The Microsoft Surface has been shown off to the world this week as a tablet with promise and one that could potentially be poised to take over a tablet market that is dominated by the Apple iPad and the Amazon Kindle Fire. However, could Microsoft actually pull off creating a tablet to bring it’s deserving mobile device running Windows 8 to the light?
What makes the Microsoft Surface (or any tablet running Windows 8) special?
It is Microsoft, the same company that has held over 90% of the desktop market for years and many more years to come
Unique interface
Intel-based tablets will provide a true desktop experience in the palm of your hands; something that an iOS or Android device will never match
What are potential downfalls of the device?
Price. The Microsoft Surface running Windows 8 Pro will be in the price range of Ultrabooks; which are out of the tablet market. However, the RT version should fall within the range of other comparable tablets; yet, the user will be limited to the Metro interface.
Bottom line:If Microsoft plays it’s cards right they could have a real winner on their hands. However, the pricing of this product with greatly determine it’s success.
iOS 6 is it revolutionary? Are the new MacBook refreshes making you jump for joy? Or are our friends in Cupertino piecing together parts from another mobile operating system and making everything over simplified to try to attract customers?
MacBook Air and MacBook Pro lines have finally been refreshed; in addition the new MacBook Pro with retina display does NOT even include an optical drive; but, you cannot discern the pixels
iOS 6 (200 new features reported) adds adds a Maps application, better Siri integration (launch apps, more language support, iPad support), Facebook integration, Reply with message for phone calls and more.
Bottom line: Are you wowed by the announcements that Apple made? Or are these “improvements” not so new and overpriced? You be the judge.
Voice over IP is evolving with an excellent gem of an app called Sidecar, which is available for Android and iOS devices.
Call quality as you might expect is not better than that of you carrier by any means. On the other hand, it is very good for a Wi-Fi connection; in fact there is an option to increase the quality of the audio, which will use more data. Reviews for the application for Android have came together to form a solid 3.7, which says that although the app is good there is room for improvement.
Aside from calling, users can share video, short messages, and more.
Bottom line: This app is a must have and it really shows the future that is in the palm of technology’s hand. Sidecar will only get better; be that early adopter.
These past few months have riddled the technological world with court case after court case. The strange thing is that Google seems to be in the middle of almost every lawsuit. Why? Here is the breakdown — Android is an open-source operating system built for smartphones. Not only has the Android platform appealed to many users it has appealed to so many that they are shaking up things in the smartphone market and it is making manufacturers and developers upset. So, what do you do when another company innovates faster and more than you?
Innovate and try to become better? No, you take them to court and try to stop their products from being sold.
Oracle claims that Google is infringing on copyright after copyright. Since Android itself is open-source they have used similar lines of code that are allegedly Java-related. The biggest retort from Google is that they did not realize that you could copyright a programming language.
This is equal to the “creator” of the modern English language to sue a man for writing a book that contains certain words and phrases.
Bottom line: It appears that everyone wants a piece of the pie. Just because an entity is open does not mean that it is always stealing from ones that are not. Oracle has proven that Google has infringed in certain areas leading to a partial verdict. Read more [HERE]
Microsoft is really simplifying things this go-around and they are certainly making me proud. Not only is this a very anticipated release of Windows; it is rightfully so. Windows 8 will come in the following versions:
Windows 8
Windows 8 Pro
Windows RT – for tablet devices; will come pre-installed and will not be available for direct purchase
All of the versions will have the metro interface (Windows RT will be limited to just metro) and will be able to run all metro apps. However, Windows 8 and 8 Pro will be limited to the desktop users that require use of the traditional desktop and metro to complete one powerful experience.
Not only does Windows 8 offer a lot of promise for the consumer; it almost offers more for enterprise. This is a REAL tablet that corporations have been waiting for — not some toy like Apple’s iPad. This will put a solution in corporate America’s hand that will allow it to run legitimate software on a mobile device, not just some fancy app with a work-around.
Bottom line: Microsoft will not fail with this release; expect great things from Redmond this year.
Tech for the masses, meant to empower, educate and inform by Dexter Johnson.
What makes the Microsoft Surface (or any tablet running Windows 8) special?
DexJohn's PC 