Microsoft’s Surface electronic table launch…is tabled temporarily
21st November 2007
There’s been a lot of hype about Microsoft’s revolutionary product called Surface, a groundbreaking development in the field of electronic tables. This one brings an added dimension to the phrase “interactive furniture,” as can be seen in this YouTube video clip. To say that its potential impact on the bar and restaurant industry would be considerable is certainly an understatement!
Microsoft head Bill Gates said that it’s about time tables did more than just stand there, doing nothing. I guess he has a point there. The prospect of being able to play with and use commercial bistro tables or bar tables on whose touch-screen surface one can order food and drink, create digital art, play games – all through the slightest touch of one’s finger or pressure from certain objects, is enough to make any person anticipate the Surface’s launch, much like how a child eagerly counts down the days until Christmas.
Alas, according to news reports, the market will have to wait a little longer. Microsoft’s plan was to get the Surface running in partner establishments like hotels and casinos this month. But because of hardware and software needs as well as location compatibility issues, the launch has been pushed back. It can be as late as spring 2008 before this device becomes available to the public.
The Microsoft Surface uses infrared cameras and a projector for its touch-screen functions, to react and interact with an individual’s fingers or other objects. There are plans to bring the device to other markets aside from hospitality and retail. But for now, or at least in the near future, we can look forward to viewing and using restaurant, bistro, coffee, and bar tables as more than just static objects. With the Microsoft Surface, the dining establishment experience will become even more fun for both the operators and their customers.
