Microsoft is building its own tablet PC for Windows 8

 
The world's largest software company is bringing out its own challenger for the iPad. But the advantage of Apple's huge and the task can also be dangerous for Microsoft. Microsoft wants to break the dominance of Apple's iPad, and even rises to the booming business with its tablet computers. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer introduced the sleek, lightweight personal computer called "Surface" on Monday against Los Angeles.

"The Surface is a PC. The Surface is a tablet. And the surface is something new," Ballmer announced. It is a turning point for Microsoft: Usually, the Group sells its Windows operating system only, then build the computer PC makers like Hewlett-Packard or Dell. "Microsoft is apparently here to a more cohesive strategy," said Francisco Jeronimo, an analyst at IDC. "If this is indeed the case, then they must take a different route and buy a manufacturer who knows the supply chain and controlled."

The Microsoft Tablets are about as big as an iPad, but have a slightly wider 16:9 screen with a diagonal of 10.6 inches (26.9 cm) and a USB port and a slot for MicroSD memory cards. The most striking features are the built-in stand and removable screen protector that has a full keyboard along with touch pad. The variant "cover type" has traditional click-buttons, the Model "Touch Cover" is a little thinner by a touch-sensitive surface. Keyboard Cover gives it the iPad, but Apple makes this business accessory vendors.

There are two surface types: the more powerful and thicker device "Surface Pro" - more of a competition for the Ultra-book concept - is powered by an Intel processor and the PC version of Windows 8, the thinner and lighter brother "surface" with the ARM processors optimized for mobile offshoot Windows RT. Both devices have Microsoft Office office suite. With a weight of 676 grams and a thickness of 9.3 millimeters, the RT variant is on par with the third-generation iPad.

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Surface: A New Family of PCs for Windows

Photo: Microsoft

Apple iPad is also a good two years after the start of the first version of the benchmark in the rapidly growing tablet market. The market researcher IDC anticipate that this year, sold 107.4 million tablets and 62.5 percent of which come from Apple is. Most of the remaining equipment is powered by Google's Android operating system. Microsoft has to start from scratch.

It had both the Windows and Office Group expanded even more than a decade, the idea of ​​the tablet computer. Success was, however, mainly because the equipment too heavy, the batteries too quickly abandoned and the operation was too unwieldy. Only Apple succeeded with the iPad initially ridiculed by Ballmer to revive the market believed dead. Now Microsoft is trying to jump on the moving train.

Ballmer noted that Microsoft has a tradition as a hardware manufacturer. The software giant has long been sold computer accessories such as mice, keyboards or webcams and is successful with its Xbox game console. However, there were flops like the Zune player, the iPod could never be dangerous for Apple, and quickly abandoned children mobile phones.

In addition, Microsoft makes with the surface of all tablets now its main partners - the PC makers - a direct competitor. Companies such as Asus are planning their own long-Windows Tablets. "On the hardware front you have to ask, what does that say about the tablets that Microsoft gets to see in advance of the launch of Windows 8 its OEM partners," says Jan Dawson, chief telecoms analyst at Ovum. "Either they are not using the devices happy or they do not content to get from selling the Windows Tablets only one license fee. Either way is a big vote of no confidence against the OEMs who should feel offended right."




Currently, Microsoft has a difficult time in the mobile sector: The smartphone operating system, Windows Mobile 7 is stuck in spite of a great partner like Nokia in market share of a few percent. Apple iPhone and runs iOS iPad with the same system. Given the close cooperation with Nokia is also very surprising that the surface-no mobile computer, but only Wi-Fi on board.

Publication dates and prices for its tablet computer called Microsoft yet. The group revealed only that the smaller surface-variant to appear together with the final version of the new Windows system. That should be in the fall. The powerful surface-type with an Intel PC processor followed three months later. At the rate it was only that he should "in comparable units" are.

Besides price, the success of the Surface devices primarily depend on whether Microsoft hinbekommt a continuous integration with the remainder of its ecosystem (PC, Xbox, Windows Phone) and may imply potential buyers with a similar value as Apple has been for years with iPhone, iPad, Macs and iTunes creates. "In theory, Windows 8 and provide all the advantages of both the tablet surface-enhanced environment as the traditional desktop approach to programs," says Ovum expert Dawson. "In reality, however, at least the versions that you can try out up to now, a terrible mishmash of both worlds, the consumer probably just confused.