I had an opportunity to be a product tester (guinea pig) yesterday for Microsoft Surface. I originally thought little of the product when I saw the announcement but then I realized that the underlying technology is important, not the medium. ("The map is not the territory..")
I cannot write about what I saw or did, but I did find that the technology was just as promising as I had imagined. I've applied to the Surface team for a full-time position but I think there are slim odds at getting in because of the academic requirements (I believe I would need a Ph. D.).
Very sad because I came up with a whole host of ideas that seemed new to the researcher about how to use the interface. If I were the GM of the unit, I would hire a science fiction writer or two to help with the interface design - I think conventional UI folks would probably be too unimaginative to make the serious strides the technology requires.
Well, I can dream.
Posted by artandscience at December 17, 2008 02:39 PM