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Surface Computing (Jaw dropping)
Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 11:31 am
by Ollie Saunders
Some of you will have seen similar things to this before but this looks really really polished.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technol ... 17348.html
Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 11:38 am
by jayshields
Yeah that looks nice.
I can't really see the point though. So it's good for looking at photos? What else? Transferring data from devices? I'm happy doing both of those tasks as I am now.
Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 11:58 am
by thiscatis
This is just the beginning, what if people who used typewriters banned the PC for being "happy doing those tasks as they were then"
Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 12:09 pm
by RobertGonzalez
I had seen Jeff Han's presentation of surface computing a few months ago. It is amazing how cool that is. I like what MS has done with the recognition of proximate devices bit. That is pretty clean.
Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 12:49 pm
by John Cartwright
jayshields wrote:Yeah that looks nice.
I can't really see the point though. So it's good for looking at photos? What else? Transferring data from devices? I'm happy doing both of those tasks as I am now.
I agree, as they stated it was originally designed for commercial and military uses.. it hasn't quite evolved for the home user quite yet.
Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 2:24 pm
by Chris Corbyn
...and it will allow you to control your television and will become the ultimate unlosable remote-control...
Stupid quote of the day! WTF? How can touching the screen of your TV be remote control? I can click the buttons on my 1980's TV just as remotely as touching the screen
Joking aside, it does look cool though. I've seen multi-touch screens before and essentially Microsoft are taking an age old concept and branding it as their own. It wouldn't suprise me if they push for patents on multi-touch screens

Joking.
Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 2:32 pm
by Ollie Saunders
essentially Microsoft are taking an age old concept and branding it as their own
Absolutely correct. And
here is the proof.
Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:13 pm
by Chris Corbyn
ole wrote:essentially Microsoft are taking an age old concept and branding it as their own
Absolutely correct. And
here is the proof.
Yep, click "History". They go back to 2001 and indeed, it's all "Microsoft" coming up with the ideas. No mention of the extensive work that's been done for years before they ever got their paws on it.
Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:22 pm
by Jenk
Just typical of MS to use such an ambiguous name :\
Googling for "Surface" will return only results relative to the formerly known as "Multi-touch" platform, I'm sure.
Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:23 pm
by Jenk
d11wtq wrote:...and it will allow you to control your television and will become the ultimate unlosable remote-control...
Stupid quote of the day! WTF? How can touching the screen of your TV be remote control? I can click the buttons on my 1980's TV just as remotely as touching the screen

Tablet PC will be your remote.
Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:28 pm
by Kieran Huggins
nice UI development... just wait until Apple gets their hands on it

Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:41 pm
by superdezign
Kieran Huggins wrote:nice UI development... just wait until Apple gets their hands on it

And then Microsoft somehow gets their hands on that.
Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 3:58 pm
by feyd
Kieran Huggins wrote:nice UI development... just wait until Apple gets their hands on it

They already have. Their first actualized product with it is the iPhone. They own a few patents on multi-touch technologies already.
Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 4:21 pm
by Kieran Huggins
Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 7:05 pm
by superdezign
feyd wrote:Kieran Huggins wrote:nice UI development... just wait until Apple gets their hands on it

They already have. Their first actualized product with it is the iPhone. They own a few patents on multi-touch technologies already.
Is the iPhone out yet? I remember hearing a lot about it long ago, but I haven't seen any commercials for it.