Microsoft Surface to get bigger screen

As company outlines possible future features

18 March 2009 18:38 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Microsoft has hinted that it could make bigger screen sized versions of its interactive coffee table, the Microsoft Surface in the future.

In a candid chat with Pocket-lint at the UK launch of the £8500 device that promises to revolutionise the retail experience, Matt Champagne, Surface’s director of product management at Microsoft said the company was looking at increasing the screen size.

"We are looking at a 46-inch model to complement the 30-inch version we already have", the brilliantly named Champagne told Pocket-lint.

When pushed as to how big the Surface could get, Champagne, clearly toasting the success of the UK launch (we couldn't resist) suggested that it's not the limitations of the technology but the limitation of the social experience that would hold back even bigger sizes.

"We are unlikely to go beyond 50-inches or 60-inches as in doing so changes the dynamic too much", however he didn't rule out the possibility, confirming that "restaurants have approached the company [Microsoft] for bigger devices".

Laughing off the next generation Surface rumours that came out of SXSW in Austin, Texas, Champagne did give us a brief glimpse into what the future might hold for the interactive coffee table.

"New features could include device recognition and the ability to drag content from device to the Surface or from the Surface to device".

The idea, which has already been floated around in demos would allow users to "sideload" content from the table to a device or even download images from a Wi-Fi enabled digitial camera just by placing it on the Surface's surface.

"It is possible and wouldn't be hard to introduce to the current offering".

Where and when are we likely to see this technology appearing? Champagne was keeping quiet, but we could easily see camera shops keen to let you download and then letting you edit your photos in store loving this technology.

Meanwhile in related news, Tesco has said that it plans to use the Microsoft Surface to encourage its wine club members interact with bottles of wine, enabling them to find out more about the vineyard and the tasting notes simply by placing a "tagged" bottle on the device.

We will keep you posted.

Full tags

Gadgets, Microsoft, Microsoft Surface