Microsoft Research demonstrated a new street-level image viewing option that way better than Google Maps Street View last week.
From Microsoft Reasearch:
“Street Slide is a novel browsing interface for street-level imagery that combines the best aspects of the immersive nature of “bubbles” with the overview provided by multiperspective strip panoramas, figures to attract significant interest, in large part because of the ingenious way in which Microsoft Researchers tackle problems with current street-side imagery on the web.”
This looks great, but Microsoft is great at teasing us by showing us really clever technologies that they have developed. The problem is that they tend to show us these great ideas well before they can deliver them to customers. One example would be MS Surface.
Google and Apple, on the other hand, tend to develop without any public updates or rumors and then drop a new product (mainly for increased hype). Pretty much saying, “Look at this cool technology! It’s ready for you to use”.
Both business approaches have their own merits, but it seems like Microsoft previews these amazing technologies to far in advance of launch, if they launch at all. Basically showing their hand to the competitors and giving them time to develop a competing product doesn’t seem like a smart business strategy.
What do you think of Microsoft’s new Street Slide?
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