First look ... Microsoft Surface

Technology Writer

Saturday 23 June 2012

Microsoft hit the road this week, taking its latest offering down the Pacific coast from Washington to Los Angeles.

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grant gibson

But it wasn't pushing its latest version of Windows or an Xbox games console – it has created its own computer.

It's a big departure for the company which has built its fortune on licensing software to other manufacturers, but it's also a sign of the times – over the past five years Microsoft has lost significant market share to Apple, a company that prides itself on the seamless integration of hardware and software.

The device – a 10in, tablet-style computer – looks great. Microsoft has made the most of the opportunity to define the hardware, building the Surface out of an ultra-light magnesium alloy and designing hinges that they say are "like those of the finest luxury car".It's not, though, without problems.The first issue is one of perception. The very thing that makes a tablet computer a tablet (and not a laptop) is the absence of a hinged keyboard. Microsoft clearly couldn't imagine life without a set of physical keys, so hid a thin keyboard and touchpad within the protective screen cover. It seems like a neat solution until you step back. Wait a minute; a hinged keyboard makes it a laptop, doesn't it? Not quite – a ridiculous compromise of having the guts of the machine behind the screen is that the keyboard can't support the weight of the upper half, so an awkward rear kickstand is required to use it in laptop mode. Worse, while the stand is fine for use on a desk it looks precarious if used on a lap.The second problem is that Microsoft's launch models – RT and Pro – are completely different beasts. The Pro model uses a conventional Intel processor, runs the latest version of Windows and is essentially a PC in miniature. The RT model, meanwhile, uses a completely different ARM processor and an incompatible version of Windows called Windows RT. Confusingly, while both the hardware and desktop interface of both systems are almost identical, the RT version isn't compatible with PC software. Instead, alternative apps must be purchased and downloaded from the Microsoft online store.Expect to see mass confusion as high-street sales staff attempt to explain that two visually identical devices from the same company are incompatible with each other.Ultimately, the success or failure of the Microsoft Surface will come down to marketing. Can the spin doctors convince consumers that a gadget which is more expensive and less flexible than a high-end netbook is worth a punt?Microsoft Surface, £tbcPositives: high-quality device with exquisite attention to detail.Negatives: perhaps Microsoft have missed the point of a tablet device.

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First look ... Microsoft Surface

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