Engineering Blog!

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It is reported that Microsoft has a 7” gaming tablet in development that will be called the Xbox Surface. The Xbox Surface will run a custom version of Windows and will be focused on gaming. The new tablet is expected to be launched ahead of the Xbox 720 if the project doesn’t get killed in favor of a 7” Windows tablet.

Bill Gates, losing on his own idea? October 26th, 2012 Microsoft released its Surface tablet, but was it 21 years in the making? In 1991 Bill Gates released his tablet of the future, a tablet running Windows 3.1. While it doesn’t sound like much in comparison to today’s windows 8, this tablet was much ahead of its time. Gates was introducing the first ever tablet in pen computing, something very commonly used today. He wanted to market his tablet as being common to the everyday person. Convenient enough to take any where and capable of handling information efficiently; All while being the first tablet interface for Windows. An idea clearly headed in the direction of the future.

Then Apple changes everything in 2010, when they release the iPad. A tablet capable all the common users needs. But had they stolen the idea? When asked directly Gates didn’t have much to say, he was uncomfortable, Apple had marketed his idea before he even had the chance to execute it. So, has Microsoft created Windows 8 to force development of their original vision? Many great ideas are ahead of their time and if people can learn to re-imagine them these old ideas become an inspiration when the timing is right.

(Bill Gates presenting his original pen computing tablet running Windows 3.1 back in 1991)