10. The surface computer of claim 7 wherein computer memory has disposed within it computer program instructions capable of: detecting, by the surface computer, a portable computing device placed on the surface; and transferring, by the surface computer, the display text to the portable computing device for storage.
7. A surface computer for displaying text derived from speech for a user of a surface computer, the surface computer comprising a surface, the surface computer capable of receiving multi-touch input through the surface and rendering display output on the surface, the surface computer comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions capable of: registering, by the surface computer, a plurality of users with the surface computer, including selecting a speech engine configuration for each registered user in dependence upon a user profile for that registered user; allocating, by the surface computer to each registered user, a portion of the surface for interaction between that registered user and the surface computer; detecting, by the surface computer, a speech utterance from one of the plurality of users; determining, by the surface computer using a speech engine, speech text in dependence upon the speech utterance, including determining the speech text using the speech engine configuration for at least one of the registered users; creating, by the surface computer, display text in dependence upon the speech text; and rendering, by the surface computer, the display text on at least one of the allocated portions of the surface.