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. 

Amazon Kindle Fire vs Google Nexus 7. Which is better?

Last year, Amazon shocked the gadget loving world when they debuted the Amazon Kindle Fire, small form factor computer tablet with a 7" screen, 8G of storage and the ability play games, read books and playback movies on demand. Amazon offered all of this for the small form factor price of less than $200(US).

Kindle Fire- Not bad at all.
(amazon.com)

At first, Amazon barely broke even on each Fire sold and made a bet it would make a profit from apps, movies books and other items purchased from Amazon itself. Now, the parts used to make the Fire have dropped in price and Amazon is actually making a modest profit on each Fire it sells plus the app store money it banks every day.

The Nexus 7- Looking good.
(pocket-lint.com)

Not to be outdone, Google has now put its Nexus 7 on the market to compete with the Fire. Same size screen, but with the guts of its more powerful, and larger (10.1") competitors that allows it to process video, audio and other data more quickly. The Nexus 7 also has a better screen with higher definition and uses the latest iteration of the Android operating system called "Jellybean". Plus, Google sells the Nexus 7 for the same low price as the Fire- $200.

Uh-oh. two competitors for the exact same price? This looks like a battle royal of 7" tablets! How do you, as a consumer, make a smart buying decision when choosing between these two mini-tablets? Which one is the better choice? Which one is best for you and finally, which one should you buy?

Wired.com has compared these two tablets and has the scoop on both and what they offer to customers looking for a quality experience in the smaller tablet form.
Go there now to read the article and decide for yourself.

Oh- one more thing...

Rumors are strong in the computer world Apple will soon introduce a 7" tablet of their own. A mini-iPad would really cause a ruckus and turn the market on its ear.

Things are heating up! Stay tuned...

Google Nexus 7- The Kindle Fire starts to feel the heat.

In the beginning, there was the Kindle Fire. It cost $200 and delivered the kind of experience that made it a runaway bestseller. It could do all kinds of light duty computing- more than enough for most people who weren't looking for the high-zoot power of an Apple iPad (or the high-zoot price either).

Well, it took awhile but competitors are starting to appear in the marketplace to challenge the Fire for a prime place under the tree next Christmas. This week, Google introduced the Nexus 7, a small form tablet sized like the Fire and priced like it too- a mere $200 for a 8G version ($250 for the 16G). The screen is 7" inches across and is as thin as an iPhone.

If my wife is reading this, here is my hint for Christmas.
(google.com)

The Nexus 7 can do most of the things other tablets can do like display ebooks and magazines, play movies and install more than 600,000 Android Apps from the Google Play market of apps. But, The Nexus 7 comes with the next generation of the Android operating system called Jellybean that boasts features like Google Now and 10 hours of e-reading and web browsing (but "only" 8 hours of HD video).

But does it seems that 8G or 16G may not be enough to store books, music, apps and the other ephemera required to make the tablet experience satisfying? No worries- the Nexus 7 uses "tons of free" (Google's words) cloud storage to hold most of your data so you never have to worry about running out of space for all of your Grateful Dead bootleg tapes or having to pick only a few of your favorite Scooby Doo episodes. Now, you can keep them all ready, as much as you want, whenever you want.

The good news is you can preorder now and get $25 of Google Play credit to add the apps of your choice and be the first on your block to get what looks to be the start of a beautiful friendship. Go to Google's announcement here for a better look at all the specs, accessories and the preorder page so you can get your Nexus 7 by the end of July.

Want to read a review of the Google Nexus 7? Cnet.com has both a video and text review here. 

The ball is now in Amazon's court. We know there's a new Fire in the works and you can be sure the next year is sure to be interesting for the winners.

Winners? Sure. You know, people who buy these things like you and me. 

An Android tablet alternative to the iPad from Archos.

Think tablet and most of us think iPad. This isn't surprising as iPad has had a long time to build the name recognition and ingrain itself into the mind of the consumer. Those who build Android devices have only now gotten started on producing competitors that even start to approch the capabilities and ease of use of Apple's offering.

Looking on the horizon, there are literally hundreds of models just out of sight that are ready for their debut in the marketplace. By this time next year, we'll be knee deep in 5, 7, 10 and even 12" Android devices. But, there is a manufacturer that offers Android tablets right now and in a variety of sizes too.

Their biggest problem? Marketing.

Archos has been around for years and virtually no one had heard of them in the United States (have you?)and that's a shame. With offerings that range from MP3 players no larger than a stick of gum to full sized tablets , Archos seems to be running under the radar of the common consumer.

Sticking to the Android theme, Archos has platforms with 2.5". 3.2" and 4.3" screens that appear and operate exactly like a typical Android cell phone- without the phone part. Relying on wifi for an internet connection, these are able to use most of the same apps with the same performance and results as a $75/mo. cell phone would provide.

Moving up in size, 5, 7 and 10 inch models are available that mimic the tablet form factor and some of them have memory up to 250G in size (the iPad maxes out at 64G).

The Archos 101 internet tablet
(source: Engadget)

Is it better than the iPad? No- not yet. Most of the tablets aren't on the Honeycomb version of Android software (yet) and the ease of use may not be at the Apple level for awhile. But for those of use who could use the utility of the Apps without the inflated costs of cell phone service, the Archos line deserves your consideration, especially when you consider the model most comparable to the iPad (the 10" model) comes in at $300 less than the model from Cupertino.

I'm looking at getting one to keep near the couch upstairs for casual browsing, checking e-mail and other impulsive, light duty computer use.

BTW, I found an interesting review of the internet tablet in the photo. Go here to see it.

Go to the Archos site here and maybe next time someone mentions a tablet computer, you'll think of more than the iPad.