Have You Heard Of Microsoft Surface? New Technology

[xavierkym 0]

 

Overview:

 

Surface is essentially a Windows Vista PC tucked inside a table, topped with a 30-inch reflective surface in a clear acrylic frame. Prices will reportedly be $5,000 to $10,000 per unit. However Microsoft said it expects prices to drop enough to make consumer versions feasible in 3 to 5 years.

 

Surface is a 30-inch (76 cm) display in a table-like form factor, 22 inches (56 cm) high, 21 inches (53 cm) deep, and 42 inches (107 cm) wide. The Surface tabletop is acrylic, and its interior frame is powder-coated steel. The software platform runs on Windows Vista and has wired Ethernet 10/100, wireless 802.11 b/g, and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity. [Read More]

Features:

 

Microsoft notes four main components being important in Surface's interface: direct interaction, multi-touch contact, a multi-user experience, and object recognition.

 

See image below..

Here's a video clip for the MS Surface Demo

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[t3jem 0]

I saw a thing about this a few months ago, it's pretty sweet, but it's built for businesses right now. Perhaps when I get bluetooth in all my devices and microsoft makes a decent operating system that will work with it I just may get it for the multimedia factor, but until then, I'm just going to stick with my multimonitors and big screen tv.

[Thingcubed 0]

It seems like you could have a lot of fun with something like this. With the whole multi-touch thing going on you could probably develop some sort of multi-player game on there (entertaining version of pong anyone?). Also, doing artwork on something like that would be interesting as well, sortof like having a large canvas to paint on.

[hippiman 0]

I think that would be pretty cool, but I wouldn't want one personally. I would probably spill something on it or something stupid like that, and I would probably get a kink in my neck from looking down at it too long.
That looks like something that is meant to stay with the businesses.

I saw a spoof of their commercial on youtube, too: Microsoft Surface Parody
SarcasticGamer.com (the site that made the parody) has a bunch of parodies like that.

[fffanatics 0]

This has been around for a while actually. Over the summer, I was at the Siggraph Conference in San Diego and they had this a demo of this. It is really really fun to play with and definitely works well. I tried it out one of the days and it will be a great thing once it is released. The painting aspect already is there since they have a paint like application that currently runs on it. It is developed for commerical use at the moment as a well to advertise and give people waiting something to play with. I have seen all of the applications they have for it and all of them are fun, entertaining and run very smoothly. I cant wait to get my hands on one of these when it comes out.

[saitunes 0]

Truth be told you could probably knock up something simmilar (or design it and get a professional to build it) If you found a screen/touchscreen big enough to be mounted in the table, you could use a Mac Mini for the computer, or you could build your own, i mean as long as the computers kept cool it really doesn't matter what size or shape does it?I've often thought of designing a chair like that, touch screen flat screen monitor, wireless headphones, keyboard, internet... i think it would be cool

[delivi 0]

this is another wonderful technology from the Microsoft research Labs.The Microsoft Surface is all set to revolutionize the way we are going to use the computers in the future and enable easy syncing with the Digital devices.

[street 0]

I saw this a while back i really like the whole interface and the ability to recognize certain eletronic products. I think that they should change the design because it looks like a kitchen counter. Unless they plan on making for the audience of photo editing for house moms and people who do scrap books.I dont know if this was a real product but i saw a sony version of this but instead it was on the window.

Edited March 3, 2008 by street (see edit history)

[albumfreak 0]

Doesn't really appeal to me, to be honest :/

[xavierkym 0]

I guess if it will be affordable, everybody would love to have one..I can't imagine.. Schools use this.. OMG..

[minimcmonkey 0]

I saw a demo of tat on a windows CD or something, it looked really good, you can place your bluetooth phone on top[ of it, and it appears on the dectop with file access and stuff automatically.