My mum was telling me yesterday that she saw on Chinese satellite tv on some "what's hot" show (fashion, design, cars, jewellery, etc) about this "thing" that Microsoft developed where the table is a desktop, and you just touch the surface to interact. I then received a forward from Irene (work mate), to a link to a YouTube video, and it just happened to be the "thing" that mum was talking about.
After a few minutes looking around YouTube, I found this real demonstration video put together by Microsoft's crew, which shows the actual Surface in play (see below).
This seems to be the next step in computer technology, where humans can interact with a computer without the barrier of needing other peripherals, and knowing how to use the interface - this is kind of like a touchscreen that does a lot more than recognising touch.
Probably the main feature that makes this different, unique, special, and "ground breaking technology" (if you will call it that), is the direct interaction between the table/surface and other WiFi hand held devices like mobile phones, cameras, etc. Simply placing a mobile phone onto the surface, you can interact with it by dragging and dropping (literally with your fingers and hands) things like ringtones and pictures to and from the desktop to your phone.
I think this product is mainly aimed at restaurants, shops (mainly technology), coffee shops (or any other food/drink places), hotels, airports, and similar other places - basically not really something for the typical household. According to mum, this thing will cost over $10,000 (I'm assuming USD) - only the computer enthusiast will ever fish out this money for home use (or the insanely rich who has no idea what it is, but knows it's cool).
That being said, I'm sure if this product will really be that successful, it's cool and all, but it's not exactly a "no-strings-attached" item, that is perfect for use even in the field it's meant for. Yes some of the features look great, but some also seem a little impractical - to me anyway. Things like, the phone comparisons and the dragging and dropping of ringtones and other "features and packages" in a phone shop may sound great (and it is! I definitely would be hooked into buying 100 useless ringtones just to play with the interface), but this system cannot replace the face to face, pen on paper ways of sales (no shop is going to buy 10 of these surfaces to use).
Putting this in a coffee shop also doesn't seem to be that practical, yes I know it's a table, but I'm not going to like eating off it, and incase I spill my drink or drop my food, I will feel very scared that I'll ruin the screen somehow - but that's just me.
There is one feature that I don't seem to understand, in one of the videos (click here), they put down their bankcards on the table and split the bill for their order and stuff, how the hell does the table recognise cards? The magnetic strip? I wouldn't like putting my card down on a table that reads everything.. sounds so dodgey.
But overall, I am looking for the launch of this item, and so I can play with this and see it's real uses - although that probably won't be for another few years.
2 Comments:
*aCHHOOOO*
June 4, 2007 at 10:12 PM
-sticks a scrunched up tissue up nam's nose. nam now looks like mr bean-
June 4, 2007 at 10:17 PM
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home