Microsoft Surface

BarcelonAl · Post by **BarcelonAl** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 12:48 pm

Microsoft Surface

This looks seriously cool and already looks like a fully completed product. Basically it's an interactive table on which you can browse web pages, photos, digital music, play games...pretty much anything you can think of!

What do you think? Does it have a future or is it another Microsoft pipedream?

Post by **Mike** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 1:05 pm

This is a really cool invention. I have seen an interview with this being demonstrated real time including the payment and tipping functions in a restaurant.

My main criticism of this product is who wants to go and sit at a computer in a bar or cafe to order drinks? Part of the enjoyment at a restaurant is the feeling of being waited upon. . . .

In a late night club / bar it would be much better as then you would be able to order drinks without queueing at the bar for ages. All in all a very good piece of kit and very similar technology to the Apple iPhone display which is also multi touch.

There is a demo of the very first outing somewhere on this forum, it seems to have been greatly improved since then.

mr_e · Post by **mr_e** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 7:04 pm

I wouldn't dare buy it for a bar: you've got the possibility of drunk people sitting on the table, girls dancing on it, or idiots just trashing it. I can just imagine what the DRM lobby would have to say about that exchange of music going on there...

Good point about the personal service in a restaurant, Mike. It'd be weird without it, like some bizarre twilight world with even less human interaction. Outside of the home, I suspect it's pretty limited due to current expense and the time it takes attitudes to change.

BarcelonAl · Post by **BarcelonAl** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 9:43 am

I don't think they're pitching it at the student bar market mr_e! Somewhere classy and pricey!

I can see it working well at a busy bar on a Saturday night, you put your order in via the table thus avoiding queuing and your sexy waitress (or waiter) brings the drinks over for her tip. Easy! :)

mr_e · Post by **mr_e** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 6:41 pm

BarcelonAl wrote:I can see it working well at a busy bar on a Saturday night, you put your order in via the table thus avoiding queuing and your sexy waitress (or waiter) brings the drinks over for her tip. Easy! :)

Some people won't have a table, especially on a busy Saturday night, and I've never seen a waiting service at a bar that's that busy. Except maybe in American movies, or maybe really, realy posh bars over here. Then again, maybe it'll provide a good excuse to get there earlier (like we need that, but, hey).