CEOs go ga-ga over gadget

Associated Press

SEATTLE — They came to network, to talk about leadership strategies — and of course to dine at Bill Gates’ house.

But what really seemed to get the Who’s Who of the business world excited was the chance to play with What’s Hot in technology.

Carrying electronic tablets that looked more like Etch-a-Sketch screens than personal computers, about 100 chief executive officers from as far away as South Africa got the chance Wednesday to test Microsoft’s soon-to-be-launched Tablet PC during the sixth annual CEO summit at the software giant’s Redmond campus.

The tablet, which Microsoft and several hardware manufacturers plan to launch in October, is a portable personal computer that combines the simplicity of a notepad and pen with the functionality of a laptop.

The Tablet PC is a more "natural" way for people to use technology, said Gates, who focused on the product in his opening address. Users can share information, such as photos, connect wirelessly to the Internet, write e-mails and scrawl notes that the handwriting recognition technology can transform into type — provided the handwriting is sufficiently clear.

"I think the nuns would be proud of me," quipped A.G. Lafley, chief executive of Procter and Gamble, noting his legible script. He said he liked the new gadget’s ease and versatility.

The Tablet PCs are expected to sell in the $1,600 to $2,200 range.

Among those attending the summit, whose theme is "Navigating the Unpredictable: Road Rules for the New Normalcy" were Disney’s Michael Eisner, Hewlett Packard Co.’s Carly Fiorina, Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett and Sizwe Nxasana of Telkom South Africa.

The summit, which concludes today, focuses on consumer behavior, leadership challenges facing chief executives and security and privacy in computing systems.

The executives also were invited to dine at the Gates mansion, where the menu featured a Washington asparagus salad, a choice of grilled halibut or rack of lamb and Washington wines.

Gates told his audience that technology is not meeting its potential within business. Not only do people need more intuitive ways of using technology, but there are too many boundaries that make it difficult for different systems or different software applications to communicate.

He promoted the XML programming standard as "the answer" to making technology more functional and simpler in the future. XML, or extensible markup language, is a universal programming language developed by a consortium of developers, companies and others that helps different computer languages talk with one another.

But Gates cautioned that despite Microsoft’s investment in making its software XML compatible — an investment that could top $10 billion in the next few years — XML cannot succeed without widespread support.

"If you go down this road, and only one company goes down this road, it’s really a dead end," he said.