Microsoft delays "smart display" push
C|Net | at | by Mike
Microsoft has benched "smart displays" for the couch-potato set, delaying the launch of the handheld flat-panel screens until the first quarter of 2003 so that it can fine-tune the underlying software. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates introduced the software, then code-named Mira, at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. The company's goal was to make the software, now known as Windows CE for Smart Displays, available by this time of the year so that hardware makers could introduce devices for the holidays.
"We now expect the products to reach the market (in) the first quarter of next year," said Microsoft's Megan Kidd, a product manager responsible for the specialized operating system. "We worked hard to deliver during this holiday season, but we wanted to make sure we delivered a high-quality product. So things are a little later than we expected."