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. 

Apple iPad3 review- Call it the New iPad, please!

What's in a name? Plenty, it seems. Apple's newest iPad offering is NOT called the iPad 3 but simply the new iPad. That won't be confusing, will it? Everyone from the tech journalism world was prognosticating all manner of  way-out-there additions to the most successful tablet in the world, including your humble author in my last post.

Sadly, the most obvious and necessary addition (to me at least) to the iPad should have been the Siri voice control system. Turns out, Siri is technically still in Beta and despite the enormous amount of attention Siri has received, testing continues apace as does refining the concept to the point that Apple is satisfied with the results (note to Apple: the world is satisfied!). So, we won't be seeing Siri in the iPad anytime soon.

That's a shame because seeing things in the new iPad is the best improvement to date. The laser-sharp Retina display found in the iPhone line has made it's way into the iPad family and now photos, video and letters will be so sharp that 1080 HD video will be possible.

The Retina display shows images sharper than the eye can perceive.
(apple.com)

Other improvements include a faster processor to support that Retina display, a 5 megapixel camera that has more than five times the resolution of the iPad2, 4G wireless support that Apple claims brings in ten times the data of a 3G connection. Otherwise, the new iPad looks the same, has the same size and comes in only black and white (last week, I predicted various colors would be available, including purple, but Apple didn't see things my way).

So what's the reaction from the tech world? Seems like it's mostly a non committal "meh".

No real surprises here. Prices remain unchanged for the various iterations of the line (storage sizes, 4G or wi-fi, etc.) and Apple will keep the iPad2 in stock for the reduced price of $399 vs. $499 for the new iPad.

Techradar.com has a hands-on review of the new iPad and includes a video showcasing all of the new features you could use if you have $500 laying around doing nothing. Be aware, though, this site is British and includes British currency as well as American in its review. All other features remain identical.

Take a look and you might decide to keep your iPad2 until Apple decides Siri is mature enough to include as a standard feature. Also, I would suggest to Apple a new naming strategy- something other than "the new iPad".

My name prediction for next year? iPad4. After all, how can this model be the new iPad when the newest iPad debuts in a year?

If you want one, pre-order the new iPad from Apple at their website. Deliveries will start March 16th.

Apple iPad3 to debut soon - The rumors, the truth and...purple?

It's coming....

The iPad3 is on its way and soon the world will know what is in store for the next iteration of Apple's groundbreaking offering that literally resurrected the tablet industry from moribund to nuclear (Microsoft had a tablet out there, but the sales were non-existent).

Rumors are rampant regarding the new tablet. For example:

- A new, larger screen
- a new, but sharper, smaller screen
- 4G connectivity
- No 4G connectivity
- All metal chassis
- Siri voice control included (currently only in the iPhone4S)
- The "old" iPad2 will be an entry level model at a lower price.

Is this the new iPad3? Good Question.
(empowernetwork.com)

Which rumor do you listen to and which ones do you dismiss as wishful thinking or pure fantasy? I don't know- I don't think many people do and those in the know work in Cupertino and aren't saying. I would at least look for faster processing, cloud storage and faster connectivity. To me, incorporating Siri is a no-brainer and I would look for some more color choices- like purple (this is my wildcard guess). .

In the end, until the announcement is made, only a few hundred people know for sure. Give it a week or so and soon the world will be chomping at the bit to spend $600(?) dollars for the sexiest tech to come around since the iPad2 hit shelves two years ago.

TechCrunch has a full list of rumors, from the mundane to weird to the practical and you can go to their website here and create your own version of the iPad3 until Apple finally comes down the mountain to present us with a whole different tablet than any of the rumor mills would have us believe.

Call me a dreamer, but I'm still betting on purple.

Motorola Xoom. Finally, a Competitor for iPad? We'll see...

For the past couple of years, the Apple iPad has had the tablet market (which it invented) to itself.

But no more. On the very near horizon, there are dozens and dozens of manufacturers tooling up for their version of the tablet for a piece of the consumer pie and the vast majority of these makers will be using the "Honeycomb" version of the Android opreating system. This is a variation of the same smartphone operating system found on so many cell phones these days. It was especially created for tablets and made available to tablet makers for free.



The Motorola Xoom
(source: Motorola)



Why free? Android is an open source software, meaning that anyone who wants to use it may- at no cost. This can save a tech company hundreds of millions in development costs and allows small companies to play in the same playground as the big boys.

The first player to produce a Honeycomb tablet (all previous Android tablets ran on ver. 2.2, a smartphone-only version scaled up for tablets) hits the market next month and it's called the Motorola Xoom.

 Pronounced "zoom", Mototrola hopes this newest entry will be the first to take away marketshare from Apple and give them a leg up on the competition. Problem is, no one outside of Motorola has had a chance to use one yet, so no reviews are available.

For the latest on the Xoom, click here for information on specs, pricing and availablity and make a decision for yourself if the Xoom makes your heart zoom or fizzles to a pop.

An iPad competitor for $150! No. Wait. Really?

Yep. Well- kinda. Sort of. Not really...well OK, it kinda is.

The Augen Gen Touch is a 7" screen that is loaded with Android software (Google's answer to Apple's iPhone software) and it retails for about $350 less than the Apple. This means that you could buy 3 Augens for the price of ONE iPad. It has a few basic apps pre-installed and allows you to go to the Android apps store and browse/buy more than 60,000 additional apps (some free, some cheap, some pricey).

How can they do this? I don't know, but the screen is smaller and Android is pretty much free to developers. I originally saw this in a Kmart Sunday ad on my kitchen table and thought it would be a joke, but there is a video review of the product over at Engadget and it seems to have a fairly positive opinion of the device. The review isn't written by Engadget staffers, but by a Engadget reader who submitted his own video. He turns on the Augen, performs a web browse and even shows his iPad next to it for comparison's sake.

Does it work? It seems to work just fine, but with the caveat that $150 won't buy you the same speed and battery life of an iPad. But for the money, it seems to be a decent buy. Don't expect grantite-like build quality or a glass screen- that costs money, my friend. But, if the video review is any indication, $150 might just get you something that works OK.

And for many of us, that's money well spent.

What the heck is an iPad?

Recently, Apple debuted the iPad. To me, it looks like an iPod Touch on steriods. So, what's the big deal, right? Apparently, plenty. With the ability to do everything a smaller iPod can do, the iPad (was that really the best name they could come up with?) is so much more. After sifting through a bunch of websites detailing the advantages in geek-speak, I found one that explains exactly what the iPad is, what it can do and why the Apple fan base is ga-ga over it.

Me? I'm still not so sure. It can't play back Flash video (for instance, all of YouTube uses flash to play their videos- at least for now), doesn't have a camera for stills or video chat (talking to and seeing each other over an internet connection) and it truly seems to me like a huge iPod Touch.

Click on the link and decide for yourself.