Microsoft Surface

[apowerr]

I first saw the video on uneasy silence : Sweet Video of MS Surface

And then learned more about it at: MS's Official Website

I think this is really cool technology and wonder if they released it to coincide with "D- All things Digital"? This technology would be awesome for Photoshop or other professional creative applications. But I also see a future for home users if they could add a built in on screen keyboard..

So, what do you guys think? (Sorry if this has already been posted, I did search for topics about it and couldnt find any.)

[jodo]

Wow! That one is marvellous! It looks just great, easy, usable. And it looks quite ready for production

For me it looks like the biggest step in user interface development since decades...just by combining already existing technologies. Thx for the link

[EFI]

I have to say it looks extremely good...from what has been shown thus far. However, there are some things to be considered.

 

1. At $5,000-$10,000 a piece...I doubt its ever going to reach the modern household anytime soon, as what the pictures and videos are conveyed at.

2. It has ethernet 10/100....but no Gigabit 1000 standard. Why it doesn't have that at this point in time...I have no clue.

3. It has 801.11 b/g....but not N. Again, why it does not have a future wireless connection technology...I have no clue, since its aimed at the year of 2008

4. Its Multi-Touch....dosen't Apple hold the patent for that for the iPhone?

5. It runs Windows Vista....what if...just what if....it throws a blue-screen during something....like at the casinoes acting as a dealer table?

6.

...and it runs on open source software. It kind of looks like Microsoft stole/copied this idea.

 

Again, it looks very good from what they've shown so far (no denying that) but I hope thats how the final product looks like.

 

Specifications source: http://www.i4u.com/article9207.html

[PowerPPC2289]

Serving drinks on a piece of technology that is most likely gonna set you back thousands cant be good.

[bubba129]

I have to say it looks extremely good...from what has been shown thus far. However, there are some things to be considered.

 

1. At $5,000-$10,000 a piece...I doubt its ever going to reach the modern household anytime soon, as what the pictures and videos are conveyed at.

2. It has ethernet 10/100....but no Gigabit 1000 standard. Why it doesn't have that at this point in time...I have no clue.

3. It has 801.11 b/g....but not N. Again, why it does not have a future wireless connection technology...I have no clue, since its aimed at the year of 2008

4. Its Multi-Touch....dosen't Apple hold the patent for that for the iPhone?

5. It runs Windows Vista....what if...just what if....it throws a blue-screen during something....like at the casinoes acting as a dealer table?

6.

...and it runs on open source software. It kind of looks like Microsoft stole/copied this idea.

 

Again, it looks very good from what they've shown so far (no denying that) but I hope thats how the final product looks like.

 

Specifications source: http://www.i4u.com/article9207.html

 

1. your right at that price yuo wont see it in someones house anytime soon, but thats not what they are going for not yet anyways.

2. does it really need gigabit its not like you are going to use it all paying a bill, streaming movies and music its just overkill, like using a shotgun to get a fly

3. my guess on this one is they are waiting for the final draft which we can hope will come out before this is avalible in homes

4. no patents are being used from other companies. Apple hold the pantent for an LCD multitouch (something like that)

5. LOL I have no debate for that one... I dont even like Vista

6. multi touch is nothing new... whats new is how its used

[Sabr]

Wow, that looks fantastic! I have seen this technology before, but the way it is being used is a completely new idea. Well done Microsoft.

 

- Sb.

[apowerr]

Thanks for the specifications EFI. This technology could be very promising for notebook workstations: i.e. it folds like normal but where the keyboard is there is a screen and where the screen is its just a cover.

I had no idea It ran Vista.. I was hoping they'd come up with a low resource OS that was optimized for that hardware. (or at least a highly modified Vista)

Like EFI said, its a shame that on something as cutting edge as surface, theres no wireless N or ethernet 10/100/1000. Hopefully MS will improve it some before it starts appearing more often.

[asstastic]

Not bad. Looks like the days when we controll our computers by just plugging a few electrodes into our brains is getting ever closer. My only gripe with this thing is that it's microsoft and it's running vista. it's fine if your photo preview and google maps clone are so easy a 3 year old could use them, but god forbid you try and do anything else on one of these systems, like check your mail or ballance your checkbook. And with the current pricetag, you're going to be doing a lot of checkbook ballancing. I want to see what you can do if you optimized a copy of photoshop or premere on one of these things. or for that matter, it wouldn't be that hard for m$ to toss in a realtime audio editor like the reacTable(do a search on youtube) for an extra thousand or so.

 

The interface also raises a lot of other questions like, how well does this thing hold up when you and four of your drunk friends are trying to look at photos of your kids, all at the same time.

 

Right now these things may be great for an overpriced gambling table as some ritzy casino, but i think by the time they make their way into the average household a lot of canges will have been made.

[dtflick]

I saw nearly the same thing about 10 months ago. Here is the link

 

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/65

 

It is virtually the same thing. Check it out.

[GBK.Xscape]

I saw nearly the same thing about 10 months ago. Here is the link

 

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/65

 

It is virtually the same thing. Check it out.

thats the same thing at EFI posted up above^^^

[Takuro]

I know there a lot of people poking fun at Vista stability, but if you really think about it, a staggering amount of purchases and digital transactions are already being handled by machines that are Windows-based. This is nothing more than a glorified touch-screen ATM, if you want to think about it that way. That being said, don't expect doomsday to arrive any time soon when you decide to order a cappuccino on a Surface table.

 

I can already see a few franchises that would absolutely love this technology. Imagine those tables in the Starbucks lounge area having touch interfaces to order your next drink. Based on their existing system of managing orders and wait periods, I think this would work outstandingly well and boost not only efficiency but profits. Imagine how innovative it would be to use these Surface tables in Walgreens when you go to the photo center. Honestly, the potential for businesses is limitless.

 

However, some of the coolest features of Surface seem like they have impracticalities hindering their use in the real world. For example, Surface can detect pricing and other information about a meal or beverage placed on the table. How do you differentiate meals and drinks? By placing a microchip in the base of a plate or cup? This would limit a specific cup to containing a specific drink, or for a specific plate to carry only a special entrée, which is very inefficient. How about creating removable microchips or chips that can be programmed on-the-fly by waiters or chefs? Would you need encryption codes that are changed on a daily basis to stop customers from reprogramming such chips? It gets very complicated very fast.

 

The biggest thing I wonder about: What happens if you spill a Coke on Surface or your knife misses its mark? These things need to be ultra-durable to work in their intended uses.

[EFI]

If its surface coating were to be extremely durable from scratches....the only material that I can think of that can handle long term abuse would be sapphire crystal, which is scratch resistant, and very expensive to purchase.

[mifki]

wow what a copy. I too remember a couple of months ago when i saw jeff hans demonstration, i have even partially built my own multi-touch screen all i need is a better fileter for my cam then its complete. But this is a copy. Microsoft, you have made me angry once again >

[Takuro]

Hey somebody had to be the first to roll out a production unit. Only MS has the sort of money to throw around to make a nerd's dream into an actuality. Would you rather have demonstrations of these streamed over the net to your computer, or would you want to see these things hands-on in real use? Most of the people who originally developed this concept were unable to transform it beyond anything more than a mere novelty.

 

Good artists copy, great artists steal.

[asstastic]

If its surface coating were to be extremely durable from scratches....the only material that I can think of that can handle long term abuse would be sapphire crystal, which is scratch resistant, and very expensive to purchase.

 

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6583

 

not exactly. i don't know how feasible the technology is for larger surfaces but scratch resistant coatings have been in the works for a while now. i'm surprised the stuff hasn't caught on yet, unless all those hardware makers have some secret agenda to force us to re-purchase scratched dvds and a new phone every year.

[robotskip]

I have to say it looks extremely good...from what has been shown thus far. However, there are some things to be considered.

 

1. At $5,000-$10,000 a piece...I doubt its ever going to reach the modern household anytime soon, as what the pictures and videos are conveyed at.

2. It has ethernet 10/100....but no Gigabit 1000 standard. Why it doesn't have that at this point in time...I have no clue.

3. It has 801.11 b/g....but not N. Again, why it does not have a future wireless connection technology...I have no clue, since its aimed at the year of 2008

4. Its Multi-Touch....dosen't Apple hold the patent for that for the iPhone?

5. It runs Windows Vista....what if...just what if....it throws a blue-screen during something....like at the casinoes acting as a dealer table?

6.

...and it runs on open source software. It kind of looks like Microsoft stole/copied this idea.

 

Again, it looks very good from what they've shown so far (no denying that) but I hope thats how the final product looks like.

 

Specifications source: http://www.i4u.com/article9207.html

1. Is there even a solid price yet ? Any most emerging tech is expensive as hell, like cell phones once where, so give it time to come donw.

2. Not needed, 1000 may not be common enough, who knows.

3. Similar 2, who knows.

4. What became Surface started in 2001.

5. Go find a clue.

6. So, a year ago is suddenly 'a long time ago' ? Like I said, Surface has it's roots in 2001, that's 5 years before 2006 if my maths is correct.

[EFI]

1. Is there even a solid price yet ? Any most emerging tech is expensive as hell, like cell phones once where, so give it time to come donw.

2. Not needed, 1000 may not be common enough, who knows.

3. Similar 2, who knows.

4. What became Surface started in 2001.

5. Go find a clue.

6. So, a year ago is suddenly 'a long time ago' ? Like I said, Surface has it's roots in 2001, that's 5 years before 2006 if my maths is correct.

 

1. Well, the price that Microsoft set was in the "range" of $5,000 to $10,000. Check my source link at the bottom. Although that value is not definate, even taking the lowest possible amount..which is $5K, is still not affordable by many, many individuals/families. I guess if this was being target predominantly at businesess (secondary target), which is not its prime target according to the videos, then this value could be justified quite easily. Also, note that this is the release price which is set to go at the end of 2007 (december according to Microsoft), so it will take 3-4 years for the price to come down I reckon.

 

2. Thats true, however this is kind of limiting, to the more developed countries in the world, where gigabit ethernet is the standard. Also becuase $5000-$10,000 is a lot of money in many countries which dont have the gigabit standard yet...its kind of limiting for future expansion, but Microsoft will probably come out with a version that has gigabit later on...so this is ok for now I guess.

 

3. Same as I said for 2

 

4. Thats true...I wonder what will happen.

 

5. Huh?

 

6. Yes, your correct, Microsoft did start surface in 2001..however it was only publicly made viewable as a hinted prototype (before it was officially called Surface) at the 2006 CES. The same time when Jeff Han previewed his. It would make sense that Jeff Han started the multi-touch machine years before he previewed it as well. In short, it doesn't look as new as it claims, I mean, the technology has already been around for quite a while, in one form or another....from grocery price checkers, ATM's, to automated carwashes. Its not a new technology for the iPhone either.

 

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6583

 

not exactly. i don't know how feasible the technology is for larger surfaces but scratch resistant coatings have been in the works for a while now. i'm surprised the stuff hasn't caught on yet, unless all those hardware makers have some secret agenda to force us to re-purchase scratched dvds and a new phone every year.

 

Ah i see, thanks for the info.

[Takuro]

1. You can't base Microsoft's target "according to the videos." Sure, the videos feature an optimistically Utopian living room where a host entertains his guest with his Surface table, but in reality that's a few years off. Business wise, Microsoft knows its primary customers are other businesses.

 

2. Again there's no need for gigabit, even provided it's available in an area. Nobody's going to use these things to do massive data transfers. For all practical uses in the first Surface models, there's little more than payment transactions being sent over its connection.

 

First rule when shipping a new product: never try to get all features done at once. This is what v2 and v3 of the product will eventually be for, and even Apple knows how this game works when it does periodic iPod and computer updates. Any intelligent corporation knows this too, even MS. It's the best way to go about things to avoid: 1) Ridiculously, exorbitantly priced new products that have yet to earn the trust of public consumer base. 2) Over-complacency with an existing product release to the point where there's no need to buy the "next big thing."

 

3. Ok, I admit it should probably have 802.11n, but not for the transfer speeds, but for the better reception coverage and improved security of this new spec. However, they probably decided to play the "buy an updated version later" game and include a more finalized spec ("g"), not a draft (which "n" currently is.)

 

4. Both the iPhone and Surface can coexist so long as the underpinnings of their pressure-point sensing technology is different to a degree. I doubt Apple can copyright the concept of two-finger manipulation, but they can copyright the term "multi-touch." Believe me, in a few years so many other products will contain similar technology that it'd be futile to bring lawsuits. It'd be the future equivalent to modern scenario of suing every company that decided to give their computers a keyboard, mouse, and GUI.

 

5. Again: So many things already rely on Windows-based systems, but the apocalypse hasn't happened yet. No reason to expect it now.

 

6. Technology is undoubtedly heading in this direction regardless of who claims they were the first to think of it, showcase it, or manufacture it. Again, as in #4, although MS and Apple are the first to use advanced touch screens in commercial products, there are probably many other products that will flood in from other companies in the next 5 years.

[sandmanfvrga]

A $5,000 to $10,000 table that may give you a blue screen of death while you drink you coffee/eat your food/etc. !! Yep, the "wow" has started!

 

Seriously, to high for many places unless in large cities. Plus what happens if you drop something on it and it breaks? Talk about taking an employees paycheck for MANY weeks to pay for it and then what about customers? Nice and interesting, but not very practical.

[robotskip]

Yeah, because every single new piece of technology started off cheap, accessible and practical. When cell phones were created they were not huge, expensive, barely portable, lacking any features, etc. Oh, and when computers were first made they did not cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and fill a large room.

 

And what happens if you drop something ? How bloody stupid is that ? What happens if I drop my cell phone, what happens if I drop my iPod, what happens if someone throws something at my LCD, what happens if I accidentyally let go of my Wiimote.

 

You're just looking for a petty angle to bash Microsoft and the bottom line is, how often does 'big' things in technology start off cheap, accessible and practical and while there may be cool demos for stuff like this, who is bringing it to the world ? Microsoft is the one pushing it and if someone like MS starts pushing a new tech you'll be damned sure most of the world will take notice and react or act. And about 'what if I break it' - well, as I pointed out, that's just an amazingly dumb thing to say and to try and single out a MS product.

 

In 1995, Microsoft researcher Bill Buxton develops a multi-handed interactive tabletop surface with the Input Research Group at the University of Toronto. The device, “the interactive desk,” was a three-foot diagonal drafting table–like surface capable of sensing high-resolution input by using a stylus in one hand and simultaneously optically sensing (using a video camera) the pose and position of the other hand on the surface, so as to enable it to manipulate graphical objects with the other.

So, apparently Surface has it's roots almost a decade before the demo at TED.

[dtflick]

thats the same thing at EFI posted up above^^^

 

Sorry. I'm a dumbass. Don't know how I missed it. I humbly beg all of you for forgiveness.

 

 

C'mon, I'm begging. Please forgive me!

[Tried]

looks very very promising... amazing... i wonder how apple will respond to this... or if apple is even interested in such a market...

[user2]

It's mind bottling

[apowerr]

It's mind bottling

I liked Blades of Glory (If thats what your refering to) but it was another typical Will Ferrel Movie. i.e. Ferrel starts off as a hero in his profession, screws up and has to return to the top.

[sandmanfvrga]

Robotskip, enough calling me or others stupid ok little boy? YES, in the consumer world you do drop glasses and {censored}, what happens to the damage to the Surface machine from kids and stuff? That is a real factor here, though you don't understand that. I still wonder what your purpose here is.