I have to admit, as far as new technology goes I’m usually trailing behind quite slowly. But saying that one thing which has interested me is this new Surface computer from Microsoft. Now obviously touch screen isn’t a brand new (according to Microsoft’s web site neither is the Surface idea) technology however this Surface computer claims to offer a new way in which we interact with data and media. Ive spent the last twenty minutes or so reading over Microsoft’s Surface web site trying to get a better idea as to what it is exactly and what it can do.

As taken from the Surface web site its key features are:

• Direct interaction - Users can actually “grab” digital information with their hands and interact with content by touch and gesture, without the use of a mouse or keyboard.
• Multi-touch contact - Surface computing recognizes many points of contact simultaneously, not just from one finger, as with a typical touch screen, but up to dozens and dozens of items at once.
• Multi-user experience - The horizontal form factor makes it easy for several people to gather around surface computers together, providing a collaborative, face-to-face computing experience.
• Object recognition - Users can place physical objects on the surface to trigger different types of digital responses, including the transfer of digital content.

So simply put it you will be able to interact with files, data, media and virtually anything else that you can already, but this time using your hands. Just like a touch screen works you will be able to move and interact with on screen items by touching it which means no need for a keyboard or even a mouse. Sounds pretty cool - but I can’t really see this replacing the standard computer o_0.

Microsoft is expecting to ship its first batch in the Winter of this year but don’t expect them to be cheap. To begin with I can only really see them being available to businesses and perhaps the well funded people of the world. Just to finish off this quick post, here are a few images of the Surface.