Video: Microsoft's Future really does make your computer a big-ass table

The problem with most so-called "homes of the future" is that they come off looking like a theme-park vision of the space age (read: the 1970s). The Microsoft Home, however, manages to piece together a realistic vision of our homes on a 5 to 10 year horizon -- a timeline just long enough to allow the nascent technologies of today to go mainstream. As such, it's no surprise to find dwellers interacting with the environment through gestures and voice to control interactive cooking surfaces in the kitchen and the digital wall paper in the kids' room. More prophetic perhaps, the promise that "one day your computer will be a big-ass table" appears to be coming true in the dining room. Take the tour in video form after the break.

[Tommo @ May 14th 2009 2:22AM]

Love future prediction things like this, looks sleek!

[Techie @ May 14th 2009 2:43AM]

Projected Wallpapers? O, come on! We want OLED/TouchScreenable wallpapers now!

[Shinigami @ May 14th 2009 2:53AM]

Can you tilt your table?

[Str1ker @ May 14th 2009 4:10AM]

Watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2WK7mOQO2g

[Platinum_Skeet @ May 14th 2009 9:52AM]

The only that might work is the closet mirror. The other thing will be a fail unless they get made without using a projector...

[aj121489 @ May 14th 2009 10:42AM]

I was watching I, Robot yesterday (for the 50 millionth time) so VIKI is definitely one of the first things that comes to mind...

[OneLove @ May 14th 2009 1:03PM]

I would not hit it.

[neal.lucas @ May 15th 2009 6:07PM]

...everyone knows that microsoft employees will always need a reminder to take their medications.

[m3tric @ May 14th 2009 11:56PM]

ANNNND cue the creepy guy in the background @ 1:26...

[kaptin @ May 14th 2009 2:31AM]

big ass-table

[MisterSquared @ May 14th 2009 3:06AM]

You sir, get a +1.

[TC @ May 14th 2009 6:51AM]

Bad joke alert....
Bill Gates to MS developers - "No you idiots, I said I wanted you to make it 'big and stable'!"
Badoom-tish

[slarity @ May 14th 2009 8:25AM]

That was actually clever, Bravo!

[ED @ May 14th 2009 7:23PM]

I was looking for that very comment, in the hope that I wouldn't have to make it myself.
Do you also read xkcd?

[Carlitos @ May 14th 2009 2:33AM]

The Control Shift Delete keys must be huge!

[pika2000 @ May 14th 2009 2:37AM]

It's Alt, not Shift.

[ash @ May 14th 2009 3:05AM]

Oh glorious fail.

[cxp3 @ May 14th 2009 3:54AM]

You want to clear your private data from firefox that often?

[SeNiLe911 @ May 14th 2009 7:13AM]

a "Wanna get away" moment.

[BradS @ May 14th 2009 8:41AM]

Must be a Mac user.

*spits*

[cj @ May 14th 2009 10:14AM]

If you really insist on using the shift, you can try ctrl + shift+ esc key

[thomas @ May 14th 2009 2:33AM]

WANT

[Peter @ May 14th 2009 6:58AM]

DON'T want.

I'm happy with my computer the way it is. I don't need it using my table (surface on which I place things, like food and papers and books, as a display.

[AMiSH PiRATE @ May 14th 2009 2:34AM]

Fahrenheit 1984, where are you!?!

[aj121489 @ May 14th 2009 10:40AM]

Unless I'm missing the joke it's either Fahrenheit 451 or 1984...

[Nathan @ May 14th 2009 2:42AM]

Best. Title. Ever.

[Yousty @ May 14th 2009 8:59AM]

Don't give Engadget too much credit, they stole the "big ass table" part from SarcasticGamer, but they linked to the video so it's all good :-)

[tangaska @ May 14th 2009 2:53AM]

lol that kitchen computer sounds like glados.... eerie omen?

[bighit24 @ May 14th 2009 10:09AM]

"The cake is a lie!"

[Yup... @ May 14th 2009 3:13AM]

FYI... anyone near Disneyland in California can play with all of this stuff and more in Tomorrow Land in the "Innovention" building (the big rotating building near Space Mountain.) It's really fricken sweet.

[Ridgecity @ May 14th 2009 3:15AM]

I'm surprised it doesn't have a Wii 2.

[Andrew @ May 14th 2009 4:52AM]

Surely it turns your big arse table into a computer (or at least VDU), rather than turning your laptop into something you can eat your breakfast from!

[insky @ May 14th 2009 3:22AM]

inb4 BSOD, copying Apple, and Viruses.

[digitallysick @ May 14th 2009 4:01AM]

Husband " why is the food taking so long to cook"

Wife " the stove is running anti virus scan right now it will be a while "

[PsyKodeLicReLic @ May 14th 2009 4:07AM]

O man my house got blue-screen.

[John @ May 14th 2009 4:10AM]

I'm more interested in the bathroom of the future.

"It seems you've had Taco Bell tonight."
*dispenses bottle of pepto bismol*

[bjsguess @ May 14th 2009 11:23AM]

Most people can't afford to buy an iMac - let alone Apple's vision for the future.

[Jubei @ May 14th 2009 4:17AM]

This silly over the top vision of Microsoft invading your lifestyle is more proof of their clueless ideas of what future computing will be. Everything presented is oversized, reflecting their current trend of shoving the BAT into market. Using projectors, hello its 2009! In 1987 a video from Apple, is a much more tamed and realistic look of future computing affordable to the masses. Some of those visionary ideas are already becoming a reality today and affordable to everyone.

[loocas @ May 14th 2009 8:45AM]

And that's why you, Jubei, spend your lunch break on engadget telling how Microsoft shoud have done it right...

[Mr Clickerson @ May 14th 2009 7:45PM]

Sorry Jubei, but had Apple displayed something like this, it would have been considered an amazing, ground breaking innovation by Apple zealots like yourself.

[iknowaeiou @ May 14th 2009 4:34AM]

right now, my computer is a big ass fail.

and to be honest, i don't want my ass failure converted into table-friendly format.

that's just how i feel about it, ok?

[darkmax @ May 14th 2009 5:11AM]

Is that the Microsoft Surface?

[Amun @ May 14th 2009 5:17AM]

Coming soon to a future home near you -- annoying ads when you hold up anything to any "computing surface."

[Kit @ May 14th 2009 6:04AM]

I think the option voting down this post should be there yesterday...

[Patriks7 @ May 14th 2009 6:19AM]

Engadget, is it a big-ass table or a big ass-table? Your title is confusing me.

[BB44D @ May 14th 2009 7:46PM]

Maybe it's a Bass Table

[paezbak @ May 14th 2009 8:05AM]

Requirement to be a user:
Extensive knowledge in programming.

Not that homely after all...

[aatnet @ May 14th 2009 8:37AM]

impressive but totally useless imho. The true revolution is going to be when robots help us with things like that. Instead of just having a recipe appear on the table have a robot do the cooking altogether

[Beastage @ May 14th 2009 8:43AM]

Bollocks, I hate robots, I don't want robots to do my job, people enjoy cooking you know? and those that don't can eat outside.

[Beastage @ May 14th 2009 8:42AM]

lol that is awesome, the kitchen work area draws you the exact dimension in which to cut the paste or whatever, I love this.

Obviously this is a concept, projected walls will become thin paper-like panels or other materials like electronic paper, a lot of it makes sense, a fridge that maintains a list of needed products, smart management of lights and electricity will save money and the earth, no more house keys... I love it.