Surface: A Truly Interactive Experience

With this year's E3 in the past, we decided to sit down with Microsoft and have a little chat about a product they debuted before E3 that has some potentially interesting tie-ins to the path that video games seem to be heading, Surface. In case you haven't heard of Microsoft's Surface product, it turns an ordinary table-top into a vibrant, interactive surface. It will debut as the first commercially available surface computer from Microsoft and it's slated to provide effortless access to digital content through natural gestures, touch, and physical objects. The units that Microsoft has today are 30" displays in a table top form factor that's easy for individuals or multiple people to interact with in a way that feels very "real world." Microsoft is aiming to market these Surface computers to restaurants, hotels, and retail chains in an effort to change the way we shop, dine, entertain and live.

With such a complicated setup, we were curious what was involved to setup a basic Surface computer. Unfortunately we were informed that Surface will not be available to individuals in any capacity, but the basic setup simply requires a standard 110v power outlet to function, much like your home computer. This is possible since Surface's monitor, input devices, and computer are all self contained within the table top unit that is being shown off.

With Nintendo's unique approach to this generation of video games with the Wii, the obvious question that pops into my mind is how open will the system be for 3rd party development? "Surface is starting as a closed system so we can ensure the very best end-user experience. We will to continue to cultivate ISV relationships to develop unique applications for our commercial partners", said a Microsoft Representative. Since it's basically a closed system right now, we were curious what applications were primed and ready for release with Surface. The basic portfolio of applications includes Photos, Music, Mapping, and even some Games. Microsoft assured us that each certified partner will have their own unique applications such as interactive menus where customers can place orders, split bills, or even read more about the food or drink they've ordered.



For Surface to be a huge hit it's going to have to handle interactive almost flawlessly, and that includes interaction with other devices. After all, some of the features that make Surface such a compelling product are its abilities to interact with other devices. When asked about other consumer devices, Microsoft had this to say "To be clear, while we have the technical ability to make device synching possible now, in order to ensure a high-quality experience, we are waiting for the industry to determine a standard that will be used widely across different types of devices. As for the types of products and objects Surface can recognize, the possibilities really are endless - anything from a room key to a drink glass to a toy. Surface will be able to recognize millions of objects."

One of the key factors to a product's widespread adoption is the cost. Price your product high and you may find yourself in a niche, but price it competitively and you may find widespread adoption. Microsoft is currently focusing on launching Surface into public spaces. They do not believe Surface will be relegated to niche status and have plans to develop the Surface platform into something that we will see inside and outside the home. I personally see the possibilities as endless.

When asked about possible tie-ins for Surface to the Microsoft Games division, Microsoft was brief, but definitely agreed that the possibilities of surface computing were endless. We'll see if the cost comes down, if the Xbox 360, or whatever iteration is present at that time, can interact with Surface as a peripheral.

Our final question for Microsoft had to do with cost. It became less of a point of interest when it became clear that Microsoft was marketing this product at enterprises and not consumers, but to give you an idea of how a basic Surface setup priced out we asked anyway. A Microsoft rep said "Since we aren't selling Surface to the consumer market through consumer channels, there isn't an easy answer to that question. We will have enterprise agreements that will include maintenance, upgrades and have volume considerations. To give you a rough idea, think of this in the $5-$10k range."

I personally find the Surface computing platform to be incredibly cool and I can't wait to see it implemented in retail and dining locations worldwide. I expect the adoption rate to be high if developers can get their hands on it and put out some compelling applications while Microsoft streamlines the manufacturing to drive the cost of these units down. Keep your eyes peeled for Surface computing in a location near your and we will all hope that Microsoft can develop some sort of video game link with this technology.

For more information about Microsoft's Surface platform, visit http://www.microsoft.com/surface

Jul 19, 2007 - 10:47 am | 4 comments
Chris Rasco