By Michael Kanellos, 7 May 2003 10:06
NEWS Bill Gates has announced Microsoft's intention to release future version of Windows which interoperate with telephones and other communications devices. In future versions of Windows, phone calls will be routed through the PC, while voice messages will be turned into emails that can be read. Email will also serve as an application for delivering voice messages, Gates said in a keynote speech delivered at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) in New Orleans. Gates said: "In Windows you are going to see a lot of enhancements in real-time communication." Meanwhile, Gates reiterated his assertion that the PC is the most advanced technology for delivering new applications. "There is no way anyone can say that the PC isn't the highest-performing platform for any application," he said. Gates said the combination of computing and communications devices will make it easier for people to screen calls. In an application demonstrated on the Athens PC prototype during his speech, Gates showed how a picture of a caller, emails on the PC from that caller, and a history of interaction with that caller could all be displayed on a PC. The PC owner could then decide to take the call or, after looking at who is calling, send it to voice mail. Gates said that Windows devices in the future will come with a new navigational tool he called Xeel. Xeel is a series of navigation buttons, stacked vertically, that will execute commands when pushed in or when shifted toward one of four compass points. Michael Kanellos writes for News.com
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