April 2000 Microsoft eXtreme Event
Trip Report


8 April 2000



  

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Contents


Overview of the April 2000 Microsoft eXtreme Event

From the Microsoft eXtreme Event Website:

Computer enthusiasts around the country took part in the Microsoft eXtreme event held on April 8th. The live satellite broadcast in 29 theaters featured an exclusive sneak-peek of the newest Microsoft® products. Attendees were treated to live demos of Microsoft® Windows® Millennium— the next operating system for the home PC, and FrontPage® 2000— the latest Web site creation and management tool. They also checked out the all-new Windows-powered Pocket PC.

Microsoft® Windows Millennium Edition (Windows ME): The latest Microsoft Windows operating system for home users. Windows ME is an upgrade to Windows 98 Second Edition like Windows 2000 is an upgrade to Windows NT, offering improved performance and reliability along with many domain-specific gains (Windows ME is for the home user domain, while Windows 2000 is for the power user/enterprise user domain).

Pocket PC: The all-new Windows Powered Pocket PC, to be launched on 19 April 2000. This is a next generation of the hand-held Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) which includes Microsoft Office tools (Word, Excel, Outlook), Microsoft Reader for eBooks (with Microsoft Cleartype technology), and extensive plug-and-play support.

FrontPage 2000: Microsoft's premier tool for client-side web page design with or without employing Active Server Pages (ASPs). I am not including a detailed writeup on FrontPage 2000 because I am already using it and include information about it in my Web Publishing course (available in the ASE Library).

eBooks and the Microsoft Reader with ClearType Technology

Microsoft Reader is a new software application designed to deliver an on-screen computer reading experience that for the first time approaches the convenience and quality of paper. This reading software is based solidly on the very latest font improvement technology ( ClearType™) as well as extensive research into the traditions, benefits, and critical components of good print layout and typography.


Microsoft Reader with ClearType technology -- included in the next generation of Windows-powered Pocket PCs -- vastly improves the online reading experience.

Microsoft Reader includes the following features:

Microsoft Reader is scheduled to be available for Pocket PCs during the first half of 2000. Microsoft Reader will be available for Windows-based PCs and laptops in the coming year.

The Microsoft Reader with its ClearType™ technology is the first of a generation of eBook viewers. From the Microsoft press release on the eBook effort:

For Release 6 a.m. EDT
Oct. 8, 1998

Microsoft, Top Publishing Firms and Electronic Book Makers
Join to Develop Standards for "eBook" Industry

More Than a Dozen Publishers, Hardware Manufacturers and eBook Pioneers Team With Microsoft to Jump Start This Emerging Industry

GAITHERSBURG, Md. - Oct. 8, 1998 - Microsoft Corp. today announced it is joining major publishing firms, electronics manufacturers and pioneers in the new market for electronic books to establish an important set of open technical standards and help strengthen this emerging industry.

The announcement was made at the world's first electronic book ("eBook") conference, sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Md. The firms working with Microsoft include publishers Bertelsmann, HarperCollins Publishers Inc., Microsoft Press, Penguin Putnam Inc., Simon & Schuster and Time-Warner Books; the online book seller barnesandnoble.com; the manufacturer Hitachi Ltd.; Audible Inc., the Web's leading electronic distributor of audiobooks; plus eBook pioneers EveryBook Inc., Glassbook Inc., Librius Inc., NuvoMedia Inc. and SoftBook Press Inc. More firms are expected to join this effort in the future.

eBooks are digital versions of printed books, which display on specialized reading devices or on PCs and laptops. The firms announced today that they have agreed to collaborate on a common set of file specifications. This will allow a title to be read on all machines adhering to these standards, and it will allow publishers to reach a wide audience without separately reformatting their titles for each machine.

"The goal is to create as many titles as possible, and win as many customers as possible -- as fast as possible," said Dick Brass, vice president for technology development at Microsoft, who heads the company's eBook efforts. "The idea is to get eBooks off the ground." Brass emphasized that the "Open eBook" standard announced today is designed so that early purchasers of eBook titles will be able to read their "books" on all devices supporting the standard. "There will be no penalty for buying early," he said.

During his keynote address, Brass reviewed the history of paperless book devices. He pointed out that while the product has great potential to lower publishing and book costs, ease distribution and increase access to information and education, past attempts to launch these devices have been largely unsuccessful. "Most books are still published on paper only," Brass said. He urged publishers and eBook pioneers to continue to work together to make eBooks more attractive to consumers and more likely to succeed.

"There is no question that eventually electronic books will share the spotlight with books printed on paper," said Bill Gates, Microsoft's chairman and CEO. "The question is: How does it start? I believe Microsoft is in a unique position to help bring the publishers and eBook makers together. By working early on with the various industry players to create a common set of standards, we are hopeful that eBooks will become a reality for consumers and the market."

"We are delighted to work with Microsoft and others in the industry to help create a worldwide market for electronic books," said Thomas Middelhoff, the designated CEO of Bertelsmann. "As a major publisher, Bertelsmann believes there is a great potential and future for eBooks. This initiative reinforces our investment and strategic relationship with NuvoMedia. By working together to create standards that will make life easier for publishers, manufacturers and customers, we will allow the market to fully realize the potential of eBooks."

At the conference, Microsoft announced that the Open eBook specification for eBook file and format structure is based on the popular HTML and XML languages used to format information for Web sites. The specification, which will be available free of charge to all interested users, is designed to allow compatibility between many different types of eBook devices, including conventional PCs and laptops, as well as the specialized reading appliances that are now beginning to appear.

The specification is compatible with the development plans of the major eBook efforts already under way and provides a smooth transition path to a common standard. "SoftBook Press and NuvoMedia have made a tremendous contribution to this effort by providing insight from their early work in bringing eBooks to market," Brass said. "Our other partners in Open eBook bring deep experience in software, hardware, publishing and distribution to the effort. We're grateful for their help and enthusiasm."

Brass said, "The specification is a 'living document,' and the partners hope to fine-tune its features during the coming weeks." He added that Microsoft welcomed input and collaboration from others interested in eBook publishing.

The Year 2000 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was a forum for the demonstration of the Windows Pocket PC with the Microsoft Reader:

Microsoft Announces Reader With ClearType™ for New Pocket PCs

Offers a Shirt-Pocket-Sized Library of Books on Next-Generation PDAs

LAS VEGAS -- Jan. 6, 2000 -- The world's first pocket eBook with Microsoft ClearType™ display technology was unveiled today at the 2000 International CES, where Microsoft Corp. announced that Microsoft Reader with ClearType will be featured in the new family of Pocket PCs. Microsoft Reader is designed to deliver an on-screen computer reading experience that for the first time approaches the convenience and quality of reading text printed on paper.

Pocket PCs, which Microsoft Chairman and CEO Bill Gates previewed last night in his millennium keynote address at CES, are the next generation of personal digital assistant (PDA) devices powered by a new version of the Microsoft Windows® operating system. Expected to ship in the first half of this year, Pocket PCs have been designed to put the best of the PC into a pocket-size device, giving users the freedom to better manage their work and life, any time, anywhere.

"With Reader software, consumers really will be able to carry a library in their pocket," said Dick Brass, vice president of Technology Development at Microsoft. "A typical Pocket PC will be able to store hundreds of books, from today's latest titles to long-revered literary classics."

Purchasers of the first Pocket PC devices will be able to choose from thousands of eBook titles for Microsoft Reader, which are expected to be broadly available from such major booksellers as Barnes & Noble Inc. ( http://www.bn.com/), as detailed in another announcement made today at CES.

"We believe that portable electronic reading devices, and the wireless technology that allows the instant delivery of text to them, will further expand the marketplace for books and other content," said Steve Riggio, vice chairman of Barnes & Noble Inc. "The ability to easily download and carry thousands of pages of information anywhere at any time will appeal to readers of all kinds, from mobile professionals to students and vacationers."

Pocket PCs can also help users connect to essential information when they are away from their desk. The devices are expandable and versatile, allowing users to do much more than manage daily activities, such as play music and spoken-word audio books. With cutting-edge applications such as Microsoft Reader with ClearType, Pocket PCs can not only help users increase their productivity but also help them make the most of downtime.

Microsoft Reader is the first product to include ClearType font-rendering technology. Developed by Microsoft Research, ClearType greatly improves font resolution on LCD screens to deliver a display comparable to print on paper. Microsoft Reader also pays strict attention to the traditions and benefits of good typography. It offers a clean, uncluttered display; ample margins; proper spacing, leading and kerning; and powerful tools for book-marking, highlighting and annotation. Microsoft Reader includes a built-in dictionary as well as a library that can store and manage a large collection of books and other documents. It also features a flexible copy-protection system that allows publishers to distribute titles with protection from piracy and illegal copying.

Microsoft Reader is scheduled to be available with the first Pocket PCs during the first half of 2000. Microsoft Reader will be available for Windows-based PCs and laptops in the coming year.

The following specifications (presented in ZIP files) are available to the public with unlimited distribution:

Windows Pocket PC

Microsoft Pocket PC to Launch April 19 at Grand Central Terminal

Move over pencils, paper, and simple organizers: Microsoft® and its partners are getting ready to launch the next generation handheld device, the Windows Powered Pocket PC. Pocket PCs enable customers to do more than just organize your phone numbers -- they have been designed to keep you in touch with your office and your life when away from your desk.

Pocket PCs aren’t just simple personal digital assistants (PDA) like the popular Palm Pilot. Up until now, PDAs have typically performed such ordinary duties as keeping track of appointments and telephone numbers. The Pocket PC enables customers to do more of what they really need to while away from their desk -- combining the best of Windows with the power of the Web and the simplicity of an appliance. What does it mean? With a Pocket PC, not only will customers get the most functional and rich calendar, address book and to-do lists available -- they’ll get the right tools to keep them in touch with other important office applications from their e-mail and the Web to their productivity tools. The Pocket PC is a smarter tool to get the job done right, that fits right into your pocket.

See for yourself at a city near you In preparation for the availability of new Pocket PCs, Microsoft, Casio, Compaq and HP will be touring the United States visiting a number of towns and cities, starting as early as April 6. The companies will preview the new Pocket PC to over 20 user groups -- demonstrating that seeing is believing. To find out if they’ll be stopping by a city near you go to the Pocket PC tour Web site. If a representative isn’t physically coming to your town, you can still find out what’s new at Microsoft at Microsoft eXtreme -- an exclusive event broadcast live by satellite to 29 movie theaters across the states on April 8. These are just two of the many programs that Microsoft will be rolling out over the next few months.

So, what is a Pocket PC? There are a number of organizers on the market, but none are as versatile and useful as the Pocket PC. Pocket PCs herald the next generation of truly personal computing and are now the ultimate way to keep in touch with the office while away from your desk. Need to send e-mail? Work on a Word document? Edit an Excel file? No problem.

But we know you have a life outside of work! Pocket PCs will also enable people to make the most of their time in between work -- keeping them entertained for five minutes or hours at a time. Want music? Load up your favorite tunes and play them back. Are you a bookworm? Download an entire book and read (or listen to) it at your leisure in brilliant clarity. With Pocket PC’s high-resolution display screen, Microsoft’s revolutionary ClearType™ technology closely mimics the printed page. Crisp and clear fonts appear on the screen.

Couple all this with new hardware and you’ve got quite a device. While Microsoft has been busy working on the software, Microsoft’s hardware partners such as Casio, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard and Symbol have actively working on new hardware designs. At the moment we can’t provide specifics, but we can say that customers will have a choice of a range of new hardware designs with different options to meet customers varied needs. Check back on April 19 for further details.

The Pocket PC will give customers the freedom they want to be on the go, and still stay connected to their most essential work and personal information. And because everyone’s lifestyle is different, new hardware and software can be added to your Pocket PC to fit any need. The Pocket PC is as versatile as you are. Here’s a rundown of some of the Pocket PC’s software features.

Pocket PC Software Features
  • Pocket Outlook - Contacts, Calendars, Tasks, and Notes; passed data to and from Outlook on a PC
  • Pocket Internet Explorer - Web Browser
  • Pocket Outlook Inbox, Pocket Word, and Pocket Excel - Integration between e-mail and other applications enables customers to send and receive messages, manage their e-mail with access to server folders, view and modify attachments, and launch Web pages through embedded URLs
  • Microsoft Reader - Designed to deliver an on-screen computer reading experience that for the first time approaches the convenience and quality of reading text printed on paper, purchasers of the first Pocket PC devices will be able to choose from hundreds of eBook titles for Microsoft Reader
  • Windows Media Player - This is the first portable media player that plays both Windows Media format and MP3, so customers don’t have to worry about the format of the music. In addition, it automatically generates custom play lists using any of the music that’s been downloaded to the device. Many of the Pocket PCs will come with stereo output, so customers can plug in headphones and listen to music while simultaneously doing other things.
  • Microsoft Expedia Pocket Streets - You can download maps onto your Pocket PC and even specially tag your favorite locations from the sample maps included on the companion CD, or custom maps you can create yourself with either Microsoft Expedia Streets & Trips 2000 or Microsoft MapPoint 2000.

Windows Millennium Edition (ME)

The demo was entertaining, and the press release about says it all:

Windows Millennium Edition (Me) is a forthcoming version of the Windows 98 operating system that will become available later this year. Windows Me has a powerful set of features that make it the right choice for a home PC. It is designed so consumers can experience the possibilities of digital media and home networking, and offers the broadest support for consumer hardware and software. Visit http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ over the coming months to learn more about Windows Me and how it will bring the richness and convenience of the digital world to your home.

Windows 2000 Update

A couple of news items to update the information in the Microsoft Windows 2000 Launch Trip Report in the ASE Library:
  • As of the writing of this report (17 April 2000), Microsoft has announced that it has shipped its 1 MILLIONTH copy of Windows 2000. That's in less than two months after the launch.
  • Enhanced reliability for eBusiness is a big concern with Windows 2000, as is evidenced by Microsoft's Reliability Initiative for it. Microsoft has posted many independent external reviews of Windows 2000, many of which focus on its reliability.

Windows NT Embedded and Windows 2000 Embedded

There is some interest by my customers in the Windows NT Embedded and Windows 2000 Embedded Operating Systems. In an earlier report on the launch of Windows 2000, I reported that Windows 2000 Embedded is one of a dozen versions of Windows 2000 planned over the upcoming year. In light of not having current information on this operating system, I offer the following documents and presentations on Windows NT Embedded. Windows NT Embedded was not covered in the Microsoft eXtreme event, but has been added to this report because of related interests.