New Microsoft Product: The Surface!

Last night at 12:01 a.m. Microsoft revealed a new product that was going to change the way we live our digital lives..

And what they came up with this:


A TABLE!

Microsoft calls it the Surface, a new product that will combine tables and computers, allowing you to look at photos, listen to music, and even compare different products just with your fingers. For example, if you want to resize an image, you just put your fingers on both corners of the picture and stretch it out, and it will resize. Microsoft is hoping that this sort of intuitive computing will reach out to many many people.

According to daily tech,

The table is translucent with a 30 inch screen below it, with multi-touch capabilities. It reminds me much of a demo of a product like this a while ago, where guys were playing some Warcraft III just with their fingers. This seems like really neat stuff.

Even cooler:

One of the demonstration videos on the surface website showed a man who placed two different palm pilot/phones onto a table, and it gave a description, price, and a side by side comparison of the features. This is really interesting and useful.

I haven't heard when it will be out yet, however.

According to Gizmodo:

You can see videos of it at microsoft.com/surface.

Here's the Daily Tech Article

 

Ongoing discussion

(Please delete this mods if you merge )

 

hmm.... a table, that i can't put anything on?
my god! thats pure genious!

but really i dont see why anyone would buy that instead of a computer.

 

NICE

I'd always prefer my 32" desktop monitor and holographic secondary monitor for my laptop than a table but I can see my old grandmother loving it as she can easily show all her friends that she invites to tea her pictures.

To quote the guy above me:

I mean they could have done it for year but

- who did come up with the idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

It seems pretty gimmiky to me... Also looks like it'll cost a LOT(32" wacom like display must be a few thousand alone) and be uncomfortable to use.

Course we are looking at pre-first generation here, so who knows how it'll develop and evolve.

 

Heh, just wait until they can do 3D holographic imaging (probably at least 5 years away) and you can watch the Super Bowl on your new 30" table.

 

Looks like multitouch screen to me.
They better get themselves ready for a lawsuit from Apple...

 

Not really. I would be amazed if Microsoft have not protected themselves against every touch screen patent in the world. There's probably some sort of subtle difference or clever jargon, difference in wording

Otherwise Nintendo should get in. Forget the Lite, I'm sure I remember seeing a giant DS on display at a trade show some time!

Or they could be differentiating themselves by the application of this product? i.e. <strike>change life as we know it</strike>

Source

 

I'm actually pretty impressed with it. It's not about the physics behind it, obviously touch screen's been around for a long time, but the user experience. If they can make it completely intuitive, I think it could be quite successful. And who says you can't put anything on it? I'm sure you'll be able to turn it on and off, so when you want to put your coffee on there, you can just turn it off and then turn it back on when you're showing off pictures or something.

 

Yeah, MS hasnt had enough practice getting around that......

 

But... playing strategy games on it will be awesome... imagine supreme commander, cnc3 and starcraft 2 on it... advantageous...

Edit: It would be the best if they make this into a plug and play, just like the monitor...

 

This Cnet video is cool:

http://reviews.cnet.com/Microsoft_s_Surface_computing/4660-10621_7-6737942.html?tag=nl.e729

 

Yeah, splitting the restaurant bill is really nifty

btw, Microsoft started working with this back in 2001, way before Apple..

 

Should be nice if you play BF on it.
then i would like dragging the enemies to specific places.
or when you're playing crysis,just 'resize' the enemy and you'll be good at shooting

 

Haha, but think about how long that would take. You'd be long dead.