We saw the Surface V2 (as they’re calling it) soft-launched at the press day before CES, then demonstrated briefly by Ballmer in his keynote, and at last given official status with pictures and all the next morning. And then we got the the chance to try it out in person at the Microsoft booth. We’ve got video for those of you who missed the live show, some hands-on pictures, and our first impressions of the device.
One thing I should make clear right away, which is of course slightly disappointing, is that this is definitely not a consumer device. It’s too expensive and development is very much aimed at commercial deployment. That said, they hope to make the devices ubiquitous enough that having one at home would be redundant. You may form your own opinion of that strategy.
The device we saw was the SUR-40, manufactured by Samsung, and is a 1080p 40″ LCD display, with tiny photosensors embedded into the sub-pixel layer. We were told there were some tricks employed to space things correctly, but it didn’t appear to affect the image, which was as sharp as you would expect a TV of this size and resolution to be. It’s certainly more high-resolution than the original, which was 1024×768 and 30″, if I remember correctly. I’m surprised they actually changed the size by so much, considering how much research went into optimizing the UI for that exact hardware. Inside the case is a 2.9GHz AMD Athlon II X2 processor, and a Radeon HD 6700M GPU, if you’re interested. It’s also much thinner and lighter — four inches and a bit heavier than your average LCD — so wall-mounting is now possible: no small advance.
Touch sensing relies on the photosensors, which detect IR light (in the video, it actually sees my veins, very creepy; I refrained from putting my face on it) and use the long-in-development Surface algorithms to determine touches (up to a couple dozen or more, I didn’t ask about the maximum), shapes, and now, read text. The old Surface’s imager simply wasn’t high-resolution enough to get text and pictures, but this one is much better, though it’s limited by the DPI of the screen. They’re working on getting text and image recognition going.
I expressed my concern that Microsoft seems to have three completely different touch-based interfaces and strategies with almost zero overlap. That’s really a higher-level issue, and not exactly suitable for a hands-on with a new device, but I asked anyway, in case they could spill any info on a Windows 8 crossover project. No such luck, but I was told that the Surface guys are focused on Surface, and the greater issues at stake aren’t really their concern. But at least they’re not headed to the great R&D department in the sky.
The new Surface is a nice piece of hardware with some interesting tech built in. It’ll help fix the “squat, heavy barrel” image the device has had for the last few years, but I’m not sure that’ll be enough to make it as common as Microsoft wants it to be. But with the stylish, standardized, mass-produced hardware, they’re on the right track.
Does it come with a hand sanitizer bottle holder?
(hey it’s Friday)
Good one. It is not good after brunch at Dunkin´ Donuts!!! Go figure…
Awesome !! MS had to come up with something like this !! Turn our Minority Report dreams true !!!
I need to convince my company to get one of these
A perfect example of a great technology presented by a boring engineer….yawn…
The nerd in me really wants to build a D&D table with this. No need for RFID or touchpoint limitations. I wish they would release a consumer device even if it’s super-expensive.
D&D On surface has already been done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n94E3IeBquY
He is talking all the time about “bringing people together”, but it’s just a big touch screen. This is typical microsoft marketingcrap, they never get to the point.
But i have to admit this pixel-sense is a very nice technology.
What a cool device. Where can I get one? Does the Surface also come with the guy in the interview to give me a personal at home demo?
Can’t wait until I can get one!
Great Technology! I dont think he was boring
Couldn’t they replace that expensive looking sensor under the cans with a simple barcode?
Can I get on for my living room?
essentially…this is why you need proper PR people when giving interviews…this guy needs to go back to the lab
all i think is that microsoft’s spokeman is way too boring.
loose up and show some excitement on what you are developing. seems like he is “ok, we did that, and that, and it can like recognize this can and stuff..”
man.
Microsoft has completely lost touch (pun intended) Their old table was boring and stomped on by the little old iPad.. this new table is ridiculous.
I’d *almost* take an Android phone over this POS… that thats saying a lot considering how little value those hold.
Really POS? It has over to million small IR Cameras Basically. It’s a fascinating piece of tech I’d love to see this as a desk one day. Scan your documents into the surface then email them to your staff or whoever.
Great…but for the layman they did not say what or how it’s used.
Or maybe it’s just a really cool horizontal touch monitor?
Mr. Presenter needs a lesson on getting to the ‘point’.
4 minutes of video has him continually fondling the thing.
great innovation… but it is clear the lack of imagination. presentation is really dry. could you learn from Steve Jobs. such a revolutionary product but presented not better than touch interface. c’mon ppl.
That was a whole lot of hoopla for nothing.
Wow.Drool.drool.
) Thanks to Crunchgear for bringing great CES updates to us who can’t physically witness it. 
Btw i would love to win that HTC HD7.Thank You for the opportunity.
By the time public can actually buy/afford a surface, the kinect would rule the interface. That’s my 2 cents.
Sooooo… essentially, it’s a giant ipad from microsoft?
I thought this was already in existance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WIkrQu0-v0.
There was a parody of it too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZrr7AZ9nCY.
I thought nobody bought it cos it was expensive.