is no way to see the charge time in the Power Options in the Control Panel  - It's up to 3rd parties to add that feature.

Sideshow Information

220 x 176 - resolution - menu button, up, down, left, right and enter  - Vista Slideshow Demo

I asked the presenter about some common scenarios such as flight mode (they plan to add that), power management (it shuts off on it's own) and button locking (it has a button lock mode).  I also discussed my concerns regarding Sideshow just becoming another power sucking device on the Mobile PC and they envision it saving battery if you use it instead of booting your PC.  - Chris

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