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Serious guys.

1x Kinect = need to move away table to play
1x illumiRoom (+Kinect) = must have table to play.

When Kinect see illumiRoom (with Kinect build in), we have situation, whereby 2x Kinect meet each other …. it will really be interesting to brainstorm what they can do.

Then later we have illumiRoom meet illumiRoom …. I think we will have a life size princess leia
(an awesome 3D display technology in the making)

http://blogs.technet.com/b/next/archive/2013/04/25/latest-kinect-projects-include-holographic-princess-leia.aspx#.UX6fBS9Xi00

20 days ago on Microsoft IllumiRoom is a coffee table projector designed for the next-generation Xbox 1 reply

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Nice theme. I am sure MSFT can make a nice desktop, they are just trying to give all their developers and independent software vendor more chances to earn money or show case their talents.

Maybe that is how Steve B prime the ecosystem. :)

20 days ago on Screw Windows 8 desktop, Windows 7 is beautiful again 1 recommend

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In a desktop environment, we can get software from ISV or from software suppliers or distributors which are not controlled by MSFT. It is tough for them to stop those practise.

By ‘forcing’ everyone to Metro, a new environment, they have a better chance to follow apple and not getting hang by other developers. Steam is already pissed even when MSFT have not killed the desktop yet.
OP wanted to know why the task bar is not under the start screen. I think the answer is because MSFT is trying to move away from old desktop model.

21 days ago on Why wasn't it done like this? 1 reply

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Quite an alright flash presentation. Maybe MSFT recruitment people can use it. :)

21 days ago on Microsoft Tech 2012

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Old Windows Desktop is a real open world. Developers and even everyone of us can develop and run application on it. The new Windows is about the store. Thanks to Apple, most of the software industry now need to go thru a controlled store, developers need to pay the platform holder some money for every sales of their app.

If MSFT started with taskbar on their Start Screen, it will be hard for them to move away from the open and nice world of Old Windows. Start Screen took over the entire screen for a reason. It is the same reason why task bar is not available on the start screen.

MSFT need to move away from old Windows so that they can survive the onslaught from Apple and Google business model. To be fair that model might help to reduce virus / malicious software. The own issue is that developers will need to pay more for selling their software on some of those mentioned platform.

21 days ago on Why wasn't it done like this? 1 reply

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I think they also mentioned an interesting concept of creating a Brand OS.
I think it is good that MSFT manage to get a former Nike guy, Albert, working for them. Nike people really understand branding :)

21 days ago on A video presentation of re-branding of Microsoft - lenght 44 min

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Work flow for consumption and creation work is a bit different. A painter would not need their brush box covering up their entire canvas when he is trying to choose another brush. That change will disrupt his thought process.
When we consume a content, that content is the start, interface should disappear. The content take over the entire space.

MSFT should not afraid be afraid that developer will not develop application using Metro design principle. If tablets or large screen is the future of computing … developers will develop application for it.

I understand they need those application to be in their store. However if their store does a good job to sell application, developers would still put their application into it and pay ‘commission’ like payment for sales and marketing for their application.

Good observation by OP on the disruptive file association. I hope MSFT will listen and improve accordingly.

22 days ago on It’s not the start menu, its the file association

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no worry. they can lower the price of xbox360 to compete with those other OTT. The problem is that user need xbox live gold to use those OTT service, which make it less competitive. I am sure MSFT can solve that trivial issue.

22 days ago on XBox 720 disappointment.

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A brand without soul is just like zombie. I do understand that they want to transform it to a brand for entertainment. During this transition, xbox is a confusing brand, maybe it is part of the growing up.

Maybe Steam will have a chance to fill the gap which xbox has vacate.

22 days ago on Has Microsoft destroyed their Xbox brand?

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To me; the word Xbox used to mean the last defender of humanity. :)
Xbox used to have exclusive such as Mass Effect, Bioshock, Ninja Gaden, Splinter cell ….. they are all available on PS. Now their exclusive are mostly Kinect related.

I understand MSFT need to earn money. They do need to maintain a good corporation image. Thus I doubt MSFT studio would create controversy titles which stimulate our debate on the future humanity, policy and nature.

MSFT does hurt the brand Xbox. However it is their brand, they want to change it, they have the rights to do it. Good things don’t last forever. It will be good if they name the new xbox —> dealwithit.
I doubt they can announce 20 awesome M18 exclusive titles at E3. Xbox is associate with happy, shiny and fake/masked live now. Thanks for the memories.

22 days ago on Has Microsoft destroyed their Xbox brand?

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They are nice looking phone however I am uncertain whether they are design for the wild. Those groove might trap dirty/mud/food … hmmm.

25 days ago on Concept Microsoft Surface Phone "Tac/Tile" (PICS)

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Beside Metro design language. MSFT UX design philosophy is also very much in the forefront.

I think Bill Buxton should be credited for waking up MSFT’s design mentality as a whole.

I have a feeling 70% of MSFT is now very much design, design, design … in addition to their traditional strength of engineering, smartness and business/money brain.

25 days ago on Microsoft ahead of the design curve... 1 reply 2 recommends

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I like it on my Surface RT, I can bare with it on my non-touch laptop. I still fall back to my Win7 for work ….
In summary, I like Win8 but I will like it more if MSFT is able to exercise their empathy muscle more.

Desktop is like a Canvas or a work bench. I think full screen dispute the chain of thoughts. I doubt artist will want their palette or brush box to take over their entire canvas when they like to choose another colour / brush..

25 days ago on What's the consensus on Windows 8 so far?

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Nice effort. Devin. :)

I feel that Desktop is like a Canvas or a work bench. I think full screen dispute the chain of thoughts. I doubt artist will want their palette to take over their entire screen when they like to choose another colour. (I really hope Softies can understand that)

I usually access recent documents or some favourite folders via the start menu. I would also search as per current leaked blue .. that must not take over the entire screen.

Actually if you press win+X, we get to access control panel etc … if user know that hotkey or right click at that corner.

/////
if they are too proud to revive the start menu, maybe they can also introduce a better/more powerful contextual menu, circular one like Note MX. However that might fail since some user cannot discover it …. hmmm. However that might be more efficient than the start menu … satisfying your op of advance desktop.

I noticed that you have also included a ‘update’ notification in your sketch :)
MSFT tend to ‘put’ update notification in their store. I think that is their way to entice user to access their store often. Quite a weak proposition for their goal, I feel. haahaa.

Cheers.

26 days ago on Building a Desktop for the (near) future of Windows. 1 reply

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Currently Tower PCs are morphing into table (pixelsense), monitor (all-in-one), wall mounted TV (perspective pixel), ‘Xbox 8’ like Set-top boxes make by MSFT / OEM, NAS ,,, etc.

I am not surface it is ‘transformed’ into a fridge. A fridge with the characteristic for user to update its storage capacity, memory, CPU, cooling kits …. etc. … hmmmm ….

26 days ago on The Future of The Desktop

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I hope they have a real e-book version, using e-ink or maybe they can try out mirasol Display.
http://www.qualcomm.com/solutions/displays

MSFT is into active reading, I hope they make a Courier like device, which is unlike the rest of the current market 7 inches offer.

26 days ago on I want a SurfaceBook!

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Nice thoughts, OP.
I just hope MSFT upcoming watch does not look like a PipBoy.

26 days ago on When Fallout 4 comes out... it better have a SmartGlass based PipBoy interface!

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Thanks MSFT for bringing this Pizza dream to reality. I wonder whether it has Skype integration at phase 2 of this app. :)

Even without Skype, with Cloud storage, I can imagine pressing the guide button and select usual order / tell Xbox to order the usual pizza order … That could be faster than one can pull out a phone.

I can also imagine sending pizza as gift to other xbox live friend might be another possible feature for this app in upcoming phase …
Kids might also like the notion of crafting/customizing the pizza with their Kinect … They might even have occasional promotion or cross promotion with other product ….

I am not surprise, advertising will prove to be another good revenue line for Xbox. Cheers

26 days ago on Pizza Hut delivery app for Xbox 360 and Kinect lets you gesture and yell for food

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I think most of us have been using Win8 since its consumer preview. (some even use it since developers preview)

We have been using hot keys to work efficiently in Win8. I have a old Samsung no- touch laptop upgraded to Win 8 and I use a Surface RT. I am a Microsoft Fan boy. But if thing is not good enough we need to highlight to MSFT, as a fan we can say things employee dare not bring up.

Start screen is ok for tablet or slate when user is holding it. MSFT needs to look at some of the Tribes previously designed Start menu. They can easily combine live tiles to Start Menu.

We can pin our frequently used desktop applications on our taskbar and launch it with hotkeys. But there are some application we do not want to pin to task bar because they are used sporadically. Example calculators, currency converter or some small application to perform batch job.

In desktop environment, we have cascaded windows application running, there is a reason we do not run it in full screen all the time. There is a reason for Win95 team to introduce the Start Menu.
It is alright that they design Win 8 for our mums, but they are running a business. If their enterprise need the start button, they are willing to bring back the stupid button, but the problem is not about the button. they should re-think about start menu too.

I will do fine without that start menu, I can just due with the disruption but as a fan, I want MSFT to be the best in everything software, service and devices. MSFT employee should not be lazy. And waste the head count.

28 days ago on Windows 8 was not built for you 1 recommend

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The way which Start Screen took over the desktop is disruptive because on desktop we are usually multi-tasking, we are thinking of launching some apps or documents to supplement the task in hand.
Taking over the entire screen seem to disrupt the multi-tasking mind.

I missed the way I can open up recent work too. Start Screen might be good for my Surface when I consuming content. However it is disruptive for desktop environment.
Chrome Aura launcher seems transparent .. user can still see their task. Start Screen block everything.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiCYh_Q6ezY

It will be ridiculous, if Google has a better desktop than MSFT. I love Win8 on a tablet. However if MSFT want to have the best of both world, they really need to improve Win8 desktop UX. Please step thru the respective desktop users journey again.

28 days ago on Start Menu is more important than Start Button -- A better DeskTop experience for Win8 2 replies 5 recommends