http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/ Engadget Comments for Microsoft looking to bring Surface home sooner http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 2:43AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 2:48AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/
I would gladly pay for one of these in my home.

]]>Feb 5th 2008 3:34AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 6:30AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 7:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 7:35AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/
I would gladly pay for one of these in my home."

So you'd pay thousands of dollars so that you could be hunched over a table all day scanning and sorting your document on a horizontal table. I'd love to be your chiropractor. C'mon people! Yeah it's interesting technology, but this is soooo typically Microsoft. Invent something first and then try to force-fit it into an application.
]]>Feb 5th 2008 12:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/
Actually, Microsoft's biggest problem is not their development, it's their marketing. While everyone applauds Apple for their development, it is actually their marketing where they excel. Their marketing drives their development. They find out what people want, then make a great device that hsa some innovation and deliver.

Microsoft develops innovative products, but seems very bad at finding the market for their products. Tablet PCs are a perfect example of that. Everyone I know (including myself) who uses a tablet would never go without one again. But Microsoft just hasn't found a way to market Tablets for mass appeal.

The surface computer is another perfect example. Commercial uses aside, this device has huge potential to revolutionize the way you interact with your home network. But Microsoft is failing to market it properly. To be truthful, I'm not even sure what approach they could take. It has a wide range of uses, but all of them are completely different than people traditional view using a computer. Most "killer apps" take something that everyone is already doing and making it much easier (see all Apple products). But we aren't talking about that with the surface computer.

Now you are trying to sell the mass market on doing things they never thought of doing in the first place! Not an easy sell.

The best part is that despite Microsoft's marketing problems, third party application writers will come in and solve te problem. They will fill the nitches and exploit the surface computer for all its power.

Microsoft's philosophy can be summed up in a great quote from a great movie:

Scientist 1: "Yea, but what is it used for?"
Scientist 2: "I don't care. That's for the engineers to figure out."

]]>Feb 5th 2008 5:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/
Reminds me of the computer in Minority Report.]]>Feb 6th 2008 11:20AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/]]>Feb 6th 2008 11:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 6th 2008 12:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/You're missing the point. Apple created the iPhone in response to an observed existing demand and a market need. Microsoft is trying to push Surface into the home where there's no clear demand or need for it in the home (or if there is, it's a very niche market like home automation control.) They tried to do the same thing with Origami and it didn't really take off. Why? Because most people buy things to do something for them that otherwise would not have been easily doable by other means. Most people don't buy things for the sake of coolness. This concept seems to be lost on Microsoft as they keep making the same mistakes.



]]>Feb 6th 2008 1:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/
Speeding up= broken OS and/or stupid price


Microsoft, why don't you learn from vista?!]]>Feb 5th 2008 2:54AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 2:58AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 3:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.apple.com/macbookair/]]>Feb 5th 2008 3:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 6th 2008 4:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1764368

(Illustrates very well how really silly this is for the home IMHO...)]]>Feb 24th 2008 2:59AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/cheers]]>Feb 5th 2008 2:57AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 3:16AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 3:48AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 4:51AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 5:33AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/
just for a specific show ref. ]]>Feb 5th 2008 9:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 9:14AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/
You couldn't do any real computing on it, media is better suited for the TV and being hunched over this thing for more than a minute or two is bound to be quite uncomfortable... so what does this leave?]]>Feb 5th 2008 3:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 3:44AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 6:34AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.apple.com/macbookair/"""



WTF does that have to do with anything?]]>Oct 10th 2008 5:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 3:44AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/
@Len: good question. I believe it's due to a combination of apple fanboys and rabid anti-anything MS'ers overcoming an appreciation for new forms of digital content manipulation and delivery. After all the hyperbole surrounding multi-touch devices ... if it's not Apple- for some people it just can't (do you hear me?), it just can't be good. ]]>Feb 5th 2008 3:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Oct 10th 2008 8:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/
My first interest was Minority Report and the research that went into the development of that movie - as you know from TED - it was a movie of what it WILL be like in 50 years into the future if we continue technological development at the rate we are going. It was not the regular sci-fi flick about impossible dreams - it was based upon actual RD&D going on all over the world - public and private.

I am an admitted AAPL fan boy and I see that the potential is way beyond any one companies scope of vision. I do feel, however, that Ballmer's epiphany is based upon the market numbers for the iPhone and the iPod touch AND THEN all of the knock offs that are taking place. Inspiration by perspiration can still bring about real innovation - if (BIG if) the powers on the top floor let the folks in the lab have enough rope to ALMOST sink the ship. That is the W.L. Gore philosophy - knida.

Thanks for clear and cogent remarks.
Cheers!]]>Feb 5th 2008 3:59AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 4:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 4:18AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 5:21AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 6:51AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 7:30AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 5:36AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/
I don't know about you but I find use of keyboard shortcuts for building/controlling units in RTS games almost essential when up against a worthy opponent.

And imagine how bad your back is going to feel after being hunched over it for hours staring at the floor instead of a monitor at eye level.]]>Feb 5th 2008 6:04AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/
advantage of using Surface in RTS games like STARCRAFT.

1. No more scrolling. The surface is big enough to cover the whole map!

2. Use both hands in commanding different groups of units simultaneously. (multi touch)
Or one hand selects the unit and the other hand points the destination in no time.

3. Select all desired units by drawing a border around them IN ANY SHAPE! whereas Using a mouse limits the selection only to units that fall inside a rectangular shape.

4. Can apply emmergency commands like retreat or transfer to another location by palm dragging the troops towards the destination.
Or any iPhone-like touch-strokes are possible.]]>Feb 5th 2008 8:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/
Or are you proposing we just clutter the screen with a bunch of buttons to do the same task?]]>Feb 5th 2008 8:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 8:21AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Surface

...Just stop it.]]>Feb 6th 2008 11:21AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 8:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 8:32AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/
Commercial uses are almost unlimited and I personally know those developing these for commercial purposes.

But for home use, there is more to do on a computer than games and photos. This is perfect for home automation and security setups! If the price comes in at $5,000 for the home unit (like their target), it will actually become one of the cheapest main controllers on the high-end automation market. And the flexibility is endless. Flick through your cameras, or set macros that turned down your lights and turn on your media system when you set popcorn on the table.

I can bet that anyone into home automation and security has this on their wish list. I certainly do!]]>Feb 5th 2008 8:45AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 10:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/
They could even use their templetes like they did in the old days. You're right, it will be a complete revolution for designers.]]>Feb 5th 2008 10:57AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/05/microsoft-looking-to-bring-surface-home-sooner/Feb 5th 2008 10:40AM