Apple's implementation of multi-touch seems to lend itself to small devices that can benefit from some pretty detailed detection capabilities. MS, on the other hand, seems to be thinking big, literally. Surface seems to cater to large motions and detection of objects that are placed on top of it. The focus is entirely different. Whereas MS seesm to want to cater to business application like kiosks (that we already have) and interactive tables for casinos and the like, Apple wants to use multi-touch to connect users more to the tech they use. In this way, MS sees multi-touch as more of a gimmick, it seems. It's "neat" and people will have fun using it in entertainment scenarios. Apple seems to want to make tech that much more reachable, literally.
There are other differences worth discussing-- high tech sensors vs. hidden projectors. MS's wireless detection of electronic gadgets that has nothing to do with multi-touch, but makes pretty graphics to make wireless connection seem more like a big deal than it really is.
In my eyes, MS's stuff was slapped together. Recently read somewhere about gates showing it off to journalists and it wouldn't work as advertised. Shocking, just shocking.
Of course since Apple is crazy secretive they could also be way ahead of MS. In any event, Apple has a touch-screen device on the market, and MS is just trying to use their table for market-ing...
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Apple's implementation of multi-touch seems to lend itself to small devices that can benefit from some pretty detailed detection capabilities. MS, on the other hand, seems to be thinking big, literally. Surface seems to cater to large motions and detection of objects that are placed on top of it. The focus is entirely different. Whereas MS seesm to want to cater to business application like kiosks (that we already have) and interactive tables for casinos and the like, Apple wants to use multi-touch to connect users more to the tech they use. In this way, MS sees multi-touch as more of a gimmick, it seems. It's "neat" and people will have fun using it in entertainment scenarios. Apple seems to want to make tech that much more reachable, literally.
There are other differences worth discussing-- high tech sensors vs. hidden projectors. MS's wireless detection of electronic gadgets that has nothing to do with multi-touch, but makes pretty graphics to make wireless connection seem more like a big deal than it really is.
In my eyes, MS's stuff was slapped together. Recently read somewhere about gates showing it off to journalists and it wouldn't work as advertised. Shocking, just shocking.
Of course since Apple is crazy secretive they could also be way ahead of MS. In any event, Apple has a touch-screen device on the market, and MS is just trying to use their table for market-ing...