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Gosh, you guys are ridiculous when it comes to MS. This is a really cool product. Forget about who made it.. You can stick a camera on it and it downloads photos. That's cool, okay? Apple doesn't have to make something just for it to be cool

I agree, but Apple tends to make things that people can use NOW (or at least in a couple months), not products that aren't meant for the average consumer and are for the most part fantasy ideas. Do you really think this will revolutionize computing? The useful applications for this are very limited, and I cannot foresee this in the home within 10 years. Whereas the iPhone will do a lot of what this does, next month. In your pocket. For $500. I know, it's comparing apples and oranges, but really, how is this device going to change computing anytime soon?
 
And by the end of this year, we get Multitouch Leopard?
And Miscrosoft probably haven't made this available to business customers?
 
I'll bet you anything that every device has to be configured to the table just like any wireless device. All this does different is gives it an amazing GUI and touch screen which truly is remarkable if you think about it, but we have seen it and dammit it's a flippin table. The iPhone does the whole touch thing but it's so much smaller. This only shows that the future is even brighter than we could imagine and luckily we have apple to take us there.
 
Wow, I've been waiting for that technology to be released ever since seeing the original videos. Its a shame Microsoft will probably end up making it really uncool and it'll probably end up not selling well. If only Apple had gotten ahold of this stuff!!

This table sells for 5-10 grand and won't be out until the end of the year.By the time that happens iMacs will have the same technology included in Leopard.And BTW.Apple already has ahold of this stuff with the iPhone..That's just the first of many products using multi-touch from Apple coming out over the next few months.

I voted positive because this is the future of computing.And I use that term loosly because the computer will become part of the home
 
Wow, leave it to Microsoft to develop a consumer product that the consumer can't by.

So thats neat that you can do all that with pictures, but is really over kill for a home user. I really only see these used in publication environments.

maybe in a few years time it will be worked into the Xbox or something.

cool, rather useless technology, but one hell of a dumb product release.
 
Wow, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually proud of Microsoft. They've managed to do something innovative (although they did have a lot of help from Jeff Hahn).
That's fine, Apple had to go outside to Fingerworks for help on their version too.
The interface appears to be very intuitive.
It appears that MS also did a good job of figuring out applications where something like this would actually be practical. Good for them on getting that something like this doesn't make a lot of sense for the home market just yet.
 
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.

What happens when you put a PC laptop with Vista OS installed, or a X-Box360 or a Zune on top of it... Will one MS device connect with the other MS device? Will they have compatiable drivers? "wink"... wait is that smoke coming from my coffee table?:eek:
 
Alright I have seen this before. I saw it demoed about 8 months ago by Jeff Hahn. That was a lot better and had a more realistic 3d OS. This one seems a bit flat. Though the docking mechanism sounds great, all be it just bluetooth device support. On thing to note though is that while this is available for kiosk use soon, home use is still years off, 3-5 so i hear. Its a good move though, in all my mac fanniness I have to admit this is where computers need to go, but then again MS said the same thing about the tablet PC which we all know is a resounding success.

Jeff Hahn
http://cs.nyu.edu/~jhan/ftirtouch/
 
In 5 years maybe it will see the point of being a true staple to home computing like the mouse is. Maybe 5 years. Maybe 4. It will take us a while to get there. Remember, you need a wireless camera. I don't see true touch screen computing enveloping every area of our daily computing and home digital lives for a while. But this is an interesting prototype/commerical monster beta 0.1 version. Microsoft will screw it up. Apple will come through and clean it up as technology improves and give us a stable, usable home version.
 
Although it was a rehash of what had been shown months ago, I thought it looked very interesting. Especially the downloading and uploading of photos, that was pretty cool.

I am sure this sort of technology will be making the rounds in consumer devices soon enough. Next month even.

But what I was curious about was who actually own the rights to that technology. Jeff Han invented (?) it, but I thought he was contracted to work for Apple ? I thought Apple bought his business, so why would he be working for Microsoft too, that's what I don't get.

If someone can clear up that, that'd be very helpful.
 
first time poster, i had to register for this one...

but this is one of those devices i wish was invented to further humanity and society... not profit. if it was created for the sole purpous of advancing the way the world works, it would be installed freely everywhere in cities across the globe. then the true drive for companies to create devices to interface with it would explode, true world communication would be born
 
I agree, but Apple tends to make things that people can use NOW (or at least in a couple months), not products that aren't meant for the average consumer and are for the most part fantasy ideas. Do you really think this will revolutionize computing? The useful applications for this are very limited, and I cannot foresee this in the home within 10 years.

This type of technology will be in the home of every upper-middle class person in 10 years.
 
What is cool about apple's Multi touch

What' s cool about apple's Multi touch is that it can happen on a flat LCD screen. Using a thin reactive clear layer. That table uses a projection screen, and cameras. The lighting in the room will have to be right. The screen will need to befocused like a rearprojected TV. There will always be a camera processor delay. (notice when he drags his hands across the table)

I do however think that this is cool, and something I think I could see myself buying when it gets around $2,500-$3,500. I think apple's got some tricks up their sleves still.

Microsoft let's see if this actually gets released this year. I actually hope it does.
 
another unoriginal product from msft.

Are you kidding?

This is great stuff.
Actually, it's exactly what I expected Apple to demo at the WWDC.
Along with touchscreen iMacs, MBP, MB, Cinema Displays.

Of course, I thought that was a delusion... MS showing this is a real surprise. Have they
1) done something totally different to Apple?
2) stolen Apple's thunder? or
3) come out with a $5-$10k device which Apple is about to release for iMac prices?
 
If Apple woul have release this Balmer would have come out and said "a $10,000 table that is a computer." Why would anyone buy this when they can buy a great table at IKEA and a Great Computer at Dell for under 2000 bucks.
 
I think it's funny that many people is waiting a multitouch ipod or imac or whatever, then microsofot launches a multitouch table and suddenly it is a useless feature.

I think it's cool, maybe it really it's kinda useless to manage your pictures in a coffee table, but how about digital menus in a bar or restaurant?. If you think a little more it really can be something revolutionary.
 
and excuse me, but I like my pictures in a scrollable grid, not some scattered mess to randomly resize. Where's my ability to edit, crop and do other stuff anyway. How about slideshows on the table of a stack of photos. Oh yeah, they developed this thing, but no real software and functionality behind it. And late 2007, yeah, I'll believe that timeframe like a longhorned vista.
 
I think Apple will do more and more with multitouch, maybe someday including a "real" tablet Mac, but I do NOT see Apple doing anything with multitouch in their clamshell laptops, iMacs or desktop displays. It would be an expensive gimmick without enough reason to exist, and with huge drawbacks--from arms getting tired to screens getting smudged. Smudges (and even scratches) are OK on a phone you use for short times. Not so OK at the center of your computing life. So do NOT expect multitouch to be a big deal in Leopard. The big deal is the iPhone and future devices, not everyday use of regular Macs.

And speaking of scratches.... imagine placing your metallic camera or phone on your expensive $10,000 display :eek: Now (since MS's unit is meant for public places) imagine hundreds of people doing so (though I'm not sure why they would).

Enjoy MS's multitouch demo as a really cool technological vision. Use the iPhone if you want this kind of thing to affect your own life. But don't expect either company to make multitouch a big part of mainstream computing any time soon.
 
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