You know what they say about the best laid plans, right? Microsoft's PR wing will be licking its wounds after what appeared to be quite a handy piece of product placement went a tad awry.
We’re pretty sure at this point that we won't be seeing Jay Cutler - the Chicago Bears’ quarterback - anytime soon in a Microsoft TV ad. The highest paid player in NFL right now, commenting on the Microsoft Surface Pro 2, chose the words "knockoff iPads" to describe his impressions of the device. So much for Microsoft touting the tablet as one the most productive and professional tablet in the world.
Microsoft might have spent most of this year's BUILD developers conference discussing future software endeavors, but the company also took the opportunity to take the wraps off the Surface Pro 3. Despite its pedigree, it's fair to say that against the likes of the Apple iPad, the Surface line-up in general has its work cut out, but here, we pit the latest and greatest Microsoft slate up against the Surface Pro 2, in an attempt to assess how far the software giant has come along.
The blogs and various social media channels have been speculating for quite some time about what Microsoft's special Surface event in New York City would reveal this morning, and now, we finally have the details. The Surface Pro 3 is its name, and Microsoft is touting its thinner, faster and more powerful slate as the "tablet that can replace your laptop." For a full run-through of the hardware, display and accessories, join us after the fold!
Fans of Microsoft's Surface tablet have been waiting patiently for additional news about the new Surface Power Cover. The interesting new accessory was originally teased back at the end of the third quarter last year, but there's been relatively little buzz about the product in the time that has followed. The original speculation suggested that Microsoft had every intention of releasing the powerful new cover alongside the second-generation Surface hardware, but for a number of reasons that plan didn't come to fruition. Still, all good things come to those who wait, and we can now welcome in some additional details about the cover, including a release date and price.
The Microsoft Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 have seen the light of the day, and as any other company would do, the Redmond technology giant is all about marketing and promoting the new hardware, to make sure that they become a true success. We’ve seen a lot of marketing ploys in the past as well - and not just from Microsoft, either - including Google’s Android statues and Apple’s TV ads. However, never once have we seen anything like what Microsoft has done in London’s Trafalgar Square, where the company has placed a 27 feet wide and 17 feet tall mockup of the newly-released Surface 2, all in the name of good marketing.
Is that iPad just not working out for you? Is the lack of Microsoft Office just eating you up inside, leaving you unable to continue making those spreadsheets that nobody really reads? If the answer is 'yes,' then fret not, for Microsoft now has you covered.
Microsoft's Surface tablet may still be a relatively new device to market, but already the company is looking ahead to the Surface 2, and with speculation having been on and off for the past couple of months, including a set of leaked Surface Pro 2 specs in the last few days, the company has officially announced an event in New York on 23rd September. Details after the break!
In a move that is likely to grab the attention of those potential consumers sitting on the fence, Microsoft have taken the decision to slash $100 off the price of Surface Pro. The Redmond based company is no stranger to price reductions when it comes to the Surface. It was only last month that they reduced the price of all Surface RT hardware by $150, a move that many seem to think signals the company's intention to refresh the line in the near future.
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.
