Scoble posts vid of Microsoft's "Auxiliary Display"

Microsoft blogger, CTE (Chief Technology Evangelist), and self-professed geek Robert Scoble has posted a tantalizing video of the company's auxiliary display technology that we've been following for some time now, having most recently learned that iPod supplier PortalPlayer will be providing some of the chips. Scoble had a chance to play around with the only current implementation of the SPOT-based, cellphone-like external display for laptops, the Asus notebook with the 2-inch square LCD that we've known about since the days when we were still looking forward to "Longhorn" -- ah, how young and naive we were back then. The 18 minute vid is a nice mix of close-up shots of the separate, always-on computer performing email, media control, and PIM tasks, along with commentary from the Windows Sideshow Team concerning the architecture and consumer/developer possibilities of the system. All-in-all it seems like a pretty neat concept, although frankly we can't see many applications for it beyond what our WM5 smartphones are doing for us right now -- readers?

[Thanks, Bill E.]

[Darth Pelican @ Mar 27th 2006 9:18AM]

First Post!!! YAY!!!

[Justin @ Mar 27th 2006 9:24AM]

Man oh man, that is _the most_ compressed, low-res video I've seen in something like 2 years. Way to go MS. =)

[Dave Zatz @ Mar 27th 2006 9:41AM]

It would be nice if they'd provide an auxillary display for HTPC/MCE computers - I'd find that pretty useful without having to roll my own.

[gorkon @ Mar 27th 2006 9:43AM]

Ok my main problem with this is what if you don't:

1. Run Windows.
2. Run Outlook as your Calendar/Mail Client.

This ONLY works if you do that and Exchange and Outlook hardly have a monopoly.

[Alex Brewer @ Mar 27th 2006 9:56AM]

Ross Rubin wrote a really good article on this in his portable pundit column in Laptop Mag, I get the magazine.

[dej @ Mar 27th 2006 10:35AM]

Poor Gorkon.

MS has a monopoly, so I don't use Windows
and/or Outlook.
-----------------------------------
This is pretty cool!!!
-----------------------------------
Waaahhhh. It's not fair that MS did
this for THEIR products.

[Andrew Eller @ Mar 27th 2006 10:48AM]

Why does the laptop form factor have to change that much? cell phones don't get thicker when they include an extra lcd, why does a laptop have to bulk up just for a tiny display and a few buttons?

[Andrew Schmitt @ Mar 27th 2006 10:50AM]

This is interesting because it is the first attempt by Microsoft to make a highly engineered link between an external hardware device and the operating system, much in the same way Apple tightly integrates the iPod into it's OS as well as iTunes.

Look at Sideshow as more of a PMP enabling technology, and not as a little brick that snaps into the lid of your laptop. This is the best effort yet by Microsoft to attack the biggest competitive advantage Apple has in PMP's - HW/SW integration.

http://www.nyquistcapital.com/2006/01/30/microsoft-sideshow-ipod-killer/

[J-K @ Mar 27th 2006 10:54AM]

Re #4: I believe Outlook exports data to the iCalendar-format when it synchronizes, so you could probably use any calendar/mail client that supports iCalendar.

[BSTalker @ Mar 27th 2006 10:56AM]

Take it off the Notebook and put it onto my wrist (or back of my hand) communicating wirelessly (bluetooth would be good) and I'd buy one.

People want powerful computers but feasable ways to easily and sometimes discretly use them.

I just wish that Samsung/Toshiba would actually make something from their flexible LCD displays.

[LH @ Mar 27th 2006 11:22AM]

Nice. The video is only six months old. More recent news would be better.

[pt @ Mar 27th 2006 11:30AM]

i got tired of waiting for this, and made one last year - prototype, so exuse the elecetrical tape...

http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2005/07/how_to_make_a_w_1.html

[Paul @ Mar 27th 2006 11:50AM]

@LH Engadget is one of the most prolific blogs that I know about. They are constantly updating the page throughout the day. What I do not understand from people like you is your insesent need to bash a news post if it was not developed in the past two days. Yes, it might be old, but I have never heard of it and I dont nessessarily read engadget for the lastest news, I read it for the news that is relevant to what I am interested in.

I do aggree with some other people, that is a huge bulge in the back of the laptop screen...

[Aaron @ Mar 27th 2006 12:39PM]

There are a lot of complainers here who didn't watch the video. TOutlook was just ONE EXAMPLE of how you could use the external display.The bulg in the screen is due to the fact that they are working with a proof of concept machine not a production model. Quit reading one sentance deciding that you understand something and then making stupid uninformed comments. This is being designed by Microsoft so of course they will demo it with their software. It is a development platform so it will be possible to do a lot with it. Watch the video and pay attention.

[DAN @ Mar 27th 2006 10:34PM]

That is such a cool idea MaxSMoke!

which is exactly why I got a 2nd monitor... 6 years ago...

[Bill Butler @ Mar 27th 2006 11:32PM]

I've been hoping for this type of integration for a while. I always have my laptop with me and would ultimately like to ditch my cell phone. I see this 'always on' panel as a potential bluetooth or WIFI to EVDO or SKYPE conduit for my bluetooth headset. This way, all calls can come on through the laptop and, since it's never technically off, I can receive all communications at all times. even when the laptop is closed, it might display caller id or let you look up numbers, make calls etc. There is a lot of great potential here.

[Scooter @ Nov 30th 2006 8:00AM]

could be interesting.

Position it near the top of the lid so you can flip it up when you are using the laptop screen, and thus have a secondary monitor available. Use it to track chat during games, torrents during movies (put the popup messages here!), or monitor your email while working on a spreadsheet.

A touch-screen or pen interface would be useful as well.

In fact, is anybody making 'info bars' or screens available for desktop use? e.g. a strip to attach to my monitor (news ticker? widgets etc.)