Apple may have been grabbing most of the headlines over the past week but Microsoft is poised to dominate the weekend after the release of its Surface tablet yesterday and the reviews are beginning to roll in. At the launch event in New York City the tablet was unveiled, though there wasn’t a lot said that we haven’t seen already. Microsoft also released its Windows 8 OS, which is available for download now. With a tablet market now flooded with the likes the iPad 4 and iPad Mini, Microsoft is hoping the Surface is going to make a big splash. Here’s what the professionals have to say.
Gizmodo: “You can do work, yes. But productivity is limited to a “preview” (beta) version of Microsoft Office. It also hurts that Office requires plunging into Windows RT’s Desktop mode, where users of actual Windows 8 are able to install a decade’s worth of legacy software. Normally, this would compensate. But RT users can’t install any of this older software. None of it. Desktop mode is entirely worthless in RT, a cruel tease of non-functionality. It’ll only remind you of how much you can’t do with your Surface, and is going to confuse the living hell out of most people who buy one—especially when Surface Pro, built on x86 architecture and perfectly compatible with all of those legacy programs, steps in a few months from now. I pity Microsoft’s retail staff.”
iDigitial Times: “Microsoft Surface is a historic device because it’s the first Microsoft personal computer ever. Since its inception, Microsoft was primarily a software maker. The company made a fortune by selling its software to as many hardware makers as possible. Since the mobile boom began, however, Microsoft executives have been looking for a way to reorganize the business strategy for assured growth over the next several decades. Microsoft Surface is the embodiment of Microsoft’s new focus on all things mobile.”
The Verge: Let me put it this way: the Surface does not seem like a better tablet than the iPad or the Nexus 7 (the two best products in the category as of this writing). Even though it has a very unique and useful interface, and lots of hooks into Microsoft’s ecosystem, it still lacks the polish and apps of those two devices. Is the mail client better here than the native mail client on the iPad or Nexus? No. Is the browser superior? Well, it’s an excellent browser, one of the best I’ve ever used on a mobile device — but it’s not wildly better than the iPad or Nexus 7 offerings. Is the interface so much easier to use or so much more powerful that it would tip the hand of an average buyer? Not in my opinion. Is the app selection better or more robust in some way? Not by a long shot, and there’s no clear sign it will be anytime soon.
Buzzfeed: “For a device that’s supposed to feel more like an appliance, with seamless and beautiful software, there are a number of weird moments that scream “computer!” like black-and-white nightmares bursting into rainbow dreams. In general, the desktop environment feels like a trick, a kludge, because Microsoft didn’t have a fully touch oriented version of Office ready to go — so every time you want to use Word or Excel, you’re launched into Windows circa 2000-whenever.”
CNet: “Microsoft Surface is the best productivity tablet yet, and it had better be. As the only Microsoft-branded Windows RT hardware to launch with the new operating system (Windows 8 launches this week as well), the tablet serves as ambassador and flagship for the touch-focused, wildly risky Windows grand experiment. The Surface excels thanks to its thoughtful design, sensible implementation of its keyboard accessory, and the innovations brought about by the interface formerly known as “Metro”– chief among them: the gesture-driven menu system, powerful search tool, and incredibly cool and versatile split-screen feature. Unfortunately, there’s a price to pay for doing things differently. I’ve spent a week with this soldier for the Windows cause, and I predict that some of you will find Metro’s steep learning curve discouraging.”
There’s a lot to take away from these (and other) reviews. Many feel that Microsoft pushes technology to the brink with a device that houses all of the computing power of a desktop in hardware as thick as the diameter of a bullet. But they also feel that it doesn’t quite pack the same firepower they were expecting. Windows RT is confusing, the app store is bare, and its severely overpriced (a 32GB version is priced at US$499. A 32GB version bundled with a black Touch Cover is priced at US$599). I applaud Microsoft for making possibly the most convenient gadget on the market but they’re doing Apple’s, their biggest rival in all things tech, job for them by promoting how easy its products are.
People might be singing a different tune, though, once they get the hang of Microsoft’s baffling operating system. In the meantime, let us know what you think about this whole ordeal. Is Microsoft’s Surface tablet the biggest boom or bust device out there? Will it compete with the iPad 4 and iPad Mini? Are you going to splurge on one? Let us know in the comments section.
