Microsoft toilet troubles continue

Prototype developed 'toilet' characteristics - but how?

By Andrew Orlowski in San Francisco • Get more from this author

Posted in Bootnotes, 14th May 2003 08:20 GMT

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Analysis Troubling questions are being asked about Microsoft's toilet initiative.

MSNBC, the news channel co-owned by Microsoft and General Electric, has published a story denying that Microsoft's WiFi toilet was a hoax. We reported Microsoft's toilet statement here earlier this morning.

"We jumped the gun basically yesterday in confirming that it was a hoax, and in fact it was not," said Lisa Gurry, MSN group product manager, we learn from MSNBC.

She adds:

"Definitely, we're going to be taking a good look at our communication processes internally."

And a very good look at their toilets, we hope, too.

Rumors of a false toilet were entirely unfounded, the sleuths at MSNBC reckon. The Microsoft toilet is palpably real:-

"On Tuesday, though, Microsoft said it had relied on bad information from a Microsoft employee in the United Kingdom who said it was a hoax,"

"After more talks with people in London, the company determined it was a real project, after all."

So, what's that supposed to mean? One minute it was say, a server, and the next it was a toilet? Apparently so, MSNBC wants us to believe.

"The company had said it was building a prototype and was in the process of converting a portable toilet."

Now that's what we call multifunctional. How did this happen, exactly? At this point, questions begin to multiply.

A prototype, of what, exactly? Let's say, this was a Network Storage Appliance that was being prototyped. At some point did someone really think - 'hey, let's add some plumbing, hook it up to the water mains, and give it a seat you can crap through?'

This is very hard to believe. If Microsoft is planning to give Armitage Shanks a high-tech run for its money, it's time to show us real porcelain.

It's now or never: Redmond must show us the toilet. ®

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