Creating Applications for Surface 2.0

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Lots of interesting Microsoft news coming out of the Consumer and Electronics show (CES) this week. One bit of news is the availability of the next generation Surface device and an SDK for developing Surface applications. 

 

Created in partnership with Samsung, the Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface incorporates all the key features of the original Surface product – a massive multi-touch experience, the ability to recognize fingers, hands, and objects – as well as a new technology that has enabled a more flexible form factor.

Some of the new features are:

  • Slim device. The new hardware is 4 inches thin. It can be in a coffee-table form factor or mounted on a wall kiosk style.
  • A richer visual experience. With the rich color saturation from a full HD display and a larger screen, Surface offers a compelling, immersive visual experience that draws people in.
  • A vision-based touch experience. With PixelSense™, Microsoft Surface sees and responds to touch and real world objects.
  • Touch-enabled from start to finish. With Windows 7 and Surface 2.0 , there is no need for a keyboard and mouse for setup and configuration.
  • New Quick Controls. Venue staff can adjust basic settings like volume, brightness, and input source.
  • More customization options. An improved configuration utility means you can quickly make changes to background images, configure applications, and modify settings without getting into code.
  • Easier remote administration. Power shell scripts are easy to use and create, so Surface can be deployed in an enterprise setting.
  • Streamlined development for touch. The Microsoft Surface 2.0 platform makes development easier with applications that run on Microsoft Windows 7 touch devices and with enhanced capabilities on the Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface.

 

With the upcoming release of Surface 2.0, developers will be able to use the Surface 2.0 SDK to build applications for the Samsung SUR40 and Windows touch PCs. The SDK works with Visual Studio and targets .NET Framework 4.0 running on Windows 7. Get started today with the Microsoft Surface Toolkit for Windows Touch Beta which was released in 2010 and will be replaced by the Surface 2.0 SDK later this year.

The technical specs are:

  • Embedded Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
  • .NET Framework 4.0
  • Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) 4.0
  • Microsoft XNA® Framework 4.0
  • Windows PowerShell and DMTF DASH support, and enhanced administrator tools

 

Bill Zack