JR: Yeah. The operative word for Windows CE is "connected". So Windows CE will make it easier for WebTV to fit within this broader connected environment. It's picking up all of that great networking infrastructure within Windows CE. But WebTV will still create is own distinct television user experience. Not too dissimilar, as I mentioned, from Sega. When you buy the Dreamcast, they're controlling that entertainment experience. But it just so happens that when you run a Windows CE game that you're using Windows CE. And that's transparent to the user.

DG: On a personal level we just think those things are so cool. Speaking of coolness, one of the things that we try to do in these interviews is point out the really interesting stuff. Can you tell us some of the coolest uses of Windows CE, some of the neatest devices, the things you wouldn't expect?

JR: One of the things that I find really fascinating with Windows CE is all of the wireless capabilities of it. Within this building at Microsoft, I have a wireless modem that I plug into my device so that I can be in a meeting and essentially be totally connected to the network. I'm wirelessly connected to the corporate network and can go out to the Internet if I want, at about 4 megabits per second. It's a little bit less than half of a traditional Ethernet connection, but very, very good. There are cards that plug into my device so you can go out and make a wireless connection as well, out into the broader world. So I am essentially always connected, always able to get information, always able to send and receive email, check scheduling, etc. So I find that to be fascinating. A lot of our corporate users are using those sort of wireless connections to check inventory or place orders if they're out on the road. You know, perfect for people in the pharmaceutical field. We have a deal with a company that's using it for their sales people in terms of stock and rotating shelving and they make wireless connections. They're improving their efficiency by about 3x. So I think wireless, as a whole, is very exciting and very cool within Windows CE.

In terms of sort of the "wow factor" and going to the other extreme, in upcoming versions of Windows CE in the Palm-sized area, actually the new color devices that are shipping are pretty wild. And they play MP3 music. So you're essentially able to download music onto your Windows CE device, plug it into earphones and get stereo music on your little Palm-sized device. That's sort of "wow", and cool, and something people probably haven't associated with it as of yet.

The last thing I would mention that's on the horizon is this ability to use ClearType. ClearType is this technology that came out of Microsoft research that uses all sorts of advanced algorithms that really smart guys figured out. ClearType improves the font clarity by about three times. So you're going to get very, very clear text on that screen. And what that will enable, really, is a whole new generation of these electronic books so that you'll be able to download things and read it off of these appliance devices with incredible clarity. I think that's another really exciting direction.