Microsoft has worked hard to establish itself in the tablet space, and its first effort, the Surface, has been the subject of much critical acclaim. Yet the estimated sales figures posted by the Redmond at its annual Form 10-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing suggests there's much work to be done if the company is to compete with some of the big players in the game. With Surface, Microsoft took the hybrid approach to target both iPad like form factor and the Ultrabook market, but with less than impressive sales as demonstrated here, neither field will be feeling the heat from the Surface range.
The mobile community has waited a long time for Microsoft Office to finally begin supporting devices other than the Redmond's own range, and today, the launch of the famed productivity suite on Android begins. Although there's not yet any support for Android tablets, the smartphone community on Google's mobile OS can today enjoy Office on their handsets, provided they're running Ice Cream Sandwich or higher. Details after the break.
Just as the console wars were beginning to cool down, Microsoft and Sony set about getting everyone hot under the collar by announcing the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. We're just a little bit giddy about both, and for different reasons, and we know you're all counting down the days until you can pick your next generation console of choice off the shelves too.
Microsoft is well known for throwing out deals to entice users into long-term adoption of its flagship products, so it should come as no surprise to see the Redmond outfit use a free Xbox LIVE subscription as leverage for those signing up to Office 365. The productivity suite has been the subject of heavy promotion of late, and if you were tempted to subscribe to Office 365, you now have twelve more reasons to go ahead and take advantage.
Smartwatches have suddenly become the next big thing, with almost every other major tech company rumored to be getting into the same line of product sometime soon. That’s not all - even startups like Agent and Pebble have made quite some splash in the otherwise calm market that was dominated solely by Sony’s SmartWatch until recently. Now, it seems that while Apple’s iWatch might still remain a distant dream, Microsoft’s fans would actually be seeing something worthwhile in the form of a translucent, aluminum encased smartwatch, according to sources familiar with the matter.
As part of Microsoft's continued endeavor to boost sales of its Surface RT, the Redmond company has slashed the price of the tablet across markets in Europe following a similar move across North America just a short while ago. The deal sees the cost of the ARM-powered slate reduced by up to a third, with prices ranging from £279 in UK, or €329 in Germany.
The Microsoft Xbox, which was shortened by the Redmond outfit from DirectX Box, is a relatively decent name for a flagship console. But things could have been oh so different, since Microsoft toyed with some pretty abominable monikers for its entertainment box before arriving at the eventual name.
Windows 8.1 RTM release date for OEM partners has been confirmed by Microsoft. More details can be found here.
Looking ahead towards the next generation Xbox One, Microsoft is planning a new reputation system for gamers on Xbox LIVE, which will ensure serious gamers can play other hardcore enthusiasts, while those whimsical, genial folk looking for a bit of lighthearted enjoyment will be able to. Essentially, the three tier system will enable the pros to do serious battle, while also offering the noobs a little respite to, well, be noobs, and will ensure a more balanced gaming experience for all involved.
The Xbox 360 may have enjoyed a slight victory over the PlayStation 3 in terms of market share, but when it comes to Japan, there is only one winner. What with Sony being a Japanese company and all, there's a very lopsided favoritism towards the next-gen PlayStation 4, which is perhaps why Microsoft doesn't seem too bothered about getting the Xbox One out to that particular market. According to Yasuyuki Higuchi, a Japanese VP of the Redmond-based outfit, the Xbox One won't be reaching Japan until 2014, with the nation having been dealt the rather unflattering label among the software maker's "tier two."
