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Microsoft Surface - Tabletop Computer. You won't believe this until you see it. It's actually real.

No mouse, no keyboards, but you can touch it and guess what . . . it actually feels you.

Don't you know what is it? It's Microsoft Surface!!!

What is Microsoft Surface™? Microsoft Surface turns an ordinary tabletop

into a vibrant, interactive surface .It's the first commercially - available surface

computing platform from Microsoft. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer introduced

Microsoft Surface on May 29, 2007 and the whole world came to know about Microsoft Surface.

The product provides effortless access to digital content through natural gestures, touch and physical objects.

Today, it's a 30-inch diagonal display in a table-like form factor that's easy for individuals or multiple people to interact with in a way that feels familiar, just like in the real world.

In essence, it's a surface come to life for exploring, learning, sharing, creating, buying and much more.

Today Microsoft Surface is available in the retail, hospitality, automotive, banking and healthcare industries.

What is surface computing?Led by Microsoft, surface computing is a

major advancement that moves beyond the traditional user interface to a more natural way of interacting with information. It features four 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 with a typical touch–screen, but up to dozens of items at once. Surface is optimized for 52 touches at a time.

Multi–User: The horizontal form factor makes it easy for several people to gather around Microsoft Surface together, providing a collaborative, face–to–face computing experience.

Object Recognition: Users can place physical objects on the display to trigger different types of digital responses; in the future, this will include the ability to transfer digital content.

The possibilitiesRestaurants may have custom built furniture

to sit around the Microsoft Surface, which wotks as a table as well as a computer.

The menus pop up based on specific cutlery, so that one can select the items to be ordered.

Send emails or browse the net Play games till the items are served.

These are just a few of the Possibilities of Microsoft Surface.

When you going to a restaurant and place a wine glass on the table which is actually a Microsoft Surface. The wine menu appears. You select the wine of your choice and the order is received by the staff, without a single word of verbal communication. This accepts multiple ‘touch’ and many people may select the item on the menu and drag the item they want to order with their fingers to place the order.

You go to a mobile stores and want to check the models you like and compare few models. Just pick them off the rack and place them on the Microsoft Surface. You can see the features as well as the comparisons.

You also may be able to pay the bill by simply placing the credit card on the Microsoft Surface and drag the bill to the creditcard.

And there goes your payment safely and securely and you need not give the credit card to anyone for swiping.

Such are the possibilities that make your shopping memorable.

It may not be a distant dream where the teachers may have a Microsoft Surface to teach the students.

Students may have a custom built hardware where they can create their assignments. They place these special devices on the Microsoft Surface.

The teacher may see the assignment instantly and help the student.

With this kind of possibilities of Microsoft Surface, learning could become fun.

One can touch a color in the one-screen palette and draw an image on the screen. Touch blue and draw the sky, Touch green and draw grass.

Microsoft Tabletop can understand all this. It also recognizes various objects.

Collegues at office may sit across the Microsoft Surface, open a file, push it across, drag it, modify and then finally save the document.

Photos can be shared easily, by just placing the digital cameras on the Microsoft surface. The photos pop up once a digital camera is placed on the surface.

These possibilities of Microsoft Surface allow sharing of pictures, images, videos, ringtones etc very easy.

Video Show : The possibilities

How does Microsoft Surface work?Microsoft Surface uses cameras to sense

objects, hand gestures and touch. This user input is then processed and displayed using rear projection.

Surface features a touch interface but it doesn't use touch screen.

Instead 5 camera's are located inside it which covers the whole area of the surface to recognize the objects.

It uses a blend of wireless protocols, special machine-readable tags and shape recognition to seamlessly merge the real and the virtual world

Wireless protocols : Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, RDFI (radio frequency identification) .

That are FOUR parts Inside the Microsoft surface:

1)Screen2)Infrared3)Cpu4)Projector

1) Screen –• There is a diffuser which turns the Surface’s acrylic tabletop into a large horizontal “multitouch” screen, which is capable of processing multiple inputs from multiple users. The Surface is so far advanced than we could imagine that it can recognize objects by their shapes or by reading coded “domino” tags when placed on the table.

2) Infrared –• Surface’s “machine vision” operates in the near-infrared spectrum, using an 850-nanometer-wavelength LED light source aimed at the screen. When objects touch the tabletop, the light reflects back and is picked up by multiple infrared cameras with a net resolution of 1280 x 960.

3) CPU –• Surface uses many of the same components found in everyday desktop computers — a Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM and a 256MB graphics card. Wireless communication with devices on the surface is handled using WiFi and Bluetooth antennas (future versions may incorporate RFID or Near Field Communications). The underlying operating system is a modified version of Microsoft Vista.

4) Projector -A projector underneath the surface projects an image onto its underside, while five cameras in the machine's housing record reflections of infrared light from human fingertips.

The FeaturesThere are four main components being

important in it's interface: direct interaction, multi-touch contact, a multi-user experience, and object recognition. This device also enables drag and drop digital media when wi-fi enabled devices are placed on it such as a Microsoft Zune, cellular phones, or digital cameras. It features multi-touch technology, that enables multiple points of contact.

This technology allows non-digital objects to be used as input devices. This means that the source of information does not necessarily have to be digital in form .

PROPERTIESDisplay Type: 30-inch Flat panel displayOrientation: Horizontal – like a table to allow

users to use, share and create experiences together.

CPU: Core 2 Duo processorProcessor: 2 GHz processor.Installed Memory: 2GB of RAM Hard drive: YesGraphics Card: 256MB graphics card.Projector: DLP light engine like the one used in

rear-projection HDTV.

Cameras: Five cameras with infrared filters - net resolution of 1280 x 960

Material: The tabletop is acrylic, and its interior frame is powder-coated steel.

Surface: Not touch-sensitive surface. When you place or drag a finger, internal projector lights screen from beneath.

Power Supply: Standard American 110–120V powerOperating System: The custom software platform

running on Windows VistaNetwork Connectivity: Wired Ethernet 10/100 and

wireless 802.11 b/g and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity.

Dimensions: 22 inches high, 21 inches deep and 42 inches wide.

Weight: 150 pounds Other features:Drag & Drop: Like any widows Operating

system, all items can be dragged and dropped. Automatic Identification: Can identify objects.

Place your Digital camera on the surface and you can see the photos displayed on the surface without actually downloading!

Initial customers: Harrah's Entertainment, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, T-Mobile and IGT.

Ideal for: Restaurants, games, shops and Entertainment

Microsoft Surface Approximative Price: US$ 10000

Maximum SetupAt Microsoft's MSDN Conference, Bill Gates

told developers of "Maximum" setup the Microsoft Surface was going to have:

Intel Core Quad Xeon "WoodCrest" @ 2.66GHz

4GB DDR2-1066 RAM1TB 7200RPM Hard DriveIt has a custom motherboard form factor

about the size of two ATX motherboards.

The Magic

Whatever be the history and origins of it, the magic of this tabletop has already captured the imagination of many.

The Power

Multi-touch technology allows multiple inputs from multiple users. It is one product that leverages multi-touch technology.

ApplicationsSurface Computer can be useful in : Big Hotels (Orders, Gaming, Surfing)

Ex :- Starwood HotelStarwood HotelRestaurants (Choose meals, Plane vacation)Casino Dance BarsRetailers ShopMobile Shops‘ (Prices, Payment, Models' Configuration)CID Crime Branch (Investigation Purpose) Being used at AT&T Stores

New way to interact with information(data).

Interaction with photo, contents, maps, menus in different way.

Provide new opportunities for companies to engage with people.

Makes everyday tasks entertaining, enjoyable and efficient.

DisadvantageMicrosoft surface is huge in size and shape.It has 150 pound weight so shipping is not

comfortable. It is not available for public(for our purpose)

now but it will be available in 2010.

For more detail go to this link:

http://www.microsoft.com/surface.htmhttp://www.aboutmicrosoftsurface.com

IN NEW ERA OF TECHNOLOGY ,

MICROSOFTSURFACE PROVIDE

US THE TECHNOLOGY WHICH SHOWN

BY FOLLOWING PICTURE.

THE END