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Uncategorized Tuesday, June 19th 2012 at 8:35 am

Microsoft’s Ad for the New Surface Tablet Thing is Aggressive

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After much mystery and speculation, Microsoft announced a new class of tablet computers it calls Surface. With a magnetic keyboard cover, multitouch, and a slick OS, it’s a bold move from the mighty Microsoft. So, how does Redmond decide to introduce the Surface to everyone that didn’t watch the product announcement yesterday? Well, do you remember on The Simpsons when Homer buys a super-arty Mr. Plow ad?

On the ad’s YouTube page, Microsoft follows up the ad with this little poem:

A tablet that’s a unique expression of entertainment and creativity.

A tablet that works and plays the way you want.

A new type of computing. Surface.

This ad is cool and all (in sort of a grey, industrial, Prometheus kind of way), but my beef with it is that is so centered on the design of the Surface. It shows us a keyboard, it shows us colored keyboards, and it shows us a built-in stand. But after a minute of advertisement, I don’t really get what I am supposed to do with this thing. In short, I still don’t get Surface.

Though this is only the first ad of what will surely be a long-running campaign, I feel like Microsoft should have turned down the artiness and shown the thing in use. Demonstrate how it works, and how it works in people’s lives. When Apple rolled out the iPad, they eschewed 1984-style artistry and showed off pure functionality — which I think helped explain to the public what they were trying to sell.

Personally, I really want to like Surface, but right now I feel more confused about it than ever.

(All Things D via Techmeme)

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  • Volcrush

    it’s a tablet. you do tablet stuff. what’s not to get.

  • Noone’s FanBoi

    well, they are making up ground with Apple in the tablet arena, so it makes sense they would almost overkill on the artiness of their initial ad.  plus, who doesn’t like suspense?  

  • Smitelight

    I hate Apple products and I hate to be that guy, but isn’t the whole magnetic case/keyboard thing old hat for the iPad now?  Why focus on that for your new tablet?
    Volcrush: Because the only reason to choose one tablet over another, aside from OS, is the hardware.

  • Mike R

    My only issue with the launch is Microsoft didn’t explain how Surface would unify the experience across multiple platforms. My xbox is quickly becoming the center of my living room entertainment. If they want RT to succeed, it must seamlessly tie into xbox! Android just sucks an Ios has no real computing power. RT will most likely not have much computing power either so it must have a strong cloud and tie in to the other devices Microsoft already has in millions of homes.

    Pro on the other hand is an automatic win if battery life and windows 8 are executed well.

  • Jack Bond

    Sooo it’s a touch screen laptop… Those things have been around for years. Why should I trust that it’s going to catch on after Microsoft’s past performance?

  • Jay_rush

    OMFG!! a screen with a keyboard!! :O .. have we all gone totally F*&*$n stupid??.. now we have a laptop with an extra stand. we had laptops, netbooks and they changes to tablets for a couple years and they introduce a tablet with a keyboard, and were all like the tiny aliens on toy story.  ”WOOOOOW O.O ”  after 6 years of this they might invent a screen with out a keyboard. burn them!! their witches!! xD

  • http://twitter.com/theomniarch Adil Kurji

    Having an magnetic screen protector that doubles as a stand != a slimline fully functioning keyboard that appears when needed and is part of the device from the outset. The software is also based on having this option etc.

  • Pistol Pete

    Originally Surface was a retail product.. for ordering food, for scanning credit cards, even for sensing when your glass needed a refill.

    They adapted that tech into a tablet PC with a different hardware profile than the iPad.  What remains to be seen is does it work like the iPad, with integration into all your other devices.