| Friday, June 08, 2007 |
| My thoughts on...Microsoft Surface |
 Remember in Minority Report, when that whackjob Tom Cruise was moving around those computer windows with just his hands? Pretty cool, wasn't it? Well that technology is here today.
Or at least that's what Microsoft wants you to think.
They have invented a new way to interface with your computer, called Surface. It allows you to move objects on the screen with just your fingers. No mouse, no keyboard. "It's a touchscreen. Big deal!," you might say. I did too, but it's a bit more, and trust me, there's no one more anti-Microsoft than me. Surface senses multiple points of contact, unlike a touchscreen which senses only one, as demonstrated in a demo where you can use both fingers to stretch and rotate a picture. It can also read barcodes and credit cards. It's an interesting device, I must say. But in typical Microsoft fashion, they have taken this minor innovation, wrapped it in Apple-like graphics and presented it was the best thing since the Internet.
They call it "A new way to live in the digital world." But if there's one thing I've learned about the tech sector, is that it's not neccessarily about innovation, but the perception of it. But it's understandable why Microsoft would want to overhype their little invention, though no one seems to care. Microsoft hasn't had much to brag about lately. Apple, their nearest competition, seems to be outperforming them in every way (except on the desktop side of course). Apple's stock is rising while Microsoft's is falling, the Zune is collecting dust on store shelves, MSN Soapbox is a joke, Firefox is eating away IE's market share, Billy G is leaving the company, and even the Surface is being overshadowed by the impending release of the iPhone. And don't get me started on Vista.
But even if you want to get your hands on one, they're going for US$5,000 to US$10,000 each, and more than likely you don't have that kind of money lying around. That's why they're targeting big businesses, such as hotels, casinos, restaurants, stores and the like. And by the time technology costs drive it down, your grandchildren will be using it. It's nice to dream though isn't it?
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Posted by Leon
@ 5:07 PM
Permalink | Audiolink
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