During his keynote Ballmer showed current and future hardware shown on stage, including:
• A touch-enabled Windows 7 tablet PC from HP
• A Sony VAIO L all-in-one PC with a 24-inch touchscreen
• The Lenovo A300 with a 21.5-inch HD widescreen addition LED display
In, Ballmer announced that Microsoft and HP are teaming up on search and portal experiences. Bing will be the default search engine, and MSN the default homepage on HP PCs in 42 countries.
Following the release of Windows Mobile 6.5 in October, Ballmer announced the upcoming exclusive availability of the HTC HD2 in partnership with T-Mobile USA, Inc. and HTC.
Microsoft Entertainment & Devices Division President Robbie Bach followed Ballmer on stage and outlined the company’s strategy of connecting the personal computer, mobile devices, television and the Internet. Bach also covered “Project Natal,” the controller-free gaming experience that tracks body movements and facial expressions and responds to voice commands and is scheduled to be available in holiday season 2010.
In lieu of an Ambien (or five), watch the video via Microsoft’s web site here.
MacDailyNews Take: Yawnfest as usual. Someone forgot to provide Fester with some content to go along with all that filler. The amount of nothingness they have to show for all their billions of dollars and 93,000 employees astounds even us. Microsoft is a company bereft of interesting ideas coasting on past intellectual property thefts and the benefits of largely-unpunished monopoly abuse that’s headed by a clueless buffoon who once got a very fortunate dorm assignment. The good news is, of course, that The Dark Ages of Personal Computing are rapidly coming to a close. Enjoy the renaissance!
Our customary toast: May Steve Ballmer remain Microsoft CEO for as long as it takes!
[UPDATE: Jan. 7, 2010, 11:59am ET: changed “laptop” to “PC” in Sony bullet point.]