Microsoft’s lastest hardware project intriguingly mixes elements of futuristic interface, the iPhone touch system, and the exterior design of old Pac-man gaming tables. Surface, as Microsoft is calling it, consists of a Windows Vista PC, a short-throw DLP projector, and five cameras, all built into a cocktail table with a translucent top.
You can forget about a keyboard and mouse when you interact with Surface. Instead, you use your fingers—and your friends use theirs, too—to handle images and data. Mark Bolger, director of marketing for Microsoft’s consumer productivity experiences group, says, “This is a NUI—a natural user interface. It’s a natural way for people to interact with digital content using their hands. Users can control information with the flick of a hand.” Surface will also interact with objects placed on top of it.
The first-generation Surface will be too expensive for homes, Microsoft says. Instead, you’ll see units in casinos, hotels, and stores run by the company’s partners: Harrah’s Entertainmen, International Game Technologies, Starwood Hotels, and T-Mobile.
You probably won’t use Surface to build your next spreadsheet, but it’s a good way for a group to look at photos, plan a trip on a huge map, or just order drinks at a restaurant.
Surface will recognize up to 52 points of touch at any one time, thanks to five cameras within the table that are trained on over-lapping sections of the top. As with Apple’s iPhone, you can use two fingers to stretch or shrink a photo. You can also rotate a shot, toss it to the side, or stack it with others.
When you place objects on Surface that it recognized, it will supply information about them. Place a camera on the tabletop, and its images will automatically transfer to Suface.
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