"Microsoft has unveiled a new touch-sensitive coffee table-shaped computer called 'Surface'. Designed to do away with the need for a traditional mouse and keyboard, users can instead use their fingers to operate the computer. Also designed to interact with mobile phones placed on the surface, Microsoft says it will initially sell the unit to corporate customers. These will include hotels, casinos, phone stores and restaurants." Instant update: More details and a video.
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Member since:2005-09-14
Actually, the RSOD is only if it dies at certain points in the boot loader from what I remember. If you have it enabled you'll still get a normal blue screen from a crash while it's running.
Member since:2007-02-22
I thought tablets would be all the rage, and they didn't really catch on.
Although they seem to be gaining speed, at least here on campus: 80% of the laptops here are tablet PCs. (Another 10% are just XP or 2000 laptops, another 10% are Macs, and then there are the two guys who have Linux laptops and talk about Linux like Campus Crusade for Christ talks about Jesus.)
Member since:2005-07-07
You're right, from XP on it's been red instead of blue, if I recall correctly. The reason you don't see them is that there is a key in the registry that reboots the system instead...
It's still blue in XP and yes autoreboot can be changed in the registry but it can also be changed in the safe mode menu after a blue screen reboot. I still see a lot of MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION and BAD_POOL_CALLER blue screens on XP. Rolling back the registry usually does the trick.
Member since:
2005-07-02
You're right, from XP on it's been red instead of blue, if I recall correctly. The reason you don't see them is that there is a key in the registry that reboots the system instead...
That said, I have to admit that this technology is rather cool. All I hope is that it won't be a proprietary, locked-down machine like the Xbox360, and that you'll be able to experiment with these and install other OSes. After all, they don't have the argument of locking out game cheaters here!
I'm not sure it'll catch on, either. I mean, I thought tablets would be all the rage, and they didn't really catch on. Customer inertia has served MS well in the past, but it's also an obstacle they need to overcome when they try to introduce new technologies such as these.