The tech world is abuzz with activity as it heralds the arrival of the latest gizmo biggie on the block - Aloha Microsoft Surface! So, has the death knell finally rung for Apple? Is it time for iPad to move on and make way for the next tablet heavyweight?
Debunking the existing tablet myths, on June 19, 2012, Microsoft rolled out Surface, which will be offered in two spanking new variants - Surface for Windows RT (Surface RT) and Surface for Windows 8 Pro (Surface Pro). With an impending launch and the tech pundits touting it as the next big thing, the Surface tab is all set to conquer the market. However, whether it will give the uber cool iPad a run for its money and create a paradigm shift in the tech world remains to be seen.
So how does the Surface fare in the Microsoft versus Apple tablet wars? With a 10.6-inch display, both Surface models are a tad bigger than the iPad. However, the models at the launch were prototypes and Microsoft averred that the "actual size and weight of the device may vary due to configuration and manufacturing process." With "every micron mattering" for Microsoft, the Surface aims at obscuring the tablet and ultrabook divide and focuses on user-friendliness.
All the brouhaha surrounding Microsoft's new baby would lead one to wonder "what's the novelty factor?" So, what is it that sets the Surface apart from existing competition and makes it a future force to reckon with? Say hello to Surface's new "Touch Cover and Type Cover magnetic snap-on keyboards". These innovative features may well make Surface the proverbial iPad nemesis and Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer the next innovative Steve!
Users will be unanimous on the banes of touchscreen keyboards and even though a third-party keyboard is an option, it is undesirable. The lack of physical keys can sometimes be a deterrent whilst typing. This is where the Surface scores. The magnetic snap-on keyboards will attempt to eradicate the typing niggles associated with touchscreens. The Surface will have two keyboard versions - the pressure-sensitive flat keys (Touch Cover) and the traditional raised keys (Type Cover) with a thickness of 3 millimetres and 5 millimetres, respectively. If that wasn't enough, Microsoft has endeavored to keep the chic quotient intact. One can take their keyboard pick from an array of colours like black, blue, red, and pink. The Surface's attempt at making typing a less of a chore may possibly work as its USP, edging out other tablets in the process.
With the Surface waiting in the folds, Microsoft may well have pulled out yet another winner. The introduction of USB ports (2.0 on the Surface RT and 3.0 on the Pro) add to the feathers in Surface's cap. This feature gives it major brownie points over Apple as the main grouse for many iPad users has been the lack of USB ports.
However, with Microsoft giving no indications of the battery life, the price and availability date all is not rosy for this iPad challenger. To add to Surface's woes, several reviewers have already denounced it as being "sluggish."
Unlike the iPad, which through constant reinvention has established itself as the undisputed gadget king, Surface has many miles to go before it can become synonymous with tablets. Until then it will perhaps have to contend with being the new "apple-like product."
