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Microsoft: Productivity Future Vision

Microsoft in Business
Demos
YouTube
1 HN user recommended this demo1 month2017–2021 score 1
Years with an HN recommendation, 2007–2026

Cited as an example of corporate future-concept videos, sometimes appreciated for its ideas and sometimes used as a cautionary comparison.

Microsoft's 2015 concept video imagining how ubiquitous computing, collaboration services and data analytics might change work 5-10 years later.

“look at the Microsoft Future Vision concepts for some quite interesting ideas” (HN, 2020)

1 recommendations · 1 citations · 1 critical · Demos · partly dated

3 Hacker News comments

From the HN archive; up to 20 kept per video, favoring different commenters. Recommendations first.

@neilalexander Dec 2020 Recommends
on HN thread Fantasy UI
Read more
If you haven’t seen them, look at the Microsoft Future Vision concepts for some quite interesting ideas: [this video] [link] To me, what makes these fantasy UIs compelling is that they are usually extremely context-aware and content-aware. We haven’t quite worked out how to make real world computers work that way yet. We’re still very much tied to paradigms that are ultimately easier for the computer (apps, windows, menus, files) as opposed to things that are natural to humans. If I have one hope for ML, it’s that hopefully it will bring some context-awareness to computing so that the content becomes the user interface.
Context-aware fantasy UI ideas from Microsoft.

Citations, criticism and jokes

@spookyuser May 2017 Cites it
on HN thread Xperia Touch makes any surface interactive
I have no idea how well this works in real life. But if the interactive surface is even close to what the video shows then isn't a big portion of the microsoft future concept video [1] fulfilled? [1] [this video]
Microsoft future concept video compared to Xperia Touch.
@bredren Oct 2021 Pushes back
on HN thread Facebook Renames to Meta
Read more
Couple quick things: Zuck's speaking has improved an incredible amount. So, props there. Zuck's said a few variations of "building blocks are there" or "it is coming together" but also, "Even though it is still a long way off..." This projection / demo video of the metaverse seems like a distraction to me. If FB doesn't have this to deliver, it is a lot like the old microsoft product concept videos. [1] What is the intent? To see Zuck as a visionary? Does his speaking deeply on this subject attempt to position him / Meta as an authority? Unless Facebook / Meta is setting expectations way lower than where they're about to deliver, I don't see how this will be viewed as anything other than a temporary salve to fill the vacuum sucking oxygen out of Facebook. [1] [this video]

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