Microsoft Surface
May 30th, 2007 by noelperlasJust to add to the noise generated by the ‘All Things Digital‘ (D5) conference.. I am fascinated by Microsoft’s new hardware product: Surface. Surface is a multi-touch screen table that seems to have its own OS and built-in applications.
The product seems to be Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s multi-touch iPhone, albeit a big clunky delayed copy one. MS can debate though that multi-touch has been around for quite some time that no one really owns the IP to it. I wonder if Jeff Han’s product influenced this one?
But I do like some of the scenarios they have on their website. One of which shows users physical gadgets to sync seamlessly with Surface and share content with other gadgets. This reminds me of what Tom Stovicek’s (IDII classmate) Thesis that explores this possibility of sharing content of devices and networks. Maybe that’s why he is in MS now? :)
Posted in Crit, Design, Seen |
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3 Responses to “Microsoft Surface”
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Kevin Says:
May 31st, 2007 at 5:39 amSurface is not meant as an answer to iPhone. Totally different markets and technologies.
So why do people compare them? I suppose because the iPhone competitors aren’t for sale yet, and Apple hasn’t demo’d a comparable Surface unit yet.
The upshot is that both show how touch interfaces can be hyped, even if they’re not the best method for everything.
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noelperlas Says:
May 31st, 2007 at 4:27 pmHi Kevin. I hope you’re not from MS and that I offended you. But yes, they are different markets. As ‘answer’ I meant something like this happening in MS:
Jan 2007:
Bill to Mgt: Damn, did you see that new multi-touch iPhone that apple launched? Didn’t we have some sort of the same project somewhere.
Mgt: Ya! Its called table surface.. but its still in prototype… and I think we shelved it.
Bill: I don’t care, ressurect it! We should have something to show before they launch it in June.
Bill: I’ll be with Steve in all things digital in May, I have to have something by then. And call it Surface or something. -
Noel Perlas - Perlas Design Studio » Blog Archive » Jellio Lite Table and Tableportation Says:
July 19th, 2007 at 11:29 pm[...] Those look like LEDs to me. At first when I saw it I thought, “Someone ripped-off Tableportation!” But upon reading closer, I saw Jellio lite table use gigantic color pegs that light up. So the interaction is actually different. One you pick-up and insert the other you just touch. Tableportation wins in simplicity of interaction, but I love how Jellio lite table looks.. I can image the two together. Still, if you are thinking of much more complex table tops interaction there is always Microsoft Surface. [...]
