Reports indicate Microsoft is planning a smaller Surface tablet for later this year. It won’t be the first though: Remember UMPCs? The idea was sound, but the interface and hardware weren’t; two things that Microsoft can easily fix now. Read more »
With Q1 PC sales breaking records — and not in a good way — Microsoft is taking heat with two analysts downgrading its shares. Read more »
The mobile platform wars heated up in a big way as 2012 came to a close. Among other trends, Microsoft launched Windows Phone 8, Android’s dominant market share grew, and mobile commerce reached record highs during the holidays. Read more »
The wait for details surrounding Microsoft’s Surface Pro tablet is over. On Thursday, the company announced some specs and the starting price of $899 which gets 64 GB of storage for the 10.6-inch tablet and also includes a digital pen. Is the price too high? Read more »
What ties many design parts together into a highly desired, functional product? Connectedness, ranging from user interface, user experience, product functions and self-healing, says Yves Behar. Touch is a big factor and you might be surprised by which companies Behar says are doing it right. Read more »
The first reviews are in for Microsoft’s Surface, its first attempt at making personal computer hardware. Though reviewers mostly like the Surface hardware, with its keyboard cover and kickstand, the software is another story. Read more »
With a new Windows release, Microsoft is playing up to one it’s key advantages that’s easy to overlook: By licensing its software, buyers can personally choose from a variety of device sizes and form factors. But to play it safe, Surface RT is all Microsoft. Read more »
The third quarter saw many parts of the traditional media business in flux. Other developments included the rollout of new device-based content ecosystems, red flags and red ink for traditional consumer electronics makers, and a resurgence of consumer purchases of movies. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Normally, my gadget addiction compels me to buy new devices as soon as they’re available. So why didn’t I pre-order Microsoft’s Surface with Windows RT tablet? One key reason is that Microsoft hasn’t explained why I should; essentially this is a brand new mobile platform. Read more »
Microsoft announced four initial hardware partners for the first Windows RT slates. Of the four, two have some solid tablet experience while another showed promise with early smartbook designs. The last one, however, is a dark horse, as it has limited success with consumer electronics devices. Read more »
Apple put more distance between itself and tablet competitors last quarter, moving from a 62 percent share of the market in Q2 2011, to a 68 percent share this year. But an influx of smaller and cheaper iPad alternatives is coming by the end of the year. Read more »
While a hot accessory alone won’t sell a mobile device, it never hurts to generate buzz and interest. Microsoft is doing just that by announcing relatively inexpensive and eye-catching new keyboards and mice for Windows 8 computers and tablets. One keyboard case doubles as a tablet stand. Read more »
Tablets featured prominently in the connected consumer space, both as a product category and as a component of broader platform strategies by major OS providers Microsoft, Google and Apple. Meanwhile Facebook began laying the groundwork to add payment processing to its platform. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Steve Ballmer, unbowed by a negative Vanity Fair story that paints Microsoft as a company that no longer competes effectively remains … well, Ballmer. In a recent interview, Ballmer said Microsoft will take the battle to Apple again in tablets, in smartphones, in cloud. Read more »
Microsoft did what many would consider unthinkable by introducing Surface, a slick 10.6-inch tablet with two different models designed and built by Microsoft. There’s a key strategic difference, however: Surface tablets place Microsoft in direct competition with its licensees for both tablets and PCs. Read more »
