Surface Pro 3
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Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 is coming to the NFL sidelines
With NFL teams set to kick off their pre-season next week, Microsoft today announced that the Surface Pro 2 won't be used during games anymore. Instead, the upcoming 2015-2016 season will see its Sideline Viewing System, which lets players and coaches review game photos instantly, be powered by Surface Pro 3s for the first time. But that's not the only change being made. Microsoft and the NFL are also going to start testing video as part of the Sideline Viewing System, including replays of questionable calls that referees can watch via the custom-made device. Even though this is only going to be a test run (over 20 pre-season games), it will be a significant move if it ends up being implemented in the regular season. Microsoft's laptop/tablet hybrid has already replaced the traditional paper method for most teams, and it could do the same with monitors on the field -- the current way of watching replays by officials.
Microsoft ramping up its anti-Apple ad blitz
With the holiday shopping season just around the corner, Microsoft's anti-Apple ad blitz is slowly but surely picking up steam. Over the past two-and-a-half weeks, the folks up in Redmond have released three commercials which poke fun at the iPhone and, somewhat curiously, the MacBook Air. As far as tech advertisements go, Microsoft's trio of commercials aren't too shabby, if only because the company has seemingly realized that touting the benefits of Microsoft Office isn't the most engaging, creative, or effective way to lure users away from competing devices. Here's what we got. Earlier this month, Microsoft released the following ad pitting the MacBook Air against the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro laptop. It's a nice ad, and it certainly plays to the Lenovo's strengths. Still, with a sticker price of US$1,299, I'm not entirely sure that the machine's "multi-mode flexibility" will cause prospective MacBook Air consumers to second guess their interest in a Mac. The Lenovo Yoga 3 might be thinner and lighter than the MacBook Air, and sure, it may also have a few sleek yoga moves up its sleeve, but it still runs Windows which is more than enough to turn off potential MacBook Air buyers. Nonetheless, the Yoga 3 looks like a sleek machine and the commercial does an exemplary job of introducing it. About one week ago, Microsoft released a Surface Pro 3 ad poking fun at the MacBook Air. Anchored by a jingle sung to the tune of "Winter Wonderland", the ad touts the Surface Pro 3's power, its multitouch screen, its USB port (though the MacBook Air has 3 itself), and oddly enough, the device's kickstand. While the ad itself is decent, I can't help but think that Microsoft's strategy of positioning the Surface Pro 3 against a traditional laptop furthers a debate that no one is really having. Microsoft is still all-in on the idea of a laptop/tablet hybrid despite no strong evidence that consumers are actually interested in such a device in the first place. Still, the commercial plays to the Surface Pro 3's strengths and differentiating features. Most recently, Microsoft rolled out an ad which takes jabs at Siri, highlighting how it doesn't support contextual reminders and unprompted traffic advice. Based on the above commercials, it appears that Microsoft is intent on fighting simultaneous battles on two fronts; attacking both the iPhone and the iPad. On the smartphone front, Windows Phone has less than 5% marketshare and it's hard to envision a scenario where Microsoft, despite all of its marketing muscle, can effectively chip away at the marketshare currently enjoyed by Apple and a slew of Android manufacturers. On the tablet front, it's interesting that Microsoft isn't pitting the Surface Pro 3 against the iPad, but rather against the MacBook Air. Thus far, the Surface Pro 3 appears to be Microsoft's most successful tablet yet, though given previous Surface sales, that's not really saying much.
Microsoft is doing great, and so are Surface Pro 3 and Office 365
The cloud has been a solid source of income for Microsoft in recent times, and while the company is still in the middle of a huge transition, the future is looking bright under recently appointed CEO Satya Nadella. Today, Microsoft released its earnings report for the first fiscal 2015 quarter, with the main takeaway being the growth of its Devices and Consumer revenue by 47 percent, to $10.96 billion, bringing the total to $23.20 billion in overall revenue, a 25 percent increase compared to the same period last year. In other words, business is superb over in Redmond.
New Microsoft Surface Pro 3 ads target the MacBook Air
Microsoft today launched three new ads for its Surface Pro 3 tablet that compares the device to Apple's MacBook Air. The MacBook Air is featured prominently in all three ads, appearing side-by-side to a Surface Pro 3 equipped with a keyboard and stylus. The ads focus on how the Surface Pro 3 is both a tablet and a laptop, with touchscreen support, pen input and other features that the MacBook Air lacks. Microsoft uses the opportunity to take a few jabs at Apple, claiming in its "Crowded" advertisement that with a Surface Pro 3 "You are more powerful than you think," which is a thinly veiled reference to Apple's recent "Powerful" ads for the iPhone 5s. You can watch the three ads, titled "Crowded," "Head to Head," and "Power," below. Let us know what you think in the comments.
Here's what our readers are saying about the Surface Pro 3
With the Surface Pro 3, Microsoft tried yet again to build a tablet that can replace your laptop, but critics found it fell just shy of that goal. Engadget's own Dana Wollman said that despite being "easier than ever to use as a tablet," the Surface still has some "serious usability flaws," including a keyboard that "offers a subpar typing experience and a frustrating trackpad." CNET liked the keyboard, but says that the Pro 3 "still doesn't fit perfectly on the lap" and that it's "more successful as a tablet than a laptop replacement." But despite these issues, there's still plenty to like about the Surface Pro 3, as evidenced by the readers who added the Pro 3 to their have list and wrote a user review recounting their experiences.
Microsoft offering MacBook Air owners up to $650 in credit towards Surface Pro 3 purchase
In an effort to generate interest in its Surface Pro 3 tablet, Microsoft is offering owners of select MacBook Air models upwards of $650 in trade-in credit. Now why would the folks at Redmond be trying to entice laptop owners with a tablet? Well, Microsoft, in stark contrast to Apple, views its Surface product line as a laptop/tablet hybrid that combines the best of both into a single device. Is the Surface Pro 3 a device that can legitimately replace a MacBook Air? I'm beyond skeptical myself, but we'll see how the promotion actually pans out. As for the promotional details, the offer is valid up until July 31 and, it should go without saying, only working MacBook Air models will be eligible. Recall that Microsoft ran a similar program last Fall when it offered iPad users $200 in store credit if they brought in an old iPad 2, 3 or 4.
Ditching the MacBook Air for Microsoft's Surface Pro 3
I, like many others, participated in what could be called the unofficial Surface Pro 3 challenge: trading in my regular laptop for the company's new device for a week, with the intent of doing all my work on the new notebook-tablet hybrid. Well, here I am, six days in, back writing on my MacBook Air. I didn't want to give up or cheat, but there are deadlines to meet, and I simply don't have enough hours in a day to pound out posts on the Pro 3's flimsy Type Cover keyboard.
Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 now available to pre-order
Microsoft's intimate Surface event didn't reveal the smaller tablet many expected, instead it went much bigger. In an attempt to capitalize on early buzz for its new super-thin 12-inch slate, the company today opened pre-orders for the Surface Pro 3, Surface Pro Type Cover and Surface Pen in 22 countries worldwide. The Core i7 Surface Pro 3 is now available on the Microsoft Store in both 256GB and 512GB variants, starting at $1,549/£1,339 with an estimated August 31st ship date. The $799/£639 64GB Core i3 model is expected to ship around the same time, although the Core i5 versions of the Surface Pro 3, Surface Pro Type Cover, Surface Pen and Pen Loop will make their way to you a little earlier, shipping by June 20th. Customers in China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan will have to wait until August to get their hands on the biggest, highest-resolution Surface yet.
Hands-on with Microsoft's Surface Pro 3
So, it wasn't the Surface Mini we were expecting. But hey, we got fresh hardware, so that's all that matters. The new Surface Pro 3 isn't the smallest tablet Microsoft has made -- in fact, it's the biggest, with a 12-inch, 2,160 x 1,440 screen. But if you think it's just a blown-up version of the old model, you'd be wrong. In addition to being the biggest, highest-res Surface, it also brings new pen tech, a new kickstand and a new keyboard, to boot. Also, it's surprisingly thin and light, considering this thing is big and powerful enough to replace a full-fledged Ultrabook. As a heads-up, we're taking a device home from today's press event, so you can expect to see a full review on our site soon. In the meantime, though, here are some early impressions to tide you over.
Microsoft just showed how light its new Surface is by comparing it to a MacBook
Listen, I might write for an Apple website, but I have a lot of respect for Microsoft. I'm a longtime Xbox fan and I have a Windows gaming PC that I adore with all of my heart. That being said, the company's tablet game could use some improvement. For example: the company's iPad competitor, the Surface Pro 3, which was just announced in a special event. As expected, the slate is thinner than its predecessor, but not nearly as thin as the iPad Air. It's also heavier than the iPad, but that doesn't make for a very compelling stage presentation, so Microsoft's Panos Panay did the next best thing: he compared its weight to that of a MacBook Air. But rather than just say that it's lighter than the MacBook, he had an old-timey scale on stage to prove his point. On one side was the new Surface Pro 3 tablet, and on the other was a 13" MacBook Air -- which, it's important to remember, is the larger of the Air options. Huh. Well, OK then. Microsoft's aim in all of this seems to be that the Surface Pro 3 is a laptop replacement, rather than an iPad competitor, so directly comparing it to a MacBook might seem like a solid move. However, the Surface Pro 3 on the scale didn't have the keyboard case equipped, while the MacBook, of course, has its full keyboard along for the ride at all times. A useless comparison? I have to think so, and the Twitter reactions from the tech crowd at the event were a mix of hilarity and confusion at the odd head-to-head. I guess we'll see if this helps them move more tablets, but history hasn't exactly been kind to the Surface line. UPDATE: Later in the event, the scale was revisited to show that the tablet with keyboard case equipped was indeed still lighter than the larger MacBook Air... though there was still no mention of head-to-head comparison with the iPad. [Photo credit: TechCrunch]
Adobe is working on a touch-friendly, full-powered version of Photoshop CC
Microsoft is breaking out the big guns for the launch Surface Pro 3. It trotted out creative software powerhouse Adobe to show off a new version of Photoshop CC it's got in the works. This edition is designed specifically for use with a touchscreen and stylus. Icons and other UI elements have been doubled in size so that they're easier to tap with a free finger and gestures like pinch-to-zoom work flawlessly. And this isn't some hobbled, half-featured version like Photoshop Express or Photoshop Touch. What's more, it should be ready to support high-density displays like the one found on the new Surface. While the focus today may have been on how the Creative Cloud app would work on Microsoft hardware, it should excite avid Adobe users regardless of what brand PC they rely on. The lack of touch and high-density display support has been a bit of a pain point. And don't worry, there's "more on the way" according to Michael Goff. Besides, the tiles for other Adobe CC apps that popped up during the demo kinda gave that away.
Microsoft wants its new pen to be a big part of the Surface Pro 3
Satya Nadella and his team are hosting an event in New York City, where Microsoft has already revealed its Surface Pro 3. Not surprisingly, the company's placing a lot of focus on the integrated pen. "When you hold a pen in your hand, it has to feel light," said Panos Panay on stage. But what exactly is Microsoft doing to make this happen? Well, according to Panay, it is very important to know that the Surface Pro 3's pen is "not a stylus," but rather meant to mimic a real, ink-based pen, with a similar form factor and weight.
