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Fuzzy Logic Microsoft’ slick new “Surface” – the ultimate fingerprint magnet?
Fuzzy Logic Microsoft’ slick new “Surface” – the ultimate fingerprint magnet? | Microsoft’ slick new “Surface” – the ultimate fingerprint magnet? |
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| Written by Alex Zaharov-Reutt | |
| Thursday, 31 May 2007 | |
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Set to be demonstrated by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at the D: All Things Digital conference today, the Surface Computer is a true innovation, making the human interaction with data, such as photos, information, music and more, that much more natural. Indeed, so natural is the act of flicking a finger or moving your hand, that an entirely new name for the interface has been created, and has been dubbed the NUI, or ‘natural user interface’. But with every new technology comes new challenges. So far, the Surface Computer looks like a coffee table with a 30-inch LCD screen. It also has 5 infrared cameras, is fully touch controlled, can accept ‘multi-touch’ input like the iPhone but from up to four users at the same time, runs a customized version of Windows Vista and more. Larger versions are no doubt on the drawing board, but for now, as the units are slated to cost between US $5000 and $10,000 upon launch later this year, selected retail outlets, hotels, restaurants and other selected public locations will purchase the Surface Computer for the public to see and use. Consumer models are set to arrive in two to three years, at reduced price points, relegating the Surface Computer to the wealthy with plenty of disposable income, or those retail locations and stores wanting the hottest new computing device with the most natural input. The Surface Computer certainly is very intriguing, and can even be thought of as the ‘iPhone of computers’, in a battle which sees Microsoft and Apple duke it out once more in the high technology stakes, with devices that share similar interfaces, even though they are opposite in physical size. As for its screen, the interface of which will primarily be driven by fingers, let’s hope they include a screen cleaner in the box, or the Surface Computer truly will be the most technological fingerprint magnet ever! {moscomment}
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