Microsoft to Unveil New Product Tonight?

[Zadillo]

Meh, not too impressed by it. At $10,000 I can't see how that is more efficient than a Laptop setup somewhere.

And you just know it won't just download photos from your camera instantly like it shows, send email without even putting in an email address (the postcard), and recognize your cellphone in less than a second. Oh I liked how it recognized the girls Zune too, funny stuff.

I don't think it's really a replacement for a laptop at this point.....

And come on, we do know multitouch is the future of interaction. Apple knows this; the iPhone is just their first multitouch device. I fully believe that Apple is pushing it out across the product line too.

Clearly a lot of the stuff in those videos are concepts; would probably require that devices included support for the concept (which would be a big if). Although how much support would be required is another question. If the MS Surface device can at least tell from, say, a bluetooth or wifi signal what device it was, it could pull the rest of the info it needs from the Internet (for things like that phone product comparison thing).

-Zadillo

 

[HailToTheVictor]

Ok, the way it handles file uploads to phones is pretty cool, and the credit card payment application has potential. I like it.

 

[Hunabku]

You guys are lame!

When Jeff unvieled multi-touch everyone said wow - how cool. When MS reveals the same thing (well with a bit less cooler apps) you all say ho-hum. Just because MS shows you something you've seen before only not as good - is that any reason to not praise Microsoft.

um now that i think about it - YES!!!!!!

 

[Zadillo]

You guys are lame!

When Jeff unvieled multi-touch everyone said wow - how cool. When MS reveals the same thing (well with a bit less cooler apps) you all say ho-hum. Just because MS shows you something you've seen before only not as good - is that any reason to not praise Microsoft.

um now that i think about it - YES!!!!!!

More than a few people here are actually saying what MS has unveiled here looks pretty cool.

It's hard to say how "good" it is; in theory at least, from the promotional videos on the Surface site, it does at least look kind of cool.

I mean, it does have that future sci-fi sort of feel to it, like what you do think tech in the future should look like, and I'm always on board for that no matter who shows it.

-Zadillo

 

[AaronM58]

I've gotta give MS props for this...Can't wait to actually mess around with one of these. It seems to have great potential!

 

[Hunabku]

More than a few people here are actually saying what MS has unveiled here looks pretty cool.

It's hard to say how "good" it is; in theory at least, from the promotional videos on the Surface site, it does at least look kind of cool.

I mean, it does have that future sci-fi sort of feel to it, like what you do think tech in the future should look like, and I'm always on board for that no matter who shows it.

-Zadillo

Oops I didn't view the other videos on the apps sharing media and spliting the bill at a restaurant. That looks pretty cool.

If MS gets a corner on device communication protocol and other proprietary aspects - as indicated in their demo - they could really have a unique and powerful advantage over any competitor.

 

[Wild-Bill]

So when you get the "Blue Table of Death" at a restaurant, who's responsibility is it to troubleshoot? The busboy or the server? Do you take that out of their tip when your table doesn't work?

 

[ISMPlus]

I just can't wait to see all the product line with the multitouch technology... and Leopard... oh sweeeeeet! Surface looks cool, yes, ok, I give it that. So does Vista, looks nice. But the program is so glitchy, beyond belief! Just as everything from MS. will so many amazing things that will run a lot better than MS would dream! They are already on their way... iPhone is just the beginning of what's to come! //drool//

 

[ISMPlus]

So when you get the "Blue Table of Death" at a restaurant, who's responsibility is it to troubleshoot? The busboy or the server? Do you take that out of their tip when your table doesn't work?

LOL LOL

that's funny!!!

 

[BobbyDigital]

Bjork has also used this technology on her tour (reactable):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h-RhyopUmc

the possibilites of the general technology are endless... microsoft just wants to make a big announcement so they get all the mainstream attention before everyone else. this will be adopted by so many other computer companies eventually. it is the future of computing. i don't necessarily see it as a microsoft product, but a progression of technology.

 

[Hunabku]

Bjork has used this (reactable) on her tour:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h-RhyopUmc

the possibilites of this are endless... microsoft just wants to make a big announcement so they get all the mainstream attention before everyone else. this will be adopted by so many other computer companies eventually. it is the future of computing.

Me also wonders if they are positioning themselves patent wise. Do they have any patents related to devices such as cameras, phones, etc communicating with a multitouch device?

 

[localoid]

Me also wonders if they are positioning themselves patent wise. Do they have any patents related to devices such as cameras, phones, etc communicating with a multitouch device?

Microsoft has this covered. They're going to make little hands with little fingers for cameras and phones. That way these devices can interface to the touch screen by using their little fingers. According to Microsoft, this method will be more user-friendly and less confusing to end-users than simply using bluetooth or a usb cable. Devices with little fingers. The possibilities are endless!

 

[atchius]

Hackers

Imagine hacking one of these things. You can steal all the crap they happen to leave sitting on the table — credit cards, etc. You can even steal their fingerprints! Maybe you can drink their coffee from across the globe or something. I'm tired and am going to bed.

 

[Evangelion]

the music thing looks exactly like coverflow- can m$ think of anything original

No, it doesn't look like coverflow. Or are you saying that any scheme that shows the coverart, and you can then pick what you want to listen to, is a "copy of coverflow"?

And FYI: Apple didn't develop Coverflow, they bought it from a third-party developer.

 

[Macula]

Unveiling the iPhone at MWSF2007, Steve Jobs said regarding its multi-touch screen:

"...and boy have we patented it..."

It now seems to me that this was more bluff than substance.

 

[s10]

In all seriousness, I agree. As I was reading s10's post about a touch screen, I was thinking, he would most likely swoon over this device if was release by Apple. But no, it was released by MS, so it must be useless crap.

Hello?? where did I say it was useless crap?

Sure it's a cool technology... but looking at it from a practical side, as it is now.. I don't see much use for it except as an amazing presentation device to impress your clients with... and that's exactly (we know now) what it is and what MS has in mind as buyers....

Unless you want to pay 5.000 to 10.000 dollars to have something that can do these nice tricks... I rather have a $500 iPhone which has less bells, but it is a useful tool... and still pretty impressive.

 

[Zadillo]

Hello?? where did I say it was useless crap?

Sure it's a cool technology... but looking at it from a practical side, as it is now.. I don't see much use for it except as an amazing presentation device to impress your clients with... and that's exactly (we know now) what it is and what MS has in mind as buyers....

Unless you want to pay 5.000 to 10.000 dollars to have something that can do these nice tricks... I rather have a $500 iPhone which has less bells, but it is a useful tool... and still pretty impressive.

I'm not sure why you are still acting like this is something that is solely targeted to home or business users.

From the videos on the site (I'm assuming you watched them), it is clear that the market MS sees for this is restaurants, bars, casinos, stores, etc.

I don't think it is hard to see what the potential is for it.

I have a hard time believing you said that your above scenario (something to use to impress your clients) is what it is or who MS has in mind as buyers......... I didn't see ANY example of that in any of their videos, really.

 

[Ubuntu]

Okay these jokes are getting really stupid.

Just because it's Microsoft doesn't mean you have to hate it.

Probably the most sense in this thread yet. I actually think the surface concept is kinda decent. Would I buy one? Probably not, but then again, it does actually look like it could be useful, not just a stupid technology which looks awesome, but is impractical. Shame about the cost though! $10,000?

Yikes.

 

[SandynJosh]

Unveiling the iPhone at MWSF2007, Steve Jobs said regarding its multi-touch screen:

"...and boy have we patented it..."

It now seems to me that this was more bluff than substance.

actually this concept was origionally developed and patented by Frank Lytle, who called it "Gestures" at the time. He sold the patent rights to Apple several years ago. Gestures/MultiTouch is all about the how one uses multiple fingers to affect how a program or operating system behaves, not the way the multiple fingers are sensed.

BTW, the iPhone is not the first use of MultiTouch by Apple, it's been part of the operation of the MacBook Pro touch pad for months now.

My personal opinion is that MicroSoft is trying to appear as a leader in something that they are way behind in. It is not bluff by Jobs, MS will lose in a patent fight. Furthermore, their input solution is expensive and unweildly. The software is all show and, like anything from MS, lacks an integrated solution to everyday utility. In short; it zucks!