Robbie Bach on Microsoft Surface: "We don't want to be in the furniture business"

There's always an element of risk and uncertainty when stepping outside of the status quo. So it's no surprise that Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division (think: Xbox, Zune) and accused drunk thought more than once about killing off Microsoft's Surface. "I thought about killing it every year it was in development," he said. Robbie revealed that Surface (or project Milan as it was known) was in development for 5 years with a core team of 20 Microsoft employees developing the computer. Bill Gates himself was always a "big supporter." Regarding the size of the device, Bach quipped, "We don't want to be in the furniture business," as he looked forward to a more manageable consumer version in 2011. We guess that's a direct response to the wisecracking video spoof which chided, "one day your computer will be a big-ass table." Don't remember the video? No problem, we've embedded it for you after the break.

P.S. Surface is an Engadget fave, we kid the ones we love.

[Jaque-o @ Jun 2nd 2008 7:56AM]

Why so negative? it looks sexy !

I vote yes !

[iEye @ Jun 2nd 2008 8:52AM]

Indeed it does, the design cues , from the curved edges to the side grill and slot are quite reminiscent of the Apple iMac...

[tony @ Jun 2nd 2008 9:42AM]

So that's why you're called iEye?

[HarHar @ Jun 2nd 2008 9:58AM]

He shall hence forth be known as iLikeItInTheBrownEye

[Jon Doe. @ Jun 2nd 2008 10:37AM]

He should be called the "iWhore-who-has-no-critical-thinking-skills-so-he lets-Apple-think-for-him." Yes a bit wordy but extremely accurate.

[silverblackvoid @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:39AM]

hey someone ban this iEye troll. all he ever does is yap about apple crap.

[t3_slider @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:35PM]

Just from reading your comments, I bet you're a Windows fan. Am I right iEye? I know, I'm pretty smart.



Wait...you're an Apple fan? Well, you could have been a *little* more clear about that.

[Jarhead2012 @ Jun 2nd 2008 7:40PM]

I loled at, "And it's not an iPhone, it's a big-a$$ table...Take that, Apple."

[Daelen Beamont @ Jun 2nd 2008 7:57AM]

Ha ha, That video is funny. But the surface is amazing. Can't wait to see it in action!

[Fred @ Jun 2nd 2008 7:57AM]

Do we really need a link to that big-ass-table video in every single Surface newspost? It was funny the first time I saw it, but that's it.

[Mam00th @ Jun 2nd 2008 8:20AM]

Then why do you keep on watching it if it's not funny anymore?

[Jonathan Keim @ Jun 2nd 2008 8:24AM]

Some haven't seen it yet

[Frank @ Jun 2nd 2008 8:26AM]

Don't worry mam00th, if you still think "OMG, I just found this hilarious video about that table, guys! Check it out!" everytime you read about Surface, then I won't stop you from enjoying it ever single damned time it is brought up in conversation.

[bondsbw @ Jun 2nd 2008 9:14AM]

First time I've seen it... when did it first come out?

[Thi mam(kris120890) @ Jun 2nd 2008 8:06AM]

"Its no an Iphone, its a "big ass table"

"Take that apple."

LOL

[Ben @ Jun 2nd 2008 8:44AM]

But....


Does it run linux?

[Technex @ Jun 2nd 2008 8:56AM]

Stop trying to start a new one up, because it's NOT going to work...

[Jon Doe. @ Jun 2nd 2008 10:41AM]

NO..thank god.

[Terry @ Jun 2nd 2008 8:45AM]

Apple already has that!
I believe Apple will drop a tablet device and it will do a lot of stuff that MS table can do.
Oh, Apple makes it own computers to run its own OS on. Take that MS!
C'mon, see if you'll you'll rule 96% of the computer OS market if you had to pony up the money to make the hardware to run it.

[Fred @ Jun 2nd 2008 8:53AM]

There is so much so hilariously wrong about this post that I don't even know where to start.

[Scentedflame @ Jun 2nd 2008 8:58AM]

Oh weird, I thought this was an article about Microsoft Surface.

Maybe I should randomly bring up some of my favorite Samsung products and how they are better than this?

[Richard Lai @ Jun 2nd 2008 9:06AM]

@Terry:

"Take that MS!"

Take what?

[Vic the One @ Jun 2nd 2008 9:24AM]

@Richard Lai

Isn't it obvious? He was attacking MS with bad grammar and unsupported claims. He knows those things annoy intelligent people.

[Rynth @ Jun 2nd 2008 9:39AM]

@ Richard Lia:

By "Take that MS", I'd assume he means the huge chunk of the PC Market that Apple can't take from them..

Or something..

[vdogg89 @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:11PM]

i kinda feel sorry for terry... meh nevermind

[El Taco @ Jun 2nd 2008 10:49PM]

Apple's will be thicker, have completely square edges, and use both black AND white, but it will be 'sexy' because there is an apple logo on it.

[loosely_coupled @ Jun 3rd 2008 4:11AM]

This guy, just like many that make idiotic comments on Engadget are stupid trolls, that act like they are apple fanboys. To see the truth, just look up their posting history to see they are usually anti-apple.

[Jamie Marsden @ Jun 2nd 2008 9:31AM]

I suspect that a comment like this is the sort of thing that can haunt a person ten years down the road...

Surely one of Microsoft's key and overriding targets in its long term innovation strategy is the idea that computers will be completely and seamlessly integrated into our living environment.

If you ignore anything that can be plugged in, my living environment consists of four walls, some carpet and furniture.

[Ed T @ Jun 2nd 2008 9:44AM]

"Microsoft's key and overriding targets in its long term innovation strategy"

LOL - now that is a funny statement. If Bach isn't blowing smoke, MSFT will have had twenty engineers working for eight years by the time Surface becomes commercial in 2011. That's 160 man-years of 100% wasted effort. Oh the humanity!

[Emre Aydinceren @ Jun 2nd 2008 10:37AM]

What's up with that negative voice over? Why bash the product? This is just a nonsense anti-Microsoft reaction. It is nice design and will be an incredible product. Price or size or are all irrelevant at this point, it will be cheaper and thinner eventually and people will love having one. It will change desktop computing

[Billy Gun @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:05AM]

I agree It will change desktop computing. Will take time, but it will. I love Microsoft inovations: Tablet PC, Media Center, UMPC...

[epsilon343 @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:06AM]

Please tell me you watched until the very end where you see the source of the video... "Sarcasticgamer.com" They've made a few well known songs and videos about all three consoles and their problems that are lighthearted and not malicious.

[futurepastnow @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:10AM]

Because it's freakin' funny. Grow a sense of humor.

[BB Sting @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:26PM]

Microsoft should try and market the Table to restaurants. It would be cool if you could put your orders directly into your table without having to go through an obnoxious, and expensive server. Those freaks actually chase you down if you don't tip them.

[ddub @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:56PM]

I'm having trouble detecting whether your statement was saracastic or not.

[Brendan Sheehan @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:00PM]

"P.S. Surface is an Engadget fave, we kid the ones we love."

I love the way Engadget is always afraid to form a opinion without covering their asses in the process for fear of offending some fanboy. Not that MS fanboys actually exist.

[Craysh @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:46PM]

I have a better idea than a big ass table.
Work it so that it's can be a normal program that runs on XP and/or Vista and make it compatible with normal systems and that have a touch screen (I.E. don't be ass holes like with Windows Media Center and make it OEM only).
Who needs these huge honking desks in a home or non-retail/food service business environments?
Hell, imagine a flat panel touch screen that easily rotates from a standard orientation to a tablet-like configuration. With multi-touch I'm sure that it would have the pixel density.

[Hazumi @ Jun 4th 2008 12:41AM]

Fact check.

Windows 7 will have multi-touch support.
http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/27/microsoft-shows-off-snippet-of-windows-7-at-d6-reveals-multi/

Media Center is part of Windows Vista Ultimate, which doesn't require OEM.