In an official blog post early on Wednesday morning, Microsoft announced that they would be celebrating the new year with the introduction of more Microsoft retail stores. How many you ask? At least 6:

-The Shops at La Cantera, San Antonio, Texas
-Dadeland Mall, Miami, Fla.
-Beachwood Place, Beachwood, Ohio
-Westfield San Francisco Centre, San Francisco
-City Creek Center, Salt Lake City
-St. Louis Galleria, St. Louis

More retail stores is big news for Redmond (Microsoft). More specifically, with the announcement of Windows 8 and the push towards ultrabooks, Windows and Microsoft as a whole were on the brink of a downfall. Apple and Google have become the 2 big players in the computing market. Now, Microsoft is showing that it is ready to fight and regain the #1 spot.

If you’ve ever been to a Microsoft retail store, it may have felt familiar. As shown in the image above, Microsoft sets up their stores with a layout familiar to that of Apple: big wood tables; employees wearing necklaces instead of name tags; and loads of technology ready to be played with.

Would you like to see Microsoft open a retail store near you? Are the stores too similar to Apple’s stores? Let us know in the comments below.

[ Source ]

The post Microsoft To Open More Retail Stores in 2013 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The iPad has dominated the tablet market ever since the tablet was first released in April of 2010. Many a manufacturer have tried to strip that name from Apple, but instead of becoming the “next big thing”, most just turn out to be market fillers.

The Archos 97 Titanium HD is likely just one of these “attempts” that won’t do much but might still be a more affordable option for those with basic needs. The Titanium HD comes with a 9.7″ display packing 2048 x 1536 pixels (264 pixels per inch). If you’re familiar, those specs are identical to that of the newest iPad. The rest of the specs come in as follows:

• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
• 5MP rear camera
• 2MP front-facing camera
• 1.6GHz dual-core A9 processor
• quad-core GPU (Mali 400 MP4)
• 1GB of RAM
• 8GB of internal memory
• MicroSD (up to 64GB)
• 640 grams, 240 mm x 184 mm x 9 mm

With the tablet market moving fast away from expensive tablets and more into cheap tablets like the Nexus 7, how does Archos expect something with these high-end specs to survive? Especially considering that consumers generally think of Archos as a budget brand? Hopefully, this means we will be seeing the Titanium HD with a sub-$400 price tag.

Do you think the Archos 97 Titanium HD has a chance against the iPad? Would you buy it over other Android and iOS tablets if it was priced very aggressively or not?

[ Source ]

The post Archos 97 Titanium HD Goes After iPad With Incredible Display And Long Name appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

There has been a little confusion by some consumers about the difference between the ARM-only Windows RT and the x86-only Windows 8. This is exactly why Dell’s Vice-chairman, Jeffrey Clarke said the company originally tried to get Microsoft ‘s Steve Ballmer to give the Windows RT OS a different name.

The idea is that Windows 8 computers have the power to run legacy Windows 8 apps, while Windows RT doesn’t. Because of this, Dell believed it wasn’t truly “Windows” and that using the Windows branding would only add to the confusion. Of course the same argument could be said to Windows Phone, since it obviously also lacks the ability to run Windows legacy desktop applications.

So why didn’t a name change take place? Not surprisingly, Microsoft’s Ballmer replied by telling Clarke the Windows franchise was to important to not be used, which is why Microsoft kept the name Windows RT.

Not everyone at Dell thought it was a bad idea to use the Windows brand, though. Dell’s Neil Hand thinks that it is the manufacturers responsibility to educate the public on the difference, “Making sure we educate the market place on the differences was going to be a necessary action no matter what. Just calling it something different is not going to solve the problem.” 

I could see how this could be confusing to some, but consumers should be aware of what they are purchasing before they make the plunge or this sort of thing will happen, and not just when purchasing tablets.

What do you think? Should Microsoft have went with a new name for their ARM-based OS or was keeping the Windows name the right choice?

[ source ]

The post Dell Originally Wanted Microsoft to Drop Windows Name from Windows RT appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The 10-inch tablet market just is really started to get crowded with tons of new Windows 8/RT devices popping up next to existing Android tablets and the iPad.

Even more important is the introduction of new flagship tablets from Google and Microsoft. The Samsung-made Google Nexus 10 is certainly one of the most powerful Android tablets ever announced and the Microsoft Surface shows a new sexy and fun side to Microsoft that most of us have never seen before. While the two devices will likely appeal to very different kinds of users, let’s take a look at the hardware and even a quick peak at the software to see how they compare.

Overall Design

The Nexus 10 and the Surface are night and day when it comes to hardware design. The Surface has a thin and light design, although its screen is bigger at 10.6-inches.

The Nexus 10 on the other hand has a fairly large bezel around the device and is a bit clunkier looking. Still, picking the tablet up reveals a unibody desing that is actually very light and durable.

Preferences are going to dictate here. The Surface seems to have a style that is a bit more similar to what you find with the Apple iPad – a lightweight design that is highly aesthetically pleasing. Honestly, the Nexus 10 just doesn’t have that same sexy aspect too it, but again, it comes down to your own taste.

The Screen

The Microsoft Surface might have a bigger 10.6-inch display, but it is also dragging a bit when it comes to resolution. While 1366 x 768 isn’t that bad, it is far from industry-leading these days. One thing worth mentioning is that we can’t read too much into the resolution here as Microsoft utilizes a special ClearType technology that takes that resolution and makes it MUCH sharper than you would ever imagine.

That said, the 10.055-inch Nexus 10 has a 2560 x 1600 resolution that is going to likely stomp all over the ClearType technology. For those of you that put extra weight into things like the screen’s resolution, the Nexus 10 seems to dominate here.

Processor, RAM, Graphics and Storage

When it comes right down to the specs, which tablet packs more punch? With the Nexus 10 you get a 1.7GHz dual-core Samsung Exynos 5250 GPU, a Mali-T604 GPU and 2GB.

In contrast, the Microsoft Surface RT runs on a Tegra T30 processor, which is a quad-core beast. The tablet also has a PowerVR GPU and 2GB of RAM. Other perks include microSD for memory expansion and a full-size USB port. Is worth noting that the base 32GB version of the Surface actually only has 16GB of memory thanks to the rest being taken up by the system partition.

While the Tegra processor is a quad-core, the Nexus 10′s dual-core is still a pretty solid performer. Until we see some exact benchmarks out there comparing the processor performance, I’d say that the Surface RT might be a little faster (possibly), but more than likely they are pretty close when it comes to hardware performance.

Battery Life

Actually, both tablets are pretty evenly matched here. Real world results seem to suggest around 7 to 8 hours of mixed use for both devices. No clear winner here either.

Cameras

When it comes to camera performance, the Nexus 10 has a 5MP (1080p) rear cam and 1.9MP (720p) front cam. As for the Surface RT? Microsoft says they are both 720p on the front and back, so for picture quality, the Nexus 10′s rear camera seems to win here.

Pricing

This is one category that the Samsung-made Google Nexus 10 really impresses. The tablet has shown itself to be pretty evenly matched and yet it starts at $399 for a 16GB model. In contrast, the 32GB version of the Microsoft Surface RT really only gives you 16GB of storage space and yet it is a bit pricier at $499 +.

The Ecosystem

Honestly, these two tablets have very different cosmetic designs but they seem to be rather evenly matched all across the board. The deciding factor here is really going to come down to two things:

1) Does the $100 premium on the Surface turn you off?

2) Which Ecosystem seems to fit you better?

When it comes to the ecosystem, Android 4.2 comes standard on the Nexus 10 and has a lot to offer. There are over 700,000 apps and it is a much lighter weight OS that takes up little of your precious storage space. If you want tons of apps now, the Nexus 10 certainly has them. That being said, many of these apps are meant to run on a smartphone-sized screen, not a 10-inch tablet.

As for the Surface, its ecosystem is still evolving. The Microsoft Surface RT runs something called Windows RT. This OS has the bulk of traditional Windows attached to it, but not the legacy application support. Only Windows Store apps work with the Surface, and right now there is a little less than 10,000 global apps for the Windows Store. Keep in mind though that all of these apps are optimized for the Surface’s 10.6-inch display.

Since the Surface is more costly and has less apps, why get yourself involved in this new Windows RT/8 ecosystem? First of all, you get Microsoft Office built into the OS with the Microsoft Surface. The easy-to-use and attractive optional touch cover also makes the Surface a natural when it comes to productivity use— once more apps are out there to take advantage of this ability.

Other draws for the Surface include its full-size USB port and the full power of Windows. Wait, but didn’t I say it didn’t have the full power of Windows 8? Actually, it doesn’t have legacy app support. It does have things like a robust desktop file manager, all the system tools you may be used to with Windows and other abilities that might make Windows RT more than just a “mobile OS”. At the same time, it is also a space hog.

As for the full-size USB port, imagine plugging in your favorite printers, external hard drives and other devices. While I’m not sure if anyone has tried it, it is also quite possible that you could even hook-up an external DVD drive for things like watching your movie library.

Who Wins?

Anyone who has ever read one of Mobile Magazine’s in-depth comparison articles won’t be surprised to hear that I won’t declare an actual winner— it really depends on your own preferences. The great thing about the tablet market today is the shear level of options. There is a device that fits into everyone’s lifestyle.

If you want the open design of Android, the low-cost pricing and the 700,000 Google Play apps— the Samsung Nexus 10 might be what you are looking for.

If you don’t mind being an early adapter, the Microsoft Surface RT ecosystem (and Windows 8, too) is growing quickly already and offers some unique possibilities for productivity and business that aren’t as practical on Android and iOS.

Are you considering a new 10-inch tablet? If so, which of these devices seems more appealing to your particular taste? Conversely, does the Apple iPad seem a better fit for you?

The post Google Nexus 10 versus Microsoft Surface RT: Which is Right for You? appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

As far as outward dimensions, they’re comparable but different. They’re both 9.4mm thick, but the Surface RT takes on a 16:9 aspect ratio, making it narrower and longer compared to the more shorter and wider iPad 4. The weight is also comparable at 680g (Surface) vs. 653g (iPad). While the 9.7-inch iPad has a much more impressive resolution of 2048×1536 (264ppi) compared to the 1366×768 resolution (148ppi) on the 10.6-inch Surface, the ClearType tech is supposed to make the Surface look sharper than it really is.

Raw power should also be comparable with the iPad 4 getting the dual core Apple A6X processor (presumably running at 1.3GHz) along with quad-core GPU. The Surface RT gets a quad core NVIDIA Tegra 3 (1.4GHz) chip, which is similar to what you find on many current high-end smartphones and tablets. The Surface RT does have double the RAM at 2GB, though, compared to what we think is the same single gig on the iPad 4 as was there in the iPad 3.

Apple is notorious for not providing a memory card slot and that hasn’t changed in the fourth-gen iPad. You get the 16GB, 32GB or 64GB that’s already on board, compared to the microSD slot on the Surface RT to complement its 32GB or 64GB of internal storage. The iPad is available with 3G/LTE though, whereas the Surface is currently a WiFi-only device. The iPad also sounds like it wins in the camera department too with a 5MP rear (1080p) and 1.2MP front (720p) shooter, whereas both Surface cameras are 720p. They haven’t specified the actual megapixel count.

Of course, there are all those other things that you need to consider. The iPad has access to a tremendously huge App Store, whereas the Windows Marketplace for RT is not nearly as developed, especially since RT can’t run native Windows programs. That said, the Surface has the cool Touch Cover and Type Cover, and you do get a version of Microsoft Office right out of the box.

At the end of the day, which tablet you choose really depends on your needs and preferences. And let’s not forget about the plethora of Android options too, like the less expensive Nexus 7 or possibly the upcoming Nexus 10, as well as trusty standbys like the Galaxy Tab and Asus Transformer Pad families. Whatever the case, it looks like this could be a great holiday shopping season for tablet lovers.

[Source]

The post What Should You Buy? Microsoft Surface RT vs. Apple iPad 4 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

According to Microsoft, the display in the upcoming Microsoft Surface is supposed to be sharper than the Apple’s retina display. Considering the Surface has a resolution of 1,366 x 768 (which isn’t all that high by today’s standard), how is that possible? It lies in the ClearType technology utilized by the Microsoft Surface and other Windows 8 devices- so says Microsoft. Any truth to the claim, though?

According to Screen expert Raymond Soneira of DisplayMate Technologies, the answer is “Yes and no”. Sure, ClearType really does work and will likely make the Surface have a much better display than the iPad 2. As for beating out the Retina display in the 3rd generation iPad? It seems much less likely.

You might wonder how the screen expert “knows this”. He doesn’t, at least not for sure. No one has really gotten much time with the Surface yet, but he was able to compare it to a Asus netbook with ClearType technology and the same resolution. While he says it is conceivable that Microsoft has further refined the technology, the Asus device and Surface should still be about the same ballpark.

If the analyst is correct, the iPad 3 is probably going to win when it comes to display clarity. Considering the two tablets are priced the same, why choose the Surface? It has less apps and an unproven ecosystem, so why go with it? Some possible reasons include the touch covers that can be added on, the existence of USB ports – and a large array of potential devices that will work with it – and storage. The Surface had 32GB of storage and microSD for the same price as the iPad 3rd generation’s 16GB version.

Depending on the pricing, those who want the best of both worlds might want to wait until the Microsoft Surface Pro. The Pro will not only work with older Windows software, it also will likely have similar storage advantages and has a display of 1,920 x 1,080 with ClearType technology.

More than likely, that means the Pro will have the best display and will likely be the best device for productivity. Keep in mind that this ‘better model’ will also more than likely start at around $800-$1000 dollars, so it will be quite a bit pricier than the iPad 3rd generation and the Surface RT.

What do you think about the Surface, interested or not?

[ source ]

The post Is the Microsoft Surface’s Display as Good (or Better) Than the New iPad? appeared first on Mobile Magazine.