More Really Cool Microsoft Technology(video)

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I'm not sure if this video has been posted before, and if so I apologize, but this is a really cool video from popular science. I can't wait to get one of these.

I think Microsoft Bought this tech as I have seen it before a couple years ago. I really despise Microsoft as I believe most of the tech they say they invented is actually bought from another company or persons.

Plus, there Operating System is the worst ever.

There is nothing wrong with Microsoft buying a company to further their goal of increasing market share. Did you watch this video though? This technology has been floated around since the 1980's. Its just now that we have the ability and computing power to really utilize it.

I really don't hold much loyalty to brand names. I like Mac for the ease of use as a home computer, I like Unix variants for very specific applications like web hosting and internet services and I like Windows for a large networked environment for its scalability and ability to manage many computers at one time.

Enough of the Microsoft bashing, its tired and moot. Every OS serves a specific purpose to everyone and they are used accordingly.

This is a cool new technology and I can't wait to get my hands on one. .....no pun intended

I didn't bash them I just spoke the truth as I know it. Microsoft is known for buying cool tech and sitting on it and not releasing anything. Microsoft had its uses back in 98' but after that especially with the growth of broadband, there security was frightening. Considering XP was supposed to fix all that, it actually became the most porous OS ever.

Linux, a variant of Unix, was dreadful up until 3-4 years ago and it would take forever to find drivers that would work. In the last 3-4 years, the speed on an older computer of a Linux distro is all but unbelievable and most older and newer hardware works out of the box.

Also, Microsoft would destroy any Commercial competitor that tried to take market share away from it. If it wasn't for Open Source software and young hackers trying to make a better alternative for free there wouldn't be much of a choice, including Apple. Apple was struggling until they went with DragonBSD with tweaks from there developers.

Originally posted by kleverone
Video

I'm not sure if this video has been posted before, and if so I apologize, but this is a really cool video from popular science. I can't wait to get one of these.

Yep, posted already its called Surface, will set you back $12,000

Maybe in like 7, 8 years that price of 12,000 can drop down to a reasonable 3,000 dollars. I remember about 5 years ago when flat screen HDTV's started making a real scene on the market, they cost about 10,000 dollars. Now you can pick a Panasonic 42 inch up for about 1,500.

I wonder if the iPhone has a variant of this technology embedded into it.

Shattered OUT...

i actually worked on the beta of this system before it was released, but was under a non-disclosure agreement so I couldn't tell anyone until a few weeks ago!

The main difference between this table and others from MIT, and other places, is that the MIT ones (and some out now, like the Lemur for audio) are true touchscreen, while this works using a system of cameras and infrared tags, mostly because touchscreens are more expensive, and easier to damage - compared to replacing a glass table, projector, or camera it makes more sense for items intended for use by the masses to be designed with that in mind.

Originally posted by hoochymama
I think Microsoft Bought this tech as I have seen it before a couple years ago. I really despise Microsoft as I believe most of the tech they say they invented is actually bought from another company or persons.

Plus, there Operating System is the worst ever.

fair enough - i'm no microsoft fanboy either, although I certainly prefer windows over mac, and ultimately microsoft over apple. Microsoft does buy other companies' software and hardware, and rebrands it. of course, that is what microsoft was founded on! however, I brought this up when we first met the team, specifically that I had seen this technology years ago - what they were doing that was different.

The response was simple, and made sense. They replied with another question: What other company has the resources, finance, and reach as microsoft, to take this technology from esoteric / geeks only, to the mainstream?

You have to admit, it's a great point. While they may not be the absolute best company in the world, they are certainly in the position to standardize just about any technology they want, so that's what they are doing. I don't see that as a bad thing by any means - it will encourage others to make similar systems, but open source and scaled down for individuals - as these tables are being designed for hotels, theme parks, large places.