Wow, just wow!
It looks like it’s going to be a battle over the future of “touch” based computing between Microsoft and Apple. Apple seems to be going towards the smaller handheld type market, while Microsoft is going for the table-sized crowd. This is just way too cool.
Microsoft already has Harrah’s Entertainment, Starwood Hotels and Resorts and T-Mobile lined up to implement the Surface technology in their lobbies and showroom floors. Surface can interact with Credit cards, mobile phones, etc. to provide an easier way for customers to pay for items, download music or directions to a happening nightclub scene.
The Surface features 4 key attributes in it’s design:
- Direct Interaction using your hands as the device instead of a mouse and keyboard.
- Multi-touch, so there is not just one point of interaction. Set your phone down, drag and drop pics into it, playlists, etc. while your friends flip through photos on the same surface.
- Multi-user, coinciding with #2, allows multiple people to interact with the surface at the same time.
- Object recognition, allowing devices to be placed on the surface and become part of the interactive experience. Mobile phones, credit cards, etc. (My guess would be Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and RFID)
I’m guessing the 30″ Surface won’t be cheap, but this should pave the way for smaller interactive Surfaces putting the price range into the reach of techiephiles.
I’m really looking forward to see where this technology ends up being implemented once it scales down.
TechCrunch Coverage : Has some links to early demos of the Surface.
Tags: Microsoft Surface Interactive
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