Microsoft will publicly demo its "Surface" technology this Saturday at the Sheraton Boston Hotel, as it continues to slowly bring its coffee-table technology to market. According to the
Microsoft Surface web site, the demonstration will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the main lobby of the Sheraton Boston, which is at 39 Dalton Street.
Microsoft Surface is the project that delivers multi-touch functionality to a tabletop setting (or, eventually, just about any surface, according to the plan), and allows users to access PC applications without an LCD screen, keyboard or mouse. If you're a solution provider, an ISV or another technology supplier that would like to get in on the action, there is good news and bad news.
The good news: Microsoft has an SDK to assist with the development of the platform. The bad news: Microsoft is only letting a handful of partners into the project right now. According to Robert Levy, Microsoft's program manager for Surface, "we're focused on delivering a great platform by working closely with a short list of strategic partners & ISVs. Eventually the opportunity to purchase hardware & the SDK will expand but we know that staying focused on our current v1 targets is the best way to ensure the delivery of a great product that can later be expanded to serve other markets (including the consumer market)."
The partners so far include Harrah's Entertainment, IGT, Sheraton and T-Mobile. For everyone else, there's still the public Demo this Saturday in Boston.
