Microsoft's Multitouch Coffee Table Display

longacre writes "Popular Mechanics takes the Microsoft Surface system for a hands-on video test drive. To be announced at today's D5 conference, the coffee-table-esqe device allows manipulation from multiple touch points, while infrared, WiFi and Bluetooth team up to allow wireless transfers between devices placed on top of it, such as cameras and cell phones. Expected to launch before the end of the year in the $5,000-$10,000 range, the devices might not make their way under many Christmas trees, but will find the insides of Starwood hotels, Harrah's casinos and T-Mobile shops."

Comments

Congratulations, Microsoft

[wumpus188]

1970 called, it wants its four wheel drive PC back.

Re:Its a coffee table

[vought]

So Microsoft is doing what here? FUD'ing Apple with an unreleased product? Pretending to have invented stuff they've copied

I think it has a lot more to do with Bill Gates' insecurity and his appearance with Steve Jobs tonight at the D conference.

"Look at us! We're cool and can do multi-touch interfaces too - and we can do them bigger than Apple!"

Which proves, once again, that Microsoft isn't and won't ever be cool. Like the bully turned jock turned realtor turned city councilman, they've always been first on most people's lips and last in most people's hearts.

Re:Credit where due department

[encoderer]

Sorry but no.

That's like saying the cell phone isn't novel because radios were being used for 50 years. Or it's like saying that the iPhone isn't novel because it also uses multi-touch.

Especially since Microsofts implementation of multi-touch is MUCH DIFFERENT than Hans. Microsofts uses infrared cameras to detect the touch. Hans doesn't AFAIK.