It helps people to experience digital content in a unique way and it also encourages collaboration and sharing. This project was codenamed Milan and it was released in May, 2007 at the Wall Street Journal's "All things Digital" conference in California. In the words of Derene (2007, para:3), "Gattis took out a digital camera and placed it on Milan's surface. Instantly, digital pictures spilled out onto the tabletop. As Gattis touched and dragged each picture, it followed his fingers around the screen. Using two fingers, he pulled the corners of a photo and stretched it to a new size. Then, Gattis put a cellphone on the surface and dragged several photos to it -- just like that, the pictures uploaded to the phone. It was like a magic trick. He was dragging and dropping virtual content to physical objects. I'm not often surprised by new technology, but I can honestly say I'd never seen anything like it." The commercial Microsoft Surface sells for $12,500 and the developer version costs $15,000.
DiamondTouch
DiamondTouch is a multi-touch interface manufactured by a company called Circle Twelve Inc. The most unique feature of this product is its capacity for human recognition. It can recognize the touch of one human being from another when everyone is touching the same screen. This table is a great tool for conferencing, collaborating and decision-making. DiamondTouch was available for the public from 2006 and currently it sells for about $10,000.
Comparisons
The main difference between the two products is the human factor identification that exists in DiamondTouch...
On the other hand, Surface is a complete product for digital content. It can support 52 fingers and do a whole range of activities like identifying the wine when a glass is placed on it. It can be a fun and interactive device that can be placed in many stores and restaurants. DiamondTouch is mainly for project management and collaborative work rather than for digital content.
Recommendations
These devices are an a great addition to anyone's life. However, the costs are quite prohibitive. Average households may not be able to spend $10,000 for a multi-touch device and the only way this can become enmasse is, when the prices go down. Any user, who is interested in buying these devices must evaluate the costs and the potential benefits out of it before deciding to indulge in this large sum of money. As for the companies, I would recommend looking at some options to bring the cost down so that it can be used widely.
References and bibliography
Olenick, Doug. (January 21, 2008). Gates Forecasts 2nd Digital Decade at CES. TWICE: This Week in Consumer Electronics. 23(2). pp 6-8
Derene, Glenn. (July 2007). The coffee table that will change the world. Popular Mechanics. 184(7). pp 88-91.
Harris, Christopher. (April 2008). Surface Computing coming to your library? School Library Journal. 54(4). pp 22-22.
Brown, Stuart.F. (July 2008). Hands-On Computing. Scientific American. 299(1). pp64-67.
Upbin, Bruce. (November 2007). Multi-Touch Wall. Forbes. 180(10). pp72-72.
