Windows 8 might not be selling like hot-cakes, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been a success at least at some level. With the mobile-centric OS, Microsoft hoped to push into tablets in a more meaningful way than ever before. That mission has been accomplished, at least to some degree.

According to the latest IDC stats, Windows say a measly .2 million tablets shipped last year, which for most of that year means Windows 7 devices. Three months into 2013, tablet shipments are up 700% with 1.6 million units. Microsoft also now represents 1.8% of the tablet market thanks to its Surface line, making it the fifth most significant tablet brand if IDC’s numbers are correct.

Sure, these numbers are paltry compared with Apple, Samsung, Asus and other brands – but it is still a foot in the door, and that’s what Microsoft was aiming for. Now they just need to push on with the Surface brand, and with the upcoming Windows Blue. It won’t be an easy road, but the groundwork is perhaps finally there to at least allow Microsoft to compete as a solid third place contender in the mobile world.

So what’s next for Microsoft? While we can’t say for sure, DigiTimes claims to have some insider information. Before we go forward, just remember that DigiTimes has a very mixed reputation when it comes to rumors, so speculation is needed.

The latest gossip ships to indicate that the second generation Surface line is coming in June at Microsoft’s BUILD Conference, which could see not only a new 10-inch model, but also 7 and 8-inch variants.

While this is a rumor, it isn’t terribly far-fetched. We already know that Windows Blue is going to be officially shown off at BUILD, and even a Preview version might be released. We also know that Microsoft has previously talked about the possibility of 7-inch tablets, and that rumors indicate Windows 8.1 Blue will be more tablet friendly.

Smaller Windows tablets and a smaller Surface are coming eventually, it’s just hard to say if June is too early or not. What do you think, would you be interested in a smaller-screen Microsoft Surface tablet if Microsoft can position the device at a price equal to or lesser than the iPad Mini?

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Thinking about picking up the Microsoft Surface Pro this weekend, or merely curious about the tablet? Well the first reviews are in from a variety of tech sites. What’s the verdict? Things certainly look pretty mixed.

Following in the footsteps of Windows 8, the Surface Pro seems to have a some pretty wildly varying opinions with some saying it is the greatest thing to happen to the tablet, others saying it tries to be two different things (laptop and tablet) but doesn’t succeed very well at either. Here are just three reviews that hopefully give you an idea of what to expect with the Surface Pro.

On the rather (if not overly) optimistic side, you have reviews like the one from BetaNews. To get an idea of that review, here’s a brief segment:

Surface Pro is magnificent. A classic. It’s the Windows experience you longed for but were denied. The tablet is a reference design for what — andwhat not — Microsoft OEM partners should achieve.

The device is the past and future, pure personal computer and post-PC. Simply put: Surface Pro is jack of all trades, both master of many, and (gulp) none. Capabilities astound, yet quirks abound. But even they are endearing, giving Windows 8 Pro personality and dimension. For the past five days, I’ve had the privilege of using Surface Pro, which goes on sale February 9, as my primary PC…

Unquestionably, Surface Pro isn’t for everyone. But it could be for you.

On the more neutral side you have reviews like those from Engadget. Here’s a brief excerpt:

We’re still completely enraptured by the idea of a full-featured device that can properly straddle the disparate domains of lean-forward productivity and lean-back idleness. Sadly, we’re still searching for the perfect device and OS combo that not only manages both tasks, but excels at them. The Surface Pro comes about as close as we’ve yet experienced, but it’s still compromised at both angles of attack. When trying to be productive, we wished we had a proper laptop and, when relaxing on the couch, we wished we had a more finger-friendly desktop interface — though more native Windows 8 apps might solve the problem by keeping us from having to even go there.

And then there are those that are less flattering side, like you’ll with the Verge:

Even a well-executed Surface still doesn’t work for me, and I’d bet it doesn’t work for most other people either. It’s really tough to use on anything but a desk, and the wide, 16:9 aspect ratio pretty severely limits its usefulness as a tablet anyway. It’s too big, too fat, and too reliant on its power cable to be a competitive tablet, and it’s too immutable to do everything a laptop needs to do. In its quest to be both, the Surface is really neither. It’s supposed to be freeing, but it just feels limiting.

Ultimately, almost all the reviews point to the same picture: It is a reasonably decent computing device but not quite perfect as a replacement for both your conventional tablet or conventional laptop.

Most reviews conclude that battery life and other issues seem to hold it back. Some reviews are still critical of the new Start UI. Nearly all of them feel that the Surface Pro is the step in the right direction but ultimately it misses more than it hits.

At $899, this could be exactly what you are looking for if you want a device that can handle business productivity while also providing a tablet experience, as long as you aren’t too bothered by some of its less flattering aspects, like low battery life.  For those looking for a consumption and entertainment device? You will be better off with an Android tablet or the iPad, or perhaps even the Surface RT.

Keep in mind these were just three reviews. There are many more out there. For those that are interested in the idea of the Pro, your best bet will probably be to head to a Microsoft store or partnering retail location and try it out for yourself. What works for one person might not work as well for another. What do you think of the Surface Pro, interested or not?

The post Microsoft Surface Pro Reviews Hit the Net, Opinions Seem Mixed So Far appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Although the Microsoft Surface RT hasn’t been a runaway success, it certainly managed to make a pretty big media splashdown when it first arrived. Although some consumers like the idea of the Surface, others need something that can do even more.

That’s where the Surface Pro comes in. The Pro is the “Windows 8” version of the tablet, meaning it has the power to run all the Windows Store touch-optimized apps as well as your legacy Windows apps for productivity and gaming.

So when is the Surface Pro coming? Microsoft has now confirmed the tablet will touch down on February 9th for $899 for a 64GB version, or $999 for the 128GB model. Neither of these configurations come with a keyboard or touch cover, so theat will add you an extra $120 to the mix.

While $899 is a lot for a tablet, remember that it also can be used as a “desktop” thanks to the added keyboard cover, though doing so brings the price even closer to $1000. The Surface Pro is powered by an Intel Core i5 processor and 4GB of RAM.

What do you think, is the Surface Pro worth $899 or is the asking price too high for it to be very successful?

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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.

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Yesterday, Microsoft began taking preorders for their new tablet, which is expected to launch on October 26th. Microsoft Surface marks the first time that the boys at Redmond directly are releasing their own PC hardware. This still leaves a lot of questions, such as what the build quality is like. There is also an unproven new OS (Windows 8 with a new modern GUI) under the hood. All of these factors could slow down Microsoft Surface early adoption, right? Maybe not – they have already sold out preorders of the first shipments of 32GB Surface RT inventory it seems.

While the preorder information for the 32GB Surface originally read “delivered by 10/26th” it is now pushed back by several weeks. More than likely, this means that preorder sales have been very kind to Microsoft during their first day. The Surface packs an NVIDIA processor, 2GB of RAM and alot of the same power as the 3rd generation iPad. It is also priced the exact same, though it also includes Microsoft Office and 32GB of storage instead of 16GB. What it doesn’t have is a Retina display or all that many apps yet.

What do you think, interested in Microsoft Surface or not?

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Microsoft’s mobile invasion is almost here. The Redmond company has officially released invitations to their Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 media events. The Windows 8 event will take place on October 25th and will show off the final version of Windows 8, while also likely giving us the final missing information for the Surface tablet. That should include pricing, which has remained a mystery long enough.

The Windows Phone 8 event will not be the same day, however. The company is instead reserving its WP8 related news for a little later. This event will focus on the Nokia Lumia 920 and other WP8 offerings.

Microsoft has yet to make any real mark in the tablet and smartphone world, will their latest efforts be any different? It’s really hard to say. They certainly has pulled out all the stops this time. Gone is the Windows CE core from Windows Phone– instead it shares a lot of the same code that Windows 8 has (NT technology). Windows 8 also introduces a brand new UI that looks pretty much like what we’ve seen in Windows Phone.

Why make these changes?The world is changing and the PC isn’t as important as it used to be. Microsoft understands this and is attempting to adapt and survive. In order continue to be relevant, MS needs to show users that it can compete in a changing world.

A big part of their strategy going forward is to make the Microsoft experience seem familiar no matter what device you are using: a phone, a tablet, desktops/laptops and even the Xbox. It still remains unseen whether anyone wants this kind of universal structure, though.

Are you excited about Windows 8 and WP8?

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The Microsoft Surface is on its way soon, with an expected date of October the 26^th. We’ve heard a lot of interesting rumors about the Surface recently, including a $200 price point and a battery life that easily extends up to near 13 hours. While the $200 price point is only likely to happen if MS has some kind of contract service deal in works, it seems that MS believes that its new tablet is going to sell like hotcakes.

What makes me say that, it seems that market researcher IDC revealed that MS is expected to build more than 3 million Surface tablets this year alone, this figure combines RT and x86 versions of the tablet. While not all these initial tablets will sell by the year’s end, it is clear that Microsoft expects a HUGE demand and doesn’t want to risk shortage problems, similar to the issues that Google ran into with the Nexus 7.

How many units will MS sell? That largely depends on pricing, I’d wager. If $199 is true and a contract service exists that is reasonably priced ($10-$20 monthly), I wouldn’t be surprised if the launch was more successful than the iPad 1′s launch in 2010, which saw 1 million units in its first month. At the same time, a $400+ price point could see more modest sells such as around a half-million in the first month.

IDC also flat out mentioned the idea of getting a Surface through two methods, two-year contract or flat-out. This much seems clear, it is very likely that it will be possible to get Microsoft’s new tablet for-cheap, as long as the idea of a contract doesn’t turn you off.

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When the Microsoft Surface was first unveiled there were many in the tech world that felt it was an attractive looking tablet design, but it also raised up questions including whether or not it could potentially affect Microsoft’s Windows OEM partner relationships. Microsoft of course was quick to shrug this all off when talking directly to the public, but according to new government filings to the Securities and Exchange Commission it seems that the boys and girls at Redmond understand a true risk does exist with their new tablet initiative.

The 100+ page document was largely a boring report that said nothing of much significance, until page 14 makes mention that the Surface family of tablet computers could weaken support for Windows among MS partners in the PC world. The document acknowledges that the Surface will directly compete against other Windows 8 tablets. Why did they do it if they felt a risk was involved? As said before, more than likely Microsoft felt that their competitor options didn’t quite encompass what they wanted to see in a Windows tablet, leading them to tackle the matter on their own.

So is competing against your own partners such a bad thing? Not necessarily, but it is a situation that has to be handled delicately. Google does it with its Nexus line and with its recent purchase of Motorola, so it’s not exactly unheard of. Can other Windows 8 tablets co-exist with the Surface? If they can offer a different set of features and price points, I don’t see why not. What do you think?

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Recently Microsoft has been gaining an increasing amount of attention when it comes to Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. On the tablet side of things, we’ve seen that Windows 8 offers something different from traditional Windows and even is taking the change a step further and rolling out their own hardware in the form of the new Microsoft Surface tablet.

While Windows Phone 7 hasn’t exactly sold like hotcakes, it does have a small fanbase and Windows Phone 8 looks like it has the potential to increase that fanbase with better enterprise features, the use of standard NT core from Windows 8 and overall tighter integration with Windows 8 and RT (The ARM version of Windows 8 for tablets).

Since Windows Phone 8 seems set on a course for change in the mobile universe its not surprising that there has been speculation of a Surface phone or even a RIM Windows Phone device. For the Surface Phone, it seems at least somewhat feasible that if MS is willing to do their own hardware in the tablet space, why not take that a step further with a mobile phone, too?

Thus enters the Microsoft Surface Phone concept by Jonas Daehnert, even though Microsoft has already firmly stated they have no interest in making their own phone hardware. With tablets, MS is entering a space where they haven’t proven themselves and so it makes sense that MS wants to release the Surface as a cool way of showing off what Windows 8 and RT have to offer. A sleek, sexy MS tablet is a good way to kickstart their aggressive new mobile campaign, and can still compliment other Windows 8 offerings from its partners. Okay, so why not in the phone space? First off, everyone knows what Windows Phone is, even if it hasn’t seen great adoption so far. With Windows 8, many still just assume a Windows 8 tablet has the same ole’ Windows on it (just like Windows XP, Vista, and 7 tablets)- so Surface is a great way to get the public’s attention and say, “Hey, this isn’t your grandpappy’s Windows tablet”. While Windows Phone 8 offers changes, partners like HTC and Nokia are established in that space, and a drastic hardware move doesn’t seem needed- yet. It’s still possible MS will re-visit the idea, just don’t expect a Surface Phone announcement anytime in the very near future.

As for RIM, its no secret that Blackberry is in trouble. With Blackberry 10 going through delays, concepts like the one from Michal Bonikowski have popped up, exploring the idea of RIM abandoning their self-made OS business model and instead switching to Windows Phone 8. While the idea is interesting, RIM doesn’t seem to be giving up on B10, and continues to work hard on trying to get it out as soon as they can. While I think RIM’s days are numbered unless someone buys them out eventually, the switch to another OS is either never going to happen or at least won’t happen until after B10 comes out, and that’s providing it turns out to be a total flop. Keep in mind RIM isn’t big in the US anymore, but globally it still has fan, especially in the Asian market.

While I wouldn’t hold my breath for either of these concept devices, they still look awfully cool and help provide food for thought at the very least.

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When we first heard about the Surface it was reportedly planned that they were going to release the device with a unibody magnesium-aluminum chassis, but apparently capacity limitations from their chassis makers have made them change their mind- at least according to a new rumor. The rumor claims that the company will instead use a magnesium chassis that uses MegVapor technology for surface treatment to allow the device to feature a similar exterior to a traditional metal chassis. The problem, is that this method has a lower yield rate that will greatly affect MS’ ability to mass produce the new tablet, or so the sources claim.

The sources say that Microsoft inquired at several metal chassis makers what their available capacity was, and it was revealed to these makers that the tablet orders could easily go up as high as five million units by the end of 2012, which prompted them to give up because of the lack of capacity.

Before taking this information to heart, keep in mind that this is a rumor and hasn’t in any way been confirmed by Microsoft. It is possible that it could be true, but at this point its hard to clearly say one way or another.

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