Inside Microsoft Hardware
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yep, here we are… MSs Corporate Campus
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Regular readers of this site will know that about a month ago (sep 12-15 2006) I went to Redmond WA to visit Microsoft. I was sent there to have a look at the new hardware Microsofts hardware-division came up with and no, that hadn’t anything to do with the Zune. The Zune, as far as I know, isn’t developed where I was. (and I didn’t get to see it)
The highlights of products which I got see at first hand were the:
Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000
Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000
Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000
Habu – Laser Gaming Mouse
LifeCam NX-6000
...but on this site it seems inappropiate to review the exact hardware since this isn’t a news and/or reviewsite, so I won’t *^_^*
There was enough to see besides the new mice and keyboards. For me, the main motivation to accept the invitation was to be able to see the inside of Redmond and I can tell you, it’s interesting, if you either love or hate what they’re doing.
So, what you get to see here is everything else I saw and my personal view (literally, since I took all these photos) on my few days in Redmond…
I got submerged into Microsoft-country by this…
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My hotel-registration… Oh man, if I only would’ve been a MS-fanboy, I would’ve wetted myself!!! *^_^*
When I arrived at the Campus, the soda-machine gave me this…
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...and somehow the hardware-guys know what a solid mail-client looks like…
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They also have their own sense of security (I really tried to get a better picture of such a Microsoft Security truck, but this is the best I got…)
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Although, talking about security, I was surprised to see PuTTY installed on everyone of the internet-kiosk-PCs so I could log in to my server secure by the means of SSH…
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...although I did have a brief try getting onto the network with MacStumbler but after a sip of Microsofts own brewn Starbucks-coffee I thought I better pay attention to the lecture I was sitting…
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There were lot’s of lectures/presentations/keynotes etc. but for me the most interesting part of it all were the lab-tours.
The Lab Tours
As a part of my few days on the Campus, I got to get a tour through some laboratories which are used to develop their hardware. This still is only a glimpse of what I got to see, but still, it’s a glimpse of a place which hardly opens it’s doors to the public.
The Reliability Lab
In the Reliability Lab every new made device gets some thorough testing before it will make it into production.
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A specific mouse-testing device…
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I was glad to see this… a solder gun in Redmond! ^_^
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This is a high-speed camera which is able to record what happens to a certain device when you, for instance, drop it.
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I’m not sure what this was, it looked like they had put leds into a oven… Maybe a reliability test of some LED throwies?
The Interaction Lab (UI Studio)
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The Interaction Lab or the User Interaction Studio is the place where they design/try out all kinds of new designs…
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...Some early sketches of the Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000
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...and a lot of models of the Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000
The Acoustic Lab
This lab was located in the parking lot of one of the buildings. They have some sort of sound-proof room where they can test new equipment on resonations and such.
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This is the main setup, with a speaker to generate all kinds of tones and a highly sensitive microphone to record what is actually happening to the device hanging in front of the speaker…
The Model Shop
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I guess this was the most interesting lab I saw. It was also located in the parking lot(!) and these guys really have the tools.
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This is a computer-aided-manufacturing device… what’s on the screen here…
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...gets for real overhere…
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These are some of the end-results.
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This is a lasercutter, with which you could etch a powerbook...
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...but overhere they rather make Master Chief from HALO…
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...although they seem to have some trouble getting his head right.
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...this is a mock-up of the later Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000
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...and some very early mouse-models.
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...more photos of the machinery…
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..and a typical Model Maker’s desk…
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...and then some…
Although I loved to take a look inside these labs, I spent most of my time at this conference center for the presentations/keynotes and the like…
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But all together it was a wonderful trip and for me a unique view inside Redmond. Luckily the emphasization of this trip was hardware and not software and really, I do mean that.
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...but I got briefed all right about what Microsoft thinks the future will hold.
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...and then, on one of the more leisure parts of the trip, we passed Bill G.’s house… This was not something I ever expected to do…
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...although I think it’s a shame Bill didn’t get to see my t-shirt… *^_^*
(but all the other MS-people I met, probably did… I carried quite some with me… a fresh one each day!)
Verdict? Well, if there is any… The people I met in Redmond are okay. The hardware-guys and girls are really okay. They really are. And my view about the company? I don’t know… I think I’m gonna agree with Cory Doctorow a few days ago on BoingBoing
...it’s this kind of weird alchemy that turns great people doing great work into a kind of fumbling evil.
...It can’t possibly be good for your soul to work hard and have nothing good come of it.
Well, those are some words about Microsoft in general. I think the hardware-division really have their act together and I loved spending a few days there. If the hardware-division would’ve been a separate company it would be a lovely hardware-company although I don’t think a separate company could come up with nearly $7 billion dollar annual budget for what they produce. So, imho that’s the problem with this… I love the hardware-division like it is, but because of it being a bigger part of Microsoft and being funded that way, it’s not my kind of company…
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you can find all of my projects overhere
Hi,
I bought the wireless notebook 8000 presenter but the presentation controls don’t work with powerpoint viewer 2007. I spoke withMs support but they told me as my mouse is OEM I didn´t get any support. As you know the Lab guys can you help me?
Thanks in advance,
Best regards,
Fernando Lopes
WoW Nice article
thanks
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