Why wouldn't you want one ? Its seriously cool. What it also needs is the ability to scan in documents and let you scatter/sort them/edit them on the 'surface', plus the same for emails.
Yeah, I see your point. I mean, this is a great concept for an interface. But still this whole "the-table-is-my-computer" would have to serve us with everything else we're doing already today.
"Why wouldn't you want one ? Its seriously cool. What it also needs is the ability to scan in documents and let you scatter/sort them/edit them on the 'surface', plus the same for emails.
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.
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."
That's like saying "Who would want an iPhone?" since the principle is similar. I like this concept and I personally would love a computer with a 17-inch LCD that I could manipulate with my hands. The potential for graphic design and games is wide open here.
No I don't think so. There was already a well-established smartphone market. iPhone did a better job of integration of some features and presented a new novel way to access existing demanded functionality. Currently there is no such demand for a "smart table" outside of military and certain business applications.
^ Yeah, according to you. Whose to say if Apple said, "We're going to make a touch phone screen" 3 years ago that people wouldn't have said "But we already have those, Big F'n Deal."? Just cuz you don't see a use for it doesn't mean it won't be appealing to OTHERS.
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.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
TIMMAH! @ Feb 5th 2008 2:43AM
And the compelling need for this at home is what exactly?
Gremlin @ Feb 5th 2008 2:48AM
Higher margins, profits?
Sean Clarke @ Feb 5th 2008 3:34AM
Why wouldn't you want one ? Its seriously cool. What it also needs is the ability to scan in documents and let you scatter/sort them/edit them on the 'surface', plus the same for emails.
I would gladly pay for one of these in my home.
Tim Brown @ Feb 5th 2008 6:30AM
Can you imagine playing a RTS on one of these. Man that would totally change the way those types of games were played.
Andir3.0 @ Feb 5th 2008 7:15AM
I'd rather have mine in a flat screen LCD mounted horizontally than this crap with under-mounted cameras and a huge base.
caixapostal @ Feb 5th 2008 7:35AM
Yeah, I see your point. I mean, this is a great concept for an interface. But still this whole "the-table-is-my-computer" would have to serve us with everything else we're doing already today.
TIMMAH! @ Feb 5th 2008 12:27PM
"Why wouldn't you want one ? Its seriously cool. What it also needs is the ability to scan in documents and let you scatter/sort them/edit them on the 'surface', plus the same for emails.
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.
GeneMack @ Feb 5th 2008 5:38PM
Timmahh:
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."
Eron @ Feb 6th 2008 11:20AM
That's like saying "Who would want an iPhone?" since the principle is similar. I like this concept and I personally would love a computer with a 17-inch LCD that I could manipulate with my hands. The potential for graphic design and games is wide open here.
Reminds me of the computer in Minority Report.
TIMMAH! @ Feb 6th 2008 11:25AM
No I don't think so. There was already a well-established smartphone market. iPhone did a better job of integration of some features and presented a new novel way to access existing demanded functionality. Currently there is no such demand for a "smart table" outside of military and certain business applications.
Eron @ Feb 6th 2008 12:53PM
^ Yeah, according to you. Whose to say if Apple said, "We're going to make a touch phone screen" 3 years ago that people wouldn't have said "But we already have those, Big F'n Deal."? Just cuz you don't see a use for it doesn't mean it won't be appealing to OTHERS.
TIMMAH! @ Feb 6th 2008 1:25PM
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.