In a previous article, I had mixed feelings about the new Microsoft Surface project, as it was really difficult to understand where the market for such a thing would be. Then I watched some new footage on DL.TV and I will admit, even as a Linux guy, that I was blown away.

Consider for a moment what will happen if Microsoft is able to get this technology down to the home user for the cost of today’s home PCs. I’m not saying that keyboards and mice would become a thing of the past, but I could see them evolving into virtual devices to better suit Surface-like advancements. Remember those old virtual keyboards that were once available for the Palm Pilots? Imagine something like this as your future keyboard… it could happen.

Hasn’t This Already Been Done Once Before? One thing that I have been seeing over and again is that Microsoft Surface has already existed for some time. Reactrix anyone? Even still, it has been my understanding that we are talking apples and oranges to this end. In short, while Reactrix is so common that many of today’s shopping malls feature them to entertain the kids, to compare what it can do to Surface is almost criminal in ignorance.

But what about this innovation? Ah, now this would be a little more difficult to explain away, as it does look a lot like the Surface that we have been viewing in all of the demo videos. I would submit that despite the claims made on DL.TV that Surface and the contraption was shown before at TED (a conference), the visuals are identical in many respects. It certainly does get the mind going, doesn’t it?

Ready, Get Set, Go to Market! Like most things Microsoft, I suspect that it will not matter a single bit whether or not the Redmond giant actually is offering something that was created by the company itself. In the end, it will be about the industry as a whole embracing this technology or rejecting it. And that is where Microsoft needs to focus their efforts, while their engineering crew works on getting everything ready for prime time.

Form Factor Matters. One other challenge that I’m anxious to see overcome is getting this technology into a PC form factor that the whole family can enjoy. As long as the intuitive nature of human-to-PC input is honestly being considered, I believe that a small learning curve will be tolerated by most potential users. In the end, seeing success in its current form will be key for Surface technology to eventually progress into a form factor that will gain the imagination of the casual home user.

What do you think? I’m curious. Do you see Microsoft Surface becoming the eventual standard the way Windows-like operating systems are today? I believe there is a strong possibility here, yet I will reserve any final judgments until I have finished reading the commentary from our OSWeekly.com readers first.

This article has been republished with the kind permission of our friends at CoolTechZone. For more news about the gadgets that make the world go ’round, go give ‘em a look or Subscribe to CoolTechZone’s RSS Feed!

Related Articles @ CoolTechZone:

• Apple iPhone Review
• 2P Slim-Mouse Review
• iPhone Launch: Crazier Than PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii
• Evoluent VerticalMouse 3 Review
• Top 5 Reasons Why Safari Will Fail on Windows

Tags: microsoft surface, user interface