Last Wednesday the LA Usability Experience Association hosted a quick informational field trip to the Microsoft Labs in Irvine. We got to see several demos on some of the products that MS is prepping to challenge Macromedia for interactive market share, including their new Surface table. The demo illustrates some of the interesting components to this new technology, and what in my opinion might be a deal breaker for consumers, and corporate customers alike.

Imagine being tasked with the responsibility to develop a “Minority Report” style interface table, and boring down on the specifics of what operating system will be used, including surface area specs and physical limitations with existing technology. Compound this with the need to create specifications for developers to use while crafting unique user experiences, without considering the multitude of environments that this tool could be used in.. either as a kiosk, or in the booth of a restaurant, placed flat horizontally, or canted at an angle.

The end result unfortunately doesn’t hold up compared to the iPhone for several reasons. First, the table costs a staggering $15K. (Consider that this means no developer can begin writing programs for the table with out making the initial investment, and you can see why it’s going to be difficult for Microsoft to succeed.) Moreover this it’s flat and very heavy, with clear response problems and no pressure sensitivity. It operates using 4 infrared cameras hidden below — resulting in a rather sluggish user experience, and compared to the iPhone this almost seems like a table from the past rather than from the future. (This tool should also clearly identify the difference between a thumb and a palm with ease, but in my tests it seemed to fail)

Still, I’m curious to see what this tool will evolve into over time.  Some of the early programs are really interesting and useful, but the barrier to entry is definitely the price tag.