But these tablets won't be available for months, and there's a big difference between giving demonstrations on stage and delivering great commercial products.
Microsoft is producing its own brand of Surface tablets. There are two versions: one running Windows 8 Pro and one with Windows RT (Runtime). These are not rebranded devices from other manufacturers. They are not generic black boxes cranked out by OEMs. They are like the Xbox -- a Microsoft product. And in some ways, they are different from any other tablet.
Microsoft has channeled Apple's design obsession. Executives spent a considerable amount of time during the presentation in Hollywood discussing the Surface design. The tablets are crafted from magnesium in a process Microsoft has trademarked as VaporMg. The edges are angled downward to make the device comfortable to hold and make hardware "disappear," so users focus on the software experience.
The Surface tablets feature an integrated kickstand, so they don't require a case to stand upright at an angle. Panos Panay, Microsoft's general manager of Surface, said the design team spent a long time ensuring the kickstand felt right and produced the right sound, like the click of a car door.
The tablets also include two covers, one of which is unique. The Touch Cover, which attaches to the tablet magnetically (like Apple's Smart Covers), is made of Polartec fabric and has a keyboard and touchpad embedded on the inside. When the tablet is standing upright on its kickstand and the Touch Cover is attached and laying flat in front of it, the keyboard is much easier to use than a glass on-screen keyboard, according to Microsoft.
The cover is 3mm (0.11 inches) thin, because the keys are flat images, rather than raised hardware. When the cover is folded out of the way to the back of the tablet, its power turns off automatically, because it contains an accelerometer for knowing the keys aren't used.
Microsoft also will offer a 5mm (0.19 inches) Type Cover with hardware keys. The keys have a little key travel but offer a better typing experience than the Type Case, though it might be much less comfortable than the portable iPad and Android keyboards.
The screens of both the Windows RT and Window 8 tablets are the same size (10.6 inches) and use Gorilla Glass, but the devices differ in some features. The Windows RT tablet uses an ARM-based chip and weighs about 1.5 pounds. The Windows 8 tablet weighs almost two pounds.
Also, the Windows RT tablet includes a microSD card slot, a USB 2.0 port, and either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage. The Windows 8 tablet features a microSDXC card slot, a USB 3.0 port, and 64GB or 128GB of internal storage. It also includes a stylus.
Both tablets include dual MIMO antennas for WiFi, which could result in the best WiFi reception of any tablet on the market.
Microsoft is positioning the two tablets as both consumption and creation devices. "Because of Windows 8, the Surface is a PC," CEO Steve Ballmer said. "The Surface is a tablet. And the Surface is something new that we think people will love."
But will they love it? Microsoft said the Windows RT tablet will be available when Windows 8 is released, which should be around October. Its cost will be "competitive" with other ARM tablets, which means starting anywhere from $400 to $500. The Windows 8 Pro tablet will be available about three months later and priced in the neighborhood of Ultrabook laptops, which means starting around $800.
The Windows RT tablet will be bundled with a version of Microsoft Office called Office 15, and it will run only apps using the Metro graphical interface. The Windows 8 Pro tablet will run both Metro and legacy Windows applications.
If developers flock to Surface to create thousands of innovative consumer and enterprise applications, if regular Window 8 apps work well, if the battery life is good, and if the tablets could be used as viable laptop replacements, then Microsoft might have created a competitor to the iPad.
Very true Alan. I think they are considering it too much and thats where they fail. They should stick to basics first and then increase the volume of technology to it.
I am disappointed that pico or micro projectors haven't become commonplace. I thought we'd see them become comon two years ago or earlier.
I guess the technology still doesn't offer the price/performance, especially an integrated cellular projector rather than an external projector that isn't a mass market item.
I'm not holding my breath for roll-up displays. I think heads-up displays, like Google Glasses, might be the answer.
I'd venture to say the Year of the Tablet has already occured. Apple sold more than 14 million when it introduced the first iPad in 2010. But perhaps it's more of the Year of the iPad than the Year of the Tablet.
Perhaps 2012 or 2013 will be the Year of the Tablet Besides the iPad if Microsoft's Surface and/or the Nexus 7 take off.
Samsung can build good tablets, but there has been a dearth of tablet-optimized apps. Google seems to continue to tell developers to create one version of an app for Android phones and tablets, and I wonder if that's an appropriate philosophy.
Also, how many OEMs will invest the huge amount of money that Apple has poured into the iPad and that Microsoft is apparently pouring into the Surface tablets? Indeed, that's why Microsoft decided to create the Surface, especially after seeing how HP botched the Windows 7 "slate."
The Windows 8 Pro, as it's called, running legacy apps and Metro apps could be successful in enterprises. But there are all sorts of considerations and questions about using a Surface tablet as a laptop replacement.
There are so many things about Microsoft Surface tablets we don't know that it's really difficult to make any judgment in advance of a detailed examination of the finished products and knowing the price, number and quality of apps, etc.
It is possible, though, the Surface tablets, especially the Intel ones, could appeal to enterprises.
Apple is much more consumer oriented than enterprise oriented. Steve Jobs, for good reasons, didn't want to deal with enterprises. Consumers see something they like and buy it. Enterprises see somethng they like and take months or years to decide to purchase. The process of selling to enterprises is a lot different than to consumers.
However, Apple products have been infiltrating enterprises because employees love Apple. Even if enterprises don't officially sanction Apple, employees are using iPhones, iPads and Mac laptops.
Microsoft could have a very serious problem with its tablets. Consumers -- who are also employees! -- are used to iPads that don't have weekly or monthly security updates, like Microsoft computers. iPads don't have DLLs and a registry to cause problems. Will Surface tablets require constant security patches? Uers could rebel.
Your question about a tablet that both enterprise and consumer friendly is a good one. The Windows RT tablet for ARM is much more consumer friendly and the Windows 8 Pro for Intel is more enterprise friendly.
The enterprise demands support for its legacy applications and excellent IT controls for security and managing devices. These requirements add overhead that consumers don't need.
I hadn't thought of projectors, Alan. That could be a much better idea than a fold-up screen if it could be made to work. Imagine HD quality projection on your office wall!
Well Alan I thought MS is doing ok with this. I dont think the mobile thing did work for them so it might be the mobile experiance which still keeps on huanting them isnt it ?
I think this super secret press event with only demo devices to show could be a mistake for the tech giant. The lag time between announcement and production devices is really too long compared to Apple. I do think competitors will rush to market tablet devices they have already been developing. This is going to be the year of the tablet...again...right? How many year of the tablets have we had already?
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The apartment and house sharing service, Airbnb, now requires members to verify their identities by demonstrating a presence on the web, and by either scanning a government ID or entering detailed personal details. Other enterprises should take a close look at Airbnb's verification policies.
Enterprises must keep a close eye on the Marketplace Fairness Act, now before Congress, which would allow a nationwide sales tax on US online purchases. The bill's enactment will affect every business that operates or buys from an e-commerce website.
Samsung Electronics recently announced two Galaxy Mega branded phones with enormous screens -- 5.8 inches and 6.3 inches -- that could be useful for enterprises, especially those in vertical markets.
Virtual walls combine analog and digital elements -- paper posters and wireless transmissions -- that offer fascinating business and branding opportunities for enterprises. These walls are powerful tools because they merge the emotional experiences of the analog world with the intellectual experiences of the digital world.
While many retailers bemoan customers' use of showrooming, a handful of Internet-savvy companies are embracing this trend. From their perspective, the Internet is encouraging businesses to explore innovative ways to leverage online sales with brick-and-mortar or even engine-and-wheels locations.
A survey by JD Powers found that customer interest in product features is lessening as phones evolve. Rather than features, price is driving purchases, and that change could have a dramatic impact on how IT departments secure these devices.
New tools like laptops, tablets, smartphone, and wireless connectivity let us work from San Diego to Katmandu, and anywhere in between. But time management remains a problem.
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A recent release of the popular TweetDeck app for Twitter power-users gives new life to software that had previously taken a wrong turn. Here's a quick walk-through of the new TweetDeck, to show you why it should be at the top of your Twitter toolkit.
When whole departments do BYOD and consumerization, it's a threat to IT and the whole organization. It's also an emerging business technology cliché you'll be sick of soon enough.
The bring-your-own-device approach isn’t suited to monitoring of enterprise equipment and processes. In these cases, it is up to IT to come forward with gear suited to the task.
The decision could discourage innovators looking to the past, and require companies to build from the ground up, leading to a new generation of stagnation in the IT world.
New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority is conducting a pilot test of digital kiosks to guide subway users to where they want to go more efficiently and at lower cost.
The whole Amazon.reader debate is a double-stupid. It's stupid to think that there's any e-book buyer who doesn't know Amazon's URL, and it was stupider to let ICANN launch the whole free-form TLD initiative to start with.
While NFC's original goal was to enhance mobile commerce applications, it is finding its way into a number of other uses, which is creating both opportunity as well as challenges for IT departments.
Enterprises would like to move to cloud computing but are hesitant because they are concerned about providers’ ability to secure company data. Here are some tips that help to ensure that if breaches occur, the business is not left holding the bag.
Edmunds separates customers into segments based on the info it collects on its site and from partners, and uses that to push out custom content, said Brian Baron, director of business analytics for Edmunds.com, at Predictive Analytics Innovation Summit.
The automotive website uses propensity modeling to target ads and customer registration forms, said Brian Baron, director of business analytics for Edmunds.com, at Predictive Analytics Innovation Summit.
Expert Integrated Systems: Changing the Experience & Economics of IT In this e-book, we take an in-depth look at these expert integrated systems -- what they are, how they work, and how they have the potential to help CIOs achieve dramatic savings while restoring IT's role as business innovator. READ THIS eBOOK
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