Bill gates on surface computers

For those who are still not in the know: the beginning of the story and a short review , as well as the project website and video presentation

The last time computer geniuses changed communication between users and a PC, they created a mouse. William Henry Gates 3 believes that his company can make the next breakthrough.

On May 30, Gates introduced a new technology called Surface Computers (hereinafter referred to as Surface), which allows users to communicate with a PC using: touch, gestures and physical objects with optical marks. Technology turns a computer into a dynamic canvas, so users can, for example, browse their music library using their fingers, or compare an existing device with what’s sold in a store by simply placing the device on a table.

It is more than just touch screen computers. Under the screen are cameras that can handle up to 52 touches at a time, which allows small groups of people to work simultaneously. A computer can also recognize digital devices, such as a digital camera with WiFi. You can simply put the device on the table, then save photos from it, and then, using only your hands, edit them.

Microsoft, which will create both hardware and software, plans to limit shipments at the initial stage in order to enable users to explore the device. The first 30 inch devices, which will cost between $ 5,000 and $ 10,000, will appear in hotels and stores in November.

According to Microsoft, Harrah Entertainment will be among the first owners. Surface will be installed at Caesars Palace and the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, which will enable visitors to buy concert tickets and reserve seats in restaurants. T-Mobile USA (Deutsche Telekom) plans to use these devices in its stores to enable customers to compare their mobile phone with those sold in the store. A pop-up window will show the difference between the devices, and then after choosing a phone they will be able to delve into the study of tariffs.

It will be several years before consumers can purchase Surface and bring it to their home. To achieve this, Microsoft will have to create an ecosystem to somehow motivate software developers to create “must have” programs for Surface. “This thing is good if it works well,” said Roger Kay, president of marketing research at Endpoint Technologies Associates. “If everything works well, that changes the essence of the game.” If the cards go down, then sales can reach billions, Roger says. “People may want to own this product faster than Microsoft can release it.”

Interview with Bill Gates about Jay Greene, director of the Seattle branch of BusinessWeek, about a potential market.

DG: Is this market new?

B. G: Yes and no. If you imagine it in commercial organizations, meeting rooms, high-tech homes, differences appear. In the end, it becomes just an opportunity that you would like to see on a regular computer. This is actually just a computer with Windows Vista, just with a set of infrared cameras, and only special software gives you the feeling that you are controlling real physical objects. Therefore, this seems to be something else. Although 5 years will pass and this device will seem to you something ordinary.

DG: When it comes to this, will it become another type of computer, or will technology become just part of every computer you buy?

B. G: From the beginning, we should consider it a supplement, which means that you have a computer in the office and the Surface in the living room. The easiest way to talk about sharing them, and using Surface as a device to connect to your TVs, or some other projectors out there that might be in the house.

DG: What part of the market can all this take?

B. G: Well, of course, this is a multi-billion dollar market, as well as a different kind of device and the possibilities of its use. Why, after 5 years, you don’t want to have such a device so that you won’t use it to display information at a business meeting? You want your employees to work productively, and the hardware is getting cheaper day by day. In another case, why don’t you use this device at home in order to choose music with someone and then listen to it together? The naturalistic interface will undoubtedly win. This is how it was with the graphical interface. When he won, people began to wonder why they had been doubting him for so long. This will become a common product.

DG: You say that it will become a multi-billion dollar business. How fast do you think you will come to this?

B. G: Well, in fact, we are not experts on market predictions. It seems to me that they will demand from us that we create such a device for the boardroom or for the desktop. I think it will be very interesting for us to do this. I expect a lot of changes over the 5 years, but we cannot talk about it in numbers. Our goal is to be sure that we will do it. We need to be calm so as not to start moving backward.

DG: You said you expect to see this device in high-tech homes. As far as I know, you are the owner of one of these. What application do you personally expect to get to your house?

B.G: I had a touch screen device in the house. Now Surface is much better than him. he is bigger, he has a richer interface. You can play games with the children, win and be defeated. It is just a lot better. This will be a key element in the second version of (my) home software. At the moment, I am creating an architecture of how it will look. It will take 2 or 3 years, and Surface will play a central role in this.

based on BusinessWeek materials