Microsoft Corp chairman Bill Gates may have spent billions of dollars creating the ultimate high-tech home, but even he cannot help moaning about the limitations of technology. At a lecture last month at the Manhattan Institute of Policy Research, Gates admitted that the reproduction of text on computer monitors still has a long way to go before it can rival the printed word, and that he loses patience when reading screen documents of more than four or five pages, forcing him to reach for the print button. While he firmly believes portable ‘e-book’ devices will eventually take the place of print, he said there are a number of technological barriers that still need to be addressed. The batteries last forever when you have information on paper, he admitted.
