“Microsoft announced ambitious plans on Monday to produce a tablet computer, competing for the fast-growing segment alongside the likes of Apple’s iPad,” Daniel Ferry writes for The Motley Fool. “Surface comes with a keyboard built into its cover, a magnesium case, and two available versions — a basic Surface running WindowsRT with processors from ARM Holdings and a Surface Pro model running Windows 8 with processors from Intel. CEO Steve Ballmer called the device ‘a tool to surface your passions and creativity,’ reflecting both his optimism and his limited understanding of how to use ‘surface’ as a verb.”
MacDailyNews Take: BDM.
“Remember the Zune? No? Fair enough,” Ferry writes. “When it was released in 2006, it was thought that Microsoft could design a digital music player that would challenge the supremacy of the iPod. Zune was discontinued in 2011 after five years of abysmal sales. Not to be dissuaded, Microsoft fired a shot across the bows of the iPhone by releasing their proprietary KIN phone, aimed at capitalizing on social networking. After spending several years and $1 billion on developing the KIN, the phones were pulled from shelves within months, and retailers returned droves of unsold phones back to Microsoft.”
Ferry writes, “Under CEO Steve Ballmer, Microsoft has strayed from its core competencies with unfortunate results multiple times. I am inclined to think that the Surface is no different, and is destined to be as successful as the Zune.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: iPad, killer.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dale E.” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Surface: Why Microsoft’s big mystery turns out to be a big mistake – June 19, 2012
Microsoft’s Suicide, er… ‘Surface’ – June 19, 2012
ZDNet Sr. Tech Editor Perlow: Microsoft’s Surface has catastrophe written all over it – June 19, 2012
Microsoft previews own ‘Surface’ tablet – June 18, 2012
Microsoft touts ‘major’ June 18 event said to showcase Windows RT tablets – June 15, 2012
ZDNet’s Kingsley-Hughes: Microsoft’s Windows 8 is an awful, horrible, painful design disaster – June 8, 2012
Analyst meets with big computer maker, finds ‘general lack of enthusiasm’ for Windows 8 – June 8, 2012
Dvorak: Windows 8 an unmitigated disaster; unusable and annoying; it makes your teeth itch – June 3, 2012
The Guardian: Microsoft’s Windows 8 is confusing as hell; an appalling user experience – March 5, 2012
More good news for Apple: Microsoft previews Windows 8 (with video) – June 1, 2011
