Finally, Microsoft Creates Something Useful.

[Barnes]

This actually pretty cool and they will make a boatload licensing this out.

Instaload allows you to put batteries in anyway you want.



http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-20...html?tag=mncol

[mykalberta]

Why would they even waste money designing that?

[Frank MetaMusil]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

Why would they even waste money designing that?

You've never experienced replacing dead batteries and then finished screwing the battery door back in.....only to find out they are in backwards?

IMO it's something which rids me of yet another one of life's little annoyances.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Frank MetaMusil

You've never experienced replacing dead batteries and then finished screwing the battery door back in.....only to find out they are in backwards?

I actually don't think I've ever seen a device that doesn't have that little "map" showing you which way they go in.

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by ken0042

I actually don't think I've ever seen a device that doesn't have that little "map" showing you which way they go in.

But if you are any kind of a man, you ignored it and put the batteries in wrong anyways.

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by Frank MetaMusil

You've never experienced replacing dead batteries and then finished screwing the battery door back in.....only to find out they are in backwards?

IMO it's something which rids me of yet another one of life's little annoyances.

I guess the + and - signs have never confused me.

I am not saying its a terrible design, I am just wondering why MICROSOFT is wasting money designing it when they could have spent that money on better Kin development.

[Azure]

I'd say they have enough money to do both.

[mykalberta]

I'd say its a perfect example of the problems that exist there. No focus on core business or anything relates to their core business. Unless of course people are have a hard time putting batteries into mice and keyboards

[Hack&Lube]

The Chinese will have copied it in about... now.

Man...the implications of this. Our children won't have to know positive from negative.

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

I'd say its a perfect example of the problems that exist there. No focus on core business or anything relates to their core business. Unless of course people are have a hard time putting batteries into mice and keyboards

I really doubt that there was a dedicated project for this. It was probably some guy tinkering on a piece of hardware, had an idea, bosses liked it so they patented it and will now license it.

[Flames0910]

This is so so awesome.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by ken0042

I actually don't think I've ever seen a device that doesn't have that little "map" showing you which way they go in.

Give yourself a few more years when you need bi-focals, the lighting isn't that good and the device isn't clearly marked.

[sclitheroe]

What a crock of BS...there's nothing special or innovative about this at all - the devices need to be compatible with instaload batteries to take advantage of the fact that the cells have two sets of contacts at each end.

"Hi, we're Microsoft. We're going to ask the battery manufacturers to change the design of their batteries. Then, we're going to ask the device manufacturers to change their devices. Then, we're going to call ourselves innovative"

If anything, this is going to cause more frustration and/or damage to legacy devices when people buy instaload batteries and carelessly throw them into the devices without checking first.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

What a crock of BS...there's nothing special or innovative about this at all - the devices need to be compatible with instaload batteries to take advantage of the fact that the cells have two sets of contacts at each end.

"Hi, we're Microsoft. We're going to ask the battery manufacturers to change the design of their batteries. Then, we're going to ask the device manufacturers to change their devices. Then, we're going to call ourselves innovative"

If anything, this is going to cause more frustration and/or damage to legacy devices when people buy instaload batteries and carelessly throw them into the devices without checking first.

I LOL at all the dumb comments in the article. I hope you didn't read those same comments instead of the article and base your opinion off of them? Because you are wrong.

If you read the article, you'll realize that the batteries are staying the same. It's the device(s) that will have a pair of contacts in each end.

Microsoft said InstaLoad can work with any cylindrical battery, disposable or rechargeable, including any standard ones like AA, AAA, C, and D cells, as well as less common ones like those used in some cameras.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

I LOL at all the dumb comments in the article. I hope you didn't read those same comments instead of the article and base your opinion off of them? Because you are wrong.

If you read the article, you'll realize that the batteries are staying the same. It's the device(s) that will have a pair of contacts in each end.

Yeah, I stand corrected. From the diagram here: http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mo...doverview.mspx I inferred that the batteries played a roll too.

You gotta admit though, its a lot of press about essentially nothing. I wonder if there will be prior art claims - I find it hard to believe this is the first time anyone has ever considered doing this.

[onetwo_threefour]

for anyone who as ever tried to put new batteries in a flashlight in the middle of the night.

That killed me because I instantly thought it's probably the one example where this may not work since the batteries themselves are touching to complete the circuit in a normal cylindrical flashlight and I highly doubt that this concept will work if the only thing touching contacts are two negative poles or two positive poles if you don't insert the batteries in the same direction at least...

eg.

+ -|+ - or - +|- + will work

but

+ -|- + or - +|+ - will not

[flamesfan6]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

Yeah, I stand corrected. From the diagram here: http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mo...doverview.mspx I inferred that the batteries played a roll too.

You gotta admit though, its a lot of press about essentially nothing. I wonder if there will be prior art claims - I find it hard to believe this is the first time anyone has ever considered doing this.

Trying to do it, and actually doing it are 2 different things. If microsoft has the patent for it then, the people who would try the claim would lose completely