Today at the Wall Street Journal’s D: All Things Digital conference, Microsoft will unveil Microsoft Surface, the first in a new category of surface computing products from Microsoft. Surface turns an ordinary tabletop into a surface that provides interaction with all forms of digital content through gestures, touch and physical objects. Beginning at the end of this year, consumers will be able to interact with Surface in hotels, retail establishments, restaurants and public entertainment venues.
The user interface works without a traditional mouse or keyboard, allowing people to interact with content and information on their own or collaboratively. Surface is a 30-inch display in a table-like form factor that small groups can use at the same time.
“With Surface, we are creating more intuitive ways for people to interact with technology,” Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said. “We see this as a multibillion dollar category, and we envision a time when surface computing technologies will be pervasive, from tabletops and counters to the hallway mirror. Surface is the first step in realizing that vision.”
Surface also features the ability to recognize physical objects that have identification tags similar to bar codes. This means that when a customer simply sets a wine glass on the surface of a table, a restaurant could provide them with information about the wine they’re ordering, pictures of the vineyard it came from and suggested food pairings tailored to that evening’s menu. The experience could become immersive, letting users access information on the wine-growing region and even look at recommended hotels and plan a trip without leaving the table.
Surface computing at Microsoft is an outgrowth of a collaborative effort between the Microsoft Hardware and Microsoft Research teams. Surface computing, which Microsoft has been working on for a number of years, features four key attributes:
• Direct interaction. Users can actually “grab” digital information with their hands, interacting with content by touch and gesture, without the use of a mouse or keyboard.
• Multi-touch. Surface computing recognizes many points of contact simultaneously, not just from one finger like a typical touch-screen, but up to dozens of items at once.
• Multi-user. The horizontal form factor makes it easy for several people to gather around surface computers together, providing a collaborative, face-to-face computing experience.
• Object recognition. Users can place physical objects on the surface to trigger different types of digital responses, including the transfer of digital content.
Microsoft plans to ship Surface with a portfolio of basic applications, including photos, music and virtual concierge applications that can be customized.
Surface will be made available through a distribution and development agreement with IGT, a global company specializing in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and sales of computerized gaming machines and systems products.
More information can be found at http://www.surface.com
“Microsoft Surface: Behind-the-Scenes First Look (with Video)” from Popular Mechanics, which includes interview footage with NYU multi-touch interaction researcher Jeff Han is here.
MacDailyNews Take: First of all, this is a press release released today by Microsoft PR flacks in an attempt to take attention away from Apple CEO Steve Jobs at the Wall Street Journal’s “D5” conference today. Now, this type of technology is the future, but we’ll be steering clear of Microsoft’s implementation simply because we want our stuff to work.* Also, carting around a coffee table would be a back-breaker.
* If Microsoft doesn’t like our statement about wanting our stuff to work and therefore avoiding Microsoft products, too bad; they’ve earned it.
This type of tech has been floating around for years. Who owns which patent for what, or even if there are any meaningful patents, is anybody’s guess at this point. The best-known researcher in this field is Jeff Han. Han is a research scientist for New York University’s (NYU) Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. We first covered Jeff Han’s multi-touch interface work last February with a direct link to video of Han’s UI and a link to Wired’s “Cult of Mac” coverage. At the time, we wrote, “This could change everything. Again.”
After Steve Jobs’ Macworld Expo keynote unveiled iPhone, with its multi-touch interface, Han has updated his website (http://cs.nyu.edu/~jhan/ftirtouch/) with the cryptic blurb, “Yes, we saw the keynote too! We have some very, very exciting updates coming soon- stay tuned!”
Jeff Han presents his “Multi-Touch Interaction Research” work at the TED Conference 2006:
Perceptive Pixel, Inc. was founded by Jeff Han in 2006 as a spinoff of the NYU Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences to develop and market the most advanced multi-touch system in the world. More info: http://www.perceptivepixel.com/
Related articles:
iPhone debuts third-generation PC user interface: Apple’s Steve Jobs changes the world – again – February 20, 2007
Researchers have bigger plans for ‘multi-touch’ beyond Apple’s iPhone – January 19, 2007
Video of how Apple’s rumored touch-screen Tablet Mac could work – February 13, 2006
Apples’ turn.
The video looks cool (saw it on cnet). Shame it is running Vista underneath. This means it is destined to suck big time. I guess the Blue Screen of Death will appear on this thing too….
At least with the iPhone, what multi-touch technology there is seems to fit the function; scrolling, pressing buttons etc. This seems nothing more than a tarted up version of the Jeff Han demo – which was cool but not overtly practical unless you just want to spend your life moving your photos around and zooming in and out of things.
Oh and good luck with just setting your camera down on it and getting your photos. It can be hard enough on windows when stuff is physically connected.
It will have a price from $5000 to $10,000. Is this thing is so far from reality that they really can’t narrow it down a little more?
I hope Apple enforces their multi-touch patent
First…
This looks to be a little more advanced than just an iPhone touch screen interface. Could MSFT actually be on the forefront of some technology that Apple missed? Remeber the GUI introduced to the world by Apple then the advent of Windoze. Could history be repeating itself? Is Apple going to respond? OMG the sky is about to fall!!
Looks like they just made an iPhone larger, look out Microsoft for Apple 200 patents. CopyCats
Will unveile at the end of this year… So we have to wait next 10 years for that.
Don´t talk just deliver
I wonder how many wine bottles have resulted in the need to replace how many so called “Surfaces”?
You could either mold technology into a functional device that fits into how people operate, or…
You could jam something that’s cool on its own into some obscure product and tell people to sit down in front of it and like it, DAMN IT!
does anyone else see what a joke this is ?
Apple implements multitouch (the new gen GUI) in a phone form factor that will ship in volume next month.
Microsoft implements multitouch in a coffee table form factor that will ship in limited volume next year.
(and MSFT’s revolutionary applications are photo management and a music jukebox !!)
Sad to see a company is such decline. For more humor I’ll be attending the presentation by Balmer….can’t wait.
What’s new about this? People already wind up waving their hands around in the air when they use Microsoft products.
Imagine an interactive BSoD! Golly, sounds awesome.
“Direct interaction. Users can actually “grab” digital information with their hands,…”
Does that mean users can “grab” virus, malware and trojans with their hands? Will Micro$oft include condoms with the instructions books? The horror!
Casinos? I hope not for gambling! No way I would ever trust a Microsoft product! I can see it now:
computer: “Current holdings $500,000. Place Bet:”
gambler:
computer : <blue screen of death>
gambler: “!!!!!!!!!!!!”
computer (after rebooting): “Current holdings $400,000. Place Bet:”
Yeah, no thanks!
I think this says why this may not be such a good idea!
Look at Microsoft trying to innovate. How cute. I bet the Surface team crapped bricks and threw chairs when Apple demoed the iPhone with its multitouch interface.
I don’t know about you guys but I usually order my food before choosing a wine… That is such a bad example!
This is Microsoft at its best…it’s called VAPORWARE.
Dangling the flashy video of a future product that won’t be half waht you see on this video..assuming it’s running on Vista?
Typical of, and masterful timing by, the marketing PR BS machine Microsoft.
Gates/MS knew the iPhone would get a lot of attention at the conference so they released this now to “deflate” Jobs’/Apple’s iPhone hype and positive PR.
(I wonder if Apple’s desktop multi-touch plans include it’s “Bonjour” type auto find/connect per the MS demo (set camera on table and photos automatically downloaded).)…
Not invented in Redmond
I think MS has penis envy.
Microsoft copies again, their version of innovation
Even have a dock that magnifies as one scrubs it.
Slime asses.
A 30″ table? Sounds more like a school desk or TV dinner tray stand than a table. How many people are suppose to huddle around this thing? It doesn’t sound very practical to me at all.
MDN Magic Word: hell
as in: What the hell are they thinking?