Microsoft Transparent Desktop
Cool Product Report

For most people, including me, the introduction to a transparent computer display that interacts with hand and head gesturing began in 2002 with the movie "Minority Report." Such a concept was not out of the realm of possibilities ten years ago, but even so, the scenes were not "real" in that the display would have to be superimposed over the actor's phantom motions in front of a green screen. Now we have this video of a for-real transparent display that is being developed by Microsoft. Sensors on the back track airborne hand and finger movement for manipulating objects on the screen. The advantages over a touch screen are many, including not blocking your view of the screen, keeping fingerprints off the screen, and adding a third dimension to the action. It is tempting to think that something like this would be difficult to adapt to using, but that's what was said of the mouse when it was first introduced. My biggest problem would be having the keyboard out of view behind the display, since my fumbling fingers would make even more mistakes than normal. It also breaks the accepted ergonomic model for healthy long-term computer usage. Of course this is just an R&D model, so most of the kinks will be worked out of the interface by the time it goes to market.

I guess it's another sign of my having crossed the half-century mark, but I have to ask, "Are those two old enough to be working at MS? I'd more expect to see them working a lemonade stand ;-)"

Microsoft Transparent Desktop