A few weeks ago Jeff Turner wrote about the new Microsoft Surface. I have been following this technology since it came out on TED last year. About a month ago, finally had a chance to play around with Microsoft’s new Surface during a demo in New York.
Not Everything You See On the Internet Is True
After watching the videos on Microsoft’s site, I was really looking forward to get my hands on one of these things. And while the technology is very cool, I was a little deflated after I started using it. The Surface seemed to be much more sluggish than what appeared in the video. You can tell this thing is still in the early stages. But then again, that hasn’t stopped Microsoft from releasing other products. Come to think of it – The sluggish and buggy feel of the Surface is exactly the same way I would describe my new Windows Vista Laptop!
Uhh Well, I Don’t Know!
What I found shocking about the demo was the fact that the guy from Microsoft was clueless about the technology! I enjoyed seeing him “dance” when someone would ask him a question. After giving the “deer in headlights” look when people asked questions, he finally wised up and went to his standard “Oh we are not allows to discuss specifics of the technology.” Translation: The crowd knew more than he did.
I asked a few more questions and found that some of the functionality you see on the videos is just “examples of what the technology can do.” Translation: It doesn’t really work yet!
If you have seen the videos, you see cool things like setting a phone on the Surface and it automatically recognizes the device. I wanted to know how it recognized the specific device. I wasn’t going to settle for the “we can’t discuss specifics” stock answer. I kept drilling him. He finally gave me a real answer. “We don’t really have a specific way to do this right now but we are exploring different technologies such as Bluetooth. Currently, these are just props with an identifying marker on them.”
But It Is Still Some Amazing Technology.
Even with all the roadblocks, I was still amazed at the technology. I had a chance to go though most of the applications that you see in the videos. The coloring was fun, the CD library was also cool (but much more sluggish than you see in the demo videos). By far, the best application was the photo viewer. It was amazing to see different people interacting with the Surface. The resizing and moving is so intuitive that you really don’t need any instructions. This is where it really shines. But then again, I don’t think I am ready to pay $10,000 for a photo viewer!
How It Works
Surface is not a standard touch screen device (such as monitors, Treos, etc.) Instead, it uses “depth sensing” infrared cameras focused on the screen. This allows the “multitouch” functionality. If you are interested in more of the “how” check out this site.
Looking To The Future
I have to admit, it was very cool watching so many people interact with the “Surface” at one time. That’s what really separates this device from other computers. It has more of a social aspect to it. With Microsoft’s deep pockets, I am sure they can make this into an amazing device but it’s still pretty early on in the game.
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