Did you ever watch the movie Minority Report? Remember the screen where Tom Cruise was using his hands to manipulate the screen and move things around? Well this technology doesn’t seem to be very far in the future, in-fact Microsoft has something very similar they have been developing for a while now; Microsoft Surface.
I heard about it while listening to a local radio station here in Vancouver, so I went to check out Microsoft’s website about their new toy. It is a pretty neat concept; I mean to not have to use a mouse and keyboard? It seems like a giant (really expensive) graphic tablet but would fit in a house with a modern type décor.
Currently I could see this being used in bars. Image sitting around a sleek black table with a bunch of your friends and all of a sudden you notice your drink is empty. What do you do? You order a new one, except you don’t see the waitress anywhere near. Look to the table! You touch the table top, browse through the selection of drinks and slide your choice towards the Order section. Voila! The bartender receives your order and within minutes (hopefully) your waitress drops off your drink!
Looking at the videos on Microsoft’s website it looks like (for the time being) that the MS Surface is like a large expensive graphics tablet since you can use it for painting or go through your photos (which can be uploaded from a camera with Bluetooth) and use your finger tips to manipulate them.
Do I see a future in a product like this? Sure! Will Microsoft send me one so that I can play with it? Probably not because Microsoft probably doesn’t know I exist and if they did, would they send me one of these tables (probably going to retail for like $8,000->$10,000) to play around with?
I’m just glad that there are people out there that are ‘thinking outside the box’.
What do you think? Will this type of technology become something useful? Is it really just a big touchscreen?
**Updated: Found another video that demonstrates the MS Surface in real time.
RodMay 30, 2007 at 09:27:27
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But 3 years from now they’ll be $1500 and 2 years after that they’ll be $500. Does look pretty cool, though.
The-VyperMay 30, 2007 at 10:12:25
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As a former bouncer in a pub. I see these really expensive toys getting drinks dumped on them, fist slammed into them. Keys scratched across them. If urinals have to be replaced at least once a month, how often you think these things will be brokem.
Brennan the Vyper
Tyler IngramMay 30, 2007 at 10:55:38
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That’s why they would be in more posh type places that can afford to replace them. But like Rod said, they will drop in price.. eventually. That’s even to say if they hit the market.
LeoMay 30, 2007 at 15:14:45
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I’m just thinking how amazing it would be to be able to watch porn on my coffee table
ConnorJun 01, 2007 at 10:49:21
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I like the porn on my coffee table idea, plus you could get all “hands” on with the girls
You know eventually someone is going to come up with that idea. I think this could be a good business idea for us Tyler 
sugenkFeb 08, 2008 at 21:16:40
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Big Bussines!
Bad Idea!!!
Low Morality!!
ha ha ha…
but it’s very very expensive to me
i don’t buy it although it’s free!!
ha ha ha again…
from poor man internet!
darlaAug 07, 2008 at 13:14:16
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I would just like to be able to edit videos on it…slicing out footage and adding music, sfx, special effects with the touch of a finger….would be awesome and speed up the creative process!