Microsoft Launches Multitouch Surface Computing

[MacRumors]

PopularMechanics has video and details of Microsoft's new "Surface Computing"

Gattis took out a digital camera and placed it on the Surface. Instantly, digital pictures spilled out onto the tabletop. As Gattis touched and dragged each picture, it followed his fingers around the screen. Using two fingers, he pulled the corners of a photo and stretched it to a new size. Then, Gattis put a cellphone on the surface and dragged several photos to it — just like that, the pictures uploaded to the phone. It was like a magic trick. He was dragging and dropping virtual content to physical objects. I'm not often surprised by new technology, but I can honestly say I'd never seen anything like it.

[ahuman7341]

Ive seen somthing like it *coughs*iPhone*cough*

And theres also that one multitouch video that everybodys already seen,

[levitynyc]

Pretty cool....I'd buy it!

[failsafe1]

Interesting concept. But now I have to stay in my living room simply working with photos and such? Will it ever see a mainstream use? We will see. Always like seeing new ideas. So that is a good thing.

[a456]

Originally Posted by failsafe1

Interesting concept. But now I have to stay in my living room simply working with photos and such? Will it ever see a mainstream use? We will see. Always like seeing new ideas. So that is a good thing.

I think that to call this unoriginal is laughable, it is a great product (or has the potential to be). I do agree with the above though that the living room is not really the place for this - couldn't they produce a version that was orientated as a drawing board - far less backache. Problem is MS is a designer orientated company, which puts it in danger of just being a very expensive toy when in fact it should revolutionize how we work. However, this thing isn't out until the winter. If Apple hit us with a new kind of 30" iMac drawing board that can be tilted to any position, then things get interesting.

[crees!]

Originally Posted by failsafe1

Interesting concept. But now I have to stay in my living room simply working with photos and such? Will it ever see a mainstream use? We will see. Always like seeing new ideas. So that is a good thing.

Good point and here's an examination of both companies products. Microsoft releases amazing tech but only in the price range for companies, corporations, etc... Apple releases a product that virtually anyone with a job can buy. Same foundational technology, two different audiences.

Imagine yourself seeing this from Microsoft and saying, "I SOOOO want this! ... $10,000? ... Oh, never mind then." From Apple, "I SOOOO want this! ... $500? Okay, I'll have to save up a little cash, but okay." Totally different markets in my opinion.

[edesignuk]

Incredible. Vista doesn't put the Wow in to anything, but this sure as hell does. MS actually do deserve a pat on the back for this one, very nice.

[yagran]

i would get one, like just save up for winter, but its not gna be compatible with any of my stuff, id need a new camera with wireless, a zune to use music stuff, and then yould have start putting domino tags on the bottom of everything... i think i like the idea, but ill wait to see apples offering and hope for more of a consumer centric version that has the amazing compatability that mac os x is known for. i hope apple expand the iphone and make something like surface.

well done microsoft, but apple, please trump them

[notjustjay]

Wow.

Is this an actual soon-to-be-shipping product or just another concept video ala Jeff Han?

It would be interesting to know who started on this first. Both the iPhone and this "surface computing" concept were likely years in development, so it's not necessarily as simple as "Gasp! They copied iPhone!"

[Abstract]

Originally Posted by notjustjay

It would be interesting to know who started on this first. Both the iPhone and this "surface computing" concept were likely years in development, so it's not necessarily as simple as "Gasp! They copied iPhone!"

And I bet you people here will say, "They copied the iPhone!" anyway.

[Ubuntu]

Originally Posted by ahuman7341

Ive seen somthing like it *coughs*iPhone*cough*

And theres also that one multitouch video that everybodys already seen,

And then you can argue that the iPhone isn't innovative either... and that Microsoft copied Apple with Vista (which is so true, it reeks of macness), it's just how it works.

Plus, to be honest, can you really compare the iPhone to the surface? They're different aspects. They do different things. But technological advancement is always going to have to go through imitation to progress. In that logic I could accuse the iPhone of copying tablet PCs, which isn't fair to say.

[MacTheSpoon]

I have to say that though at first it looked so cool, so creative, so visually appealing, so... un-Microsoft... after watching the videos on their site, I can see that it is pretty Microsoft underneath it all. I say that because they are positioning this for the business market, as a new way for businesses to make money and facilitate advertising and marketing for third parties (having the drink manufacturers' commercials play when you put down their product on your multi-touch restaurant table, for instance). This is the Microsoft mentality, through and through. Yech.

[unigolyn]

Originally Posted by MacTheSpoon

I have to say that though at first it looked so cool, so creative, so visually appealing, so... un-Microsoft... after watching the videos on their site, I can see that it is pretty Microsoft underneath it all. I say that because they are positioning this for the business market, as a new way for businesses to make money and facilitate advertising and marketing for third parties (having the drink manufacturers' commercials play when you put down their product on your multi-touch restaurant table, for instance). This is the Microsoft mentality, through and through. Yech.

What, unlike the iPhone, which will work for free and spontaneously generate fair trade frappucinos for all?

I personally think it would be cool if, for instance, you ordered a rum and coke with Bacardi rum and your friend ordered some Captain Morgan, you set them down against each other and get the bat to fight the pirate.

[Ynot]

I went to the M$ $urface web page and looked at the Nice demos of the new Product.
Then I noticed that the Special Logo for $urface is a sleightly changed version of the Apple KeyBoard Symbol (on the Apple Keyboard right and Left of the Spacebar) Turn on edge. Its sort off like :Look we stole one of the corners off the Apple Symbol. Now that is Symbolic.
Lots of Fun.
Ynot

[macdesigner007]

i dont know if anyone already posted this but new iMacs are due in the not-so-distant future....what can they do to make the iMac cooler? sure thinner would be one improvement, but I am thinking the iMac is touchscreen and comes off the the swivel (the screen/system itself will have a battery so you can do this) so you can carry around the room and put it in your lap.

maybe this is the big announcement at wddc haha...
steve jobs comes out...."yes "others" have talked about touchscreen technology available in the future for thousands and thousands of dollars....well, what if i told you there was a device already available for the everyday user? i present to you, the new imac....available today at the apple store" (but really ships in three months haha)
hahaha

[RichP]

A video was posted not to long ago demo'ing this from MS already.

This is like Jeff Han kind of stuff, again, nothing THAT original from MS.

[Graydon]

Meh. Should have went to bed.

[msiller]

Originally Posted by Graydon

Meh. Should have went to bed.

LOL!
You have no idea how much I relate to that comment...
I admit the implementation of the dining table is kinda sorta cool, this is no breakthrough... and, besides... $10K?!... that is SO Microsoft...
When they confirmed this was the big announcement It came to my overactive and bizarre mind a bunch of MS guys earlier today going something like:

MS Guy 1: I know! Why don't we pull a Steve Jobs and say we have an ultra secret, "patent pending", life changing, revolutionary new product?
MS Guy 2: Yeah... yeah... wait... didn't we cleared Jeff Han to do that interview for PopularMechanics the other day??
MS Guy 1: Damn!... yeah... but hey! Maybe nobody will notice... yeah, c'mon! It'll be fun! Let's do this!

Oh well... MS will be MS...

[Sideonecincy]

Seems like a cool concept, I didn't watch the entire video.

Any suggested price?

[skoker]

I'm quite taken away.

Well done Microsoft!

*shoots self multiple times*

[Mgkwho]

The touchscreen technology battle just got a whole lot more heated. Kind of.

I'm curious to see how it is technically different from that Han? guy and Apple.

Notably, this is costly and not designed for home use.

-=|Mgkwho

[casik]

interesting... could be a fun toy thats for sure, but lets hope that they do it right... who wants a coffee table that could get a virus? if they spend a good amount of time on this one and develop it so it truly is as easy as it looks that would be fun.

[Sandfleaz]

Does i have a removable battery?

is it 3g capable?

Can you get it through Verizon?

.....Oh nevermind this is another product

[Digitalclips]

Originally Posted by Mgkwho

The touchscreen technology battle just got a whole lot more heated. Kind of.

I'm curious to see how it is technically different from that Han? guy and Apple.

Notably, this is costly and not designed for home use.

-=|Mgkwho

I am expecting a low cost touch-screen system on the next light, portable 'note book' type product from Apple with docking ability, 11n wi-fi (if not built in Phone option), BlueTooth, and Flash hard drive running Leopard.

Meanwhile, M$ launch a table running Vista. Wow!
No doubt you can add wheels and a tow hitch to this?

[Mudbug]

so how do you shuffle the cards for solitaire?

(it's cool, but not revolutionary... and beaten to unveiling by the iphone)

I'll amend this to say as soon as it can not only interact with your wireless devices but also charge them at the same time without plugging them in, it'll get very interesting indeed - especially for places like hotels that could put them in rooms and offer complete wireless connectivity for guests without having to bring "that certain" cable from home to plug it in.

cue the Tesla posts about wireless power etc...