Microsoft Surface

[razzleson]

Well, Microsoft has another gadget coming out in the near future. This one's simply called "Microsoft Surface"


One of Microsoft Corp.'s biggest secrets looks like a normal coffee table. Until it's switched on.

After years of covert development, Microsoft says it will release a computer that uses the tabletop as its high-resolution display, recognizes objects placed on the surface and skips the traditional keyboard and mouse in favor of fingers on the screen.


The article's an interesting read, and it's filled with videos. I'd embed them directly into the thread, but I'm too lazy to search YouTube to see if they've been moved onto there yet.

Official announcement here (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/317737_msftdevice30.html).

IMO it's crazy that it could be available so soon. And for the technology, it seems like it'll be fairly cheap, and MS says hopefully quiet a bit cheaper in 3-5 years.

What do you guys think about it?

[carrliadiere]

Sounds cool enough, but it does smack of being one of those stupid inventions that, alright, are fairly intuitive and fun, but will ultimately be meaningless because they are solving a problem which doesn't exist.

Is it REALLY that hard to get up off the sofa and go to the computer? And more to the point, do you want a coffee table that you have to switch on? Wouldn't it also get really hot? What if you wanted to put ice cream on the table? It would melt far quicker.

[Tron]

deep thoughts there carr... i like em....

the picture thing looks neat though, and i can see the wife using it to scroll through all her pictures..

[codedigital]

I read an early article when they were discussing this tech...and went to an event once where they showed some conceptuals.

I think it's great. The implications for living room media centers are huge.

But there's all kinds of tech out there going into this space. I'm excited to see where it all goes.

[twelve]

Sounds cool enough, but it does smack of being one of those stupid inventions that, alright, are fairly intuitive and fun, but will ultimately be meaningless because they are solving a problem which doesn't exist.
Just like the touch screen on the ds and motion detection on the wii? They seem to have panned out nicely. If you ask me this is MS trying to tackle Nintendo head on.
Is it REALLY that hard to get up off the sofa and go to the computer? And more to the point, do you want a coffee table that you have to switch on? Wouldn't it also get really hot? What if you wanted to put ice cream on the table? It would melt far quicker.
No it's not that hard to get up off the sofa, no i dont want a coffee table that needs switching on, with a decent cooling system (as in liquid) then it wouldn't get hot.

Personally I think it sounds really gimmicky but I thought that about the DS and the wii and I love both of them. This could pay off big for MS or it could cause them some major headaches but MS are in a position where they can afford to make that gamble.

[highpass]

The point of turning it on or off is quite moot to me... It's something i'd leave on all day, and in standby mode overnight. Liquid cooling systems = much more money, such a thing could be kept relatively quiet and cool if the correct components were used in the first place.

Code is spot on btw. This would obviously shine as a Media Centre type gimmick, not a fully fledged desktop workhorse - and in that case the coffee table is a perfect format, moreso than even remotes.

Imagine the possibilites for kids; Super Duper Etch a Sketch, finger painting (no more effed up wallpaper), Fisher Price style learning gimmicks et all.

What happens when the table's covered in tea/coffee rings, or recognises beer/weed/scales/some bird's arse/etc is another matter.

[ThrillKillBill]

actually this is part of a entire line of futuristic home devices i saw on a tv program a lil while back on a show like "beyond tomorrow". with interfaces like this throughout the house and programmed appliances that actually know exactly what you want or need. such as a refrigerator that knows when to "order" whatever your in low on. news and internet on bathroom mirrrors and a huge host of other things. i'm on the fence about these things, sure they sound interesting and likely be time-savers but just how lazy do we need to become?

imagine the kink in your neck from staring down at the coffee table screen after a few hours of hard-core gaming............. they better invent a sofa that has human-like appendages for the express purpose of neck massages to fix that............ oh and might as well had a flush feature to that sofa so you never have to move...... LoL

[Drednaught X]

dont spill your drinks though.... could be bad

[twelve]

recognises beer/weed/scales/some bird's arse/etc is another matter.
lol

That could be MS's next trick. They've been logging modded consoles for some time and then started banning. so next they're going to start monitoring your coffee table antics and if weed etc is seen it gets logged and then one day the police turn up at numerous houses across the world. Bad MS, bad.

[carrliadiere]

Just like the touch screen on the ds and motion detection on the wii? They seem to have panned out nicely. If you ask me this is MS trying to tackle Nintendo head on.

No it's not that hard to get up off the sofa, no i dont want a coffee table that needs switching on, with a decent cooling system (as in liquid) then it wouldn't get hot.

Personally I think it sounds really gimmicky but I thought that about the DS and the wii and I love both of them. This could pay off big for MS or it could cause them some major headaches but MS are in a position where they can afford to make that gamble.

I still feel that it's so much of a high-end luxury (completely unlike the DS and Wii, which sell as genius and innovative and more importantly cheap novelty items), and that it will catch on to the same degree that fridges with internet access have caught on.

Of course, this is all just conjecture...

[BlaZiN cdn]

Sounds stupid, people are going to get even fatter if they don't have to get up and walk to their computer. Why don't they make a toilet thats a computer... The way it's going everything in a person's house could be a computer.

[codedigital]

Sounds stupid, people are going to get even fatter if they don't have to get up and walk to their computer. Why don't they make a toilet thats a computer... The way it's going everything in a person's house could be a computer.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/18925128@N00/361973714/

You argument is flawed really. All it is...as seen...is a different interface to a media center machine. It doesn't look like it's meant for a full out replacement for your desktop. Even if it is, what's the difference of having your media center displayed on your table instead of your TV?

I'm sure they made the "get fatter if they don't have to get up" argument when someone invented the remote control as well. "People are going to get fat if they don't have to get up to change the channel! What's next? Computers in your coffee table?"

I tell you how people can stop from getting fat. NO FAST FOOD. Less sugar. More exercise. It's really that simple. I have no sorrow for an overweight person...unless of course it's like a gland issue or something. I guarantee that eating that Big Mac and Large Fry has more of a physical impact on your health than using your hands to manipulate your coffee table to show grandma the new pics of the kiddie's.

/rant

[Flea]

So let me get this straight its a coffetable that has a screen on it?
and you can play games on it?
Its another case of microsoft copying people.
http://www.bornrich.org/images/arcade_machine_coffee_table.jpg
http://www.gamersgizmos.org/images/voyager_table1.jpg

[Flea]

Sounds stupid, people are going to get even fatter if they don't have to get up and walk to their computer. Why don't they make a toilet thats a computer... The way it's going everything in a person's house could be a computer.

A toilet thats a computer is just stupid,
an office in a toilet now thats cool.
http://www.wayodd.com/funny-pictures2/funny-pictures-the-computer-toilet-YSY.jpg

[ThrillKillBill]

double post!!!!!!! LoL :p

good find on that donkey kong table game flea........ i've never seen that one before but i do recall the q-bert one. one difference is they are including touchscreen but not including arcade joysticks. but i suppose you could say they stole the touch screen idea too and ppl have been making tables for centuries without joysticks LoL

[Cyrex]

and i can see the wife using it to scroll through all her pictures..

wow erton it sounds like you wife is pretty narrowminded:p:p, im wondering if it has good quality

i could see myself propping this up sideways and playing halo 2 for vista on this, OMFG (1) big Screen

(1) -- Oh my fucking god -- for you highpass, i know grammar is your pet peeve

[x McGrim x]

It seems pretty cool but I probably wouldn't buy it.