Microsoft Surface Blog

Something that I haven't been able to find out, is whether or not Surface is only going to be offered as a complete hardware and software package. More and more vendors are implementing multi-touch displays, including the folks over at Microsoft Research. I've also seen manufacturers such as Samsung implementing LCD displays that incorporate optical sensing technology directly into the panel. So what is being done in the table form factor now, could be done in the future in something like a tablet pc. As a result, it would be nice to see Surface technology available in the standard Windows SKU so that developers can produce applications that run on more than just the table.

We can dream can't we. :)

"what is being done in the table form factor now, could be done in the future in something like a tablet pc."

I've had the exact same interest. In fact, I've thought since I've seen the surface that this is exactly the type of interaction paradigm the Tablet PC needs.

I think the reason Tablet PCs really haven't taken off (besides failings in hardware) is the lack of really compelling software. I think it's very important that the next generation of tablet applications exist in a separate environment which encourages new standards of design. This environment, to me needs to throw out the idea of drop downs, toolboxes, and even windows, and just work on immersing the user in a completely pen/touch environment. I liken this sentiment to the way Windows Media Center currently functions (adapting for remote control use and adhering to a full screen environment apart from Vista).

I think the whole surface paradigm fits that perfectly. I think tablets would fit the 4 points of surface - direct interaction, multitouch, multi user (thru multiple linked tablets), and object recognition (thru wifi and some of the new 4pixel scanning LCDs Samsung and Sharp are bringing out).

I've also considered that tablets would be a great companion to the surface. Picture this: A student comes home after class with his tablet, places it on the surface, and like the wifi camera, all his notes and textbooks spill out onto the Surface. Can you imagine the fluid user experience between the surface and the tablet if both are created with the same software development standards? It's just so compelling!

Anyway, these are my own fanciful ramblings. It's exciting to see someone who's thinking like me, kettch, and I also can't wait to hear if the Surface team is thinking like me too.

P.S. I'm someone with a strong desire and ability to develop these sorts of applications, so count this as legitimate interest in that arena.

Add Windows Mobile into that list of devices as well.

While we're on that subject, why limit the connection to simply Table + Mobile Device? I should be able to call up a list of known devices such as other computers in the house, phones, tablets, laptops, etc, and be able to do actions against them without needing physical proximity. Sure the idea of setting my camera or other device on the table, and have it spill out the contents is very cool, and would be the most compelling scenario.

Once a device has been "paired" with Surface why can't that association be permanent, and perhaps tied to a specific person? A surface device could be the hub of communication for a household, or other organizational group. Antimatter said that the student could come home and have his tablet interface with the table. Why can't that same transaction be used to identify the tablet, or phone, as belonging to him, and then customize the experience to that particular person? Queue up his music, the show he wanted recorded last night, a couple of "sticky notes" that his mother left for him, his email, his RSS feeds, his calendar, tasks, whatever he wants.

Oh, still have some scenarios where paper is still the best way to move information? It looks like Microsoft just might be on the same page as us: http://www.istartedsomething.com/20071106/microsoft-metapaper-patent-paper-outlook/

Let's use Surface as a way to track presence. Let me see everybody's public calendar and let them indicate their current state: free, busy, in a movie, etc. Have all that updated in real time from the various devices in the field. Let me compose a message, or select a picture, and be able to address it to somebody and then drag it to icons representing various forms of communication such as email, IM, SMS, MMS, or a stored message that they get when they sync to Surface. Maybe initially only the email and IM options would be enabled, but if I set my phone on the table, then SMS and MMS would become available by dragging the message over to the phone.

Don't make Surface replace Media Center, make it a remote control. One of the annoyances of the 10 foot experience right now is that if I want to browse music or TV on Media Center, I have to deal with overlays of PIP in order to access the menus. So, I should be able to call up my media library without interfering with the media currently on the TV and browse through stuff. Once I've found what I want, it should be a simple matter of flicking the item over to the TV "bubble" and the Media Center feeding the TV should start playing the appropriate content. Of course, why we should limit that transferability to just the TV, I should be able to move playback of live TV, files, DVD's, or music to any capable device. Maybe I'm watching a show, and it's time to go make dinner. Hit the icon for the TV media center, and drag its currently playing media over to the icon for "kitchen media extender" and voila, the TV in the kitchen picks up the stream.

Now, remember that in all of these scenarios, Surface doesn't need to be limited to the table. It would be a consistent experience across each devices. Of course, not all devices will necessarily be touch enabled, so appropriate transitions to adapted UX would be needed.

Don't need a media centric toy for your business? Let's have a Surface computer equipped with more business centric applications. I write software for couriers and logistics. The ability to have a real-time interactive status board that can display drivers and packages, and allow me to drag packages to from queues to drivers would rock. There's dozens more business scenarios that this would work for. It might now always be the most efficient way of doing everyday work, but it's still an interesting option to have.

Also, it's obvious that what's been suggested is not just a Surface thing, but touches on several Microsoft properties such as Office, Windows, Media Center, WHS, etc. So, it's not so much Surface as in the tabletop, but the Surface of life.

Legitimate interest indeed.