Smart Display Work Stops

Work on the next Smart Display portable display version has been suspended, according to Microsoft. Designed to enable users to access PCs remotely (such as from the kitchen or a bedroom), Smart Displays are portable flat-panel monitors which accept input from a stylus and use a built-in 802.11b wireless connection to connect to a host PC. Microsoft had hoped that Smart Displays would expand PC use to more relaxed settings than the home office, but says it will now be pursuing other products to do so.

Smart Displays were hampered by their high price in comparison with LCD panels. (Smart Display costs were kept high in an attempt to partially recover costs of development, as well as the included processor and wireless hardware, at the same time that falling LCD panel costs made notebooks and Tablets more appealing to consumers.) Smart Displays also faced technical limitations. For example, using a Smart Display disables the host PC for other users, and Smart Displays cannot be used for certain bandwidth-intensive functions, such as watching video. Microsoft had planned to address such limitations in future versions, but poor sales and the lower costs for full-featured computers appear to have driven the decision to suspend any further Smart Display development.