Microsoft Imagines “Office of the Future”

  • Comments: 2
  • Written on: May 10th, 2006

Today Microsoft released some concept photographs of what the office of the future may look like. Their presentation was complete with photos, and I have selected two of the best and added them to my blog album (Credit: Daniel Sheehan Photography). The interesting thing is that with the new technologies and operating systems that are just on the horizon, one can almost feel a paradigm shift taking place.

As you might imagine, Microsoft envisions that the office of the future will be devoid of CRT monitors and even single LCD displays. Both will be replaced with much larger dual screen displays. Perhaps it is just my keen insight into the world of computers, but this doesn’t really impress me much. Who wouldn’t want a huge 26″ high definition plasma computer monitor? And if one is good, two would most certainly be better, right? While the pictures are fun to look at, and touch screen keyboards with no sign of a mouse is a sexy idea, you would expect the office of the future to have something more.

However, on another front Intel may be making a contribution to the futuristic gene pool to help the cause. On April 24th Intel CEO Paul Otellini debuted a new type of Intel processor called vPro (vee-pro). The debut was available on the Intel website, but the link there does not seem to be working. You can get all the details by watching the debut at http://mfile.akamai.com/10430/wmv/cim.download.akamai.com/10430/biz/vpro_webcast.asx, but sufficient to say this new Intel chip will allow network administrators fix computer problems like broken operating systems and disabled anti virus software.

With this new technology, an administrator can boot your computer at your desk without you there and when your Windows operating system blue screens, he can fix it without leaving his desk. It is only a matter of time until companies like Dell see the value in this type of remote support that runs independent of the operating system and introduces it to the consumer masses.

Last but not least, lets not forget Windows Vista. Scheduled to debut in January of 2007 (hold your breath) this new Microsoft operating system is intended to be even more specialized that Windows XP was. There will be six variants of Windows Vista designed for the office professional, the home entertainment junkie, the artistic types, and more. Vista will also usher in the long awaited era of 64-bit computing which will make today’s computers look like Tandy’s in comparison.

Oh, and did I mention that there is new technology around the corner in HD DVDs, holographic hard drives (yes no more moving parts and storage measured in terabytes, not gigabytes), and new mobile devices that are even smaller and more powerful than the Pocket PC phone I carry on my hip.

This is an exciting time to be involved in computers. Just because all of this new stuff is coming, don’t wait to jump in the pool. There is ALWAYS new stuff coming, and just like when I play poker, I am either in or out, but I am never ahead. Just ask my friends.

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