Today Microsoft has unveiled what it hopes to be a new multi-billion dollar product category called “Surface Computing”. Using a relatively large, 30 inch flat table-top like surface in a manner similar to that of the movie ‘Minority Report’ users interact with the surface using touch, completely throwing out traditional user interfaces.

Surface computing is designed to be completely intuitive requiring no instructions or training to learn how to interact with the surface. Individuals using the Microsoft Surface simply use their fingers to select items, move them around and configure items and shapes such as maps and photos.

The Microsoft Surface currently works off of four key properties. The first is “direct interaction” allowing users to “grab” items on the screen with their hands or fingers and manipulate them naturally by moving them.

The second of these attributes is “multi-touch” where the surface recognizes multiple points of touch at the same time. This allows users of the Microsoft Surface to manipulate items such as photos or groups of photos by touching two points at once and moving the points together or apart to shrink or expand the objects. The same multi-touch motion could zoom in or out on a map as well.

Another attribute featured is “multi-user”, where just like it sounds multiple users could touch and interact with the same surface collaborating in an application in real time.

The final key feature is “object recognition” in which the surface could recognize objects that are placed on it with a type of bar code, identifying the object and instantly displaying related information.

Microsoft Surface is going to be initially shipped to a few select companies with some basic applications to try out its features with their customers. Harrah’s Entertainment, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and T-Mobile will be among the first to take advantage of interacting with Microsoft Surface.

“Consumers now have an entirely new way to get the information they need, turning their everyday tasks into enjoyable and engaging experiences,” stated Pete Thompson, general manager, Microsoft Surface Computing in a press release. “There are hundreds of thousands of restaurants, hotels and retail locations that are looking to give their customers the unique and memorable experiences that Surface will provide. In turn, companies have a new opportunity for generating additional revenue streams and increasing retail traffic.”

Read more or check out the video of a similar system demo’d by Jeff Han of NYU: