Wow, I know this is a worthless comment, but that is petty sweet.

Nice lag on the tic tac toe finger drawings, even better lag when Bill signs the picture.

I guess that means this is at least as good as the debit/credit kiosk pads at any local grocery store.

Slogan: "Microsoft Table, causing back aches since 2007"

Maybe they need to do a little vertical marketing with Windex or Glass Plus too.

@maevro

I will add to your worthless comment. This is freakin' cool!

If it could really do all that, $10k would be a bargain. But I doubt it can.

this tech looks alot like whats in the iphone i wonder if stevie and billy are gonna talk about that when they meet this week

Yep, $10,000 for another table (albeit a fancy one) that my kids can leave all their crap on... sigh.

I can't imagine setting my drink down on my $10G super surface computing coffee table, but I want one anyway.

I can dig it. At least the tab will finally be sorted out correctly when I go to a happy hour now.

I wonder if Apple saw a demo of Microsoft's Surface technology awhile back and started their copy machines?

It sure looks like they did. Nice job Microsoft!

Nice to see that the 3 posts before me have nothing good to say about the product.

Of course if it was Apple's, then it would be the best thing since sliced bread.

$10K ? Yes, I would drop it on it if I had the money. A gaming rig get to that level of cost and more.

I'm glad to see MS leading the way.

Nice lag on the tic tac toe finger drawings, even better lag when Bill signs the picture.

I guess that means this is at least as good as the debit/credit kiosk pads at any local grocery store.

My thoughts exactly. The more the 'coolness' factor wears off of how it *looks*, I have serious doubts about its actual usefulness.

Bill actually seemed pretty human in this video. I liked his comment about tipping, "I try to meet people's expectations." Not easy when you're the richest man in the world.

I love how Apple fanboys are trying come up with something bad to say about the Surface.

"Yeah, my head might explode since looking down at a table for so long will cause all the blood to rush to my head."

"Yeah, my spine is incapable of flexibility."

...Genius

i do all that crap on my coffee table already....and i got it for $7.50 at goodwill!

seriously though, i'd love to have something like that, but it won't be in my house for a penny more than $2,500.

I'm glad to see MS leading the way.

Leading the way to what? None of this is revolutionary - all of it has been done before (and not by Apple, btw). Exactly what need is this filling? It's a solution without a problem.

Admittedly, this looks very, very cool. But my comment above stands. Maybe a different suite of applications to run on it would change my mind. Hunching over a table just doesn't seem like a lot of fun.

microsoft will once again take a technology and push it out first to capture the market. we've all been seeing zillions of videos of this in concept..but it take MS to capitalize.

That's was pretty cool just setting the camera down on the surface and it downloads the photos. And the restaurant demo was awesome.

The Microsoft table is not new. MIT media lab introduced that concept last year. I am pretty sure that technology was bought, both for microsoft and apples iPhone.

ok.. im not an apple fanboy by any means, but this kinda looks like something apple has had out for a long time now. The difference is the apple multitouch screen has much beeter visuals, with no lag. check it out
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=637914692385318177...

I love how Apple fanboys are trying come up with something bad to say about the Surface

What that it is a ripoff of a 7 year old MIT design and from what I can see through googleing, the original designers are not members of Microsoft?

Just because it wasnt a Apple product, doesnt mean Microsoft didnt copy it from someone else.

this will be a great product once the price drops and more and more places will be capable to using it's abilities. I wouldn't drop $10,000 on it to be perfectly honest regardless of how cool it is. But in the next few years with a cheaper price? Yes, definatly.

so.... multi-touch display anyone?... not revolutionary at all. This is in fact, a lot laggier then the older version on youtube. Once again, Bill Gates claiming credit for something he did not invent.

remember that friends house? that one where you go over and have to take off your shoes and use coasters and everything is well placed and clean? now imagine that person with this.

"IF YOU DON'T USE A FUCKING COASTER RIGHT FUCKING NOW I'M GOING TO SHOVE THIS BANANA PHONE UP YOUR NOSE INTO YOUR FRONTAL LOBE! ... thanks! :)"

This IS the coolest gadget since sliced bread. And NO, it hasn't been done LIKE THIS before. Perceptive Pixel makes you stand up while Tom Cruising, and won't let you set your scotch and soda down on it, and make your brother in law pay for it.

Sweet, but I wonder if you watching poor on you table, I just think it adds to the creepiness if your rubbing your table at the same time to start a new movie. Nah to weird. But as a normal application based option I think that's the coolest idea Microsoft has come up with in a long time. I like the idea of how you split up your bill and just throw down your credit card, boom it's done, that's wicked. OVer all, interesting idea, I'd like to see how they would format the device for more of a home application. -_Cheers

Very cool concept but the lag would be bothersome.

I'd like to see the screen savers for this. Looking down at a fish tank...interactive mermaid...etc.

Skeeve, please give us some example of commercial products with multi touch displays?
And no, not a fucking phone with a tiny 2 inch screen, i don't even know why they bothered with a multi touch screen on that, how many fingers can you fit on that anyway?

There is a huge difference between some lab proof of concept enginerring sample videos and ACTUALLY MAKING IT INTO A PRODUCT. Who is going to remember those lab nerds in 10 years? Noone

even if it is an old design no one could ever make it available.finally ms i think can.cant wait till i can afford one XD or see one.

Better even than asteroids! Can the barkeep refill your glaas with it?

This is better than I had originally thought; however I don't quite see $10k worth of technology in this product.

Now... what happens when you spill something on this? Would it be the same as wiping your keyboard while it is still on?

@bjarnia

It would be great in the Adult Porn Industry!?!

Puts a whole new meaning to the "API" acronym.

Yay! Now I can barf out all the pictures from my camera!

All I could think was that "bluegh.." should be the sound effect for when this happens. :)

I agree- multi-touch tables are obviously going to be an industry trend over the next decade or so, but lets wait and actually see when this technology is going to go down in price.

My guess is: 3-5 years from now, there will be a crappy knockoff product that tries to pull this into the consumer market before it's ready. Then in 7-10 years this tech will fall bellow 1k.

I wonder if Apple saw a demo of Microsoft's Surface technology awhile back and started their copy machines?

It sure looks like they did. Nice job Microsoft

The past 3 months on Giz have shown me one thing - MS fanboys can be just as defensive and hyperbolical as their Apple brethren.

no one could ever make it available.finally ms i think can.cant wait till i can afford one XD or see one.

No it could have been made available plenty of times, cost was the number one issue, which it continues to be.

think about it, do you really think your going to see a 10,000 dollar proprietary screen around when a 100 dollar dumb-terminal or 400 dollar computer can do all this?

Here's a link to one of the first presentations of this idea. This was not a microsoft invention but I'm guessing the bought it up.

http://ted.com/tedtalks/tedtalksplayer.cfm?key=j_han&flash...

can anybody zoom in enough to get Bill's Credit Card number? ;)

it didn't appear to be able to hand bill trying to slide two pictures at one time..they both jumped alternatively.

joe

It would be a great way to interface between your TV and computer. Have a little keyboard pop up and you can type stuff on your TV and send it out, etc. I can't imagine how power hungry this device is, how you still make it function as a regular coffee table, and how the hell you get a power outlet on your floor and through your carput/rug

One question nobody seems to be bringing up; When it 'red rings', how big will the pre-paid 'coffin' shipping box be? Oh, my!

Um...doesn't this look like a copy of iPhone's 2 touch touch screen and those big touch screen things that have been talked about for months?

Nothing new, M$ taking other stuff.

There was a video of something like this from Jeff Hahn on You Tube at a conference... Which came first? MS or that one? iPhone works with similar technology.

Who's TRULY "leading the way?"

You guys are ridiculous - noting the lag time in the drawing and whatnot. Where in that demo did Gates ever say it was production ready. It was a freaking demo for crying out loud.

Just admit it - despite the fact you may not be a Microsoft fan - its a nice sneak peak at where computers are headed.

"Of course if it was Apple's, then it would be the best thing since sliced bread."

No, if it was Apple's, all the M$ fanboys would be out in droves complaining how this was nothing more than a rich man's playtoy, an overpriced proof-of-concept device for all the so-called Mac people whose pockets bulge with expendable cash.

This is a concept car, not in a sense that it can't be purchased but much of its functionality and overall appeal will be dumbed down before it reaches the masses. That's why Apple started with multi-touch in its simplest form, so EVERYONE can experience it NOW instead of 3-5 years down the road!

Only they wrapped it in a much more accessible product, applying it to one our most heavily used tools in the cell phone. Yet all you could hear from the haters is

"What, no keyboard? LAME!"

"Yuck, all those fingerprints & smudges. LAME!"

"What if I break the screen? LAME!"

Microsoft says the keyboard is dead 5 months after Steve Jobs made the same proclamation and NOW it's a revolution? Where were you people talking about the vast possibilities of multi-touch a few months ago?

Oh that's right, you were too busy complaining!

its a good start.

Does someone really HAVE to be "first" with something like this? Technology has always been built on the backs of others, this is no different. You all are so quick to say OMG SIMPSONS DID IT for no real good reason. Are we supposed to be impressed by your observation? Impressed that you called someone on supposedly ripping off someone else? How about you just marvel at the fact that something like this is going to be available in our lifetime and leave it at that.

nerds.

"its a good start."

No, the iPhone was a good start.

This is Micro$oft overpromising and soon underdelivering like they always do.

But keep on stroking it to all these cool videos, guys. Can't wait until 3-5 years from now when Surface will be able to beam a pizza to my living room directly from Domino's.

freeway8989, what you fail to realize is that you don't have to love one company to be objectively critical of another.

I swear, it seems like some people wait all day so they can type "fanboy" and feel better about themselves.

Like Falconfire, I've seen the MIT video...a long time ago. This isn't revolutionary to me. What will be is if/when they can weave this into a tablet PC form factor and price point.

$10000?
Thats Nothing For Big Buisnesses.
Mercedes Spends $10 Million on Research and Devolopment alone in a year!
Big companies will be buying dozens of these.

Ofcourse consumer-wise there are the Innovators * Early Adopters (product life-cycle), who are willing to Cash out $10000 and i bet you even more, if i had $10000 to spare I'd buy this duh.
I'd be living in the future with this aye... if i had the money...people would be like omfg..

My dad told me in the 1980s he once worked on a $40000 Computer, that had like 16mbRam and was like Omg latest tech, it was the time when ram only came in kb. I mean..Its Very Inexpensive this tech...its very new too.

.this thing will sell out like hot cakes ..just you wait.
Plasma Tv, People wanted to convicne me its worth it to buy it at $10000, i waited and bought it at $1000 sale Price, 42".
I'll buy this mutherfucker @ $1000, no questions asked.
Hopefully the cycle Will be Quicker than that of Plasma Tvs.

ComputerWorld had a great article that covers this. That basically Apple and MS are helping to usher in a more human oriented interface. It's a bit Apple-stroking but I'm just happy to see both companies pushing this as the next step in GUI.

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=vie...

Rooting for one company over another is pretty fucking retarded. Instead of remaining slaved to a brand, why don't you root for individual quality products, or concepts. Why don't you all just shut up, get over yourselves and be adults for five whole seconds?

Amazing!! Great job, This was a simultaneous project by Jeff Han @ NYU and MS @ MS Research for last few years and MS has taken it to market quicker because of their dollar power. It is as simple as that.

So please, All you fanboys, please appreciate this unbelievable piece of technology.