The Verge: Microsoft unveiled its Surface Studio PC last month, alongside a crazy-looking Surface Dial puck. The new accessory is, perhaps, the most surprising and unique part of the Surface Studio. It's a big puck that is designed to be placed on the Studio's screen to produce radial menus and act as another form of input. Microsoft is selling the Surface Dial separately to the Surface Studio, so you can use it with any Windows 10 PC. I got a chance to try one out for a few days, to see whether you'd want to use a Surface Dial on a PC.
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9 comments:
The Surface Studio PC is definitely receiving a lot of hype in the current day. At $3,000, it is definitely pricey but hugely marketable due to how unique it is – with regular desktops, an average person can build an expensive model for about half the cost (according to my boyfriend, who built his desktop himself) – but, one cannot simply “build” a Surface Studio out of a collection of standard-cost parts. The same can be said about the Surface Dial, so I was really excited for this article. However, I wish it mentioned the cost of the Surface Dial ($99, a price I found on a link from the article) because that is definitely a key thing that readers of this article will be looking for. I appreciate that this article informed me that I the Surface Dial can be bought without the Surface Studio PC, and I almost want to try it with my Surface Book, but I definitely feel as though it would be hard for the reasons mentioned in the article – a small screen and the usage of the Surface Pen along with the Dial. Though I do have a Surface Pen, I would feel extremely awkward using the pen with the dial on the screen since I would have to use both hands on a vertical screen vs. the adaptable, spacious screen that the Surface Studio PC has. I can see some of my friends really enjoying the concept of the Surface Dial, though, and I hope Microsoft comes out with a similar device that can be adapted to tablets since they are largely used by artists who cannot afford professional tools.
I would imagine that, like any tool, this tool is only as powerful as people find uses for it. It’s a pretty new form factor for menu selection, and while I worry I’d lose the puck, it definitely has the potential to add another dimension of control to an interface. What I’m most curious about is the rotary motion that the device lends itself too, which is a pretty big departure from the drop down menus that we’re all used to. I guess this makes it useful as a dial as much as it is a selection knob, and as anyone who has worked on a moving light console will tell you, dials/encoders have many useful applications, but I think the effectiveness of the puck really depends on how software is developed with it in mind. Fastforward/rewind, intensity up/down, rotoselection, rotate objet, etc. are all pretty viable tools to be linked with this interface, but I’m hoping that some software will find a more innovative use for the device.
Huh. This is pretty cool, but it's something I would never have thought of being necessary or useful. I could see this being really useful in a program like Rhino or AutoCAD--it would allow you to scroll through tools or options and work faster without using keyboard shortcuts or typing any commands. That said, while the surface looks cool, I would not buy the machine just for this feature--while it is cool, it doesn't seem useful enough to warrant that. However, if Microsoft or another company decided to make a similar product for all machines, I would consider using that, since it would be a cool addition to a mouse, and I could see myself finding uses for that.
Ok so I just read the other verge article about the 3D modeling app, and I got to say, I don’t really see the necessity of this puck and I’m kind of confused as to why it’s so interesting? It pales in comparison to the app in written descriptions and there is no video to explain how it works and ways to use it to it’s full capacity. I guess it’s useful as an upgraded track pad that can rotate, giving you an extra dimension to play with so you can change colors or tools. Like the author says, I find it difficult to think of more uses for it beyond drawing applications, but then again it would in no way be the only accessory that is best used with drawing apps, so it is useful in that respect alone. I think this tool is really still in its very early years and it can probably expand to be useful in many applications possibly in CAD programs or maybe even games. This is most likely simply the first of many times that we will see this puck.
I recently picked up another little accessory that looks an awful lot like the “puck”, a 3d mouse. I do a fair bit of 3d modeling and it is absolutely changing the way I work in maya and rhino. It’s practically magical to be able to reach down and twist the image around on my screen in 3 axis and move along two of those. There was a quick learning curve but I can honestly say, 30 minutes in I was hooked. The surface dial looks promising on its own but what I would like to see is a combination dial 3d mouse tool. Possibly with the 3d mouse functionally packed into the upper section of the tool with a ring around the bottom to use as the radial menu control. While I really can’t believe that apple stubbornly wont introduce touchscreens to their MBP lineup I do agree with them that some things are better controlled physically, these new accessories really nail it for me in terms of ease of use and added functionality.
I have to say, when that ad came out for the Surface with the dial, I instantly bought in. I was entranced by how the new Surface looked, and the combo of the dial was really cool to me. I'm glad to know it has some uses and is now completely a gimmick. If I had a couple thousand to drop I would love a tool like the Surface. That is an investment I would truly be willing to make. It's good to know that right now it's not all that useful, but in the future it will be. Something that I guess I never realized bugged me until now was the sliding dials of color, brightness and other tools with a mouse. It's always too much or too little. I feel like it will be more natural and intuitive to do so with the dial. And something tells me the most helpful feature will be the turn of a view of an object. In 3D modeling, I find that so frustrating, but this would help.
Props to Microsoft for the continued development of their surface technology and all the innovative ideas that have come from it. The new software along with hardware that has come because of Microsoft's Surface has given other tech companies a run for their money. A couple of weeks ago I read an article about the new mouse that they were coming out with and the functionalities that it offered. Then a few weeks after that I read how Microsoft completely redesigned the paint application along with other OS developments, and now they announce the “puck.” It is clear that they are targeting a broad audience with these new technologies that can cater to many industries. Judging by this article, this item seems to be very versatile, attracting the attention of graphic designers but also your everyday users. Both my mom and dad’s companies both made the transition to Microsoft Surface technology both of which are business related companies. Were as this summer many of the graphic designers at the company I interned at also had Surface as their primary device.
Although i have not done nearly any graphic design, it is a field in which i would like to experiment. I personally have been a fan of Microsoft technology, and their recent moves with Surface have been cool to see. I am interested in something like the puck even though i cant really visualize the benefit of its functionality over a simple mouse, i think it is an interesting tool that i would like to try at some point. one thing i do like is the idea of it being used in 3D modeling to turn the view as i have entirely lost my view when trying to use a mouse. overall i would love to have a surface if i had the money to spend on it. sadly i will have to settle for modeling or designing on the computer i currently have.
So…it’s a mouse. And you put it on the screen of your computer. Clearly (I think), this doesn’t work if you’re using your computer as a computer. I guess it has to be some kind of tablet or similar device. I’m not sure exactly what purpose it serves that a mouse doesn’t. And I don’t get putting it on the screen. Doesn’t that interfere with being able to see? If one were drawing by hand wouldn’t having this large puck thing on a drawing get in the way? Besidexs that, it blocks your view of the drawing. I’ve always been interested in new technology and trying out new things, but I’m not so sure about this. Can’t I just keep my regular keyboard and mouse? I’m not sure you’ll ever really be able to replace a keyboard and mouse. Touch screens are great, but if I’m typing on a keyboard, I’m not going to take my hands away from my desk to reach up to touch something on the screen. It is an interesting idea and I’d like to see it work, but it would take a lot to convince me it is worthwhile.
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