[AccessD] OT: Weekend, technology OT: Microsoft Surface Computing....

Darryl Collins Darryl.Collins at coles.com.au
Mon Sep 22 06:00:42 CDT 2008


well... maybe...,

'They' have been promising the demise of the book for years now, but a book is an almost perfect technology and is still going strong.  In places where electricity is hit and miss, tech support non-existent and tech expertise thin on the ground, well, you really can't beat a blackboard and some chalk for teaching kids how to do stuff.  Given that most of the world live  like that and us folks who live in rich first world countries are the lucky ones... well....

I love tech, but it can also be awfully over-rated.  ok, it is v cool, but will it change the world? maybe, but only the rich world and even then, not yet....  Sometimes the old tech is just cheaper, faster, better....



-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of Shamil
Salakhetdinov
Sent: Monday, 22 September 2008 6:27 PM
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: Weekend, technology OT: Microsoft Surface
Computing....


Yes, one of the applications could be to use this "coffee table" instead
of/together with a blackboard in the schools if to put it vertically - this
is why it's important to have it as thin as possible. Of course one can make
a special niche in the wall to put it there but still having it as thin as a
usual blackboard and not that expensive as USD5,000-1,0000 as it's now(?)
would be much more convenient - so for this application in the school the
three main tasks to solve are:

- make it at least as think as a usual blackboard;
- make its total cost as a usual blackboard cost + average cost of a modern
PC with large display;
- make its screen bright enough to be seen clearly from at least 15 meters
daytime...

Could that happen that the above tasks will be solved soon enough?

What are you bets on that?

Thank you.

--
Shamil

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Rocky Smolin at
Beach Access Software
Sent: Monday, September 22, 2008 3:23 AM
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: Weekend,technology OT: Microsoft Surface
Computing....

I saw it on the news - during one of the conventions, I think.  It was
mounted vertically, and the news guy was moving stuff around on it with his
fingers.  Pretty cool.


Rocky Smolin
Beach Access Software
858-259-4334
www.e-z-mrp.com
www.bchacc.com



-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Shamil
Salakhetdinov
Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2008 1:50 PM
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: Weekend,technology OT: Microsoft Surface
Computing....

Hi Gustav and Max,

Yes, this technology was first announced in 2007 - the question here is what
is your feelings/expectations there how much it will take until it gets
broadly used in the office work (if ever) - I mean it's getting developed
there at MS:

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2008/apr08/04-01SurfaceRetailPR.msp
x

http://www.microsoft.com/surface/index.html

But still expensive...

And they say it's available now in AT&T stores - used by merchants to talk
with the customers/present them goods etc. ASAIU - did anybody see/touch it
there live? - it looks so amazing. How it's done? Some-infrared
transmitters/detectors located very close to the screen surface? Why this
"smart coffer tables" are still so thick? Is there anywhere description how
it's done?

Thank you.

--
Shamil


-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Gustav Brock
Sent: Monday, September 22, 2008 12:26 AM
To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com
Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: Weekend,technology OT: Microsoft Surface
Computing....

Hi Shamil and Max

Still interesting, but didn't an entertainment movie some years ago
demonstrate exactly that technique for picture handling? Indeed the method
for resizing?

/gustav

>>> max.wanadoo at gmail.com 21-09-2008 22:02 >>>
Hi Shamil,
This is not new. I saw this a year or maybe more ago.

I passed details on to a guy who writes games.  I think in time you will see
lots of apps coming out for this. Imagine flicking through a database to
find a record as you would a deck of cards etc.

Max


On Sun, Sep 21, 2008 at 7:58 PM, Shamil Salakhetdinov <
shamil at smsconsulting.spb.ru> wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> Have you seen/are you all talking there about this amazing "thick"
> technology from MS:
>
> http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/industry/4217348.html
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2007/may07/05-29mssurfacepr.m
> spx
>
>
> I did write "thick" because this really amazing (I will not get tired
> to repeat that - I think I was never that excited about new
> technology) -
this
> "coffee-table computer" is still rather thick (or tall) - 50 cm(?)
> tall
and
> expensive - 5,000-10,000USD?
>
> Are there any rumors there when it will become thin and inexpensive
> enough to be broadly used in usual office work? - But the latter
> promise to be so unusual if that piece of technologies ever reaches it
> - but it (rather
> soon)
> will, will not it?
>
> It all looks like David Copperfield (Laser) Illusion - have anybody
> seen that tables in reality and in action - they say they are now
> distributed
in
> AT&T stores/shops there, are they?
>
> Thank you.
>
> --
> Shamil
>
> P.S. BYW, it looks like MS Vista (or similar) Windows OS version
> drives these "smart coffee tables"...


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