Cool Microsoft Surface Computer Tricks

http://www.futurelooks.com Microsoft was showing off the Surface Computer at CES 2008. It definitely has some cool tricks. Now the question is...when will it be ready?

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Microsoft
• Surface
• CES
• 2008
• Computer
• Touch

[Yourfavoritedrawings]

That stuff is old. Batman had that technology 15 years ago. (But seriously, I want one!)

[0m3n1337]

It doesn't matter about the hardware, Microsoft is a software company and this software is pretty damn cool. Microsoft is just trying to make this technology consumer friendly.

[Banziafy]

Wut -_-

why are you talking about bikes here...

[G1NZOU]

@luccaskunk I say best in terms of mechanical tolerances and reliability.

You can't beat the charm of an old Triumph though, there are some biker clubs in japan that use imported British bikes over the new Japanese bikes purely because of the history of them.

[luccaskunk]

@G1NZOU I know some bikers who would disagree with Japanese bikes being "the best"... They might agree that the Japanese make "some of the best" but not THE best... Harley and Indian seems to be the two favored brands among bikers. But yeah, all I'm saying is that Microsoft isn't doing anything original here. btw, I'm posting this from a Macintosh running Windows7. I bought this thing for iPhone development but my PC got hit by lightning so have to use the Mac for a few months :(

[G1NZOU]

@luccaskunk The fact remains that Microsoft have taken good ideas and created something that works really well, they've taken time to design really good applications and have come up with new ways of using them.

One example, the Japanese didn't invent motorbikes, they took apart some British imports, found out how they work and ever since then they've been making the best motorbikes in the world.

[luccaskunk]

@G1NZOU Apple doesn't even have a patent on capacitive anything. Their only patent regarding multitouch has to do with scrolling webpages *yawn*. As to why Microsoft isn't being creative, I and a bunch of others were experimenting with this for about 2 years with growing momentum just before Microsoft went and announced their "Surface Computer". I personally had completed my multitouch setup in 2006. The bulb on the projector has since worn out. It was in a sketch eisel instead of a table.

[G1NZOU]

@luccaskunk Apologies.

The lack of that explanation in your previous comments lead me to believe you were just some Mactard who just got an iPad and decided to look up anything related to touchscreens.

Sometimes, technology doesn't have to be new, we just have to be creative with it.

This is what Microsoft are doing, they're using available technology in creative ways.

[luccaskunk]

@G1NZOU Dude, seriously, reread what I said and then hang your head in shame at your lack of reading comprehension. I never once said "capacitive touch". Also, when I said "Microsoft hasn't done anything new here" I did NOT mention iPhone. The method I was talking about is called "FTIR" or "Frustrated Total Internal Reflection". My suspicion is that you're also talking about FTIR. Thing is, Microsoft hasn't done anything new. FTIR multitouch is almost 30 years old now.

[G1NZOU]

@luccaskunk This uses cameras to sense gestures, that means you can use a real paintbrush to paint, you can't do that with capacitive touch.

Different sizes are good, this will be awesome in shops restaurants and bars, perhaps on walls for interactive adverts too.

Having an iPhone will be your go-anywhere option, Notebook for on the move working and 32" PC at home for heavy work and media.