Apple Fans “Digg” at Surface
In case you didn’t already know, Microsoft today announced a table top computer that interacts with whatever is touching it. Zunes, Cameras, Credit Cards, Drinks, hands, feet, whatever. The new product titled Microsoft Surface was formally announced by Microsoft at midnight, however there was news leaked of the impending release several hours earlier. Within minutes of the story hitting Digg, Apple fans were swarming it and starting the age old fight of Apple vs. Microsoft.
First off, before I say anything more about the product or the main subject of this post, kudos to Microsoft for innovating something for themselves. Yes I implied that they knock off a lot of ideas, and usually from Apple. I don’t think anyone can say this would be one of those ideas. In any event go check out the video spots that show how it works. I will be like a kid in a candy store the first time I get to interact with this product! I am a little interested in how it picks up and works with the devices laid on it, but that’s another post.
Now back to Apple for a second. This is where where the release of this product gets somewhat aggravating. As I found the news story on Digg, I totally ignored the 800+ comments and went straight for the Microsoft site to check out the technology and was totally and utterly in awe. I immediately wondered what this would cost and when it might become available. For this I headed to the Digg comments section only to find the typical Microsoft vs. Apple war that happens at the launch of every product of each company. It’s not even the constant bickering that aggravated me but more a few Apple voices that poked fun at Microsoft saying the name is lame, and that Apple already has this in development, or Apple would be releasing this next month and beat Microsoft to the punch, and so on.
Apple fan, get over it! If there is one thing that drives me nuts about rabid fans of either side, it is their inability to recognize something that is cool technology that “their” company didn’t create. It almost sounds like a couple of 8 year old kids saying they won’t touch one another because the other has cooties. It’s technology, we use how many brands of how many different products on a day to day basis, so why is Apple vs. Microsoft the big issue that it is today?
Surface is a cool technology weather you want to admit it or not, Microsoft happened to create it and market it first. One comment I read stated that if Apple would have created the “ISurface”, it would have been Apple fans going into rabid MacWorld Expo type of frezies, much like when the IPhone was announced. If Apple created it, it would still be a cool technology and maybe even more so with the things that they have put out lately, but that’s just not the way it happened.
Now since I will undoubtedly get slammed as a Microsoft fan let me say that admittedly I am. Although I am indifferent I like to take shots at the couple of guys I work with just because I know that most Apple fans are in fact very loyal to the brand. At the end of the day though I don’t own any Apple products, but I would never say I won’t. In fact the IPhone is a very cool concept. I was on the bandwagon to buy the AppleTV until I found it had no DVR capabilities. My wife is wanting an IPod which we will probably purchase in a month or two, so I am by no means a snob about my technology companies and I guess I don’t see why others are either. Cool technology is cool technology no matter who makes it, just like a cool car is a cool car regardless of if it’s made by Honda, Ford, or Buick.
The basic fact is it doesn’t matter who makes it. What matters if it accomplishes what it is supposed to do. Forget all the technical issues of this or that, because the fact of the matter is that everything has it’s issues. When you look at the raw technology that is exposed, that is where you should be making your judgment. Not your bias towards one company or the other.
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You´re so right!
By Hannes on May 30, 2007 11:30 am
So very true.
It is one of the things that turns me off so much about the mac community. Even as a mac user myself, fanboyism just rubs me the wrong way.
Kudos. Well said.
By E.T.Cook on May 30, 2007 11:49 am
I heard a quote some years ago that summed it up best for me.
“I love Apple. It’s their users I can’t stand.”
I don’t know who said it, sorry.
By Dylan Bennett on May 30, 2007 1:08 pm
This really reminds me of those Multi-Touch demos.
http://cs.nyu.edu/~jhan/ftirtouch/
I wonder if Microsoft has gotten any help from them.
By Hamish M on May 30, 2007 1:22 pm
@E.T. Cook – Thanks
@Hamish M – That does look strikingly similar, and based on the similarity I wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft got some pointers or some technology from them. Thanks for the link, I had never seen it.
By Kyle on May 30, 2007 2:25 pm
I’m an Apple fanboy, and my girlfriend just asked me if I was aware that I just used Microsoft and awesome in the same sentence :) I remember those multi-touch demos too though. And also remember Steve Jobs say “We got patents” talking about the multitouch on the iPhone. I was wondering who got what when and where first then too. But it’s not important to the end-user. If this is where things are going, I’ll definitely be lining up to give it a shot.
I just hope I can get Surface without the table, but on a tablet. I could get used to a 30″ tablet. And running osX. (common, I had to)
By Eystein on May 30, 2007 5:30 pm
i’m a bit late to this but i have to write this.
one, i don’t see your point. of course everything has issues, that’s the point of apple fans — microsoft’s products are FULL of problems. look at vista which had to get rushed out before they could completely rip off os X. look at anything they do really.
this technology, while cool (yes it could be cool) still isn’t one hundred percent innovative. i have to say that watching that video i was reminded of old at&t videos about the future of video phones, etc. this product is by no means close to coming out.
not only that, but how many companies are going to have to jump on the bandwagon for this to work? i certainly don’t feel comfortable that something can read my credit card information by merely setting my card on top of it. what if i just talk my wallet out and place it on the tablet?
what if my phone isn’t compatible with the tablet? what if, what if, what if? that’s what happens with microsoft’s “releases.” maybe it’s cool, but it’s too much of a stretch. we’d have to basically re-arrange our whole lives.
also, they did steal a concept from apple with it. you know what it is… it’s the stretching with multiple touch points that umm… oh yeah! apple’s iphone did first. also, all of their design is just bad knock-offs of apple’s design.
By gibbs on June 4, 2007 11:48 am
@gibbs – My response got a little long even to the point where I made a new post on it.
http://www.designsbyjohnson.com/index.php?itemid=57
By Kyle on June 4, 2007 1:25 pm
It’s gonna be great when you lay your credit card on the table (aka Surface) to pay for your bill at a fancy futurist restaurant that can afford the “table” and Windows hackers steal all my money.
By pawl on June 6, 2007 9:50 pm