Making computing simpler

THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION MAY DIFFER SLIGHTLY FROM PRINTED VERSION

(PHOTO)

To log onto the new Microsoft prototype computer Athens, the user simply inserts a special plug into the side of the screen and touches a fingerprint reader.* The keyboard and mouse are not only wireless but also charge their batteries when docked to the monitor.

* In the frame around the display, lights indicate whether messages await the user. Those are lit even when the monitor is in screen-saver mode.

* If a user is listening to music and the Internet phone rings, the tunes stop playing when the handset is lifted. The music starts again once the call is complete.

* In video conferencing, the window showing the other party is displayed adjacent to the camera, so that the user appears to be looking the other person in the eye.