Microsoft’s Smart Display software, the OS for wireless flat-panel touchscreen monitors like Tablet PCs but aimed at the consumer market, has been delayed until next year, which means the critical Holiday shopping period will be missed. I’m not being mean to Microsoft to prove a point, at Mobius 2002 we got to see a lot of interesting products in mobile arena, but Smart Display wasn’t one of them. Smart Display is going to be an unmitigated disaster.
Firstly, the Smart Display isn’t meant to be used on its own, it uses the Remote Desktop Protocol to essentially mirror your desktop PC. The only problem: this only works if you have Windows XP Pro on your desktop, which is ridiculous for a product aimed at the home market. If Smart Display is meant to be an easy to use consumer device, but those consumers almost never have XP Pro on their desktops at home. This automatically eliminates the majority of home users, who are far more likely to have XP Home on their PC rather than XP Pro.
Secondly, Smart Displays are expected to cost between $800 and a $1000, which is a lot to shell out for a device that can’t function unless connected to a PC. Why not just spend a little more and get a fully-functioning Tablet PC? Is there really any demand for a hamstrung device like this?
