Comments on: For travelers, Microsoft 'Surfaces' in Sheraton hotels
Five Sheraton hotels, including locations in New York, Boston, and Seattle, have started testing out Microsoft's Surface interactive table on guests.
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What's wrong with a $500 laptop again? I guess it misses that "cool factor", but geez folks this is just a way for stupid people to throw tons of money away at a useless POS.
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I guess there really is one born every minute.
Cute, but I hope MSFT isn't staking their financial future on such things.
In my opinion, this is exactly the type of thing that Microsoft should be doing to improve its future.
Dunno about you, but a laptop (esp. a powerful one) actually has justification.
Wow !! I mean how much of a Microsoft hater can be !.
This is one of the very first installations of surface and i see it as a very cool device which eventually will become a part of homes. The cost will obviously come down (isn't the iPhone $200 in just one year).
A parallel: Ever wonder why one's bathroom at home feels and looks much more comfortable, and definitely cleaner than a typical public restroom?
If you read your EULA, you'll find that you actually do NOT have the right to do with the iPhone whatever it is you want. Apple controls what is on the phone and reserves the right to remove any and all content without your consent for whatever reason. The EULA is pretty clear about this.
Comparing the 30" Surface table to an iPhone doesn't make any sense at all. They aren't even related to each other beyond they both have a screen and network connection.
No, you don't have to take turns to use the Surface system. It would appear you have not actually *used* the product that you are so quick to complain about. Multiple people can use it at once. It's built very solidly. Would you like to put an iPhone out on a table and ask four people to all use it at once? Again, it's silly to compare unrelated technology.
In the future, you may want to research the product you are going to criticize first. Try it out before you start making comments that are foolish and untrue.
OK, I'm traveling and staying at the hotel that has one of these things. Do I wait until nobody else is using it or can I just go and sit down when a couple of other people are already there using it?
Can I play a song I want to hear or do I have to listen to some annoying song that someone else has already selected and is playing? How loud is the song being played; can it be heard throughout what would normally be a somewhat peaceful and quiet hotel lobby?
Can four people operate this at the same time or is it one user at a time only? Since I can't take the plot of a walking tour with me, can I get a printout of it or do I have to write it down on a piece of paper?
All in all, this device sounds like a very expensive, modern-day version of the 60's Lava Lamp or Bubble Gum for the brain.
No, you can only play one song effectively at a time. It's just like a jukebox in that manner. It doesn't have a set of audio jacks out, but there isn't any real reason this could not be done. I'm not sure there would be much demand for it to make it cost effective.
What it is, is a large information kiosk. It's not meant to be a replacement for your computer. It does give you immediate access to information that you might otherwise ask a staff person who may or may not know the answer, or you have to wait in line to find out they don't know... or give you the wrong information.
I go on or can you stretch that bucket of yours to grasps the possibilities. You see not everyone is going to feel comfortable bring a laptop out in some of these spots, and the Smart phone has its limitations in other spots as well, my Mother could never read that small screen. And trying to type on that small of keypad is impossible with her arthritis. And trust me there are a lot of older folks out there who know this from living with restrictions to their living.
Most dessenters of this tech really are arrogant, mindless drones. And honestly this tech is not for you. So just go away. and let the rest of us enjoy a great tool being added to our lives.
Please enlighten my telencephalon and cool the attitude jets, Crashy.
Certain functions, such as ordering drinks, could easily be handled by a smaller touchscreen placed anywhere in a bar but you still would have to have a waitress bring it so what's the point?
I think MS is trying to show that they can make something cool, too, but the problem is this isn't very cool.
Point 1. This is made by Microsoft.
Points 2-10. Well, the heck with points 2-10, it's Microsoft, it must suck. Sheraton and Harrah are clearly idiots who know much less about running bars and hotels than we do.
Point 1. This is made by Microsoft.
Points 2-10. Well, the heck with points 2-10, it's Microsoft, it must suck. Sheraton and Harrah are clearly idiots who know much less about running bars and hotels than we do.
1) Do these tables allow access to sites like Google maps?
2) If you do create one of the walking tours, using whatever software the system uses, can you then print out a map or at the very least the directions?
3) If you can't print the maps out can you download them to a PDA or other device?
4) Is there access to an actual directory website or are you limited to the attractions that the Hotel thinks to add to a set list?
5) Why is it that the customers in the iBar had to leave their table to order the drinks that they designed?
6) With apparent seating for 4 does that imply that 4 people can use the device at the same time?
7) Is the list of available songs set by the hotel or does it access internet radio, last.fm, or various radio stations that stream broadcasts, etc?
There are likely more detailed questions that I presently haven't considered, however the Surface seems to be a step in the direction of ubiquitous computing that was originally taken back in the mid - 90's. It remains to be seen how practical these devices are considering that most Americans have cellphones with data access.
2) It's a Vista system underneath and adding printers is up to the installation location. If the hotel/bar/etc wants to put out a printer nearby for it to print to, that is up to them. It certainly can print like any other computer.
3) You can email items to your PDA or other device, but it doesn't have USB ports or such on the unit itself that are accessable. While that might be handy, it also opens up the device to abuse/hacking/malicious intent. It's not impossible to add it, but I don't know that it is worth the risk. There could be some benefits to it if you can add a secure port. That's something the industry itself hasn't really resolved yet, regardless of OS or hardware maker.
4) It's a computer with a browser. You do with it whatever you want. The 'desktop' might bring up the hotel's preferred interface, but you're not limited to it.
5) iBar's setup would be unique to that location. You'll have to ask them. Perhaps they didn't have a computer at their mixing bar to receive the request? That information isn't in the article.
6) Yes, multiple people can use it at one time. Be advised that you may not necessarily *WANT* to do that though if you are viewing a site or accessing information that you do not want your neighbor to see. (Why Harold! I had no idea you were into pink frilly lingerie! So am I! Let's meet up and compare notes!) Yeah, that would be a bad thing in some situations.
7) It's just a computer, so whatever music is on the local machine is whatever was put there. Since it is a compute r with a browser, you can go out to the Net to get whatever music you wish.
This is definitely something inventive. Now, I bet you if it said Apple iScreen or something, people would flock like white on rice.
Second, yes... multiple people can use it. It's not a freakin iPOO-ed. It's used for things like Concierge services which are one-to-one interactions. before you crap on that, this is the equivalent of self service check-out at the store which where I live is immensely popular, even with some of the hiccups... mostly due to the Linux OS. :) Yes... you can take the tour with you if your phone supports bluetooth interaction. This was one of the demos at CES. What has Linux done in this realm!?!?!?! NOTHING! You are always tail chasers.
I also have mixed views about it's longevity. Microsoft's implementation is likely to be complex and hard to understand unless you are a kid. But the inevitable BSOD's should do for it sooner or later...
Hey, kids, maybe you can answer some questions and scenarios posed by 62Sparkplug, or The_Rude_Bellman.
Instead all we get for positives is "OMGPonies!" or something vague about how this is allegedly "MSFT is teh F00tchur, d00d!" (paraphrased, naturally).
c'mon, Microsofties - tell us how this thing is supposed to justify itself in practical terms.
- by Vegaman_Dan August 14, 2008 9:23 AM PDT
- Microsoft has been testing these things for quite a while. They do a pretty good job of testing the interface by giving you no instructions on how to use it. It is meant to be intuitive. Tap the surface of the running water in the creekbed (or whatever graphic the host has provided). A menu appears giving you some options. Go into those options to get to more areas and it's pretty much like any other system. Not sure how to do something? Poke at it, try it, or click on the help option. Within a couple of minutes you've figured out how to use it and it just works well. I would compare it to the iPhone/Touch in that manner- they don't give you any instructions on how to do the flicking finger movement. You learn that as you go and it's quite easy to pick up. Want to move an application on the screen towards you? Tap and hold with your finger and drag it to you. Use two fingers to spin it around to show someone else. Have a photo you want to show someone? Flick it like a piece of paper to that other person and it glides over where they can catch it or let it stop against the edge, slightly bouncing back slowly.
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Showing 1 of 2 pages (33 Comments)It's primary use is that of an information kiosk I think. I was able to bring up a menu for local shopping options. It displayed a satellite view map of where I was and the neighboring stores and malls along with distances marked off, major roads, bus routes, etc. You could tap where you wanted to go and the route lit up. Tell it you want to take a bus and it gives you the bus stops, their route numbers and times. It even told you where the actual buses themselves were located at that moment (buses now having GPS tracking). Want to catch the bus? The 555 will be outside your location in 4 minutes.
So you want to check out that local mall. Perhaps you want an iPhone? Tap on the mall outline on the map and it brings up a list of all the stores there that matches the mall's store map layout. Click on the store you want from the map or the list. It brings up a short description of the store, immediate link to their website or location-based services. The unit I was messing with had VoIP on it so clicking on the phone option called the store directly. You could check the local store's inventory, pricing, etc, all from that unit. Sure, you can do all of that separately on a computer, but this was all integrated into one easy to use package.
Now things I'd like to see added would be wireless synching of your iPod Touch/iPhone for iTunes and the Zune devices. Or even a USB jack to charge with for your cell phone or PDA. If you can secure the system enough to not allow any files to be downloaded off the device to the Surface system, and make it a read-only USB port, then you could possibly still synch or pull files off the internet with it. That would take some work and preparation, but I can see the use there. Especially if there is a printer associated with it. It would be neat to walk up to it with my PDA, connect and tell it to print off this file I got in email.
This is definitely one of those systems that you should really try before debasing it. It's... well, just try it and I think you'll change your mind about the possibilities.