IC asked:


Both Microsoft and AT&T are very well known companies world wide, however recently they have both created a partnership which will enhance the mobile phone buying experience. Microsoft has come up with a very innovative device called the “Surface” which is basically a 30 inch tablet-like monitor which has several infrared cameras which detect the slightest change in the surface and translates it into software commands which return a visually appealing response.

In order to better understand what the Surface does and how it will be of benefit to mobile phone retailers as well as casinos, restaurants, etc. is by comparing it to tablet PCs, as you may know tablet PCs have been designed to be user friendly, they have a touch screen on which digital artists are able to manipulate their images using a pen; traditional users are also able to benefit from tablets by being able to interact with their applications or browse the web using a pen instead of a mouse.

Incidentally, Microsoft’s Surface brings these elements and improves them dramatically in their latest product which will be launched primarily in retail stores such as AT&T. The way this new interactive virtual display works is by easily connecting to any device such as a mobile phone and instantly recognizing it’s content and giving the user several options to manipulate such content, some may say this is the perfect link between hardware and the virtual world.

Pieces of information and data found on a mobile phone such as contacts, MP3 files, videos, pictures, etc can all be seen through the Surface and then organized just the way the user wants. In retail stores the Surface will be used in a way which will allow interested mobile phone buyers to place two phones they are interested in and the Surface will then provide a table of contents for both items which will make it easy to compare the features on both phones. Plans can also be compared through the table which lays them out in a visually appealing way that is easy to understand.

Table users will also be able to transfer digital photos or MP3 tunes from their devices to their mobile phones by simply placing the devices on the Surface and dragging the media files from the source into the mobile phone, which is just amazing. The only problem is that not every phone is compatible with the Surface, so obviously buyers will have to acquire the latest mobile phones in order for the surface to be able to deliver all the benefits it is intended to. Without a doubt this is a great idea Microsoft and AT&T have come up with, lets see how the public will adapt to it when it is launched in retail stores in April 17th, 2008.