surface

Will Surface Pro prevail over RT? IDC chimes in

Microsoft's high-end Surface Pro tablet is finally in stock, following chronic shortages since the February launch. Is it destined to eclipse Microsoft's other tablet platform?

As recently as early this month, it was almost impossible to walk into a Microsoft Store and pick up a high-end 128GB Surface Pro. But that has all changed now.

But both the 64GB and 128GB models are available for immediate shipment and checks at stores in California and Arizona show that stock is plentiful.

The question now is, which version of Surface will prevail, the more expensive -- and fully-compatible -- Windows … Read more

How Microsoft's Surface tablet was born

Microsoft faced a few key challenges in developing its Surface tablet, according to team leader Panos Panay.

In an interview with the Verge, Panay offered some tidbits detailing the tricky evolution of Surface. The Surface team's general manager said that Microsoft had two goals in mind for Surface RT, code-named Georgetown: news of the tablet couldn't leak beforehand and it had to be ready to ship when Windows 8 launched.

Right from the start, Microsoft wanted to try to build the tablet without upsetting its Windows 8 OEM partners, Panay said. Whether it achieved that goal is debatable.… Read more

Four months in, Windows 8 needs help

After four months of tepid Windows 8 PC sales, maybe it's time for Microsoft to make a few changes.

During a conversation I had this week with IDC analyst Bob O'Donnell, he volunteered the following statement, which sounded strangely like my experience.

There were certain decisions that Microsoft made that were in retrospect flawed. Notably not allowing people to boot into desktop mode and taking away the start button. Those two things have come up consistently. We've done some research and people miss that.

And there are a lot of people that as soon as they boot … Read more

Samsung exec: Surface isn't selling; Windows 8 no improvement

A certain panic seems to be fomenting among tech companies.

The old order is dissipating and the new order is, well, disordered.

So the occasional finger gets pointed and noses get disjointed.

The latest little brouhaha involves the seemingly harsh words of Jun Dong-soo, the president of Samsung's memory-chip division.

He seems to believe that Windows 8 really isn't terribly good. Indeed, as The Korea Times has it, he said: "I think the Windows 8 system is no better than the previous Windows Vista platform."

"Better" is always a relative word. Those of a … Read more

iPad Mini to drive lower-cost tablets, says analyst

The second-generation iPad Mini will force tablet vendors to continue to drop their prices, says J.P. Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz.

In an investors note out today, Moskowitz raised his 2013 tablet sales forecasts based on a boost from the Mini and other low-cost tablets.

The analyst now expects tablet unit sales to grow by 65 percent this year, up from a prior estimate of 53.5 percent. Overall tablets revenues are likely to rise by 33.2 percent, compared with the previous projection of 32.5 percent.

Apple will be the major beneficiary of those higher tablet sales. In … Read more

Microsoft's little-screen, big-screen interactive future

Giant interactive surfaces will complement the more mobile variety of today. That's how Microsoft sees the future.

Walk up to a massive interactive screen with a Surface tablet, tap it, and, voila, now you're working on the big screen. Or project your Windows phone screen onto a larger surface.

The point of "Microsoft's Future Vision: Live, Work, Play" (see below), a concept video that describes how we'll live in five to ten years, is that there is fluid interaction between touch surfaces and devices of all sizes.

The video debuted as the company opened … Read more

Microsoft continues global rollout of Surface RT, Pro

Microsoft's rollout of its Windows Surface tablets continues, as the company today announced that in the coming months the Surface RT will be available in a range of new markets -- including Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, and Taiwan.

The Surface RT version can run certain desktop applications, such as Microsoft Office RT and Internet Explorer 10, but otherwise is restricted to Windows store apps. The 32GB Surface RT tablet starts at $499 in the U.S. The company didn't offer prices for the new markets.

In addition, Microsoft said that it will bring the Surface Pro … Read more

iFixit outs tablet repairability list; Surface Pro in last place

iFixit, a company that takes apart technology products, analyzes what's inside, and determines their repairability, has launched a new platform to make it easier for folks to lean more about tablets.

The company's new "Tablet Repairability" list shows all of the recently released slates it's taken apart and discusses how easy it is to repair them when trouble erupts. Each device is given a score on a scale of 10, with the top product -- the Dell XPS 10 -- earning the highest score of a 9, thanks to it being easy to open, and … Read more

Microsoft to launch Surface tablet in Japan

Microsoft's Surface tablet may surface in Japan as early as next month, according to a story from the Nikkei news service, as reported by the Wall Street Journal's MarketWatch.

A Microsoft spokeswoman confirmed to CNET that Surface will reach Japan in the near future but didn't specify a launch date.

"As part of our phased approach to Surface availability, Surface will be coming to Japan in the near future," the rep said, promising to provide more details soon.

Microsoft is expected to sell the Surface RT edition to Japanese consumers. That version can run certain … Read more

Difficult-to-repair Surface Pro built more like an ultrabook than a tablet

When Microsoft built the Surface Pro, the designers packed the power of an ultrabook in the body of a tablet. Unfortunately, they also made the device nearly impossible for a typical consumer or even an in-house tech to service and repair. On this week's episode of Cracking Open, I take you inside the Surface Pro.… Read more