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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Asheville, NC

    Microsoft Surface

    Um, cool.

    http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/18928656

    At the end of the article it covers the first thing that I thought when I began reading this article. This new technology will make greater use of one of our five senses that has been missing in personal computing; touch.

    http://www.microsoft.com/surface/

    So, how will this turn out? Will it be a big hit? Will it be a big flop? I think it will be a huge success with many applications. There have been some touch screen applications before this but not like Surface.

    So far, I'm impressed.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Washington, DC
    Surface will be in my living room by 2008, so help me god.

  3. #3
    Thanks, but I'll hold out for the Google version, which will crash less often and be free.

    I don't trust Microsoft's ability to innovate. The next groundbreaking innovation MS comes up with will be its first.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Washington, DC
    Quote Originally Posted by hurleyfor3 View Post
    Thanks, but I'll hold out for the Google version, which will crash less often and be free.

    I don't trust Microsoft's ability to innovate. The next groundbreaking innovation MS comes up with will be its first.
    I love google as much as the next person but 1) nothing is free (even in google world -- there is an ulterior motive), 2) you might be waiting a long time for google to come out with something comparable, and 3) less functionality (see: Google apps vs. Microsoft Office)

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Durham, NC
    Quote Originally Posted by hurleyfor3 View Post
    Thanks, but I'll hold out for the Google version, which will crash less often and be free.

    I don't trust Microsoft's ability to innovate. The next groundbreaking innovation MS comes up with will be its first.
    I am usually a big M$ detractor, but I have to say that they have done a great job with the Tablet OS. It wasn't there original concept (see:Newton, Palm) but they have managed to create a great interface for both touch and stylus in tabletXP. I hear that Vista is even better (but has so many other issues).

    I think that this Surface is just a logical extension of the Tablet interface they have been quietly perfecting over the last 5 years. I expect that it will be a good, maybe great, user experience. Of course, it will still crash and require numerous updates.

    Just watched the video and I see a HUGE problem with this device/tech - as far as Ican tell, it requires RFID for the 'mundane objects' such as credit cards. Ubiquitous RFID is far in the future, and hopefully will never happen, becasue the tecnology is rife with security and social issues. Also some wireless transfer of data that I don't think exits yet needs to be enabled to have phones, zunes (funny, no ipods) and cameras automatically connect and transfer images/music. This is a pie-in-sky project, adn while the hardware is neat, it will likely not reach its full potential, ever.

    Exiled
    About to buy my second tabletpc this summer - so many choices this time around
    Last edited by Exiled_Devil; 05-30-2007 at 12:11 PM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Seattle, WA

    It is THAT cool...

    Quote Originally Posted by Chard View Post
    Um, cool.
    That's exactly what I said, when I saw a prototype of it a few years ago. At the time, a researcher on the team that developed it was playing a video game, and was using both hands to move armies, build things, etc. I'm glad to see they've figured out other, probably more useful, apps to use the touch/sight technology.

    Quote Originally Posted by Dukerati View Post
    Surface will be in my living room by 2008, so help me god.
    Good luck! I read elsewhere that consumer versions probably won't be out for another 3-5 years.

    Quote Originally Posted by hurleyfor3 View Post
    Thanks, but I'll hold out for the Google version, which will crash less often and be free.

    I don't trust Microsoft's ability to innovate. The next groundbreaking innovation MS comes up with will be its first.
    Wow, I didn't realize that Google partnered to build ground-breaking, even envelope-pushing hardware, or created operating systems to support them. Care to point me to any evidence of that? Otherwise, enjoy the wait.

    Personally, I don't see the business advantage of always being first, other than the cool factor, and maybe a patent or two. There are a lot of lessons to learn in others' failure. (See: Apple Newton.)

    Still, it's hard to argue that this isn't a huge step towards more interactive, more intuitive computing. Who needs to have access to a keyboard when you can scrawl with your fingers, or even learn to write, if you can point and click on pictures? In 5-10 years, this could be a great bridge across the digital divide. Very cool indeed!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Seattle, WA

    Which one?

    Quote Originally Posted by Exiled_Devil View Post
    About to buy my second tabletpc this summer - so many choices this time around
    Hey Exiled -- what's on your top 3 list? My old Toshiba M205 is getting past its prime, and won't take a Vista upgrade all that well, so I'm looking to upgrade sometime late summer/fall as well.

    Prior to my Toshiba, I had an IBM Thinkpad, which was did yeomans work as my grad school machine (got beat up in a backpack for two years and survived!) That puts the Lenovo Thinkpad tablets high on my list; but now that Dell is coming out with a Latitude tablet... Hmmm.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by DevilAlumna View Post
    Wow, I didn't realize that Google partnered to build ground-breaking, even envelope-pushing hardware, or created operating systems to support them. Care to point me to any evidence of that? Otherwise, enjoy the wait.

    Personally, I don't see the business advantage of always being first, other than the cool factor, and maybe a patent or two. There are a lot of lessons to learn in others' failure. (See: Apple Newton.)
    Not only does this statement miss my point, it seems to defeat the argument for MS's lastest doodad.

    I'll buy one as soon as I figure out what I need it for. (And I don't need a plasma teevee yet, or an ipod. And I still shoot film. Slide film. I did, however, buy a 500 GB hard drive recently, so I do sometimes want shiny new computery stuff.) Until that happens I most certainly will enjoy the wait.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Watching carolina Go To HELL!

    Lenovo-IBM collaboration

    Quote Originally Posted by DevilAlumna View Post
    Prior to my Toshiba, I had an IBM Thinkpad, which was did yeomans work as my grad school machine (got beat up in a backpack for two years and survived!) That puts the Lenovo Thinkpad tablets high on my list; but now that Dell is coming out with a Latitude tablet... Hmmm.
    Lenovo and IBM just announced a joint customer service help desk
    http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/584595.html
    Ozzie, your paradigm of optimism!

    Go To Hell carolina, Go To Hell!
    9F 9F 9F
    https://ecogreen.greentechaffiliate.com

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by hurleyfor3 View Post
    And I don't need a plasma teevee yet, or an ipod. And I still shoot film. Slide film.
    Luddite

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Durham, NC
    Quote Originally Posted by DevilAlumna View Post
    Hey Exiled -- what's on your top 3 list? My old Toshiba M205 is getting past its prime, and won't take a Vista upgrade all that well, so I'm looking to upgrade sometime late summer/fall as well.

    Prior to my Toshiba, I had an IBM Thinkpad, which was did yeomans work as my grad school machine (got beat up in a backpack for two years and survived!) That puts the Lenovo Thinkpad tablets high on my list; but now that Dell is coming out with a Latitude tablet... Hmmm.
    I am generally wary of Dell notebooks - they have underperformed and over-broken on me on a couple of cases. However, I expect that the for the money they should be okay. The machine I am looking at are in the $2k range, I expect the Dell will be ~$1k. I have found that with computers I am carrying around, the extra money corresponds to a sturdier machine. I can beat up on my notebooks.

    Here are my decision criteria: I am big into lightweight for my portable PC, and I really like the slate form-factor - which can take some getting used to, as it doesn't have an integrated keyboard, just pen input. Battery power is essential. My current tablet gets 5+ hours of heavy use (wifi on, very little downtime). It's the specialty of the manufacturer.

    My top choices, not in any order:

    Lenovo Thinkpad X60
    work horse, both digitized and touch screens, possible wlan, blends in in corporate world
    needs extra battery to get decent usage time., which adds cost and weight

    TabletKiosk Sahara i440d
    slate, light, both digitized and touch interfaces. No bloatware included.
    Not sure how extra battery attaches and what it does for weight

    Fujitsu Lifebook P1610
    very small, convertible, possible wlan,
    very small, small screen, only touch screen, not digitized

    Electrovaya 3100 (updated version of my current tablet)
    super battery, I know the form factor well
    might run into same problems, (protective cover broken, power cord issue), PC may not be available


    A good resource for your tabletpc jones is alltp.com, a reseller of many tabletpc brands. One great thing that they do is allow a 48 hour demo for some models. Here is the list:
    * Motion LE1600 with View Anywhere Screen
    * Motion LS800 with View Anywhere Screen
    * Fujitsu ST5112 with Indoor/Outdoor Screen
    * Fujitsu ST5111 with frontlit outdoor screen
    * Fujitsu P1610
    * Tablet Kiosk UMPC eo 7110
    * IBM/Lenovo X60 with Multiview/Multitouch screen

    I expect to try out the X60 and the P1610 before I decide which tablet to buy.

    Exiled

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Durham, NC

    Popular Mechnics video

    Here is a link to Popular Mechanics, who got an early view and some technical details.

    Of note:
    It detects what is on the table by using multiple cameras inside, so my RFID concern is not valid

    $5000 to $10000 per machine...which is going to keep it out of my living room for a long time.

    It does assume on ubiquitous 802.11 to communicate with devices, which is iffy for cameras and cell phones.

    It still looks very cool.

    Exiled

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