Still looking for a home.
Microsoft Microsoft today announced a second generation of its Surface tablets and, as expected, the devices are largely upgraded models of the previous versions. Its PR people are quick to talk about what’s new: A more powerful processor, longer battery life, and an upgraded GPU, for starters. Microsoft wants us to know that the new Surface comes with the full Office suite and is “a beastâ€, according to Panos Panay, a corporate vice president with Microsoft and the boss behind Surface.
But is a “beast†what people want in a tablet?
The new Surface â€" and not just the Surface Pro â€" are clearly meant to be tools for productivity. Panos demonstrated the tablet’s ability to run all of the Office apps at the same time, which in some sense is actually impressive. But the problem is that tablets, by their nature, aren’t meant to be productive. Tablets are â€" for the most part â€" consumption devices, not work devices.
Sure, one would want to occasionally glance at or make minor edits to a spreadsheet or Word doc while on the go, but most tablets are used while reclining, not sitting at a desk as the Surface’s new kickstand would have us think. Tablets are what we call “lean back†devices, whereas traditional computers are “lean forward†devices. What Microsoft has created in the Surface is a “lean forward†tablet, which simply doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Yes, there are plenty of games and other apps for Windows 8.1 on the Surface. Yes, it can be a “lean back†device, and in some ways it is. But if that was Microsoft’s focus, then why is it playing up the professional and productive aspects of the tablet, such as Office and the (admittedly cool) new kickstand and the add-on keyboards?
As one friend of mine who works at Microsoft recently told me, “The Office guys see Office on everything,†and that can create bias through which devices are designed. What Microsoft needs to do for the next version of the Surface is to take the MBAs and Office guys off of the hardware design teams and replace them with more of the creative types that have made the new Windows Phone and Xbox devices so drool-worthy.
The best part is, Microsoft might be doing exactly that. With the recently-announced reorganizations at the company and its recent purchase of Nokia Nokia’s hardware business, the next version of Surface just might be the tablet that tablet customers want. The third time, they say, is a charm.
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