Surface Computing
A quick glance at digg today revealed another major announcement from a tech company, this time Microsoft. Microsoft Surface is the new way they would like us to interact with our digital self.
The Argument
First, I appreciate the way it’s presented. There is a simple site with trendy visual effects and three video pieces. The videos are somewhere between ads and scenarios of use. Seeing it done from afar makes me realize how effective videos can be, and how important it is for us to demonstrate products in a way that makes sense and appeal to people’s needs, whether or not these do the job. At the very least it confirms that the way we learn how to present our work at school is relevant to what people are doing in real companies.
Is this the right direction?
On the other hand, there are still issues that bug me when seeing products like these. One is the use of a touch screen as a way of interacting with information. While it is a more direct way of manipulation, I still feel like it’s not necessarily an appropriate behavior. There is something that bothers me about having the digital world extremely rich and full of information, while the physical side is limited to pushing on glass and sweeping hand motions. We have adapted to be able to process information in so many forms that it’s a shame that we still haven’t been able to properly take advantage of our senses.
There are so many tactile experiences that hold deep meaning and cannot be conveyed through visual means. Whether you’re flipping through some high quality card stock or feeling the craggily bark on the side of a tree, there is deep sensorial learning that happens which is lost in computing in general and specifically with touch screens.
In a similar vein, although I just said I like their visual style, at the same time I despise it. The slick bubblegum UI that Apple and now Microsoft use is something I find troublesome. There is no aging or deterioration besides the slowdown when your computer is bogged down with new programs. Where is the metaphorical rust of interface? How can we have rich experiences with computation if everyone is staring at the same unchanging representations? Do custom visual styles solve this?
There is a variety in our interactions with the natural world that is absent when it comes to digital devices. You could argue that it creates an illusion of immortality for people, especially as storage space and processing speed no longer become an issue. It’s easy to forget that although the digital representations of our lives appear permanent, we are in fact products of the natural world and will soon return to it.
Update 6/12/07: I found this article after I wrote this, it addresses the visual aspect of what I was talking about. The analogy to fashion is interesting and something I have been trying to articulate for a while.
