Comments on: How the 'Milan' table PC was born

Microsoft is taking the wraps off this week, but the notion of a table-like computer has generated interest at the company since at least 2001.
Photos: On the road to Microsoft's Milan

[zmonster]

As long as it doesn't run Windows, it should be a hit

But unfortunately MS will probably kill it with Vista.

[sal-magnone]

Right..

All that visual power just makes me want to go run Gnome.

[genotypewriter]

Oh yes...

... if it runs Windows it won't be a hit... that's the reason why Apple is the most popular, most flexible, most supported, most familiar platform in the world... yes (to you) :\

[ahsanfarhan22]

How does it get power?

After watching those videos at Microsoft website, I have few questions. First of all, is the table connected with a wall outlet? What if I spill water on the table, what will happen? How will my digital camera or PDA be instantly recognized by the surface? Does this thing comes with built in wireless capability?

[frank bruce]

Bluetooth or any other wireless technology

Now almost all handheld devices have built in WiFi and or Bluetooth. It is a matter of range, as someone approaches the device will make a query on the owner and her/his personal virtual presentation card.

[acheron5]

Recognizing Devices

It seems that it recognizes devices that are placed on it through
special stickers that are placed on the device.

Also, the table isn't a touchscreen the way LCD's are. It doesn't
recognize input via a resistive layer. Instead, it uses several
cameras to track the user input. The display seems to be a
projections system driven by a DLP or an equivalent. So if you
spill anything on the table it won't short it out or anything.

The computer itself seems to be a modified Vista box running a
multitouch GUI.

Since the touchscreen is driven by cameras it probably isn't
beyond it's ability to also be able to scan documents. A recent
MS demo showed a similar technology doing just that.

[rcrusoe]

Very cool technology

And from the looks of it, iPhone users won't need any training to use it. ;)

[menty666]

Sorry, maybe I don't get it....

While pretty and the display is nice enough, isn't it basically just a tablet pc embedded in a table that you can set drinks on?

I could see how maybe daycare centers might like the drawing program. I can see how turning it on it's side and wall mounting something similar might make for a Minority Reportesque user experience. But frankly I don't see how it makes for a particularly useful table. I haven't seen the actual table portion of my coffee table in months. If I found this in a bar I'd be more curious about where I'm supposed to set my wings and a beer on it. Balancing them on the edge just so I can play video poker doesn't strike me as a good idea. Also, I hope it comes with a replaceable surface because between spills, key scratches and folks who like to carve while they wait for the waiter, it's going to get messed up fast.

In addition, having one at home would make for a physically uncomfortable user experience if you were to use it for anything more than just a quick web surfing session.

Oh, I have to say, when I first started reading the story I had to ask, "Wasn't this done in the 80's with Pacman"? True they were missing the touch screen component, but I'm just sayin'....

[fred dunn]

WE CAN PLAY PONG AGAIN!!!!!

For $10,000 we can play pong again but without the potentiometers.
Actually, Touch technology is very cool if given enough resolution (at least that of a comparable size graphics pad. I noticed they were using a projection display, that is kind of ironic since if they were to task Texas Instruments (the inventor and mfr of Digital Light Projection (DLP) devices to craft a DLP of say 4x10240 and another of 4x7680 and corresponding detectors on each plane then you could use only two lasers to get a touch screen that would fit a 1024x768 monitor with 10 pixels of resolution per display pixel with 16 levels of touch sensitivity (just an example).

I look forward to seeing this technology evolve and think it is a very good next step.

[frank bruce]

I like it

It grabs many elements on how a computer should work, as the tablet was more like the port of the Windows mobile to the desktop, this system uses a more out of the box metaphor. Let us wait for them to have a more portable version of it.

[Dalkorian]

funny ...

Frank Bruce added this thought to the conversation:

"Let us wait for them to have a more portable version of it."

I thought they did. Wouldn't that be a PC? There's even a more
portable version of that, it's called a laptop.

Seriously folks, except for Vegas casino's, who needs or even
wants this? What is the point exactly? If you try to use it as a
table, it's impossible to use it as a computer (unless you have x-
ray vision or something). If you try to use it as a computer, it's
impossible to use it as a table.

This smacks of Micro$loth innovation to me. Make something no
one will possibly want and try to sell it to the idiotic masses.
They had a better chance with the Origami.

[Jeremiah256]

MAYBE

Unless Microsoft can get Albus Dumbledore to put a anti-below 13 years old circle around it, I don't see how it can survive kids. Not ready for prime time but no innovation comes without trying things.

[genotypewriter]

Probably not on the ball...

I don't think this is for the masses as in everyday users (at least for the moment). I just heard that in Taiwan it was announced on the news as having an estimated price of around $5,000. Which is suggestive from the restaurant app demo'ed in the video.

I agree that normal computer users (on all platforms) are mostly stupid and would give in to something like this. But eventually we might see new applications areas for this sort of thing.