First Look at Microsoft’s Milan Surface Computer

Early this morning, I read a post by Jon Fortt at the Business 2.0 Blog, The Utility Belt, about Microsoft’s surface computer originally codenamed “Milan”. The Microsoft Surface as it is now referred to is meant to give certain businesses, such as restaurants, hotels, and other retailers an interactive marketing tool. Although the concept is really cool, Jon poses some excellent concerns with regard to practicality and maintenance of the Microsoft Surface.

The surface computer features some key attributes:

• Direct interaction. Users can actually “grab” digital information with their hands, interacting with content by touch and gesture, without the use of a mouse or keyboard.
• Multi-touch. Surface computing recognizes many points of contact simultaneously, not just from one finger like a typical touch-screen, but up to dozens of items at once.
• Multi-user. The horizontal form factor makes it easy for several people to gather around surface computers together, providing a collaborative, face-to-face computing experience.
• Object recognition. Users can place physical objects on the surface to trigger different types of digital responses, including the transfer of digital content.

In the following video, Pete Thompson, general manager of Microsoft Surface Computing, demonstrates how the Microsoft Surface is useful for viewing photos and how the computer might be functional in a retail setting…using a T-Mobile store as an example.

For more information on Microsoft’s latest technology, check out this article on PRNewswire. The story also includes more information regarding which retailers are already slated to use the Microsoft Surface.

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