Microsoft's Surface tablet is doing good review. On sale today, a host of major media outlets have jumped at the opportunity to praise the design, to credit Microsoft and to snipe at Apple and the iPad.
Ironically, positive commentary focuses on the the hardware more than the software, and on the actual design quality (a challenge to Apple).
The OS has come in for criticism but praise goes too, for having access to the Microsoft productivity suite, and the extensibility of Windows 8 across mobile and the desktop, though the launch model has a pared down version of the OS, RT, which limits productivity.
There's recognition also that Microsoft has innovated across the OS, the device, and in the introduction of a new ecosystem strategy. That all adds up to a good launch.
The risk to Microsoft lies in seeing its enterprise franchise undermined by mobile, as other operating systems are dominant in this one sphere where people and companies are buying more. So what are people saying?
"Since its 2010 debut, no tablet has come close to unseating the mighty iPad," says CNN.
"The first thing that strikes you about the Surface is its build quality. In short, it's excellent and really feels like a premium product from the moment you pick it up. Microsoft has made a lot of fuss about the stand in particular, but it's the overall design of the Surface RT that impressed us most." ComputerWorld.
".... the beautifully chamfered edges of a device that feels as well put together at least as any Apple product. The Surface’s own keyboard, or Touch Cover, too, clips effortlessly on with perfectly placed magnets, and even turns itself off when folded fully back. This is a tablet that feels sturdy without feeling heavy, and useful without feeling workmanlike. In short, it puts the fun back into Windows." Telegraph, London.
"It's the end of the tablet era. The touch PC era is beginning. I'm not positive I believe that, but it's basically the vision Microsoft has for Windows 8." Information Week.
"Basically, Microsoft is reinventing the tablet, because now people are used to using their tablets as toys, and only use them to play games. These tablets lack features to do work for the office." Customer in Beijing quoted on PCWorld.
And on the downside, mostly focused around price and Windows RT. It's possible RT will come back to haunt Microsoft.
"The basic Surface with 32 gigabytes of storage is selling for $499. While that’s double the storage of Apple’s similarly priced basic iPad, it’s still likely too high a price, since no tablet maker yet (other than Apple) has been able to sell in high volumes at that price point. " CBC
"This computer runs Windows RT, a variation of Windows 8. RT is wildly different from the old Windows. You'll be thrilled or appalled, depending on your fondness for change. In this Windows, the Start screen is a patchwork of colorful, interactive tiles. You tap one to open an app, swipe down on one to "right click" it, swipe across to reveal more pages of them. Each tile is also a tiny dashboard, showing your next appointment, latest Facebook post, today's weather and so on. It's fast, fluid and fun to use. Unfortunately, Windows RT is not the full Windows. The Surface comes with preview 2013 versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint — workable, but sometimes sluggish." Times of India.
Perhaps the most widely quoted criticism so far comes from Tim Cook at Apple who believes the device is compromised and is trying to be too many things at once, and can't match the iPad user experience.
On the other hand Microsoft has taken the tablet deeper into productivity applications, invaluable for those of us who use Office - though RT is not the best implementation of that. I think the tablet wars just began.
Follow me on Twitter @haydn1701
You might also like to read this view of Microsoft's strategy.
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