3. Today, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer
announced the release of Microsoft’s
newest product, the Microsoft
Surface tablet, designed to compete
with the iPad. Microsoft Surface is a
soon to be released product from
Microsoft designed as a software and
hardware combination technology.
4. The Surface will allow a user to
manipulate digital content by the use
of natural motions, hand gestures, or
physical object. The product provides
effortless interaction with digital
content through natural gestures,
touch and physical objects
5. However, the Surface is more than
just a tablet, it also has many of the
features of a computer as
well. According to GadgetBox, the
following are some of the features of
the new Microsoft Surface:
6. …the Surface won’t just be on the
Nvidia ARM processor, like the
iPad. There will also be a Surface
that runs on Intel-based processors,
to run a full-blown version of
Windows 8 Pro.
7. The ARM-based Surface tabs will
come in 32GB and 64GB configs, and
will ship around the time of Windows
availability. They will be priced to
compete with other ARM tablets
(presumably, in line with iPads.) The
Intel-powered Windows 8 Pro Surface
tablets will come 3 months later, in
64GB and 128GB configs, priced to
compete with ultrabooks.
9. Dimensions : Surface is a 30-inch (76 cm) display
in a table-like form factor, 22 inches (56 cm) high,
21 inches (106 cm) deep, and 84 inches (214 cm)
wide.
Body and Build : The Surface tabletop is acrylic,
and its interior frame is powder-coated steel.
Installed Memory: 2 GB
Display Type: Flat panel display
Network Support: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet,
Bluetooth 2.0, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista
Input Devices: Touch-screen
10. How does Microsoft
Surface work?
At a high level, Surface uses cameras to sense
objects, hand gestures and touch. The intuitive
user interface works without a traditional mouse
or keyboard, allowing people to interact with
content and information by using their hands and
natural movements. This user input is then
processed and the result is displayed on the
surface using rear projection.
11. 1. Screen:
A diffuser turns the Surface’s acrylic
tabletop into a large horizontal
“multitouch” screen, capable of
processing multiple inputs from
multiple users. The Surface can
also recognize objects by their
shapes or by reading coded
“domino” tags.
12. 2. Infrared:
Surface’s “machine vision” operates in
the near-infrared spectrum, using
an 850-nanometer-wavelength LED
light source aimed at the screen.
When objects touch the
tabletop, the light reflects back
and is picked up by multiple
infrared cameras with a net
resolution of 1280 x 960.
13. 3. CPU:
Surface uses many of the same components
found in everyday desktop computers — a
Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM and a
256MB graphics card. Wireless
communication with devices on the
surface is handled using WiFi and
Bluetooth antennas (future versions may
incorporate RFID or Near Field
Communications). The underlying
operating system is a modified version of
Microsoft Vista.
14. 4. Projector:
Microsoft’s Surface uses the same DLP
light engine found in many rear-
projection HDTVs. The footprint of
the visible light screen, at 1024 x 768
pixels, is actually smaller than the
invisible overlapping infrared
projection to allow for better
recognition at the edges of the
screen.