Microsoft is on the radar again with the launching of their newest product, which is called the Surface, and have also been in the headlines with the upcoming launch of their newest Windows Operating System, Windows 8. They said that their newest hardware-software collaboration would be using their own operating system developed for tablet PC use. The Windows RT, which is the tablet PC version of Windows 8, will be running on the Basic version of the Surface.
Microsoft is hoping that this venture will enable them to challenge Apple’s dominance in the tablet PC market. For sure, they can go head to head when it comes to the desktop versions, however, it will be a big challenge for them to take a chunk off of Apple’s market when the Surface finally hits the stores. They would want people like me to think about selling my ipad to get their new product and realize that it is better than what I had before.
Launches are something that Microsoft is not very well known for unlike Apple whose press events are always much talked about. Apple’s launch is always well attended by the media and even their scores and scores of loyal followers all over the world. However, this launch created quite a stir because of their newest product announcement. People were abuzz with the idea that they would be finally selling iPad that I wanted after the launch of their newest product.
Developing the Surface for them is like a marriage of their hardware and software expertise. They are banking on the success that they had with their launch of the Xbox 360 game consoles. They specifically developed their own software for their own brand of tablet PCs and not depending on the Android, which is another favorite operating system for tablets and mobile devices by tablet PC manufacturers.
It is the Surface Basic, which will use this software developed for Windows 8. It is actually a version of Windows 8 specifically developed for the use of tablet PCs. They were able to make it run or operate it in such a way that it does not use much power giving the tablet PC a longer battery life. This is a welcome idea as the power supplied by the tablet PC’s battery can be limited and might drain right away if the operating system uses as much power as the applications.
The Surface’s form is classy and sleek with the magnesium casing covering it. It will also come with an optional touch and type cover which doubles as an external keyboard. Quite nifty and useful especially when using the Surface for work that involves a lot of data encoding.
There are two variants of the Surface, the Basic and Pro. The Pro version runs on Windows 8 as its processor is much more powerful compared to the Basic. All the other features are almost quite the same, with the Pro version being a bit thicker and heavier at 13.5mm and 1.9 pounds.
That being said, Microsoft has to finalize all the other specifications that they have yet to release. Because if not, people will still have doubts about selling ipad 1 in exchange for their product. Hopefully, they will be able to address the issues and not keep the people hanging.
