Microsoft Surface: where is it?

When Microsoft first unveiled its futuristic Surface technology back in May, just about everyone was wowed by the thing. It's like a giant iPhone! Or that movie Minority Report! A few skeptics did question whether Microsoft would be able to ship units in time, however, and as it turns out, those concerns were not unfounded. The company has announced that Surface units that were originally scheduled to ship to customers like T-Mobile, Harrah's Casinos, and Sheraton Hotels this year won't be delivered until March or April of 2008. Apparently, the cause of the delay is an attempt on the part of Microsoft to customize each unit for the specific needs of the customer purchasing it. "What we have found out is this is not a one-size-fits-all solution," said Mark Bolger, a senior director in Microsoft's surface computing unit. Despite the production setback, Microsoft claims that it has received inquires from 2000 different organizations for the Surface, which is believed to retail for somewhere between $5000 and $10,000.

For more on the Surface delays:
- see this Cnet article