In the mobile market, it's fair to say Microsoft has a little catching up to do, but having already released a very promising mobile platform and, lest we forget, the Surface, the Redmond company is now setting its sights on the increasingly-popular 7-inch tablet market. Taking a slightly different angle to the manner in which the Nexus 7 and iPad mini have been marketed, rumor has it the software maker's effort will be pushed as a "gaming tablet," and work on the purported "Xbox Surface" is already said to be underway.
Microsoft's Surface RT tablet has not been on the market long, and reviews of the machine have been somewhat hit and miss to say the least, but the current product is only part of the overall equation. There's the Surface Pro, for example, and that's arguably the one most will want to pick up.
We’ve heard it multiple times over the past few months and we’re hearing it again today: Microsoft is working on their own smartphone.
The packaging of any new tech product is not nearly as important as its contents, but in the spirit of the launch, there's usually a fleeting interest in the design of the box. With Office 2013 not too far away, leaks earlier this week purported to depict the box art for those purchasing a physical copy from stores, and now, said designs have been confirmed.
Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system may only have launched on Friday, but the Redmond company is already reporting sales in excess of four million. Speaking at his company's BUILD 2012 conference, CEO Steve Ballmer noted enthusiasm among consumers for Windows 8 was “very high," and the the four million head count takes into consideration individual purchases, units sold to stores, and those expected to be sold.
Today has been, on the mobile front, one of the most significant occasions in recent times, with both Google and Microsoft grappling for the attentions of the on-looking tech world by releasing some pretty significant products.
Microsoft is all set and ready to launch Windows Phone 8 later today, and we can hardly wait. Windows Phone 7.x showed tremendous promise, but lacked in many key areas, and having spent the past twelve or so months meticulously arranging its successor, the wraps are almost ready to be taken off.
After the success of software distribution platforms like Software Center and App Store, Microsoft has followed suit by introducing Windows Store on Windows 8. Like the App Store, it has its fair share of limitations over which apps go in and which don’t and, like the Software Center, it charges a fee per download of a paid app, but what’s different about it is that, by design, apps on the Windows Store (generally) run both on desktops running Windows 8 and tablets running Windows RT.
Windows Phone 8 might just be a short while way from its official launch, but even now, new features are still being unveiled on a daily basis. Microsoft may have already covered most of the main perks and quirks of WP8, but those anxious to learn what the Redmond company has in store have continued to dig. Unearthing the latest gem is Nokia Innovation, which has shared an image of what appears to be Windows Phone 8's Live Wallpaper lock screen feature.
The iPad mini, which was announced earlier this week by Apple at a special event in San Jose, has received decidedly negative reviews from consumers and bloggers alike. Microsoft exec has, perhaps unsurprisingly given today's release of the Surface tablet, waded into the iPad mini debate, and even less shockingly, he's not a big fan of Apple's slightly smaller slate.
