This is what Scoble was talking about on Twitter last night: Microsoft Surface. According to the website (which must be under load right now, because it buffers endlessly), it’s a new bridge between users and digital media. Scoble says that before its official launch, it was called “PlayTable.” Under a broader label, it’s “gestural computing.”
From what I can glean from the website (which is done in Flash, ironically, not Microsoft’s Silverlight), this is impressive. It’s incredibly easy to see parallels between this and what we’ve seen with the iPhone’s multi-touch display. You could pretty coherently argue that this is a larger surfaced multi-touch underpinned by Microsoft technology. The gestures to drag and resize seem awfully similar to the iPhone.
I’m speculating, but we’ll see. There’s no news yet about Apple/MS licensing.
Regardless, the market penetration vector for Surface is unclear to me. Is ultimately this for home use? Do you buy a smallish living room table that’s really an MS Surface machine and that serves as a lifestyle computing device that interfaces with your mobile phone and camera? It hasn’t been announced for the home yet, but I have to imagine that MS is going to go there eventually.
So, then, what about business use? The website shows POS (point-of-sale) opportunities, but aside from boutique places, is there really a market for something this slick (and untested)?
Where will this live?
I strongly suggest you go take a look at the website: the demos they have their are very impressive, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested. Unfortunately, Scoble talks about the price and (relative) complexity of MS Surface, and like most magic there’s quite a bit going on backstage.
Anyway, surface computing is real and is wild. I want one of these in my house, but it is too expensive. Anyway, here’s how it works:
1) It has a piece of holographic glass that can display images that a projector shoots at it.
2) It has a projector underneath.
3) It has two cameras, aimed at the glass which can triangulate on objects on it.
4) It has software, written in Windows Presentation Foundation, that take advantage of the new hardware.So, how does it recognize the glass chips placed on top of it? Easy, each chip has an invisible bar code in infrared-reflecting ink. Your eye can’t see it. The cameras can.
The problem is the expense. It costs a few grand for the glass, another grand or two for the projector, $50 for each camera, and then you need a computer underneath.
This thing is going to cost upwards of $5,000. I’d guess somewhere in the neighborhood of $7,000 - $10,000. If so, that’s insane. It will die on the vine.
Anyway.
Microsoft didn’t announce that you could buy one of these for your house, at least not yet. I wonder the exact same thing others are: is this for real? Sure this can give a kickass demo, showing two women in a coffee shop exchanging songs and pictures, but what about real world use? How strong is its device recognition really? Will it suffer from Sony Syndrome, meaning will it interoperate with non-MS devices properly? Is this a way to force MS lock-in? Will Surface limit what music players, cell phones and cameras you can buy? Do we need to start looking for “Surface-approved” lifestyle technologies?
If that’s the case, this thing won’t fly. Not for that price and with those limitations. Consumers are increasingly wary of anything that limits what they can do now or in the future. You’ll sucker a few into the fold with the eye candy and shiny exterior, but over the long haul, people will realize what’s happening. Word will get out.
Overall, though, I congratulate the MS Surface team, who have been working on this for over five years. This is the most interesting and innovative thing to come out of Redmond in…God…years, and now that they have the concept pretty well nailed, I hope they can execute.
Unfortunately, execution is the hardest part, as that’s where lots of user experience/design decisions are made. Which, in the end, are the seemingly tiny nits and issues that ultimately decide whether something succeeds or dies in the market.
Keep an eye on this.
22 responses so far ↓
Schininà .it - LogBook » Blog Archive » Ancora Microsoft Surface: vabbè che l’interfaccia dell’iPhone piace, però… // May 30, 2007 at 9:56 am
[...] ero semplicemente in ritardo di qualche ora con i soliti feed. Robert ne parla qui, qui e qui. E non è il solo. L’ultimo dei commenti di Robert è piuttosto interessante ed approfondito, e da alcune [...]
Tom B // May 30, 2007 at 10:39 am
Tablet PC’s have failed, in a big part, because of the cost. This would be made by the incredibly unprofitable XBox division– this alone should give one pause. And it would presumably be running Windows. I can’t get through a day without Windows going wonky with ONE mouse. One can only imagine how touchy a gestural interface is likely to be. I have an open mind about this puppy, but I expect hands-on reviews are likely to be withering.
Kevin D // May 30, 2007 at 11:01 am
Of course the gestures remind you of the iPhone. Both Apple and Microsoft got them from other researchers. This kind of stuff has been around in R&D for many years.
As for cost, I remember my first VCR at over $1000. Everything comes down eventually.
Touch is just one piece of the future. I’ve been programming touch screens for two decades, and they have their uses and non-places as well.
Tom // May 30, 2007 at 1:48 pm
Surface looks great for the target market, but likely not something for consumer devices. However, this hasn’t stopped the FUD (and ignorance) from beginning:
http://thesmallwave.blogspot.com/2007/05/microsoft-surface-fud-machine-ramps-up.html
I think this is only the beginning.
Bill // May 30, 2007 at 2:23 pm
If Ballmer thinks that no one will spend $500 for a iPhone[he criticized the iPhone price, although many smart phones are in the same price range], what makes that bald loud mouth think that someone would pay $5000 to 10,000 for a coffee table or mirror, as the dumbass suggests.
Roberto // May 30, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Have you read about the technology behind the thing? It’s about as sexy as projection LCD screens. Lame. Reminds me of those old Soviet patch-up rockets… as long as they work, huh, Bill?
gwhiz // May 30, 2007 at 2:33 pm
Jeff Han at http://www.perceptivepixel.com has this thing trounced.
iPhone and Surfaces use two different ‘methods’ to arrive at similar results. Each are equally patentable minus the problems of prior art. English: They can coexist under their own IP. Problem is I don’t see MS being able to to into the smaller form factor, consumer electronics space with three to five infrared cameras swirling around and above your head…
Bill // May 30, 2007 at 3:47 pm
News Flash Feb 21, 2009: President Obama sneezed on Surface and blew up Iran! When trying to wipe off the airborne bugger, he then blew up Pakistan.
Bill // May 30, 2007 at 3:49 pm
OK, I spelled booger wrong. Jeff, please fix.
beanie // May 30, 2007 at 4:12 pm
Bill: Who cares what smartphone someone uses. The open market will determine iPhone price. If not many buy it then Apple will have to lower the price which is good for consumers.
Tom B: Who cares Xbox division is unprofitable. Lower prices means consumers win. Would you like Microsoft to charge twice as much for the Xbox so they can make a profit?
Who cares what portable music player someone uses…iPod, Zen, Sansa, or Zune. The more competition the better for consumers which forces Apple to lower iPod prices.
And who cares what OS (operating system) someone uses…Windows, Mac OSX, Linux, or Solaris. Use whatever you like, it is a free market. Apple users are like a “cult”. You do not see Microsoft users obsessed with Microsoft products.
SteveP // May 30, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Price? Practicality? Size?
No sweat!
The military will buy it!
Bill // May 30, 2007 at 5:13 pm
Actually Windows users obviously care enough to post comments to bash Apple, a company that has such a small market share that it should never be an issue, but they watch and compare with Apple more than anyone else. You do it, but you say ‘who cares’? Obviously you do, as well as numerous others that publish Apple facts, and ignore MS BS. But I agree that competition is very good for we consumers.
However my friend, you missed my point, my post was not about someones phone, but about Ballmer’s comment about high priced electronics, which does not apply to what he is selling. That is pure stupidity. You probably did not here is comments on the iPhone and Surface. Ballmer can’t have it both ways. I could care less what others use. Feel free wasting hours protecting your Windows box from malware, viruses and invaders. When I am ready to upgrade, I am going to replace all my PC’s with Macs so that I can stop wasting valuable time. I only use free products for protection, so it is not money, just time consuming. But thanks for responding to my post. I kind of feel left out when no one does so. Even if you disagree, I appreciate it.
beanie // May 30, 2007 at 5:43 pm
Bill: Well, KevinD made a point that VCR was $1000 when it first started. So the Microsoft Surface is a new technology where prices start very high like HDTVs right now and start to come down. On the other hand smartphone is an existing mature market where there are many existing products with lower prices than the iPhone.
Bill, you like to use FUD (fear uncertainty doubt) when describing Windows just like Apple’s “I’m PC, I’m Mac” advertising. Give me a break. Virus writers do not target Mac, but Macs have as many security warnings as any other OS. And Windows is not as virus ridden and fragile as Apple users make it out to be.
Why do Apple ads have middle-aged, out of shape, glass wearing men as PC and a cute, cool, slim, 20 something guy as Mac? Aren’t the geeks the people buying Macs? And if I were a job recruiter I would probably hire the geek instead of the cool guy.
Bill // May 30, 2007 at 6:28 pm
I see your point. I think that the novelty of the ads has worn off. But I would review the resume and not judge appearance, which is sort of not legal. I did not think that I was using FUD but can see how it would be perceived as such. Basically, my point of spending too much time to secure my PC is very accurate. I do nothing on my MAC and no one has actually breached security in the wild to any extent. However, there most certainly are over 100,000 published Windows viruses in the wild, as well as many security breaches in the wild. Updating malware protection is time consuming as well.
My post here was that Ballmer mocked the price of the iPhone, which is similar to other phones of it’s catagory, some of which even cost more. Then he turns around and state that his $5000 to $10,000 product would be used as a mirror or coffee table in a consumer home. Actually, using his own argument, people would not buy it for the same reason. If prices come down, then so will the iPhone. iPods did, iMacs did as well.
now your point of Windows is not fragile is something I disagree with as my 300+ employee company as well as my own and friends PC’s CONSTANTLY get malware and viruses. Young people just surf and download without care. I am fearless on my Mac and will download anything. I can virus scan it on removable media on my PC, without activating it. Ad-aware and Spybot S&D is always finding critical stuff on every PC I am exposed. But we can disagree and still be friends. My biggest wish in the tech world right now as that GE would upgrade the software I use to be Vista compatible. Supposedly, it is pretty secure. I have no reason to doubt. When the Mac market share increases, no doubt will buttheads write malware and viruses. Thanks for talking to me. My friends are docs and jocks and I have no companionship in the geek world. One of the Phila Flyers came buy my house last week and was amazed at my tech gear, and that I can bench press a Buick.
Mikhailovitch // May 30, 2007 at 7:31 pm
Yes, touch technology is really cool. Something like this could bring back board games. Seeing it’s Microsoft, Monopoly would be fun!
Steve P // May 31, 2007 at 12:12 am
Mik,
Your post wins!
Ye gods, I got Bellevue and Redmond! (the new Boardwalk and Parkplace.)
Game over.
MS Surface - küsimused, küsimused, küsimused... « vahvelblog.wordpress.com // May 31, 2007 at 5:19 am
[...] Viide: Microsoft Surface: Apple´s multi-touch gets big (GracefulFlavor) [...]
James Fryer // May 31, 2007 at 6:12 pm
It’s all well and good to argue about pricing that may or may not come down, but don’t you think it’s better to figure out where this thing would go? If it has not place in the market, then who cares how much it costs? I don’t want to rain on your parade, but in a world where the more powerful and cheaper desktop is being replaced by the laptop (notebook) I don’t see any interest in a coffee table computer. The only thing people want big is their TV, everything else should be as small as possible, even if it makes it hard to use. Thin is in.
One day, your computer will be a big ass table. Take that, Apple. « GracefulFlavor // June 22, 2007 at 8:26 am
[...] I’ve posted about MS Surface right after it debuted. You can see my more pragmatic take here. If you don’t fee like reading, this video is a strong [...]
JF // June 25, 2007 at 10:17 am
This is just a “me too” classic MS vapourware in the wake of the iPhone. “Five years”? Just to say that they were there first.
The proof? They just repackaged ideas that were already on the web for months. See for yourself:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6379146923853181774
Harlan // April 16, 2008 at 5:30 pm
gwhiz: what do you mean “hovering over and around your heads”? the surface’s camera’s are INSIDE it!
polocanada // June 23, 2008 at 8:14 pm
As usual. Neither did Microsoft or Apple invent the technology. Both are just improving what there is. Microsoft improved on Apple. But Apple got the technology from Fingerworks. Remember? They bought that legendary company… http://www.fingerworks.com/.
-polo-