[UgaBYTES] Bill Gates hails age of digital senses

[Nasikye Esther]

Hi friends,

I came across this interesting piece on the BBC website
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7174333.stm.
 It is interesting to know what the Microsoft head thinks about computers a
few years from now.

Nice reading

Esther
******************************************************************************

The way people interact with computers is going to dramatically change in
the next five years, Microsoft chief Bill Gates has told BBC News.
He predicted that the keyboard and mouse would gradually give way to more
intuitive and natural technologies.

In particular, he said, touch, vision and speech interfaces would become
increasingly important.

Mr Gates made his comments whilst answering questions from BBC News website
readers.

"This whole idea of what I call natural user interface is really redefining
the experience," he said.
"We're adding the ability to touch and directly manipulate, we're adding
vision so the computer can see what you're doing, we're adding the pen,
we're adding speech," he told BBC News.

During the interview Mr Gates showed off the Microsoft Surface computer, a
large table like machine with a multi-touch interface.

"I'll be brave, in five years we'll have many tens of million of people
sitting browsing their photos, browsing their music, organising their lives
using this type of touch interface," he said.

Mr Gates expanded on this theme of natural interfaces during the CES keynote
speech he made on the first day of the hi-tech fair.

Citing the success of the iPhone and the controller for the Nintendo Wii
game console, Mr Gates said such interfaces were a big hit with consumers.

Vista versions

Although Microsoft Windows has become the most widely used operating system
in the world, Mr Gates admitted, in answer to readers questions, that he had
not always got things right.

"People thought we were late with the [web] browser," he admitted.

In addition, he said, search was an area where people thought that Microsoft
had not fulfilled expectations.

"Google has done a good job," he said. "We expect to surprise people that we
can match and even do better there - people should wait and see."

Mr Gates also answered questions about Windows Vista, the firm's
often-criticised operating system, launched last year.

"I'm very proud of Vista," he said. "Like all of the products we ship, we
hear how we could do this differently or that differently."

He said the firm had received "lots of feedback" on the software.

"We do downloads and improvements all of the time and of course there'll be
a major new version coming along," he said.

Microsoft has just announced that it has sold 100 million licences for the
operating system.

During the questions and answer session he also revealed his own computer
habits.

"There are a lot of PCs in my house - over 10," he said.

In particular, he said, he used a tablet PC, a notebook computer that is
operated with a digital stylus.

However, he said, he does not use his competitor's products.

"There are no Macs in my house," he admitted.

-- 
Esther Nasikye
Community Content Facilitator
UgaBYTES Initiative
Plot 2218 Ggaba Road
Kampala, Uganda
Tel: 25641370163
skype:esther.nasikye
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