Today marks the beginning of Windows 8 and a new era for Microsoft, a company that has struggled to win over consumers' hearts in recent years. At a launch event in New York last night, Microsoft flexed its marketing muscles for all to see. From taking over the famous digital screens at Times Square, to rows and rows of outside areas with Windows 8 machines, Microsoft created what can only be descried as an expensive spectacle.

MIDNIGHT CROWDS

A holiday pop-up store in the heart of Times Square proved to be the focal point for Microsoft's Surface and Windows 8 launch. The software giant let press, VIPs, and some customers lining up outside into the store ahead of a midnight debut to buy a Surface. Microsoft was only selling Surface devices here, but that didn't seem to stop the crowds and passers by from showing interest.

Inside, the software maker had kitted out every table with four Surface tablets, and Microsoft employes were happily fielding questions from potential customers. The atmosphere was filled with excitement and curiosity from those looking on and people lining up outside. Frankly, you could have easily mistaken this for an Apple launch day, but for Microsoft that probably wasn't a bad thing.

One of the big draws for Surface is the ability to use a unique Touch Cover keyboard, allowing the device to work as both a tablet and a laptop. The other aspect is the new user interface with a splash of color and an animated Start screen. With a back drop of Lives Tiles running on the giant digital displays at Times Square, people seemed impressed with Microsoft's square tiles approach. The interface is already prevalent on Windows Phones and the Xbox 360, and Microsoft is now pushing it mainstream across its desktop, laptop, and tablet PCs.

WILL PEOPLE BUY SURFACE FOR OFFICE?

Microsoft has mimicked Apple's retail stores in style and location, and the copycat approach appears to be working. I spoke to various people lining up last night. The vast majority were simply curious about Surface and wanted to play around with it, but some were buying one regardless. I spoke to one couple who remarked that they had held back on a tablet purchase due to a lack of Office. I thought nothing of it until I started speaking to more people. Perhaps surprisingly, Office was a big factor for people's interest in Surface with some mentioning that they couldn't live without it for work.

It's the honeymoon phase right now, but for Microsoft, being square is the new cool.

Posted on October 31, 2012 - 13:37 by Rob Enderle

I’ve been playing around with Microsoft's Surface tablet for several days now and suddenly realized that I’m using it very differently than any other tablet or laptop I’ve ever owned.

It seemed to come to me naturally, but this little device has really improved the quality of my life. Personally, I think Surface represents more than just a new product and should be pereceived as the beginning of a new way of blending work and play. Then again, it may not come as naturally to many of you and I think that aspect of Surface deserves some further discussion.



Working from Home

I’m one of the lucky folks that can work from home. True, such a setup isn't for everyone and a lot of us can get easily distracted by kids, pets, TV and pending chores. Fortunately, the analyst job can generally be done from anyplace but my house sits up on a hill with a fantastic view. I have work time that takes up the daylight hours and then personal time which is often spent watching TV, reading, or working on various projects.

So while my job is based from home, I don’t enjoy it as much as I could using traditional PC tools. In addition, even though I may formulate some great ideas for work during personal time, I hate going back to work to flesh them out because the transition is such that once back into work mode I’ll likely miss out on the rest of the evening.

The Surface Difference

I’m an avid reader and so I’ve started to peruse my Kindle books on the Surface tablet. I’ll be reading and an email will arrive (little flag in the corner). If it is important, I'll switch to email, flip the keyboard around, and respond. Often these emails come with attachments I need to address, I can open them in Office and do that, and if I get an idea my reader transforms almost seamlessly into a laptop so I can capture and flesh out the idea and then I’m back to reading. I can do the same thing with movies on the device but I notice I’m a bit more resistant to stopping the movie but it can keep running in the side of the display while I write back.



I’m still working through the movie/work transition and clearly if I’m watching TV the experience is more like a traditional tablet or laptop except I have both. So I can sit on the couch playing a game or reading during a show I’m not all that interested in and switch to responding to an email or capturing an idea for a column on the fly. Tablets were good for the entertainment stuff and notebooks for the work but before I often had the wrong device and now I don’t.

And the 10 hour battery life really is a godsend because I hated stringing the notebook power cord over the back of the couch (so I would just move to the PC in the living room).

Surface Misconceptions

I’ve been reading a number of reviews since launch and there are some misconceptions about this product that I think need to be cleared up. Some of the initial problems have been fixed through patches and while a number of alleged issues I haven’t found at all.

First off, Surface isn’t slow. I’ve had several folks tell me that Surface can’t keep up with their typing. I type pretty quickly and haven't experienced this particular issue. However, right after I fired Surface up it executed an update for about 17 apps, so this could have been an initial problem that has now been patched. The RT version of Surface is powered by Nvidia's Tegra 5 core solution (back story one of the cores isn’t being used yet so expect another update) and it works just fine.

Secondly, the Kickstand isn’t fragile. Now I didn’t test this to break point myself, but it certainly feels sturdy and one of the other folks doing a review was able to break it after putting his body weight on the device. It snapped back in, but I have no desire to see if the "snapped back in" part is repeatable.

Thirdly, the Magnetic Power Plug is a pain. Well, this is true but it is a minor pain, as Redmond failed to mark the orientation so you can accidentally put it in backward. If you do, the device doesn’t self-destruct it just doesn’t charge. The tolerances are just a tad too tight so even putting it the right way isn’t as easy as it should be. Yes, I’m probably making this out to be a much bigger problem than it actually is, but the issue still needs to be fixed.

Fourthly, the display is inferior to the iPad. Well, this is actually one of those yes and no scenarios, with blind tests showing the display is actually better for movies. However, the iPad is a better choice for text, especially if you should be using glasses but don’t. ClearType does make the fonts pretty but you are often dealing with really small type. However the Kindle app, to my eyes, is pretty much identical in readability to my Kindle HD. I can put the Kindle in my pocket though, so I’m getting rid of it.

Fifthly, shortage of apps - on numbers yes, on quality no. With fewer numbers, discovery seems to be easier with this product, although you will want to check to see if your favorite app or their equivalent is available. Microsoft says it has 56 of the top 60 - but the remaining 4 could be one of yours so it is worth checking. As noted above, it certainly wasn't an issue for me.

Keyboards Don’t Suck: There are two keyboards - one that actually is a keyboard with motion and another that is the far less popular touch type. Now the mechanical keyboard is vastly better to type on but feels really fragile, while the touch one is a much better cover (thinner sticks to the tablet better). Since I type a lot I prefer the mechanical keyboard but the touch one is still much better than the touch screen approach - so you may end up getting both. And while they don’t suck I really do think they could both be improved.

Wrapping Up: Leave Your Laptop At Home

This was kind of the unsaid promise of the iPad based on how many people I know tried unsuccessfully to do serious work and leave their laptop at home. But it is clear to me that Apple wanted people to buy both an iPad and a MacBook which is why they didn’t make a lot of the same decisions that created Surface. However, with Surface you really can leave your laptop at home.

But the real benefit of Surface is its seamless approach to integration for different tasks. Meaning, you can move from work to play, as the device easily allows you to work where you want. One surprising but welcome difference? The kickstand angles the screen so I don’t get anywhere as much glare as I would off a regular tablet, so it is easier to view the screen outdoors. Strangely enough, even though this is a 1.0 product, for once a vendor appears to have learned from the mistakes of others. The fact that this vendor is Microsoft, a software vendor known for screwing up hardware, is kind of blowing my mind at the moment.

Suddenly I have a new favorite product and it is the Tegra 3 powered Surface Tablet from Microsoft. Go figure.

Back in October, China Times reported that Microsoft was working on a self-branded Windows Phone for release sometime in 2013. Shortly after, tech site BGR also reported that they had heard similar information. Likewise, we went on record with our own source stating that indeed, Microsoft has a device in the works.

Now, the venerable Wall Street Journal is going on record with a source of their own stating that Microsoft “…is working with component suppliers in Asia to test its own smartphone design” although they are unsure if they are going to go into production with it. The device is reportedly between 4 and 5 inches, which as far as phones go is quite vague. No other details were provided and of course, Microsoft had no comment.



Previously, we speculated that Microsoft was exploring a range of options, possibly as a failsafe should the first line of Windows Phone 8 devices fail to gain significant market share. We’re still sticking to that notion, as we can’t imagine Microsoft is completely ready to jump in the smartphone game. Even if they did so, we would see this much like the Surface: direct sell to customers through their physical Stores and online, but no carrier deals.

Clearly Microsoft is getting into the PC hardware game—not just peripherals—so the notion that they would make their own “Surface phone” is hardly far fetched. What form it takes and how it is marketed will be the real interesting part.

The Microsoft Surface has been selling well since it was launched with pre-orders making alerts appear on the company's online store - "Out of stock". This has applied to models across the range, and in a number of markets. The tablets were unavailable in the UK and Canada only a week ago.

It's interesting to see the model that comes without a keyboard of any kind selling out frequently. Either consumers are saving pennies by going for the cheapest option or they plan to purchase a Touch Cover sporting a different colour. We suspect both are factors when progressing through checkout.

Microsoft has banked on creating its own hardware to go with the launch of its newest version of Windows. Windows 8 has also been experiencing positive signs of sales with a consumer number in the millions upgrading to the latest version of the popular desktop operating system. Coupling this with Xbox marketshare in the console industry and strong Surface sales, Microsoft's three vision plan is progressing as planned.

We're to take this as the product running out of stock, but has the company actually produced enough of the tablets in the first place? That remains to be seen. With stores across the US opening up with Surfaces, not to mention the mass crowd that gathered in New York for the launch to get their own, it's looking more likely that the Surface simply has the potential to become a popular tablet.

Update: It appears as though the Surface RT tablet has sold out across the markets where its available. This is displayed on the Microsoft Stores for the UK, France, Germany, Australia and Canada. Looks like the tablet is extremely popular across the board and not just in the states. If you're looking to pick up the cheapest model it looks as though you'll have a slight wait to go through.

When Oprah Winfrey used to host a daily talk show, one of her most anticipated episodes was her yearly "Favorite Things". The people in the audience for these episodes always got tons of free, and usually expensive, items to take home, and any product named by Oprah as one of her "Favorite Things" usually saw massive sales increases.

Oprah shut down production of her talk show over a year ago, but she still is in charge of a huge media empire, including her own cable TV channel, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). Now her official website has posted up her 2012 "Favorite Things" list and the Surface tablet from Microsoft happens to be one of them.

In the listing, Oprah writes:

We have already reported that OWN has its own Windows 8-RT app. This week, the network has released a second app, Oprah: Live Your Best Life, which lists Oprah, once again, as its developer. This app offers up information about health and food, along with more information about Oprah herself.

Microsoft has yet to officially comment on sales of its Microsoft Surface tablets so far. The Windows RT-based device has seen quick sell outs of its online inventory so far and some Microsoft Store retail locations saw long lines outside the day that the Surface went on sale.

While Microsoft won't talk about its first Surface sales numbers, two analysts are not afraid to give their comments. Marketwatch.com reports that, in a note to his clients, Phil Winslow of Credit Suisse stated, "We called or visited all permanent Microsoft Stores this week, and the feedback was that Surface sales have been steady, foot traffic has been above average, and restocking shipments have been consistent."

He added that so far there have been only a few returns of the Surface to those stores, and most of the returns are due to the fact that the Windows RT version of the tablet can't run older Windows programs.

Another analyst, Brendan Barnicle of Pacific Crest, also made a survey of some Microsoft Store locations and said that sales in those places were "strong". He added that most of the stores have already had at least one replenishment of their Surface inventories.

All in all, the first 10 days of the Surface launch seem to have been successful for Microsoft and we will see if the rate of sales continue through the busy holiday season.

Acer is no stranger to airing its skepticism of Microsoft Surface, but the company is now adopting caution as the name of the game for its own Windows RT tablets. In an interview with Reuters, company president Jim Wong told the outlet that Acer would deliver its own RT-based tablet no earlier than Q2, as it's now monitoring how Microsoft's own hardware fares in the marketplace. According to Wong, Acer had previously targeted a Q1 debut. As it lets Microsoft serve as the canary in the coal mine, Acer will continue to focus on its full-fledged Windows 8 hardware, as well as develop and refine its own RT offering. "I don't know what's next, what Microsoft will do," Wong said. "We are watching how Surface is doing ... How is RT accepted by customers... We don't know... We want to see."

The idea of an electronic ballot box in elections is no longer part of a sci-fi future but a reality in many towns in the US. Now there's word that Microsoft's recently launched Surface tablet is being used in one US city as a test for collecting votes in Tuesday's election.

Geek Wire reports that a company called Democracy Live, which handles electronic balloting technology in a number of states in the US, will have the Surface tablet in place in one voting precinct in Charlottesville, Virginia. The tablet will have an app installed called LiveBallot that on Tuesday will let its users mark and then print out an election ballot for that particular precinct.

Democracy Live actually uses Microsoft's Windows Azure cloud-based system to collect its ballot information. If this test of the Surface tablet is successful on Tuesday, the company plans to put in more of these tablets in other voting locations. However, the company will wait until the launch of the Windows 8 Pro version of the Surface before going all out with its electronic ballot plans.

This is yet another possible way that Microsoft's new hardware product could be highly successful beyond the scope of the current tablet market.

Microsoft is building its own 7-inch gaming tablet. Multiple sources familiar with plans within Redmond have confirmed to The Verge that initial hardware planning for an Xbox Surface is underway. Specifications for an Xbox Surface 7-inch tablet computing device leaked back in June ahead of Microsoft's Surface RT and Surface Pro announcement. We're told that the initial specs were accurate and that the final implementation is being worked on.

The Xbox Surface will likely include a custom ARM processor and high-bandwidth RAM designed specifically for gaming tasks. We're told these specifications could be altered to accommodate an unannounced Intel SoC and that the Xbox Surface is being developed independent of specific hardware architecture. Microsoft's Xbox Surface won't run a full version of Windows, rather this 7-inch tablet will run a custom Windows kernel. Messaging and other tablet functions may be supported, but the focus is on gaming.

SECRET HARDWARE, SECRET MANUFACTURING
Microsoft has developed a secret hardware production process for its Surface tablets that is separated from partners that traditionally manufacturer the company's Xbox console. We're told that the Xbox Surface will likely be manufactured in the same factory, but that any future "Xbox 720" console will be manufactured in mass quantities by companies like Pegatron or Foxconn.

We've learned that part of the Xbox Surface is being developed at Microsoft's offices in Silicon Valley. The software giant recently locked down several Xbox-related buildings, limiting employee access to the company's Interactive Entertainment Business division. The lock down is likely related to Microsoft's increased testing of the tablet, providing a way for other parts of the Xbox team to build games and software for the device. Providing the project doesn't get killed in favor of a full 7-inch Windows tablet, in the same way Microsoft axed Courier, expect to see the Xbox Surface debut ahead of Microsoft's future Xbox console.

Although we’re still getting settled in with our Surface RT Tablet, Microsoft has finally dropped info on its pricier and more powerful big brother, the Surface Pro.

The 64GB version will go for $899 and you can double that with 128GB for a hundred more at $999. The Surface Pro for those unfamiliar runs the full version of Windows 8, meaning it can run Windows 7 desktop apps in addition to the new RT ones. It also has some more advanced hardware including the next-gen i5 processor, 10.6” 1920x1080 HD resolution, a USB 3.0 port and a mini-display port.

Those are some significant increases that should make the Pro a faster, more elegant solution for those who need more raw power in a tablet. In addition, you get the newfangled Surface pen for drawing/writing on that new high-resolution display (it includes “palm blocking technology” to make the experience even better).

Of course, that high pricing does not include either the Touch or Type covers, so you can add an extra $125 or so to that above price plus state tax, making the Surface PRO one expensive investment. On the other hand, you are getting a top quality device with what is sure to be high-priority support from Microsoft for years to come.

Release date for the Surface Pro is expected in January.

Microsoft's 64GB Surface Pro will only have 23GB usable storage

By Tom Warren on January 29, 2013 01:24 pm

Microsoft's Surface Pro tablet, due on February 9th, will have a smaller amount of storage space than expected. A company spokesperson has confirmed to The Verge that the 64GB edition of Surface Pro will have 23GB of free storage out of the box. The 128GB model will have 83GB of free storage. It appears that the Windows 8 install, built-in apps, and a recovery partition will make up the 41GB total on the base Surface Pro model.

Microsoft says users will be able to free up additional storage space by "creating a backup bootable USB and deleting the recovery partition," but out of the box they'll be left with as little as 36 percent of the advertised storage available. The storage situation is similar to Microsoft's Surface RT tablet. The Windows RT operating system, that powers Surface RT, accounts for half of the 32GB disk space on the entry model. Microsoft's Surface Pro supports USB 3.0 hard drives and microSDXC cards, meaning there are ways to extend the storage.