"Microsoft's Xbox 360 to lead high-definition entertainment: Bill Gates

Bill Gates is gambling big on the digital media where devices, services and applications can be made to work seamlessly. And the Microsoft chairman is using the platform at the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to demonstrate his company's vision with key consumer products such as Xbox 360.

In his 10th annual keynote address at the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Gates demonstrated how Microsoft Windows Vista, Xbox 360, new mobile devices and the emerging wave of software-based services will deliver more connected and personalised experiences for consumers.

Gates said that the consumer electronics industry is poised to deliver a quantum leap forward in rich, interactive, high-definition experiences. “Technology has revolutionised how we listen to music, watch TV, play games, communicate, and manage and share personal information. In the years ahead, further exciting innovations will unify the software, hardware and services in people’s lives, offering them even richer, more engaging and deeply connected experiences.”

In the first broad demonstration of Windows Vista for consumers, Gates showed how Microsoft’s next-generation operating system, due later this year, will offer customers powerful new advances in security, search capability and digital entertainment. He highlighted how Windows Vista will bring clarity to customers’ digital world and help them easily accomplish everyday tasks, instantly find what they want, enjoy the latest in entertainment, keep their personal information safe, and stay connected at home or on the go.

He highlighted some of the most compelling consumer-oriented features of Windows Vista, including a sleek user interface, richer multitasking experiences and deep integration of search throughout the operating system. He also showed the new Windows Photo Gallery, which will make managing and working with digital photos easier.

He showcased the most advanced Windows games platform for everyone from casual players to hard-core gamers, including stunning graphics capabilities, by premiering Microsoft Games Studios’ forthcoming “Flight Simulator X,” the most realistic flight simulator in the franchise’s 25-year history.

Gates was joined onstage by MTV Networks’ Music Group president Van Toffler to showcase the forthcoming Ugre digital music service, which is designed to bring people’s emotional connections with music to the forefront of the digital entertainment experience. Urge will give users of Windows Media Player 11 instant access to more than two million songs from major and independent labels as well as MTV programming and content." [more]