The question came about after CNet indicates that Tablet PC’s #1 champion, Bill Gates, will continue to be active with Tablet PC even after he shifts to part time work. This continued involvement is reassuring to those who currently use pen-based computers, I’m sure.
Interestingly, people responded to Rob by requesting TV advertising, additional co-marketing with software applications like One Note and Groove, and other near term requests. The users have great suggestions about features they’d like to see in Office too, for example. Some reasonable advice for the #1 Champion.
Handwriting and Touch technologies are in TV commercials today. Turn on prime time TV on network or cable and you may see back to back commercials of the Nintendo DS and Apple iPhone. It is logical that pen-computing users then wonder where comparable ads are for their beloved PCs. You can see Tablet PCs and UMPCs placed in many of those same TV programs or movies though: CSI Miami, ER, etc. Interesting juxtupositioning, don’t you think?
Of personal interest are the suggestions for helping students learn about the value. The Ultimate Steal is a current campaign for students to buy Office Ultimate 2007, which includes OneNote, for $59.95. This several hundred dollar discount is an aggressive way to make genuine versions of the productivity suite available to students. However, people suggest specifics-demonstrations of value in certain features.
I hope this thread on GBM stays active for a while yet. Perhaps next part of the discussion will involve long term bets by Microsoft Research, feature requests for future versions of Windows, and perhaps expectations about out of band releases, on which one post already touched.