Microsoft Surface Windows Tablet Review- Does this Microsoft product have the right "touch"?

My brother-in-law is something of a gadget hound. He is the family's go-to computer guy and whenever my college daughter has problems with her laptop at her faraway school, my wife and I often tell her "Call your uncle". 

So, it was no surprise to discover he had recently taken delivery of the newest "it" tablet of the year so far- The Microsoft Surface Pro Windows 8 Pro 128 Gb Tablet. This awkwardly named product is one of the first originating from Seattle since the demise of the barely-known and underrated Zune HD media player- still selling for nearly full price two years after going out of production. 

The Microsoft Surface
(betanews.com)

A kind-of answer to the latest iteration of the iPad, the Surface takes a slightly different tack and uses a full-on version of the new Windows 8 optimized for touch users but with a dual personality . Although MS won't fully admit it, think of the Surface as a small-ish laptop with a removable keyboard. The guts of the tablet have a memory that ranges from 32Gb to 128Gb on a SSD hard drive- no spinning disc means lightning quick access to stored memory plus much of the tablet's content is stored in the cloud anyway. The tablet boasts a full-size-computer-worthy i5 Intel processor, at least 4Gb of cache memory and high quality construction. It looks like pretty much any other tablet- black shiny glass with a keyboard/case cover. 

But how well does it work? One user said,  "I've had multiple downloads going, Netflix streaming HD movies, and MATLAB and Excel running all at once, and I didn't notice any significant lag." 

Also available for download is Microsoft Office 365, a full load software package with Word, Excel, Power Point, etc. that stores almost everything in the cloud. Both my brother-in-law and other user report no issues and great results with this program. I also saw my brother using a video editing program- notoriously taxing on any computer- without a hiccup. Also, because it is a tablet, many- if not all- of the thousands of Window tablet apps are also available for use.

There are two levels of the Surface: the Sufrace Pro and the Surface RT. Pocketnowvideo.com has a video that explains the differences in great detail: 

Low quality audio, high quality review

Is this a replacement for the traditionally powerful desktop computer? No, not yet. Desktops still offer more of everything, including ports for peripherals like cameras, external drives and other options. Plus, there's the convenience of using a 21-27" desk monitor that makes computing easier and less tiring for older eyes like mine. 

Is it a laptop or a tablet? Yes it is.
(display-central.com) 

But, for those seeking out a laptop, the Surface tablets are hard to beat. It can do anything else a good laptop can do, plus it can become a lightweight tablet with heavyweight capabilities. 

But...there's a catch. There had to be, didn't there? The price. Although entry level Surfaces cost no more than a full-sized iPad, the Surface Pro RT climbs north of $1,100. For that money, the Apple MacBook Air becomes a possibility and that complicates things somewhat as the Air is a fine computer on its own with a better, permanently attached keyboard. But for enterprise users committed to the Windows platform or for those used to Windows -based software, there is no argument. The Windows Surface wins, hand down. 

To see Amazon reviews of the Microsoft Surface RT, go here. 

For the Microsoft corporate website on the Surface, click here. 

Windows 8 - Microsoft takes a chance on a new look.

The Microsoft Windows operating system gets a bad rap. Many speak about Windows with disdain and a sour face and harp incessantly about crashes, freezes and other OS maladies.

These people are wrong. Dead wrong. Since before Windows XP, the OS has generally been a stable system and the new Windows 8 promises the same trouble-free experience but with a graphical twist.

Will the new look be a hit with people used to the old look?
(Microsoft)

Just like the Windows Phone OS, the user will be greeted with a set of "tiles"  with each representing a different app. This new design has been called "Metro".For instance, one tile may represent the user's email account. Since the app is live, the tile will display the current number of unread messages. The user need only to click on the app to open the email client.

Other new features include:

• Internet Explorer 10- built to take advantage of the new Metro design.
• Powerful, but lightweight, W8 can be installed on nearly any computer made in the last 5-6 years.
• Windows Defender- an excellent antivirus program that used to be separate (but free) is now built in. 
• Media Center is now standard
• USB 3.0 integration means pictures and video can be downloaded faster than ever before. 

There's more- much more in fact. But the best news about Windows 8 may be the price to upgrade your current computer- only $40! So, if you're running XP, Windows 7 or just want the newest and fastest version of Windows, it will set you back less than dinner at a decent restaurant. 

Although it's not normally my policy to use Wikipedia as a link, there's a strong article detailing all Windows 8 has to offer. Go to it here. 

For a news of W8, no one knows the new OS better than Paul Thurrott. He's literally written the book on the subject and posts regular articles about new developments, tips and opinion on all things WS8. Take a look here. 

Windows 8- Your Most Common Questions Answered.

Windows rules the world.

Despite the huge (and loud) Apple fanbase, the fact remains that the Microsoft Windows operating system is the predominate computer system by a factor of 10 or more. Since the 1980's, the majority of the world's computers run on the system begun by Bill Gates and a few others in a small storefront in Albuquerque, New Mexico decades ago.

Windows Phone 7 with
a look towards the future.
(pcmag.com)

And as each new version of Windows emerges for the consuming public, new methods of computing and the human/machine interface gets a little bit better each time. Until recently, changes were evolutionary- a little bit better each time, but still recognizable as the same ol' Windows- just a bit more grown up.

Not this time though. For 2012, Microsoft is debuting a brand new system called Windows 8 with some deeply interesting elements sure to catch the eye of Windows lovers all over the world. If you've seen the Microsoft smart phone operating system Windows Phone 7, you get the idea. Tiles on the home screen are "alive" with information like e-mails, weather, Facebook postings, sports scores, etc.

Looks different, doesn't it?
(Microsoft)

Much of what gives Windows 8 its unique appearance is what gives Windows Phone 7 its appearance and that's on purpose. The thinking is, if you become used to the W8 system, then you'll be more likely to see the WP7 system as comfortable, familiar and you'll be more likely to buy one or the other due to this familiarity. I don't pretend to understand this approach, but Microsoft seems to believe the concept has merit.

No release date is available but it's almost sure to be in the 4th quarter of this year. For those of you who still have questions, PCWorld.com has the answers to some of the more common queries users have been asking. But, if we all wait just a couple of months, all of our questions will be answered when the systems premieres. Click here to see if your question was answered. 

By the way, work has already begun on Windows 9. Some would call that too soon.

I call it job security.

Is your Windows software not performing to your standards? Go here for help!

Most of us have Windows. No, not the "look through" kind installed in the wall of your house, but the kind installed in your computer at this very moment. Windows is often seen as a kind of voodoo that "just makes stuff work". But, it's not really that at all- instead, think of it as a tool that allows you access to the information you desire, like an interstate highway. As such, you have the ability to use it as you will, picking and choosing how you use it instead of it using you.

With this unusual philosophy, you now have the mindset of making your Windows program do what you want it to and the site that will help you to achieve this is called Paul Thurrot's SuperSite for Windows.

Thurrot is a nationally known Windows expert whose site is a deep internet encyclopedia of all versions of Windows, tips, tricks, fixes, finessing, reviews, optional additions, Microsoft's other programs and even a sprinkling of Apple news too.

The good news is that this site is written in monkey simple English that makes concepts and step-by-step instructions easy to comprehend and follow. If you can't get your Windows question answered here, then you probably have no where else to go- it's that good.

The site is here.
He also has an entertaining website for those of you looking for something slightly more in depth and technical. Go here to download and hear it.

The best security software...for free!

Recently, Microsoft debuted Microsoft Security Essentials, a free software down load for most versions of Windows. Formally costing as much as $100 or more, this suite of security products protects your computer from spyware, malware and other internet nasties.

Developed by the same folks who developed the software that 90% of the world uses, MSE is just as full-featured, just as secure and completely updatable (is that a word?) as any commercial product out there now and it has the pay-for-protection industry very worried, as they should be. This software download has been reviewed ten ways from Sunday and has emerged the winner in all comparisions. The best feature of all? Absolutely no cost to anyone who chooses to download it.

You can find it here.

I strongly encourage you to get it now and protect yourself from a potentially expensive and nefarious infection to your computer.