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February 4, 2008 5:49 AM PST

Microsoft wants to bring Surface home sooner

by Ina Fried
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When people get a chance to try out Microsoft's Surface touch-screen tabletop computer, they often wish they could take one home.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said Monday that the company is trying to speed up that process after getting a lot of demand for a consumer version.

Mark Bolger, director of marketing for Microsoft's surface-computing effort, shows off the company's new touchscreen tabletop PC last May. The company is still working to ship the product.

(Credit: Ina Fried/CNET News.com)

When Microsoft announced its plans for Surface last spring, the stated plan was to bring the technology to consumers eventually, but the company warned that it could be five years before a version of the products would be on shelves at the local Best Buy.

But the company got a lot of pushback on that timing, Ballmer said.

"We're going to follow our nose," Ballmer said, indicating that Microsoft hopes to shorten the gap before a consumer version is available.

That said, at the moment, Microsoft still has its hands full trying to ship the first machines to its handful of early customers: folks in the hotel, casino and retail businesses. The tech giant had hoped to start having models up and running for those customers by the end of last year, but now is aiming to do so by spring.

During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina.
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Huge @ss table
by MaLvaDo39 February 4, 2008 7:06 AM PST
Why would I want some vapor-ware that takes up so much space?
You want touch technology, get an iPhone. That's innovation in
the palm of you hand.
Reply to this comment
So the iPhone can run my home automation software?
by catch23 February 4, 2008 7:38 AM PST
or my PVR software? Photoshop? Notepad?
Thought not.
the iPhone is 'innovation' done years ago on the Palm and PocketPC platforms, with a prettier facade.

I think a coffee table using Surface, driving Windows Media Center and acting as the house hold server would be awesome.
Now if they could only get the price down....
View reply
It is or it isn't
by richardchaven February 4, 2008 10:04 AM PST
"vapor-ware that takes up so much space"

Either it's vapor-ware, so it does not exist (or, presumably, take up any space), or it's too big.

Pick one.
Apple fanboys shut up please
by bigdbag February 4, 2008 7:47 AM PST
iPhones are not innovative by any means. Microsoft's Surface is designed for a completely different purpose. Your little iPhone barely classifies as an "OS" to begin with.
Reply to this comment
So true....
by hlywd217 February 4, 2008 11:40 AM PST
There is no comparison between an iphone (with its horrible call quality) and Microsoft's Surface product...they're totally different
I don't see this in people's homes
by rcrusoe February 4, 2008 7:58 AM PST
This is one of those "gee wiz" things that looks great in the
store but doesn't fit in the home.

Multitouch screens in the home? Absolutely, that's just a matter
of time. A small refrigerator laying in your living room that
requires you to stick special barcodes on the bottom of
everything you want to use with it? IMO, that's not going to
happen. Not in any significant way.

I think this guy got it right:

<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZrr7AZ9nCY" target="_newWindow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZrr7AZ9nCY</a>
Reply to this comment
Call me a laggard but I don't see it happening...
by C_Graboski February 4, 2008 8:31 AM PST
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZrr7AZ9nCY" target="_newWindow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZrr7AZ9nCY</a>
Reply to this comment
Dry Erase fans speak-up please!
by dascha1 February 4, 2008 8:49 AM PST
Don't have a coffee table in the family room as the kids are still to
young and active to jump-off of it (like the one in the basement),
and the wife just asked me to hang a small dry erase board on the
back of our pantry door for her simple grocery list.

Where's the real market then?
Reply to this comment
Btw - that Small Whiteboard mentioned...
by dascha1 February 4, 2008 8:54 AM PST
was mfg'd 20 years ago by Schalow with AllianceWall porcelain-on-
steel. It cleans and is maintainable to look like new even today!

Very high-quality and reliable - lifetime warranty.
What is MS tabletop for?
by richardchaven February 4, 2008 10:03 AM PST
Gaming!
View reply
Surface is like concept car ... you don't get it right away
by csg7 February 4, 2008 10:52 AM PST
This is a cool piece of hardware and technology and i definitely see this in homes but maybe not in the next few years. I always believed that humans shouldn't learn how to interact with technology but should be the other way around.
Reply to this comment
"Markerboards Will Never Resurface Chalkboards"
by dascha1 February 4, 2008 11:31 AM PST
Quoted by General Manager, American Steel (Norfolk, VA),
Educational Products Division - 1967.
Does microsoft finally understand.....
by HDTV_001 February 4, 2008 3:09 PM PST
Hope that this article has solid ground.

But from past experience i doubt that Microsoft will be able to come out with a working product soon (mean less than three year).

The last attemps i could see is Vista . They pass nearly five years with around 2 million beta testors.

Final product was fairly enough. What is frustrating is to see independant developper create workaround.

Exemple!! Indexing search engine. X1 and Copernic seem to have a far better product than windows desktop search.

The culture of the entreprise does not seem oriented toward developping product.

With hundred of billion$ revenue, thousans developpers we saw no real evelution in their product. I would bet that if the R&#38;D department open their door we could see thousand of interesting productd sleeping on shelf.

Why? or How come....


I might have surface sooner if i purchase a tablet pc with touch capability.

Please microsoft jump over the evolution of your product and go to revolution mode. You have the budget, you have the people they have the experience

P.S. In resume stop developping horizontally the company and concentrate on product vertically so we will get product with depther function.
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About Beyond Binary

During her years at CNET, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft.

Beyond Binary is a look at how technology is changing our lives and the people behind all that life-changing stuff, with an extra emphasis on that which emanates from Redmond, Wash.

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