The Consumer Electronics Association kicked off the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) tonight with a pre-show opening keynote by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Entertainment & Devices President Robbie Bach.
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.]
@ Chuckles,
That sir, was an outstanding post!
MDN Word “really”
It is spooky how spot on they are.
I just hope Ballmer stays the CEO of Microsoft for a very long tine.
I watched it….I farted. Now I’m off to bed. Just about sums up the excitement of another Windows based POS.
Sorry about that down syndrome comment, in my exuberance I lost my head. It’s late and I’m getting a bit punchy.
Zune Tang, I keep forgetting you are the Stephen Colbert of Mac Land.
Whoever is impersonating me, it’s a little scary.
Not really sorry about anything accept I don’t know your real handle
so I can make apologies for you being so creepy and down like.
Limp Fang couldn’t hold Steven’s fluids…His mother was
Bill Gate’s unregistered blind pitbull.
I have never used the word exuberance in my life either.
Now that’s 1, thanks Creepy.
I would just like to add that I predicted the on-stage crash.
It’s around here somewhere…
What- no Roz Ho??
Ok… am I missing something? The first 72 minutes or so of the video on their website shows the crowd with nobody on stage while logos of CES and Microsoft periodically change on the video. This is supposed to show off their “world class experiences” that you can get with M$???
It would be interesting to watch (like seeing an accident I guess) but I refuse to install the SilverLight crap on my Mac.
Heh. They require silverlight to watch the video. Sorry, but a Ballmer keynote isn’t interesting enough to make me install a massive security hole.
-jcr
“Bing will be the default search engine, and MSN the default homepage on HP PCs in 42 countries.”
As usual, first order of business on any Windows PC – remove the crapware and “Bing” it’s gone!.
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/01/microsoft-keynote/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+wired/index+(Wired:+Index+3+(Top+Stories+2))
From wired.com the headline for Steve Ballmer’s Keynote “Microsoft Touts Home Entertainment at CES Keynote”…
What with the iPhone, Android, etc and all the rumors about tablet this or slate that wasn’t 2010, the new decade just starting, being touted as the “Year in Mobility”?! And MS touts HOME entertainment??? HOME!!! Ballmer… I love you man… I really love you!
Addendum:
Maybe MS touting home entertainment in the year of mobility is thinking, Mobile Home? We already have SYNC in autos…
Ever notice how these companies seem to think think they can defeat Apple by throwing features together at random?
IT’S AN ALL-IN-ONE… 24 INCH… TOUSCHSCREEN… LAPTOP!
I get the feeling alot of their R&D;is just writing things down on post–it notes and putting them on a dartboard.
It is a very good thing that Microsoft has failed in mobile.
Imagine if Microsoft’s desktop monopoly extended into mobile. It’s mobile Internet Explorer browser does not adhere to web standards, as Microsoft would like to own the internet. We’d all be stuck with mediocrity, just to have access to Microsoft’s file formats.
We are better off without Microsoft in mobile. Anyone else is better. At the moment there are a number of strong players: Blackberry, iPhone, Android. That’s a good thing. As long as it’s not Microsoft.
maybe its just me, but why does the audio keep fading in and out as ballmer walks (paces nervously) around the stage, there were several times that the audio just went silent for like 9 seconds and this also seems like he keeps walking away from a microphone as his voice fades out and then back in LOUD
And also why is he yelling? doesn’t he know he has a microphone on and people can hear him?
bing has 80,000 downloads in a year and he’s telling people that?
I couldn’t finish it sorry Iwill try again tomorrow
a 24″ laptop is perfect for my needs ‘Lan-party gaming’
and I would love one in my music studio.
touch screens ar sweet for mixer controls and size matters the bigger the better.
I’d just as soon drag my iMac and a generator around with me as get a 24″ laptop.
Isn’t CES meant to be the CONSUMER Electronics Show? What is MS doing as the keynote?
Get a 3D TV vendor or EA games or Sony to do something interesting, not a consumer has-been. Keep MS at the enterprise shows until they’re interesting again for consumers…
Search Query Top 3 at Google, right after the CES KeyNote:
1. “tena serenity”
2. “how to prepare for a gorilla arm”
3. “macosx remove silverlight”
I wonder, is there a connection?
I cant watch the video…I dont enjoy throwing up…I cant believe such a big company has such a unprofessional person representing them….That man is sickening…I cant even stand the sound of his voice…
“watch the video via Microsoft’s web site”
Requires Siverlight. Does not work on my PowerPC
So, the world remains safe in the knowledge that nothing will change in the world of Microsoft for the next two or three years…
Time enough for Apple and Google to grab the future by the horns and ride it right through Microsoft’s hegemony.
And how much is working with a 24″ touchscreen computer sitting on your desk, arms outstretched all day pushing stuff around the screen, gonna hurt after a few hours?
I get major knots in my back just using a mouse and keyboard…
And how will it affect the eyes? If you look at a screen that too close for too long it results in major eye strain and headaches. Sounds like a really bad idea to me.