Steve Ballmer on Microsoft Surface at All Things Digitial

[cjfields]

I think this product is cool and in the next few years we are in for a lot of neat technology. However, there is one guy whenever he opens his mouth sticks his foot in it and looks like a fool.

Ballmer when replying about the iPhone said, "Ha, Ha, Ha, $500, fully subsidized with a plan. I said that it is the most expensive phone in the world and it doesn’t appeal to business customers because it doesn’t have a KEYBOARD which makes it not a very good email machine".

Then why are you making a machine that is being sold to business customers without a keyboard?

I'm sure the keyboard interface is wireless, just like everything else. Either that or it has a virtual touchscreen keyboard. Just b/c it hasn't been displayed doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

I agree about Ballmer, though; a bit hypocritical to diss a $500 IPhone and tout a $5-10K touch-screen computer. Then again, he has always been that way.

 

[Queso]

Why is nobody speculating why Microsoft have announced this now, just ahead of WWDC? Could it be possible that Apple have a similar feature set already lined up for release in Leopard, and MS wanted to be first to show their version?

 

[darknight]

Looks like technology in search of a problem

Apple's iPhone utilises multi-touch to solve a range of practical problems which people regularly have when interacting with their mobile telephone. I think it was Mr Jobs who said that the phone was the killer app for the technology. I remember reading or seeing that making the link between multi-touch and the mobile phone was a real 'a-ha' moment for the design team at Apple. I'm looking forward to trying them out - albeit in Asia in 2008.

In regards to MS Surface, it looks like a technology in search of a problem and until there is a killer app which is mass marketable then I'm not sure it'll take off anytime soon or where it'll settle.

darknight
Hong Kong

 

[ricosuave]

I think this product is cool and in the next few years we are in for a lot of neat technology. However, there is one guy whenever he opens his mouth sticks his foot in it and looks like a fool.

Ballmer when replying about the iPhone said, "Ha, Ha, Ha, $500, fully subsidized with a plan. I said that it is the most expensive phone in the world and it doesn’t appeal to business customers because it doesn’t have a KEYBOARD which makes it not a very good email machine".

Then why are you making a machine that is being sold to business customers without a keyboard?

Hug, Thank you for bringing up his quote. The first thing that I thought about when I saw him talk about this product with Mossberg was that interview about the iPhone. He contradics himself all the time doesn't he?


Mac Pro, Hackingtosh+twisted mellon+Apple remote, TV

 

[oscuh]

But what is it good for other than organizing photos or digital painting?

Plenty, from graphic design to your standard interface with your GUI. Imagine no keyboard or mouse, only your fingertips. Need a keyboard? tap on the keyboard icon and one appears on the screen to type on. Point and tap to open files ... this will open a whole new world of computer interaction.

This technology is fantastic (although I hate the idea of MS making $ off of it) and this is the way the world is going, ultimately. Just watch Minority Report ... it's not that far off.

 

[Much Ado]

In regards to MS Surface, it looks like a technology in search of a problem

Exactly.

It's a gorgeous technology that as of yet has no practical use that makes it more efficient than a keyboard and mouse set-up. The same applies to Jeff Han's work.

Think about it- if Apple had shown us a piece of plastic and metal two years ago that just moved pictures around we wouldn't have been impressed. So they took the tech, and made iPhone, which is impressive.

Now we have to wait for MS to take this concept and make a product that we can use out of it.

 

[pale9]

what they should have done

if vista had that surface functionality and it was availlabe with a tablet pc, they might have actually had a mac killer. but this way its only a nice try....

 

[bdj21ya]

That video looked pretty sweet. I thought they did a great job with the graphics/animation for the platform. I am totally looking forward to having this coffee table someday (when the concept becomes a consumer product).

 

[oscuh]

Exactly.

It's a gorgeous technology that as of yet has no practical use that makes it more efficient than a keyboard and mouse set-up. The same applies to Jeff Han's work.

I hate to disagree, but I will. As a graphic designer, I could use this RIGHT NOW if it were implemented properly.

I suppose practicality is in the eye of the beholder. This same argument was made against 8-core Macs before they came out ... just look at the MacRumors thread! Now they're here, everyone is drooling over them, and lo! people have a use for them!

 

[bdj21ya]

Exactly.

It's a gorgeous technology that as of yet has no practical use that makes it more efficient than a keyboard and mouse set-up. The same applies to Jeff Han's work.

Think about it- if Apple had shown us a piece of plastic and metal two years ago that just moved pictures around we wouldn't have been impressed. So they took the tech, and made iPhone, which is impressive.

Now we have to wait for MS to take this concept and make a product that we can use out of it.

I have to disagree. While I'm usually quite dubious about any product MS gets involved in, this looks like a pretty awesome platform. I think it would be sweet to have that water wave animation for a coffee table, or have some photo albums just sitting there for guests to look through.

 

[Much Ado]

I could use this RIGHT NOW if it were implemented properly.

Yes, if it was implemented properly. Which means a stable and functional OS, rather than a concept demo.

I'd rather wait until they have it running CS3 and then[ show it off. It would blow me away.

As soon as someone makes a 'Touch Vista' or a 'Touch OS X' designed for this hardware, then all it will be to me is a concept design of hardware with no software support, aka useless for a few years time. A nice teaser, but not a product.

 

[iPhil]

I can't wait for Ballmer to blow crap out his butt

He's been doing that already for years now

 

[oscuh]

Yes, if it was implemented properly. Which means a stable and functional OS, rather than a concept demo.

I'd rather wait until they have it running CS3 and then[ show it off. It would blow me away.

I agree ... Your earlier statement said there was no practical application which is what I was disagreeing with. I'm sure Apple will take Multi-Touch and make an amazing product that this could be implemented quite effectively, where it's MS's technology, Jeff Han's or something else.

 

[MarcelV]

Plenty, from graphic design to your standard interface with your GUI. Imagine no keyboard or mouse, only your fingertips. Need a keyboard? tap on the keyboard icon and one appears on the screen to type on. Point and tap to open files ... this will open a whole new world of computer interaction.

While no one disputes the change of interaction that multi touch will bring, the category you mention will probably not benefit from the MS/Jeff Hahn implementation. Reason is sharpness and color issues with a rear projection screen. This would make any designer pro software package a nightmare.......

And this particular use of multi touch technology (camera's and prjection screen) doesn't make it easy to port to a portable environment either (like a tablet PC, UMPC and/or Mobile). I really think Apple's solution is far ahead of MS solution, and because of the IP on the particlar way of doing it, hard to beat in the next few years. And if I see iPhone, and multi-touch, I am really thinking Leopard will have full integration of multi-touch. Think how 'coverflow' would be functional as your dock, and multi-touch for resizing/minimize/maximize. Combine that thought with an application like iPhoto, and you could get a picture of what the near future may bring. Pure speculation, but it would be real-world applications, and a set back for the MS 'concept'.

 

[Rot'nApple]

I think this product is cool and in the next few years we are in for a lot of neat technology. However, there is one guy whenever he opens his mouth sticks his foot in it and looks like a fool.

Ballmer when replying about the iPhone said, "Ha, Ha, Ha, $500, fully subsidized with a plan. I said that it is the most expensive phone in the world and it doesn’t appeal to business customers because it doesn’t have a KEYBOARD which makes it not a very good email machine".

Then why are you making a machine that is being sold to business customers without a keyboard?

Could have a "digital" keyboard like Apple's iPhone for text messaging (unless uniquely patented) or use your finger or special pen and write as if you were writing on a piece of paper.

 

[PretendPCuser]

The biggest question I have is...

...does that thing play pong?

Seriously, though, it looks pretty cool. I would love to design interfaces fortouch screen.

 

[EagerDragon]

Looks to me like Microsoft just got a product out that probably Apple was also working on. I wonder what will Apple do:
a) Stop development
b) Compete with a more consumer oriented product
c) Compete at the consumer/Enterprice/entretainment level

It is fairly clear that that is where Apple was going, and that the iPhone was just one of many devices with multi-touch. This announcement by Microsoft must have royaly pissed Steve.

I wonder what Apple will unveil today.

 

[guzhogi]

Will this be the new 'tablet'? A device that has some really cool potential, but is always just a little too poorly executed and a little too expensive to really take off as a mainstream market.

Looks more like one of the consoles in Star Trek. Those are pretty cool.

 

[flopticalcube]

Looks to me like Microsoft just got a product out that probably Apple was also working on. I wonder what will Apple do:
a) Stop development
b) Compete with a more consumer oriented product
c) Compete at the consumer/Enterprice/entretainment level

It is fairly clear that that is where Apple was going, and that the iPhone was just one of many devices with multi-touch. This announcement by Microsoft must have royaly pissed Steve.

I wonder what Apple will unveil today.

I would have thought that Apple knew or at least had an idea about what was going on at MS all along. They have probably already devised a strategy to counter this if they thought it would hurt their market.

 

[mashinhead]

File that under awesome. FINALLY microsoft does something envy worthy. The file transfer was amazing, but as usual this technology will perpetually cost too much and take 10 years, instead of 5 to gain mass market acceptance.

And sadly it will surely crash.

 

[JDawg76]

Seen this before

Anyone here watch the show "Beyond Tomorrow" on the Science Channel? I saw this product in an episode that aired in 2005. Hardly a Microsoft invention. The report showed the product doing EVERYTHING Microsoft's product does. Dragging music/pics onto your phone, etc.

Can anyone back me up on this?

I couldn't find any references to the report except this one from the show's site here http://www.beyondtomorrow.com.au/stories/ep18/futuremusic.html

 

[Much Ado]

I agree ... Your earlier statement said there was no practical application which is what I was disagreeing with.

Oh yes, there's practical application all right Just nothing it can do right now.

The announcement would have made more sense alongside: "we are working on Vista 2: Vienna with full touchscreen support." But they didn't say that, which makes me feel this is more like a long-term R+D project rather than a new line of product.

Did IBM not clock a CPU at 500Ghz or something recently? Awesome. But when can i get one that humans beings can use?

 

[conradzoo]

You think the delay of Leopard has anything to do with todays announcement, in october a proper release of a touchscreen system?

 

[oscuh]

While no one disputes the change of interaction that multi touch will bring, the category you mention will probably not benefit from the MS/Jeff Hahn implementation. Reason is sharpness and color issues with a rear projection screen. This would make any designer pro software package a nightmare.......

I wasn't talking about a specific implementation (ie Han vs. MS vs. Apple.) Only that "Multi-touch" as a user interface is inescapable as a future, and a near-future at that, technology. I don't care who builds it (again, I'd prefer Apple) as long as it works correctly. Will there be implementation issues? Will OS's ballon into the 1/2 TB range? Will people be skeptical, insist that there's no way they'll use it, they'll have to pry their mouse from their cold dead fingers? Absolutely ... but it doesn't mean it won't come all the same.

 

[oscuh]

Oh yes, there's practical application all right Just nothing it can do right now.

The announcement would have made more sense alongside: "we are working on Vista 2: Vienna with full touchscreen support." But they didn't say that, which makes me feel this is more like a long-term R+D project rather than a new line of product.

Did IBM not clock a CPU at 500Ghz or something recently? Awesome. But when can i get one that humans beings can use?

Just like all the cool concept car designs, like GM's "Skateboard." It's cool, but can you get one right now? Of course not ... But Someday ... someday.