Microsoft seems to be on a tablet manufacturing spree as the company, even before launching the original Surface tab (slated to be released on Oct. 26), is reportedly working on the next-generation Surface.
According to a TechRadar report, folks at the website spotted that Microsoft's Career webpage featured a slew of job postings, which stated that the Redmond-based company is hiring people for its "Surface Team" and is already "building the next generation" of tablets. The advert also states that the new employees will be put in a long-term product team responsible for planning and executing several generations of products.
Apparently Microsoft wants to fill several positions that range from "mechanical engineers to component specialists and materials experts to driver developers and audio engineers (plus manufacturing and packaging designers), in addition to the substantial team of industrial designers and engineers already on the Surface team," TechRadar notes.
Another ad reads "The Surface Team focuses on lighting up Microsoft experiences with touch first computing. A fundamental part of our strategy is having desirable and powerful devices that enable the experiences people want, and elicit their excitement. Creating these devices involves a close partnership between hardware and software engineers, designers, and manufacturing. We are currently building the next generation and Surface needs you!"
Per the report, Microsoft's scope for recruiting "shows that this isn't just keeping Surface up to date with future processor improvements" but that the company attempts "building up a full product design and development team to keep innovating (and keeping PC OEMs on their toes with some healthy competition)."
The report comes at a time when rumors are rife about a small 7-inch Apple iPad, which the Cupertino-based tech giant wants to release during this fall.
Meanwhile, a new second quarter data provided by the International Data Corporation (IDC) reveals that Apple is currently ruling the tablet space. The iPad maker has shipped 17 million iPads during Q2, up from 11.8 million units in the first quarter. IDC also estimates that the Cupertino tech giant's worldwide tablet shipment has reached 25 million units; up from 18.7 in the first quarter of 2012 representing a quarter-over-quarter increase of 33.6 percent. This is the eighth consecutive quarter wherein Apple has shipped more tablets than any of its competitors.
IDC, however, predicts that competition in the tablet space will increase in the remaining months of 2012. "In addition to major new products from Amazon and quite likely Apple, we can also expect an influx of Microsoft Windows 8 and Windows RT-based tablets starting in late October." Now that news of the new Surface is surfacing, we can hold our breath to witness how the leading tablet manufacturers lock their horns in coming days.
