[lit-ideas] Re: Surface!!!

From: "Julie Krueger" <juliereneb@xxxxxxxxx>
I just watched the videos -- do you begin to understand the technology involved?
The technology is simple. It uses a touch screen, like on PDAs. The device uses barcodes on objects to identify them. It probably also uses Bluetooth to connect with digital objects.
Now if they would somehow interface that with the ability to do document creation, internet involvement, spreadsheeting, etc.....maybe it COULD use a keyboard <g>.
I agree: a keyboard is a much better way to input text. Speaking is too slow. I type faster than I can talk.
But Surface goes beyond current computers. Desktop computers are basically typewriters: for the creation of documents and images. Surface interacts with objects. Place your digital camera on the table. The camera's images splash out onto Surface and you can see what's in the camera. Drag images, music, text, etc. from my PDA into your PDA. You can't do any of this with desktop computers.
Lay your credit card on Surface. You can drag items into the credit card to make a payment. Or drag money from one credit card to another.
Add Bluetooth to many more devices: calculators, clocks, keys, your wallet, your pen, so they all interact on Surface. Lay a book or magazine on Surface. The contents open and you can search, copy, send. Set a vase of flowers on Surface. The surface changes to reflect the flowers. Kids play with their toys on Surface. It interacts with the toys. The cat walks across Surface. What happens?
For the office, Surface is the desk surface. Your documents appear in stacks. Fan out a stack, drag out the document you want, work with it, put it back into a stack.
What are the implications for Google? For desktop computers? Surface opens up a new way of using things.
But I'm thinking there isn't any real storage device to it..... it's kind of mysterious to me at this point. 

Oh, storage is easy.
Microsoft has been working on this since 2001. They did something very innovative and original. Many of the ideas in the Surface videos have never appeared in science fiction movies. Apple has the iPod, but that is just a digitized Walkman and Sony came out with that in the late 70s. A 25-year old idea. 

yrs,
andreas
www.andreas.com

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