Voice input will catch on more rapidly than graphics did

Date: October 1994

Snippet
From: Bill Gates

To: Bernard Vergnes: Brian Fleming; Chris Peters; Hank Virgil; Jeff Raiks; Joachim Kempin; John Neilson; Lewis Levin; Mike Brown; Mike Maples; Pate Higgins; Pete Pathe; Richard Fade; Steve Ballmer

Cc: Bill Gates; Executive Staff and Direct Reports Subject: "Sea Change" brings oppurtunity Date: Thursday, October 06, 1994 11:35 PM

This memo looks at the opportunities created for DAD and other groups over the next decade as the

framework of computing changes.

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One "sea change" that is still at least three years away but probably not more than 6 years away is the move to extensive use of voice input. This will catch on more rapidly than graphics did. This will have a deep effect on Office. This is one we should be spending time on today.

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I still believe that once tablet sized computing has the right accuracy and physical characteristics that pen based computing will be successful and that either mainstream applications will address this or a new category will emerge.

Full Exhibit
http://boycottnovell.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/px02157.pdf