Last night, Microsoft unveiled its attempt to compete with Apple’s iPad. The Microsoft Surface tablet (technically Surface 2.0 because the name is repurposed from Microsoft’s original table-top touch-screen device) comes in two flavors: an nVidia Tegra 3 ARM CPU based version running Windows RT and an Intel Core i5 CPU based version running full-blown Windows 8. Both models come with 10.6″ ClearType HD displays featuring Gorilla Glass, front- and rear-facing cameras, and MIMO wi-fi antennas. A pair of magnetic covers are also available for the tablets, but unlike Apple’s smart covers, the Microsoft covers qualify as actual peripherals. Their Touch cover integrates a trackpad and a keyboard on the inside, using an integrated accelerometer to measure each finger’s force on it. This allows a user to place both hands on the keyboard area and still detect typing actions. Alternately, Microsoft offers a Type cover, providing the same touchpad but a real, tactile keyboard instead of virtual keys. The tablet senses when either of these covers are folded behind it, powering the keyboard off to prevent accidental key-presses.
In a nod to Apple’s fixation on style, Microsoft touts their VaporMg technology used on the surface of the, well, Surface. Basically, it’s a process where particles are vapor-deposited on the magnesium shell to create a scratch-resistant finish they claim is like a luxury watch. Additionally, the tablets have a rear kick-stand that holds the screen at a 22 degree angle when flipped down (making a reassuring click that Microsoft claims took “dozens of iterations to get just right”). The rear camera is aimed at a 22 degree angle itself, so it looks straight out when the tablet is propped up on a table with the kickstand. Either cover mates up with a Surface tablet with a magnetic connector designed to snap both pieces together without the need for any manual re-alignment or adjustments.
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The slightly thinner and presumably cheaper ARM CPU based Surface includes Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 RT, while the Intel based version makes no mention of bundled applications (though it should be able to run anything made for Windows 8 based computers). Microsoft claims the RT based tablet will go on sale around the same time as the Windows 8 operating system, while the Intel based model will hit shelves a few months later. Pricing is said to be “comparable ARM tablet or Intel Ultrabook-class PC,” but no specifics have been given yet.
Whether or not the Surface is successful in the marketplace, it appears to mark a shift in Microsoft’s thinking about product design. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is quoted as saying, “Things work better when hardware and software are considered together.” The CEO said this during the launch of Surface, indicating a validation of Apple’s philosophy of providing hardware and OS as a single product. Because the Intel based version of the Surface wasn’t even displayed at the launch event and little time was spent demonstrating Windows RT on the ARM version, it’s unclear how well these products will actually work. But the fact Microsoft went ahead with the demo anyway, concentrating on the attention to detail in the hardware’s physical design, shows it’s borrowing heavily from Apple’s playbook. Microsoft no longer seems content to sell just the software, letting others define the look and feel of the hardware it runs on.
To me, the deciding factor continues to be my ability to control the transfer of my files. I really, really have a problem with the reliance on cloud transfers. When you live in an area where wifi can be iffy (ie, in mountains), you really want to be able to make a hard-wire transfer of files. Which is why, so far, Samsung’s Galaxy (NOT the Tab 2) is still at the top of my (not yet purchased) tablet list.