Unveiled last year at the Wall Street Journal's D: All Things Digital conference, Microsoft Surface a 30-inch display in a table-like form factor with which users interact through touch, natural gestures and objects placed on the surface.

Surface, which is a common effort of Microsoft Research and Microsoft Hardware, also features the ability to recognize physical objects that have identification tags similar to bar codes.

The Surface does not use a touch-sensitive screen. Instead, it relies on multiple cameras beneath the table that can see when someone touches it. It recognizes objects based on shape or by using domino-style identification labels on the bottom of the objects.

According to a joint press statement from Microsoft and AT&T, Microsoft Surface will be commercially available beginning April 17, in select AT&T retail locations, including stores in New York City, Atlanta, San Antonio and San Francisco.