Microsoft Surface: Technology at the next level

Last week, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts ordered 13 Microsoft Surface PCs, for installation in five branches located in Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle. The units, which feature 30-inch touch-sensitive displays will be placed in common areas. Sheraton hopes that the guests will find the table computing platforms very useful.

For those who didnt catch the news long back, the Microsoft Surface is the first in a new category of surface computing products from Microsoft that will “break down traditional barriers between people and technology”.

A Surface computer is able to recognize physical objects from a paintbrush to a cell phone and allows hands-on, direct control of content such as photos, music,videos and maps. The surface looks no different from an ordinary surface, but the whole thing changes when the power is switched on. It turns an ordinary tabletop into a dynamic surface that provides interaction with all forms of digital content through natural gestures, basically touch and physical objects.

The new product is aimed directly at hotels, retail establishments, restaurants and public entertainment venues.

As a cool example, Microsoft gives examples of ordering a beverage during a meal with just the tap of a finger and quickly browsing through music and dragging favorite songs onto a personal playlist by moving a finger across the screen. Build this into a bar and you’d get one-touch beer service

The practical uses for Surface at the point of sale are broad. This is touch screen point of sale technology at a new level. Dont just go by the looks, check this video which demonstrates the cool features of this cool gadget.