Microsoft's Mira: Love it or hate it

COMMENTARY-- There's bound to be trouble whenever a technology goes looking for a market. One consequence will be the crowd of naysayers ready to dis sight-unseen the performance, price, and worthiness of the forthcoming product. Such was the case with your TalkBacks about Microsoft's portable touchpad and LCD combination, dubbed Mira.

In a recent column, my colleague David Coursey wrote that the wireless monitor might cost between $500 and $800. "Depending on the specific model, you could use Mira as your regular everyday screen or as an adjunct to your standard monitor. The idea is that Mira will let you carry your PC with you around the house or office, providing continuous access to your apps and the Net from wherever you happen to be."

WHILE MIRA'S flexible potential sounded great, many of you questioned whether the device could stand up to the demands of real-world computing, even for a supposedly simple task such as Web surfing. And its reliance on pen input was a serious sticking point.

"It's obvious that a keyboard is a requirement for anyone who wants to really use their computer. I use keyboard hot keys all the time. Just try writing e-mail with a [pen] interface," John Doe argued. "Microsoft (and many other companies) gets ahold of what seems like a good idea, they make it a reality, and then they  never use it. So they don't realize that some things sound good on paper, but they just suck for realistic day-to-day use."

"The problem with Mira is that it's a device looking for a problem. Why tote a screen around the house with you? It's too small for real work, yet too big to be convenient," Fred Fredrickson wrote. "I'd rather have a TV-sized monitor that stayed put (more or less), and the [portable] device would be the size of a PDA. I'd use it for music or as a phone, maybe videoconferencing (you really only need a small screen), and controlling the TV--both the monitor and the server."

ON THE OTHER HAND, many of you countered that Mira is simply an adjunct to a computer, not a replacement. Microsoft (à la Apple) was asking folks to think different. At the same time, even Mira's supporters considered its price range a bit steep. Or considerably so.

"Probably two-thirds of the time, people sit at their PCs doing something [they could do] on the couch, chair, or bed if they had one of these devices. Just think: no files to transfer, no programs to load, no extra licenses to buy--just use it like your desktop without a keyboard," David Von Arb offered. "Why do we sit at a desk to surf the Internet or do our finances on the computer? Because we have to. If Microsoft does this right, using the built-in Windows XP remote desktop, Mira will serve as a second PC as well. In five years, most homes will have one desktop PC/server and one or more of these devices."

"I like the idea, because you are using software that you don't have to license for another computer, and upgrading the host computer is kind of like upgrading the Mira, too! Also, you don't have to install and reconfigure software--a big plus when you have specialized software for work on one of your machines," Steve Firestone remarked. He added with some irony that "just as Microsoft is cracking down on software being used on more than one machine, they are working on a device that uses the software (and hardware) on another computer."

"Does Microsoft really think that Mira is worth $500-$800?" Bradley Jones pondered. "Mira sounds like a good idea, but it will have to be more economical than that."

Meanwhile, MG Darrell directed us to Philips's Detachable Monitor, a WiFi display weighing about two pounds that was announced last week at CeBit.

CERTAINLY, price, performance, and robustness will be keys to any success for the Mira-class devices. The possibilities of extending the desktop are attractive. Still, I have many reservations about their acceptance in the market.

When released, manufacturers should forget the kitchen as a possible demonstration site. Is there a worse place for any non-hardened military-grade computing device?

Few screens can withstand a constant spray of grease or spills (and the required washing); and few computers can stand the high ambient moisture. Or the direct flame of the stove. Or a fall to the floor. That's the environment I want for my $800 display?

Anyway, I've rarely encountered any recipe that couldn't be scrawled on a Post-it note. With this lowest form of technology, there's no worry about my investment--it will easily survive the inevitable stray dollop of pesto.

So, what do you think? Does Mira sound like a great invention or one that's doomed to fail? TalkBack to me below.

David Morgenstern, past editor of eMediaweekly and MacWEEK, is a freelance editor and branding consultant based in San Francisco.