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Microsoft Launches Multitouch Surface Computing
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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.
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
well done microsoft, but apple, please trump them
Excellent 18 minute demo here-
http://on10.net/Blogs/larry/first-look-microsoft-surfacing-computing/
Must say, I'm very impressed.
http://on10.net/Blogs/larry/first-look-microsoft-surfacing-computing/
Must say, I'm very impressed.
Just imagine...
Our everday desks could be one giant touch screen, interactive device!
And why not stop there, our walls too. Floors, ceilings, chairs, doors, toilet seats & bowls, sinks, baths, beds!!!! We can live in a world where we can 'touch' everything!
Ok - well it was a good demo but I just have a 'wait till I see it' stance.
Our everday desks could be one giant touch screen, interactive device!
And why not stop there, our walls too. Floors, ceilings, chairs, doors, toilet seats & bowls, sinks, baths, beds!!!! We can live in a world where we can 'touch' everything!
Ok - well it was a good demo but I just have a 'wait till I see it' stance.
Surface
I watched the clips on their site and I have to say that this is very cool. I know it's Microsoft, but at least they have used their money for something that is actually impressive. I don't think Apple has anything to be worried about as they have multi-touch technology now as well, so it's a case of what either company has planned on how to use it.
One of the clips I thought the feature was very handy, the one where the group split the bill and drag their amount to their credit card. I can imagine Surface being used in a lot of restaurants/bars.
The other stuff is cool, like pictures from a camera, etc. but until it's cheaper and probably in a computer, it's too expensive and limited appeal apart to show off for home use.
I watched the clips on their site and I have to say that this is very cool. I know it's Microsoft, but at least they have used their money for something that is actually impressive. I don't think Apple has anything to be worried about as they have multi-touch technology now as well, so it's a case of what either company has planned on how to use it.
One of the clips I thought the feature was very handy, the one where the group split the bill and drag their amount to their credit card. I can imagine Surface being used in a lot of restaurants/bars.
The other stuff is cool, like pictures from a camera, etc. but until it's cheaper and probably in a computer, it's too expensive and limited appeal apart to show off for home use.
100% agreed. I already expected something like this long before I visited this thread...
I think the last video with the Zune and the digital camera is quite impressive. I guess digging through a 1200+ album music library would be rather time consuming, though...
I don't think you know what "vaporware" is. Being able to do live demos on a product does not constitute "vaporware". Even Apple execs are using you so-called "vaporware" in public right now on the cingular network.
Vaporware is a software term applied to products which are announced as being wonderful and having a feature list as long as your arm but never actually delivered.
See Copland, Pink, Cairo, Longhorn etc.
Allo..QUESTION
hey guys im very curious..didn't apple buy that company that came up with the idea for multi-touch and thus patent it? there for what microsofts big 'concept' or well..soon to be a 10k coffee table for your every day house hold..surface..is sorta tripping into that patent?law suit?i mean i bet you apple isnt even phased by this..they probably have something for us by christmas..Cinema Multi touch display together with the ability to be also used with mouse and keyboard..lol.. you get what i mean? it would be around 3k probably and used for people that love cinema displays that apple sells...anyhoo..so yeah i was wondering..doesn't MS's new product trip into what apple patented?or was that only for the iPhone..?
hey guys im very curious..didn't apple buy that company that came up with the idea for multi-touch and thus patent it? there for what microsofts big 'concept' or well..soon to be a 10k coffee table for your every day house hold..surface..is sorta tripping into that patent?law suit?i mean i bet you apple isnt even phased by this..they probably have something for us by christmas..Cinema Multi touch display together with the ability to be also used with mouse and keyboard..lol.. you get what i mean? it would be around 3k probably and used for people that love cinema displays that apple sells...anyhoo..so yeah i was wondering..doesn't MS's new product trip into what apple patented?or was that only for the iPhone..?
A product that is talked about, yet is still not available. My reply was to a comment which whined that "Microsoft copies, while Apple is giving this to us RIGHT NOW". Is iPhone available RIGHT NOW? No it is not.
And I bet developers at 3D Realms have played quite a bit with Duke Nukem Forever, does that mean that it's not vaporware?
Vaporware refers to a product that is announced and hyped, yet is not actually available. iPhone is just that at this moment.
One more thing
computers 30 years ago were a similar price point and just as inaccessible.
It doesn't take much. This is more remarkable the more I think about it. People who struggle with PCs will find this so simple and so easy to do many tasks. It all looks just so natural.
It doesn't take much. This is more remarkable the more I think about it. People who struggle with PCs will find this so simple and so easy to do many tasks. It all looks just so natural.
I think the last video with the Zune and the digital camera is quite impressive. I guess digging through a 1200+ album music library would be rather time consuming, though...
I thought it looked very cool, though the music library thing wasn't that impressive especially for a large library, it'd need to be done well.
Had Apple demonstrated this, the thread would be 38 pages long with drooling fans talking about how this will change the world.
A bit earlier, someone (sorry, too lazy to go back and look) pointed out several business uses for this. This is not a consumer product people, get over the price tag. As with all technology, the price will fall over time and it might just be affordable for the home. If Apple can bring this technology to the home, more power to them. The fact that Microsoft demonstrated it for a table-like computer and Apple will be releasing the iPhone, the race is on to get it to the desktop. Should be a fun one to watch.
OK, back to your Microsoft bashing.
Spot on. I'm no Microsoft fan, but the ridiculous amount of Apple fanboy-ism here is bordering on hilarity.
Seriously, people, this isn't just a touch-screen, get that into your heads. It's a huge evolution of the way users and devices interact with one another. Sure, it's expensive, but it's future tech, it's not designed for us to buy in the store today, it points to what's coming in a few years.
Several points:
1. right now it would be used for example at information kiosks, science museums, that sort of hands on interactive setting. Casino gambling. Those venues I believe could afford it at this price point and would be happy to use it.
2. Too cumbersome for other uses (architecture design maybe? newspaper layout?) But as the years go by, the technology will improve. I see the multitouch working pretty well on a tablet PC.
3. did you see the video with the suggstion for using it at a restaurant? THAT'S laughable. One drunk patron banging his glass down too hard on a $10,000 table top! Smash goes your investment.
4. Microsoft has a long history of pre-announcing products that are subsequently abandoned, with the obvious intent of derailing competitor's current development and scare off everyone who is always sure the Microsoft juggernaught (sp?) will always roll over everybody. They've done it over and over against Apple, e.g., their vaporware or poorly designed audio/video software competing with Quicktime, several versions of Windows Mobile (each abandoned, starting over with a new version) to crush Palm etc.
1. right now it would be used for example at information kiosks, science museums, that sort of hands on interactive setting. Casino gambling. Those venues I believe could afford it at this price point and would be happy to use it.
2. Too cumbersome for other uses (architecture design maybe? newspaper layout?) But as the years go by, the technology will improve. I see the multitouch working pretty well on a tablet PC.
3. did you see the video with the suggstion for using it at a restaurant? THAT'S laughable. One drunk patron banging his glass down too hard on a $10,000 table top!
Smash goes your investment.4. Microsoft has a long history of pre-announcing products that are subsequently abandoned, with the obvious intent of derailing competitor's current development and scare off everyone who is always sure the Microsoft juggernaught (sp?) will always roll over everybody. They've done it over and over against Apple, e.g., their vaporware or poorly designed audio/video software competing with Quicktime, several versions of Windows Mobile (each abandoned, starting over with a new version) to crush Palm etc.
I'm not convinced that the "juggernaught" is true anymore.
But is this not available now to buy then?
yeah but...
what can you actualy use it for? It seems like a fun interface kinda thingy, but beyond moving some data from a to b its a bit useless. photo imaging would be crap because the in order for it to be functional the panel has to be flat then you have to tilt it to do any work, partly for comfort and more importantly for paralax between top surface and imaging surface. So yo flaten it, put your kit on , transfer the stuff, take kit off then re tilt to do actual work. Isn't a dock wireless or not actualy more practical? It seems more like a point of service device that you might find in a photo shop.
what can you actualy use it for? It seems like a fun interface kinda thingy, but beyond moving some data from a to b its a bit useless. photo imaging would be crap because the in order for it to be functional the panel has to be flat then you have to tilt it to do any work, partly for comfort and more importantly for paralax between top surface and imaging surface. So yo flaten it, put your kit on , transfer the stuff, take kit off then re tilt to do actual work. Isn't a dock wireless or not actualy more practical? It seems more like a point of service device that you might find in a photo shop.
Microsoft obviously have been working on this for a while now, so is not a rip off of the iPhone.
This is seriously cool and we are seeing a potential future of computing, or other appliances. This technology and product will filter itself down to be a consumer product - we'll see it in the iPhones, for example.
This is very innovative.
You can be very sure that Apple have prototypes such as this that they are working on as we speak....
This is seriously cool and we are seeing a potential future of computing, or other appliances. This technology and product will filter itself down to be a consumer product - we'll see it in the iPhones, for example.
This is very innovative.
You can be very sure that Apple have prototypes such as this that they are working on as we speak....
I'd agree with that - don't really see much in the way of practical home application with it. Doesn't have the portability of a laptop, and whilst there's a certain wow factor to the photo thing, I would have thought that the whole point of having a computer was to easily manage photos using something like iPhoto, rather than virtually replicate an untidy pile of photos on a table?
Its for staff use, not customers... obviously. :-\
A lot of bars and restaurants already have touch screen terminals around the joints for staff use... I don't see smashed glass where customers have tried using them...
This device would be a further step in the touch screen evolution.
A lot of bars and restaurants already have touch screen terminals around the joints for staff use... I don't see smashed glass where customers have tried using them...
This device would be a further step in the touch screen evolution.
Several points:
3. did you see the video with the suggstion for using it at a restaurant? THAT'S laughable. One drunk patron banging his glass down too hard on a $10,000 table top!
I am expecting a low cost touch-screen system on the next light, portable 'note book' type product from Apple with docking ability, 11n wi-fi (if not built in Phone option), BlueTooth, and Flash hard drive running Leopard.
Meanwhile, M$ launch a table running Vista. Wow!
No doubt you can add wheels and a tow hitch to this?
I'm surprised it's not Apple. They love drag and drop GUI, and this is the ultimate manifestation of that.
The demo that someone above this pointed to shows a demo of customers sitting at a table ordering drinks/meals - it is indeed customer oriented.
As to the broken screen from the drunk... gimme a break - this isn't all in the surface, the technology is below the surface - go watch the videos... it is cameras below the surface detecting infra-red and stuff with projection (DLP) on to the surface. The surface is just a piece of plastic - probably very easily replaced and somewhat inexpensive.
Very impressive indeed and maybe in about 3 years will reach the normal home user... this is purely commercial at this point.
This MS thing is technically vaporware too is it not? They announced late 2007 for first release.
iPhone is no more vaporware than this Surface thingie.
It could be vapoware if apple file a law suit on it......
As steve said he will fight very hard to defend the multi touch patent.
hopefully, this will come sooner or later to our local pubs so, we can get rid of all waiters and waitresses and just have a robot bring us our food. This reminds me of the newton, great great product but will this make the world better right now. It would be great if we could switch domino tags and place my breakfast on there and drag a couple extra slices of bacon and hashbrowns to the plate and presto...
Honestly, and I'm sure most don't care but the only tech that I've been wating on for the last twenty years is true organic teleportation. Who ever comes up with this first rules the world. Then when that goes consumer...watch out fedex and ups.
Honestly, and I'm sure most don't care but the only tech that I've been wating on for the last twenty years is true organic teleportation. Who ever comes up with this first rules the world. Then when that goes consumer...watch out fedex and ups.