5 ms·

I saw the prototype in Redmond over a decade ago, back then it was in the form of a coffee table -- very impressive at the time, but no clear business strategy.

I saw the prototype in Redmond over a decade ago, back then it was in the form of a coffee table -- very impressive at the time, but no clear business strategy. In technology terms, this is a glacial age! I find it amazing they were able to persist and refine the technology into a successful product. Kudos!

dom0 10y ago
Doesn't look to me like it's very related to the PixelSense.
- seanmcdirmid 10y ago
  Careful, Surface is now a brand of various computers, PixelSense was the old Surface Table with a display where pixels included cameras, but is now used to describe the new Surface's screen. So let's summarize: * old Surface: a table. * new Surface: a brand that started out with tablets but now includes a convertible laptop, a desktop, and a conference room computer. * old PixelSense: a renamed old Surface with new fancy (very cool) display technology that includes optical sensing pixels, but seems defunct ATM. * new PixelSense: the screen of a new Surface (high resolution, capacitive touch, stylus). (disclaimer: used to work for Microsoft but with no inside knowledge)
  - shmed 10y ago
    PixelSense is a company that Microsoft acquired a couple years ago. It's unrelated to the original "surface" technology they showcased previously (the big coffee table you are talking about), other than sharing the same name. Surface is now just the branding of their whole series of first party touch enabled devices (surface pro, surface studio, surface book, surface hub)
    - tkxxx7 10y ago
      I think you are referring to Perceptive Pixel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perceptive_Pixel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perceptive_Pixel
    - seanmcdirmid 10y ago
      That was the case a few years ago, but it is no longer the case now. See: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/devices/surface-studio/innovation https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/devices/surface-stud... And compare to: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_PixelSense https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_PixelSense Two totally different things.
chadgeidel 10y ago
Not everything branded "Surface" is "the big-ass table". Microsoft has been in this space for a long, long time. Ink recognition, remote video sharing, presentation are all products that have been in the pipeline in some way or other for a very long time.
dsg42 10y ago
I'm pretty sure these came out of the Perceptive Pixel acquisition back in 2012. Microsoft bought a company built giant monitors with powerful touch capabilities. Not the most high profile of acquisitions, but it definitely set them off in this direction.

dom0 10y ago

Doesn't look to me like it's very related to the PixelSense.

seanmcdirmid 10y ago
Careful, Surface is now a brand of various computers, PixelSense was the old Surface Table with a display where pixels included cameras, but is now used to describe the new Surface's screen. So let's summarize: * old Surface: a table. * new Surface: a brand that started out with tablets but now includes a convertible laptop, a desktop, and a conference room computer. * old PixelSense: a renamed old Surface with new fancy (very cool) display technology that includes optical sensing pixels, but seems defunct ATM. * new PixelSense: the screen of a new Surface (high resolution, capacitive touch, stylus). (disclaimer: used to work for Microsoft but with no inside knowledge)
- shmed 10y ago
  PixelSense is a company that Microsoft acquired a couple years ago. It's unrelated to the original "surface" technology they showcased previously (the big coffee table you are talking about), other than sharing the same name. Surface is now just the branding of their whole series of first party touch enabled devices (surface pro, surface studio, surface book, surface hub)
  - tkxxx7 10y ago
    I think you are referring to Perceptive Pixel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perceptive_Pixel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perceptive_Pixel
  - seanmcdirmid 10y ago
    That was the case a few years ago, but it is no longer the case now. See: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/devices/surface-studio/innovation https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/devices/surface-stud... And compare to: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_PixelSense https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_PixelSense Two totally different things.

chadgeidel 10y ago

Not everything branded "Surface" is "the big-ass table". Microsoft has been in this space for a long, long time. Ink recognition, remote video sharing, presentation are all products that have been in the pipeline in some way or other for a very long time.

dsg42 10y ago

I'm pretty sure these came out of the Perceptive Pixel acquisition back in 2012. Microsoft bought a company built giant monitors with powerful touch capabilities. Not the most high profile of acquisitions, but it definitely set them off in this direction.