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Microsoft Launches Multitouch Surface Computing

Why do I feel like we are late to the party as everyone is leaving and we get stuck with the bill????

I hope Leopard has some kind of new Finder/Desktop feature or interface.... because if not, Apple could start to look a little stale. All of our Macs have the same look now for the last 5 years, the newer products ( :apple: tv and APEXT) all look like modified Mac minis and the iPods haven't seen a cool update in about 2 years.

Even as neat as the iPhone is, it still looks like a Palm at first glance with the screen turned off. Nothing nut-grabbing has been out in forever.

As much as I hate M$.... this is cool.
 
I am not MS bashing but... it is just one big touchscreen display. Maybe the guts are innovative in the sense that they got the price down to $10k and it is durable enough to use as a table top but other than that it is not really the greatest innovation/invention to come from a tech company. It is cool as hell, but I can't squeeze innovative out of it.

KindredMAC said:
Why do I feel like we are late to the party as everyone is leaving and we get stuck with the bill????

I hope Leopard has some kind of new Finder/Desktop feature or interface.... because if not, Apple could start to look a little stale. All of our Macs have the same look now for the last 5 years, the newer products ( :apple: tv and APEXT) all look like modified Mac minis and the iPods haven't seen a cool update in about 2 years.

Even as neat as the iPhone is, it still looks like a Palm at first glance with the screen turned off. Nothing nut-grabbing has been out in forever.

As much as I hate M$.... this is cool.
Click to expand...

I agree with you.... Leopard and the iPod should take some UI cues from the iPhone just to spice things up a bit. Apple's lineup of hardware is looking a bit pale and so it their offerings in software. I hope they do a major refresh of much of their design and technical offerings before everyone decides that all Steve Jobs was ever working on was the iPhone and expensive DRM free music.
 
This does seem pretty cool, I'm pretty surprised, given that it's Microsoft. Of course their press release was full of it, because this isn't new, Jeff Han already made this and the iPhone has it already, too.

Still, I'm sure that it will take Apple to really bring this sort of thing to its potential. In the meantime, though, I think this is great advertising for the iPhone, which is multitouch technology that's actually affordable compared to this thing.

Also, I'm sure that Apple has plenty of prototypes just like this product... except probably better. :)
 
magnificent!

great idea. i think this really is a move towards dumb terminals. everything you need is on a device such as cell phone, ipod, or camera and you plop it on one of these tables/dumb terminals. i'd like to see what capabilities come out for other data such as word documents and presentations.

let's just say someone foots the bill, say like a college or something, and you've got classrooms full of these things, and let's say they build a zune like device that holds more than just music, but practically anything you want, including applications. and then you could just sit the thing on one of these expensive tables and do your thing, work on that presentation or whatever, without a keyboard or mouse. maybe there's a touchscreen keyboard that pops up that you can shift around and type with. this is cool stuff, death to keyboards and mice!
 
It's pretty cool to watch but I don't think we will see this stuff at home for a while.

You would think Microsoft would have this splashed all over their homepage? I went there looking for the info on their new product and saw nothing.
 
Not quite as useful as shown.

I don't really see to much in this There are some major issue that would make it impractical for most people.

1. Size The trend is for less desktop and more wall space. This thing is a piece of furniture itself.

2. Real life table problems. In the demo I haven't seen a person take a piece of paper and write on it and see what it does, or what will it do to it. If there is a flat table people like to use it to put paper down and write on the paper. If it feels the pressure from your writing it will either scratch the screen and or try to record what you are writing, neither are desirable.

3. Smugges. iPhone will have the same problem too but at least the iPhone is small enough to hide away until it is on and the display shines over the smugges. This will be visible all the time and with finger prints all over it and smugges it will be less appealing.

4. Angle of display. It assumes that we like looking down all the time. I bet you can get a good kink in your neck from it.

5. Being it is from Microsoft it will only want to play with Microsoft's products. Apples approach was make an iPod so when people are happy with it they will get a more expensive Mac. Microsoft approach is buy an expensive piece of equipment that forces you to use their less popular stuff.

6. 2D problem. This is still a 2D Display and only interactive in 2D with their demo of Pictures spread across the table people normally like to pick them up and look at them and put it down. You cant do that. With a more portable equipment like a laptop or a Cell Phone then you can hold it and put it closer to you.

7. People with bad vision. This is looks like this is normally placed in a bad spot for people to naturally read comfortable.

8. Limited use. It is big expensive and very limited use. I know Microsoft is trying to turn the apple users because Apple tends to say how great it is at things like dealing with photos and music and such. But Apples can do a lot more then that because they are a full computer. This really limits what you can do with it.

9. Keeping clean in order for it to work properly you probably need to keep it clean. I know if I have a table Ill put papers on it. or Perhaps eat my lunch and perhaps drop some mustard on the table. Do I really want my real life clutter clutter my virtual world?

10. number of input In the demo I haven't seen more then 3 inputs at the same time on the screen. 2 cellphone and a finger, 2 People using it at the same time, A Cellphone PDA and a finger. Being a commercial I would assume that it its limit. Which would really stink for applications like a virtual piano, More then 2 people using it (as a table).

11. The interface seems messy. I know seeing all those pictures and stuff come out shuffled like in real life looks cool but the only reason why it is like that in real life is due to natural entropy. If I had a computer managing it I would want them to be more organized and not overlapping.

12. It looks expensive I could get a more powerfull desktop or a really good laptop for that price. So I could get more portability or more power or both. ANd perhaps a good size display as well.

13. Small homes. It just wouldn't fit into small homes, It is fine for Balmer and Gates who can afford to add a new wing to their home just use it. But for use normal folk in the east coast This will take up to much room for a small home, Even if we could afford it.

14. Children. Kids are hard on everything. This device is located for kids to have easy access to it. A desktop and be places far back on a desk to a child can't easily play or break the expensive stuff. But for this I could see permeant magic markers. Sticky finger marks, Sneeze snot, hamster poop, paint, crayons, or just huge cracks when the kid gets angry and smashes their cup on it.

15. Pets. I could see working on this my cat sees that my hands are free will jump up on it probably messing up all my work just to be pet. Or the cat will sleep on it and it processing for hours trying to figure what type of cellphone is shaped like that.

16. Limited software. The interface will limit the software available.
 
eenu said:
Again! do we know if it will ever come to market given the fact it would appear to impinge on an apple patent!!!!!
Click to expand...

Maybe it doesn't - apple technology is built into the screen surface - MS technology is cameras under the table reading the touch - maybe completely different?
 
anyone seen the film Minority Report?

This is a good example of technology for the sake of it. Remember minority report where he moves photos around using his hands. The concept is old. Doesn't really matter who decided to make it.

Is it just me when i like photos to be side by side in a grid pattern to look at them. The point of a computer is so that stuff is organised.

As for the coffee table needing 2 external cameras to recognise objects on the table further makes the concept a bit silly.

Guestures are fine if you know them. If you dont have a vocabulary of gestures then the device is very hard to use effieciently. -Like members of the public using kiosks?

I like it as a concept. 'look at what we can do' But i cant think of anything I'd like it to replace.
 
eenu said:
Again! do we know if it will ever come to market given the fact it would appear to impinge on an apple patent!!!!!
Click to expand...

I also think it's possible that they've developed their own solution to that particular problem and probably wouldn't have made such a huge intro for the product if they knew that it was indeed infringing on Apple's patent.
 
You would think...with all that money and brilliant engineers and what not...all they can come up with is this 'large' multitouch stuff...

It does dissapoint me.
 
ariel said:
Maybe it doesn't - apple technology is built into the screen surface - MS technology is cameras under the table reading the touch - maybe completely different?
Click to expand...

I'm sure apple not only patented the screen technology but the whole 2 finger thing with the pinch etc. It can quite clearly be seen on the MS video that the interaction with the data though maybe slightly different technology is essentially the same interaction. Maybe Arn can shed some light
 
It's clearly going to fail.

The places it would be worthwhile in are retail outlets or food chains, both of which aren't either:

1. Going to pay 5-10k for some kids to wreck it by spilling crap all over it
2. Going to pay 5-10k for a novelty toy.
3. Can afford to replace all their tables with these (Thus making it pointless as people will complain about not being able to use the fancy table)

It's just not going to sell...

I know it's a good idea and it looks really good, but people aren't going to buy it, and I say that without being biased towards Apple this time. If it had been any other company I would have said the same... I probably would have said the same for this product if Apple had released it. Of course, there will be a few people who buy it (Mainly M$ fanboys) but not many...

Edit: On another note, I would NEVER trust a Microsoft product with my bank card! It'll probably have 14,000 viruses on the day it's released to the public!
 
gloss said:
I also think it's possible that they've developed their own solution to that particular problem and probably wouldn't have made such a huge intro for the product if they knew that it was indeed infringing on Apple's patent.
Click to expand...

Why? Apple released the iPhone with fanfare knowing they would have a legal battle over it.....
 
jellomizer said:
10. number of input In the demo I haven't seen more then 3 inputs at the same time on the screen. 2 cellphone and a finger, 2 People using it at the same time, A Cellphone PDA and a finger. Being a commercial I would assume that it its limit. Which would really stink for applications like a virtual piano, More then 2 people using it (as a table).
Click to expand...

In one demo the guy says up to 4 simultaneous inputs are possible - so 4 people around the table could be doing something.
 
eenu said:
Again! do we know if it will ever come to market given the fact it would appear to impinge on an apple patent!!!!!
Click to expand...

Apple shouldn't try fighting this type of device - Apple would themselves be stopping innovation this area. Sure, stop multi-touch cell phones, but other devices? Thats bordering on patent abuse, IMO.

Multi-touch devices have a bright future that should be allowed to evolve.

Personally, I don't like patents -> open to abuse, and stifle innovation. Patents have their place, sure... but so overly abused.
 
jellomizer said:
I don't really see to much in this There are some major issue that would make it impractical for most people.

8. Limited use. It is big expensive and very limited use. I know Microsoft is trying to turn the apple users because Apple tends to say how great it is at things like dealing with photos and music and such. But Apples can do a lot more then that because they are a full computer. This really limits what you can do with it.
Click to expand...

you peeps should really do some research before posting

this is a full blown computer running vista...

it is aimed right now at the commercial market - like the demo for t-mobile and restaurants and harras etc... later, once this is several years old, you might see it in the home.

BlakTornado said:
It's clearly going to fail.

The places it would be worthwhile in are retail outlets or food chains, both of which aren't either:

1. Going to pay 5-10k for some kids to wreck it by spilling crap all over it
2. Going to pay 5-10k for a novelty toy.
3. Can afford to replace all their tables with these (Thus making it pointless as people will complain about not being able to use the fancy table)

It's just not going to sell...

I know it's a good idea and it looks really good, but people aren't going to buy it, and I say that without being biased towards Apple this time. If it had been any other company I would have said the same... I probably would have said the same for this product if Apple had released it. Of course, there will be a few people who buy it (Mainly M$ fanboys) but not many...

Edit: On another note, I would NEVER trust a Microsoft product with my bank card! It'll probably have 14,000 viruses on the day it's released to the public!
Click to expand...

Again - please do some research - the SURFACE isn't the whole thing! The surface is just plastic - the computer and the cameras and all the other stuff is way below the top - so the kids can mess up the surface and not damage the whole device.

MS has put some thought into this but some of you aren't thinking.

I see tons of places that would buy this! They've already got t-mobile and harras and other places deeply involved. they have $$$$ and will invest in this technology

think people before you just blast.
 
ariel said:
Again - please do some research - the SURFACE isn't the whole thing! The surface is just plastic - the computer and the cameras and all the other stuff is way below the top - so the kids can mess up the surface and not damage the whole device..
Click to expand...

I was referring to the touch technology. Spill a drink on the screen and the whole screen is busted. The touch technology (being under the screen) would be ruined as liquid can get through the gaps of the screen. Tah-Dah, your new 10k table is ruined!
 
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