@toddybottom
Those who don't defend their character or opinions are no better than those that offer rebuttals thru character assassinations.
Consider this product, the Microsoft Surface Table. What does it do? To my mind, it is a device that displays digital material on a large screen. In addition, it has the capability to manipulate that material by touch. Those manipulations can be as simple as simply moving that material to a different location on the screen, to enlarge or shrink digital images, to initiate an action that manipulates that image thru touch and, using it's pixel sensing technology, can scan an image and convert that physical object into a digital format that can be displayed and manipulated on display screen area of the MS Surface Table.
These are impressive abilities to be sure and the MS Table has other capabilities not mentioned by me. However, the key reason for it's existence is to display digital images on a large screen viewing area for others to see. Manipulation of that digital material is secondary. Important and useful, to be sure, but secondary, non-the-less.
Initially, MS marketed this technology in a product that cost near twenty thousand dollars. It has reduced both the weight and price of its second generation Surface Table considerably so that now it's cost is on par with a large format plotter/printer, for example. And the weight and form reduction now allows the Surface Table to be placed vertically rather than just in a horizontal "Table" position.
This capability to display digital material on a large screen HDTV monitor is still priced beyond most consumers.
I offered another alternative to display digital material on a large screen format at a considerable cost reduction using a combination of Apple products. Notice in my original post, I mentioned that the controller of these digital images could be done using iOS devices. I DIDN'T limit myself to the iPad (although that device has obvious advantages). However, an iPhone 4S could also be used as a scanner of material using it's built-in camera and then display that material on the HDTV. An action that might simulate some abilities (not all) of the MS Surface pixel tech.
Indeed, there are apps that allow an HDTV to act (under the control of iOS devices) as an interactive "white board". The point is, of course, that a combination of Apple products can approximate the functionality of the MS Surface Table at a fraction of the cost. And that is the only point that I was making. That and an ability to keep finger prints off the main HDTV screen. Grin.
Nowhere in my initial post did I mention a comparison between an iPad or other touch enabled iOS devices to the MS Surface Table. Nor did I ever imply that connection. Neither did I bring up comments regarding the "iPad is only a big iPod Touch". Your ranting arguments implied that I did. You were mistaken and a careless reader of my comments, AT BEST, or a malicious character assassin, at worse. Either way, those were YOUR straw man points and not mine, nor my opinions.
Your right, of course, Apple is not the solution to every problem or task. I never said it was. Nor have I ever (and please find a comment of mine to quote from) where I ever, EVER, cast a disparaging remark or accusation at a person over his or her choice of consumer products.
Finally, I am not an "Apple troll" as you implied. I post my comments only from personally experience or experiences from trusted sources. And, specifically, I posed only a question. Has time passed the MS Surface Table technology (as good as it is) .. by?
On a personal note, I have been called worse in my life but only by persons that don't really know me. At any rate, over the years, I have developed a "thick skin" and have understood that a person's words reflect his character and the level of his intelligence. You might wish to review your comments in that light.
