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Microsoft bulking up on staff for next-gen Surface devices

Microsoft is already moving on to the next generation of Surface products, as its jobs postings make pretty clear.

Brooke Crothers Former CNET contributor
Brooke Crothers writes about mobile computer systems, including laptops, tablets, smartphones: how they define the computing experience and the hardware that makes them tick. He has served as an editor at large at CNET News and a contributing reporter to The New York Times' Bits and Technology sections. His interest in things small began when living in Tokyo in a very small apartment for a very long time.
Brooke Crothers
CNET

Microsoft is bulking up design teams for next-gen Surface devices, despite the pleas of PC partners like Acer.

Acer recently asked Microsoft to reconsider its Surface strategy, but Redmond seems to be doing just the opposite, as dozens of job postings on its career page attest. Some of the job postings seem to imply that Surface products are the true expressions of Microsoft's vision.

"The Surface Team focuses on building devices that fully express the Windows vision," a few of the job listings say.

And that's the whole point of Surface, isn't it? Microsoft needed to build its own next-generation PC because it didn't see that vision being expressed properly by its hardware partners.

Other oft-repeated phrases in the job listings are: "We are currently building the next generation and Surface needs you!" and "you will bring next generation Surface to life."

And not-too-subtle hints are dropped about upcoming devices. "Responsible for investigating and developing new materials...to ensure successful launch of products that utilize new materials."

Microsoft declined to comment.

Hat tip to TechRadar.

Watch this: Microsoft Surface unveiled: The first Microsoft-branded Windows tablet.