We bring you news from the big Microsoft bash (Windows
Hardware Engineering Conference) in New Orleans.
PC
World reports that Intel and Microsoft are slowly
grinding away at making PCs friendlier, so we thought we'd
explain how they plan to do it. And by the way, the
so-called "Easy PC Intitiative" was announced at last
year's WHEC. . .
1. Microsoft wants a 15-minute out-of-the-box
setup time. They also want PC manufacturers to " do their
part by having systems preconfigured with an Internet
service provider that the user selects at the time of
purchase." We're not sure what this means. Are they
talking about what Apple does with Earthlink, or whether PC
customers get their PCs delivered with anything they choose?
And how would they do that?
2. Easy expansion using USB or FireWire. Like with Macs?
3. "Legacy-free systems," meaning essentially that USB
will replace serial and parallel ports. Does this remind you
of any other manufacturer?
4. Ease of use in general, which is supposedly what
Windows ME is all about. [The Wintel people want 25-second
bootup times, which should prove useful for cases like your
editor's last phone call to his auto insurance company, when
the service representative's PC crashed three times in
succession while we were on the phone with her! There is
also talk of "self-healing technology," whereby Window ME
will automatically reinstall damaged or missing files. Just
imagine the potential for compounding horror -- JHF]
5. And this is the real killer, which bears direct
quoting:
"Fifth is the perceived ease of
use [their italics, our emphasis] and entertainment
value. These concerns are addressed in sleekly styled PCs
such as Gateway's Astro PC, Compaq's EZ2000, and Dell's
WebPC."
Think about that for a moment: "perceived" ease of
use. . .according to Intel's Ease of Use Initiative manager,
"consumers are turned off by towering beige PC boxes that
remind them of the nasty old problem PCs of yesteryear." In
other words, if they make PCs that are differently shaped
and colored, consumers may think they are easier to
use. (Because they look like, uh. . .)