MICROSOFT SURFACE
My first reaction upon being confronted with this technology: jaw dropping awe and an eagerness to learn more. Of all the things I’ve talked about so far in these three posts, this one is probably the most ground-breaking and the one that seems like it came from the Minority Report [source] or straight from the advanced laboratories of CSI.
Codename:
The Surface is a tabletop computer, roughly put. The size of a medium-sized coffee table, the base of the computer rests in the black frames supporting the glass tabletop [source]. The tabletop itself is touch-sensitive. It incorporates the innovative multi-touch technology where multiple points of contact on the surface can be processed at the same time- allowing for multiple fingers and even multiple users. Also, the touchscreen portion of the technology isn't reactive to heat/pressure like most others, but instead there are five infrared cameras installed in the surface and through the pictures they take they are able to track anything that touches its surface [source]. Not only does the surface of the Surface react to fingers, a stylus, or even paintbrushes but also it interacts with various devices that are simply placed on top of it. Bluetooth enabled cell phones, digital cameras, and sometime in the future, RFID items. All of these interact with the Surface- you can upload and download items from the phone or camera simply by dragging and dropping with your finger.
The physical technology is not the only remarkable feature to this computer- the new programs that are designed to fully utilize and maximize such technology are exciting and fun to use as well. There are the applications that would appeal to private consumers- Paint, Music, Photos, and Video Puzzle each of which are brought to new heights by way of maximizing the hardware in the Surface.
On the business side of things, as of this moment the Surface has 3 programs developed for 3 different uses in the consumer market. For T-Mobile, the Surface acts as an interactive screen that can link to the phone using Bluetooth or display the various details regarding that particular model. In casinos, guests can place key cards on top of a map of the grounds and easily reserve seats for a show. And in common dining restaurants, the Surface can be the table, and also the menu (the order can be chosen and sent to the kitchen immediately), a music player, an entertainment board for the kids. In fact, the Surface can even recognize objects- a glass of water, or a glass of wine- for which it can scroll out a wine list menu.
There is enormous potential for the Microsoft Surface. It can obviously help organizations not so much as a whole on the corporate side, but more as a publicity gimmick and in customer interaction. Programs customized to a business' needs (ex. T-Mobile) can contribute to the ease and the overall environment of a thriving business. Of course, the downsides are the $5000-$10 000 price tag on a Surface model and the bugs that are bound to show up in any new technology, but these problems can be smoothed over with time. The Surface is an extremely exciting new way to not only do business, but to interact in life.
Reimer, Jeremy. Ars Technica. (Sept 30, 2007) A Day on the Surface: A Hands-On Look at Microsoft's New Computing Platform. Retrieved Oct 1, 2007. [http://arstechnica.com/articles/culture/surface.ars/4
Durene, Glenn. Popular Mechanics. (July 2007) Microsoft Surface Video. Retrieved Oct 1, 2007. [http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/industry/4217348.html]
Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. (Sept 29, 2007) Multi-touch. Retrieved Oct 1, 2007. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-touch]
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