By Evan Ackerman
Oh Microsoft Surface, why do you have to be so sexy, and yet so unattainable? If you’ve ever played with a Surface table (at an AT&T retail store, maybe) you know exactly what I’m talking about, and if you’ve never seen one, just watch the demo and you’ll get the idea. No matter how sexy it is, though, the price tag of $10k+ is a bit of a turn-off.
A recent Microsoft market research survey asked participants what they’d think about the following device, called “Oahu:”
Oahu is a flat screen that sits horizontally like a table top. You can interact with Oahu by touching the screen, instead of using a mouse, and more than one person can interact with Oahu at the same time. You and others can move objects on the screen with your hands and touch icons to open up programs, games, or music. People using the device can also use their fingertips to expand and shrink objects on the screen. The screen recognizes people’s hand movements and touches and reacts accordingly. You can bring up an on-screen keyboard to input information.
More info, including a price that’s borderline affordable, after the jump.
Oahu also works with other devices (such as digital cameras, cell phones, and MP3 players) by getting information from or sending information to them. Oahu is on with no waiting time to start up. Oahu can come as a freestanding table, placed into a piece of furniture, or built into a countertop. The type of Oahu devices we are asking about today are not portable but if they are furniture or tables, they can be placed anywhere in your home.
Remind you of anything? It’s just market research, of course, and not an an announcement or a even really a suggestion. It does, however, totally suggest that Microsoft is seriously considering a version of Surface for the home. Also included in the survey was a price: $1,499.
Sold. I’ll take two.
[ istartedsomething ] VIA [ Engadget ]
