As I type this, Microsoft's mysterious event at which something may or may not be revealed is about to start. The usual rumours and speculation have been flying around and are just as infuriating as ever, but there's been something a little different about this event: unlike, say, Apple events, for which we tend to know the vast majority of the content well before it's announced, there's been nary a whiff of what this might be all about.
A lot of people seem convinced that the company are going to launch a tablet device, and that would make a good degree of sense what with the impending launch of Windows 8. But then there's a new Xbox on the cards. And Windows Phone is surely due for a kick up the arse. And then there's things like Surface, and all the things that Microsoft Research are up to — though let's not forget that they unleashed the monstrosity that is Songsmith on the world. (And now it's stuck in my head again. "You sing into a microphone while the drummer plays along…")
But the truth is that no-one knows. At all. No-one has any idea whatsoever what is going on, and this means that the event has the potential to be exciting. (It also has the potential to be a crushing disappointment, but that's part of what makes it exciting.)
This is something that to a large extent we have lost in the modern age of PR, leaks and the reporting of every little rumour that sneaks out. Think about it. If you reveal everything about your product months before it actually comes out, you walk a fine line between building anticipation and pissing people off with oversaturated marketing. I feel it all the time with modern high-profile video games, and I'm pretty certain tech enthusiasts feel the same way about new gadgets. I don't know to what degree it happens in other sectors, but given the way a lot of modern PR seems to work regardless of industry, I can imagine it is the same across a lot of different areas.
I can't be the only one who prefers to be surprised now and again by something. For all the mindless speculation that goes on around Apple product launches, the company itself is pretty good at keeping things under wraps until the last minute (though they let the cat out of the bag with iOS 6 somewhat). Microsoft has gone one better with this one by not letting even the slightest hint out to the press or the public. It's had a far greater effect on the public's anticipation than carefully-orchestrated "leaks" (most of which I doubt are really "leaks" at all) and "official" teasers — and as a result, everyone is on tenterhooks, watching the currently-running announcement (which still hasn't announced anything as I type this paragraph).
Basically, the lesson to be learned here, I think, is that sometimes it's okay to shut up and not tell anyone what you're doing. Because when you tease something and then respond to all questions with "we're not ready to talk about that yet" or "we do not comment on rumours or speculation" you just come across as a bit of an arse, really.
Ah, and there we go. The big announcement is the Microsoft Surface, though it's changed a bit since the table-sized device we last saw. The new gizmo is an iPad-like device with an interesting twist: its Smart Cover-like kickstand has a full multitouch keyboard secreted within it. There's also an optional other case with actual proper, tactile keys.
The fact the Surface is running Windows 8 means that it can run things like Office and the like. There'll apparently be a scaled-back version for Windows RT, and one with Intel chips for the full Windows PC experience. The latter will also incorporate stylus and "digital ink" input as well as multitouch, and apparently has the power of a full desktop PC — though whether or not it will run Crysis is yet to be seen as I type this…
Discover more from I'm Not Doctor Who
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
The lack of any discussion of 3D capability is just about the only big issue here. The ARM tablet probably won't be terribly impressive, but the quasi-laptop i5 version should be able to push SOME pixels.
(Though considering MS has the Xbox, maybe it isn't their highest priority.)
Anyway, the keyboard thing's slick, and it's the first tablet that seems to be a genuine challenger to Apple.
As a big Android proponent, I have a huge problem with that last line.
I like what I've seen of Android's phones, and I like ICS. But unless there's something huge I've missed, their tablets aren't even in the same league as the iPad or Surface. Not yet.
Surface isn't even a thing yet. It's been announced, but I haven't seen any specs on it yet. And as I said in my comment to the post, the only really cool thing it does is the keyboard cover. Everything else has been done. So don't compare that to anything.
And yes, Android tablets aren't in the same league as iPads, but there's a reason for that: Apple's business practices. It may be that no one is able to match the sheer specs of the iPad because Apple flips any profits directly back into R&D. And it doesn't hurt that they have an army of mindless twits that buy whatever new i-Thing Apple parades in front of them. So they have pretty much infinite income.
And the "huge thing" that you missed: Everyone is doing Android tablets. All of the biggest names in consumer electronics are making amazing tablets. The only people making iPads/Surfaces are Apple/MS. So, through sheer numbers, Android is the winner. And hopefully, once ICS becomes the prevailing version, the cries of fragmentation will be a thing of the past (though it's actually not even a problem now).
The Surface look cool, and it looks like it could replace remote laptops in corporate environments. The cover/keyboard is the coolest thing about it by a mile. I'm not shocked by the announcement though considering how hard they were pushing the social features at E3. And I'm certainly not getting one. There's nothing actually innovative about it.