Microsoft Surface

The Microsoft Surface technology is playing a key role in beefing up the security at the SuperBowl this year. With a slew of technology partners, a “command and Control platform” is being built owing to the Sharepoint, E-Sponder and Microsoft Surface.

One would wonder about how could such a technology aid in security related issues. The post at ArsTechnica described the role of the Surface as follows:

The tabletop computer will display a Microsoft Virtual Earth map of the area with real-time information about events, incidents, and tasks for the Tampa Incident Command staff. In this way, the security staff will be able to more easily manage the nearly a quarter of a million people in Tampa for Super Bowl-related activities. They’ll be able to zoom in and display a 3D image of the city, including detailed views of buildings and streets and real-time resource tracking.

He precisely put up a compendium of the litany of terms used just to inhibit any peradventures:

• Pre-Beta – This release at the PDC introduced the developer community to Windows 7 and represents the platform complete release and disclosure of the features.
• Beta – This release provided a couple of million folks the opportunity to use feature complete Windows 7 while also providing the telemetry and feedback necessary for us to validate the quality, reliability, compatibility, and experience of Windows 7. As we said, we are working with our partners across the ecosystem to make sure that testing and validation and development of Windows 7-based products begins to enter final phases as we move through the Beta.
• Release Candidate (RC) – This release will be Windows 7 as we intend to ship it. We will continue to listen to feedback and telemetry with the focus on addressing only the most critical issues that arise. We will be very clear in communicating any changes that have a visible impact on the product. This release allows the whole ecosystem to reach a known state together and make sure that we are all ready together for the Release to Manufacturing. Once we get to RC, the whole ecosystem is in “dress rehearsal” mode for the next steps.
• Release to Manufacturing (RTM) – This release is the final Windows 7 as we intend to make available to PC makers and for retail and volume license products.
• General Availability (GA) – This is a business milestone and represents when you can buy Windows 7 pre-installed on PCs or as full packaged product.

What is to be seen is that if they can really keep up their word this time around. The release of this neophytic version was not hyped following the response they’ve garnered with the Vista. Now, Microsoft is seeing Windows 7 as their saviour as they wish to dust off their bruises and build up their reputation once again. This would be crucial, with Bill Gates no more in there to save them they will have to bank hopes on 7, and untill now it hasn’t let them down.

There are two sides of the coin for this delay. Obviously, the lack of updates in Windows Mobile will give chance to its competitors to move forward with their mobile phones and software. The mobile phone industry is a very volatile industry that by the time Windows 7 Mobile would come out, everyone has already established their position and there might not be enough space for Windows 7 Mobile. The partner manufacturers of Microsoft are already frowning in this move and although they can’t just transfer to other OS, it’s still a possibility.

On the other hand, there is a good reason why Microsoft has put a hold in its latest offering of Windows Mobile operating system. Obviously, Microsoft didn’t want to send out another Windows CE OS that really won’t get any nods from tech reviewers.  They wanted to send out an operating system that could easily compete with iPhone, Blackberry and the recently released Android. It’s said that Microsoft will be coming out with an OS that could handle Ajax and Flash based applications. The handling of Ajax has become clearer now that Microsoft now uses JQuery as its library. JQuery is a very powerful library for Ajax based applications used by a lot of developers worldwide. That means IE and possibly Pocket IE could have the ability of handling Ajax based websites soon in the future.

Windows 7 Mobile may not be here yet until late next year, but expect a great buzz once this OS for mobile phones is released.

There a lot of questions being asked right now that could be answered in this Alpha version. Among them is the integration of Multi-Touch interface. A lot of talk about this feature and Microsoft has already shown their wares through Microsoft Surface. The multi-touch interface of Microsoft is already being used in Sheraton Hotels and even in MSNBC.

The doubt for the multi-touch interface being integrated in Windows 7 stems from the earlier than expected release of Windows 7. Vista has never gathered enough positive reviews and sales that have pushed Microsoft to stand by the latest OS for a few more years. As the damage of Vista has already been admitted, Microsoft will release Windows 7 earlier with the hopes of repairing the dwindling perception of Microsoft especially on its operating system. Because of the rush, the multi-touch interface might not be integrated yet. No one really knows and it can only be answered during PDC. It is expected that the stable version of Windows 7 will be available at the end of 2009 or early 2010.

Additional add-ons are expected in Windows 7 such as Windows Live downloads. The boot up time as well as general design is expected to improve in the upcoming version of Microsoft’s operating system.

If you’ve been anywhere outside of a cave over the course of the last few months, you have likely heard of the Mojave Experiment that Microsoft carried out.  It was designed to trick people into using Windows Vista and then to catch the surprised expressions on their faces when they found out that the system they enjoyed using (Windows Mojave) was actually a system they were conditioned to hate (Windows Vista).  The message on the part of Microsoft was that Vista was a fantastic system but also one that was highly misunderstood by its critics.

Well, Windows Vista has been a big bomb in spite of the Mojave Experiment and in an effort to save face (not to mention market share), it appears as though Microsoft has decided to up the ante on their Windows 7 operating system, bringing it onto the market in beta form a lot earlier than many people may have thought possible.  However, many in the technology market are very suspicious at this latest turn of events and some have even gone so far as to suggest that the beta of Windows 7 might be another Windows Mojave, designed to trick people into using Windows Vista under another name.

One of the elements that seem to have disappeared from the drawing board is the massive Multitouch support that Microsoft had promised to introduce throughout Windows 7.  That support appears to be nowhere near as intense now, leaving Multitouch fans to hold their collective breath until the beta comes out.

Windows 7 Mobile in many ways is arguably more anticipated than its counterpart for conventional computers.  The Windows 6.1 Mobile system had a number of problems with it, suffering from bloating in the same way that Windows Vista did.  While it is not known whether Windows 7 Mobile will correct this problem, the leaked documents do describe Multitouch functionality that is far greater than anything Windows has brought to the market before in its mobile devices.

Theoretically, people with Windows 7 Mobile would be able to use a combination of their fingers and a stylus to input information onto a touch screen.  They can use just the stylus, just one finger or a combination of multiple fingers to input commands and they can use gestures like finger swipes much in the same way that users of the iPhone already can.  Additionally, Windows 7 Mobile appears to support jiggling motions, allowing you to shake a device or flick it to make different things happen.  A lot of this is speculation based on a leaked document of unknown authenticity, but it certainly does present some interesting ideas.

You can get a good lowdown on exactly how Apple is doing today what Microsoft used to do from that article, but there is a point missed in that article that intimately relates to Multitouch.  That topic is how Apple came to replace Microsoft as the major industry player.

In the opinion of many, the reason this happened was that Microsoft’s monopoly-like inertia reached past a critical point.  When this happened, instead of stifling the competition in the marketplace, Microsoft became old news, unable to respond to changes in the marketplace and changes in consumer behaviour.  The Surface Computer (an overpriced flashy item that does nothing for the average person) and Windows Vista (quite possibly the worst operating system in history, especially from a mobile and Multitouch point of view) are very good indications of that.

Since the consumers are mostly interested in mobile Multitouch products at the moment, Apple seems to be top dog.  If they want to avoid Microsoft’s fate however, they need to be more on the ball in responding the next time the tech marketplace undergoes a large shift.

Now, with yet another astonishing marketing turn, Microsoft has been able to market the Surface Computer to MSNBC for their coverage of the 2008 American Presidential Election.  This coverage is something that is very much enhanced by the Multitouch display that has allowed people to touch places on a map of the country and then move votes to or from those places by virtue of dragging their fingers across the screen.  The newest Surface Computer that MSNBC is using actually comes with McCain and Obama action figures, both of which are uniquely recognized by the Surface display.

With this kind of theatre you can only tip your hat off to the Microsoft Corporation that is really pulling out all the stops to make their Surface Computer as mainstream as possible.

However, it appears as though Microsoft is not alone in their plans for Multitouch, although the competition this time around is coming from an unexpected source.

Newly launched Multitouch hardware company Multi Touch Incorporated has come out with a new product known as the Multi Touch Cell.  This device is designed to function exactly like Microsoft’s Multitouch wall unit with additional functionality and a cost that might present more value for the dollar to savvy technology consumers.  For this reason, it is quite obvious that the unveiling at this time was done so that Multi Touch could take aim at Microsoft’s product and steal a portion of the wall market away from the software giant.  If they’re successful, it would represent the second consecutive loss that Microsoft has taken in a battle over a specific portion of the Multitouch market.