Microsoft SURFACE

[Xog]

This is pretty cool, I remember seeing something from G4 TV about something similar, they were using a multi-user interface for Warcraft III. I was blown away cuz they were using their hands on a frickin table top!... gaming at dinner anyone?

[Edify]

I went to the microsoft site for this earlier and watched some of their videos, it seems neat. Although, is it liquid-proof wink wink nudge nudge cough. OF COURSE I'm talking about using it as a table for drinks.. right.

[GuruMeditation]

Subjugation : Your lack of imagination is astounding.

For starters there are many, many uses for this. The design world has been begging for something like this. The Cintiq is awesome, but a multitouch display is the next step. After that there's the fact multiple people can use it at the same time. Todays technology can only be used by one person at a time. Sometime like this allows 2 or 3 people at once to do whatever they want.

Then there's the fact this could be the next big step. Some innovations are a huge success. Some are just lessons to learn from and move on.

Finally how many times do we hear the words "I wish it were easier to use." Many people even today are daunted by technology. This is just another way of approaching it. It provides a far more natural interaction with your data than a mouse and a keyboard does.

In the era of the iPod and Wii don't doubt anything different

[za gophar]

looks bad for posture

[Singularity]

There was a post in a newspaper recently stating the release price would be around 10.000 dollar, but would drop after a few years, making it accessible for home users.
Personally I thought it looks pretty useful for professional use, and there are situations where I wish I could move 3d models by hand for example, although I wouldn't trade in my keyboard and mouse yet =)

[Subjugation]

Microsoft officials say Surface...is designed to simplify a user's interaction with digital content such as photos and music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP5y7yp06n0&NR=1

Thought this was an interesting bit of Microsoft marketing, but I don't really see this revolutionizing anything. We already have touch screen technology. We already have something that transfers data from our handheld devices (iPods, cameras, cellphones, PDA's) to a main storage repository---it's called a C-O-M-P-U-T-E-R.

I could see this as being a really useful design for a media center PC/gaming system that you'd keep in the family room---in front of the main TV. Or maybe like an über elite coffee table for the rich. But unless they price this thing to compete with media center PC's and Xbox's and Ps3's....I can't see this really becoming more than just a fringe technology.