Microsoft Surface - Future possibilities
(Page 4 of 4 )
I mentioned earlier that Surface is only available to businesses now, but the consumer version is hopefully going to make an appearance in 2010. They only have a tabletop version now, but Microsoft has expressed interest in making similar devices for other uses. They mentioned vertical mounting and different screen sizes as a possibility for expansion. I have a feeling that the biggest difference in the future consumer version compared to the official launch design is the applications that are on the Surface.
I would love to see the Surface used as a table in a restaurant. You could put your orders in directly through the Surface, and order refills and such. You could throw some games on there to keep kids entertained while waiting for food. Perhaps we could even see a TV tuner or sports score ticker in sports bars. I think that the Surface has some serious potential in restaurant settings.
I haven't seen anything mention the possibilities of use in hospitals, but I think that it would be really beneficial. Think of a doctor looking at a 3D scan of a tumor in your body. They could zoom in and out rotate it 360 degrees around the area, so they could see where everything is located with respect to the tumor. Sure they could do this on a regular computer, but the doctors I meet would rather not have to sit down at a computer, type some notes in, and use a mouse to move the image. Two doctors could look at an image, and each of them can stand over it and control the image, without having to switch seats or give up the mouse.
Conclusion
Microsoft has gone back the drawing board and after many attempts and years of researching, they have finally come up with the Surface devices. It's a table that is fully interactive and touch responsive. I have yet to see anything similar to what this device can do. I showed the videos to my girlfriend who isn't really tech savvy, and she though it was amazing and wanted one.
I think there is a good demand at a good price if Microsoft can make it to that point. It does have some potential, but so far the application support is not there -- and it may be quite some time before enough support is created to make it worthwhile. But I think this is still a little better than typical vaporware and stands a decent chance to make it to the market.
The initial launch seems weak, only four businesses with only a handful of locations. The first year or two is going to make or break this device. Microsoft has had some horrible devices, but also some incredible ones. I think this has a lot of potential, but could still fall flat on its face.
| DISCLAIMER: The content provided in this article is not warranted or guaranteed by Developer Shed, Inc. The content provided is intended for entertainment and/or educational purposes in order to introduce to the reader key ideas, concepts, and/or product reviews. As such it is incumbent upon the reader to employ real-world tactics for security and implementation of best practices. We are not liable for any negative consequences that may result from implementing any information covered in our articles or tutorials. If this is a hardware review, it is not recommended to open and/or modify your hardware. |
