Microsoft Introduces Consumer Electronics-Plus Era at CES
Gates Eyes Trend Toward New, Smarter Devices and Personal Networks For Unprecedented Convenience and Choice In Information Access, Entertainment and Home Management

LAS VEGAS -- Jan. 5, 2000 -- In a keynote address at CES 2000 International, Microsoft Corp. Chairman and CEO Bill Gates demonstrated a new era in consumer electronics that will give consumers personalized, convenient access to their favorite music, news, entertainment, family photos, personal calendars and e-mail through an array of consumer electronics including televisions, telephones, home and car stereos, and Pocket PCs, from almost any location.

"The year 2000 ushers in the 'consumer electronics-plus' era, a defining moment in computing when software will enable new services and new tools for consumers, simply and easily," Gates said.

For the first time, Gates said, people will access over the Internet their favorite music, books, videos, and friends and family from their homes, cars, offices, malls and even outdoors. People will be able to choose from any number of devices for access to television shows, electronic messages and videoconferencing, and for streamlining mundane household tasks.

Gates' keynote builds on Microsoft's vision for creating software and services that empower people any time, anywhere and from any device - a theme reinforced by Microsoft's booth at CES, which depicts people using technology in their daily lives at home and on the road.

Gates also emphasized how access to core services is becoming increasingly available from a wider range of devices and vendors based on the broad standards efforts that Microsoft and its industry partners are supporting, including the core Internet standards, digital television standards, and home networking standards.

Gates grouped the areas in which people can experience clear benefits into information and communication, entertainment and home automation and security:

Announcements at CES

Gates also touched on several news announcements that further support the company's vision of computing made easier any time, anywhere and on any device. In support of consumers, and of the technology to improve consumers' lives, the company did the following:

Separately at MacWorld today, Microsoft unveiled the Internet Explorer 5 browser software, Macintosh Edition, and announced a time line for products supporting Apple's next operating system, OS X, including Office, Internet Explorer and the Outlook® Express messaging and collaboration client.


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