This is a story about software, but it begins with hardware. On Monday, Microsoft unveiled its first ever Windows PC that it built from the ground up, the new Surface tablet. It’s a bold move for a company that built an international monopoly on the backs of its partners, relying for decades on guys like IBM, Dell, and HP, to now focus on actual moving parts. Growing increasingly frustrated and impatient on the sidelines, the company is finally taking destiny into its own hands. Watch out Tim Cook. Microsoft builds stuff now.It’s a big deal because Surface, at first glance, looks like at least a half-decent product, one that more or less matches Apple’s latest iPad pound for pound — the RT model is actually a tad slimmer — and, despite its universal form factor, still exudes plenty of personality. This is no mere clone.As an owner of the original iPad, I’ve often felt like a flailing newborn on a tablet. (First world problem? Sure.) Yeah, it’s great for reading emails, but for responding? Not so much. Yes, I could more easily browse Reddit on the toilet or secretly read Twilight during the morning commute, but it’s not like I was ever going to do serious business on the thing. The iPad was, and in many ways still is a luxury device; more oversized phone than stripped down laptop. It’s certainly convenient but not entirely necessary. About a year ago, mine stopped charging. I forgot about it quickly.Read the rest over at Motherboard
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