“In among the larger-than-life humans on NFL sidelines this season, you’ll notice a slew of Microsoft’s Surface Pro 2 tablets,” Vlad Savov reports for The Verge. Microsoft committed to “spend $400 million on an exclusive advertising and equipment deal with the NFL.”
“The tablets are encased in chunky cyan protective cases and have been attracting the attention of the broadcast commentators when put to use,” Savov reports. “The only problem is that the announcers don’t seem to have been briefed on the name, leaving them to describe Microsoft’s slates as ‘iPad-like tools.'”
Read more in the full article here.
Back in May, Bryan Bishop reported for The Verge, “Coaches and players will have access to Surface tablets to aid in play calling and other in-game needs, an area that has been dominated by the iPad up until this point. Microsoft will be named ‘The Official Sideline Technology Sponsor of the NFL,’ with the Surface called out as ‘the official tablet’ of the league.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Microsoft is a silly, stupid, dysfunctional entity whose greatest (and, arguably, only real) success was an upside-down and backwards Apple knockoff (Mac OS) upon which they piggybacked a bloated office suite, a godawful web browser, and some mice. Everything else they touch that’s not related to their pretend Mac OS or forced onto their hapless customers via their Mac OS wannabe is an abject, laughingstock failure (Zune, Kin, Surface, etc.) and/or an endless money pit (Xbox, Windows Phone). To see these dummies blowing $400 million in order to basically promote Apple’s revolutionary iPad during NFL games is not at all unexpected, yet infinitely satisfying.
That dumbass kickstand is yet another ill-considered, misguided, corporate committee-driven “differentiation” squirted out of Microsoft’s back door unbidden onto the public.
Microsoft is staffed with stupid and/or lazy people. There’s no other explanation besides crippling narcissism – which is a very real possibility. Most people use iPads while lounging around. All Microsoft’s Surface “team” had to do was buy some real iPads and use them for a few weeks. Steve Jobs himself even demonstrated the iPad while reclining in a comfy leather chair, not sitting upright at a friggin’ desk. Microsoft was shown the way and, once again, they failed to properly follow Apple’s lead. By now, that’s just stupid and/or lazy.
Microsoft suffers from delusions of grandeur. They think they matter and that people will buy their pretend iPad over other pretend iPads because it’s from Microsoft. Microsoft does not matter. Microsoft no longer has the power to sell superfluous products. The world already has iPad. The thinking world finally woke up and moved on from Microsoft’s soul-sapping dreck. That clueless Microsoft haven’t figured this out years ago (Zune, Kin, how many total face-plants do they need?) is illustrative of the depths of their delusions.
As with Zune, Kin, and Surface, Microsoft is unnecessary in today’s world. Their rapidly retiring/expiring IT Doofus firewall is the only thing keeping them around today.
And that’s not going to last much longer, either.
[Attribution: CNET. Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Arline M.” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone says his Microsoft Surface tablet ‘didn’t work’ for portion of game – August 4, 2014
How Apple’s iPad is revolutionizing NFL playbooks for players and coaches – July 19, 2012
Miami Dolphins latest to replace huge paper playbooks with Apple iPads – June 24, 2012
Cincinnati Bengals go digital with iPad playbooks, join dozen other NFL teams – June 15, 2012
Denver Broncos NFL team transfers traditional playbooks to Apple iPads – April 23, 2012
NFL’s Tampa Bay Bucs give every player an Apple iPad 2 to hold playbook, video – August 25, 2011
NFL teams considering replacing playbooks with Apple iPads – February 4, 2011
MDN.
You were smug in your response! You know about kill us all. I was there at the opening. There is a picture of me asking Pat a question. Can you patch this response ltogether? If so then you probably know who I am. I have retreated along with Greg, Chris, Earl, Ben, Paul, and others.