ome April 17th, those looking to get their fingers on a Microsoft Surface will finally get their chance. The tech giant, along with partner AT&T, will at last introduce the long-developing technology.

According to a Microsoft press release, Surface rollout will begin in shops in major hubs, including New York, San Antonio, San Francisco, and Atlanta, before eventually expanding to over 2200 locations across the United States.

The in-store Surfaces will allow AT&T customers to browse through virtual product catalogues, free from the pesky encumbrance of tangibility. Though several companies, including Sheraton Hotels and T-Mobile, have partnered with Microsoft, AT&T’s April release makes it the first to utilize the Surface’s commercial capabilities.

While AT&T Surface units will initially act as inventory tools – albeit futuristic inventory tools - they will eventually increase their interactivity, thus letting customers purchase and transfer applications from in-store unit to phone.

The Microsoft Surface looks and functions much like an iPhone or iTouch, with the screen reacting to the user’s finger movements. However, unlike Apple’s hugely popular, oft-fingered personal products, Microsoft’s version is quite big (picture a spaced-age Pac Man table in which you can squash malicious ghosts with the touch of a digit).

Evoking a horde of Sci-Fi references (from Minority Report to Star Trek), the innovative Surface will make Multi-Touch technology available to the masses while revolutionizing mall shopping. Should Surface’s debut prove fruitful, expect retail ubiquity to follow.