Tag Archives: SurfaceForWindowsRt

Engadget’s tablet buyer’s guide: winter 2013 edition

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DNP Engadget's tablet buyer's guide winter 2013 edition

As we begin 2013, we're stuck in a kind of tablet limbo. Most companies rushed to get devices out for the fall, while the models we saw at CES 2013 aren't yet shipping. As such, it's a mostly familiar deck, with Apple, Google and Microsoft once again striving for the top spot. That said, there are new entries from Amazon and ASUS, and many of us who didn't score some sweet loot this holiday season have a slate-sized pile of cash to spend. If you're in that situation, continue on for our first tablet guide of 2013.

Note: If you're looking for tablets with an Atom or Core i5 CPU, you'll find those in our forthcoming laptop buyer's guide, since they have the same guts as notebooks (or netbooks, in some cases). For the purposes of this tablet guide, we define tablets as slate-type devices with low-power ARM processors.

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Engadget’s tablet buyer’s guide: fall 2012 edition

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DNP Engadget's tablet buyer's guide fall 2012 edition

Three months is a long time in tablet-land, it seems. Since we last brought you a buyer's guide, a few things have changed. In fact, this is probably the biggest shake-up yet, with not only the long-rumored iPad mini making an appearance, but also new offerings from two other big guns -- Microsoft and Google. Oh, and that means there's a whole new species of device altogether. With Windows RT finally shipping, there's new hardware to go with it, and we expect to see more popping up on the list in the months to come. This is all good news for you prospective tablet owners, as more competition can only mean more choice. With more options, though, comes more confusion. That's where we come in, armed with a few notable picks. Read on to find out what made the cut this season.

Continue reading Engadget's tablet buyer's guide: fall 2012 edition

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Engadget's tablet buyer's guide: fall 2012 edition originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Nov 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft Surface with Windows RT review

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Microsoft Surface with Windows RT review

When Microsoft unveiled its Surface tablets with a flashy, top secret Los Angeles event, it didn't just mark the beginning of a new (and utterly critical) phase for the history of the company. It marked the repurposing of a name that was already quite familiar to us -- though in the guise of a big table. That device lives on as PixelSense, thus putting a period at the end of one definition of the word, a definition Microsoft kindly requests we put behind us as we move on to something that is wholly different.

This new Surface device could be said to relate more closely to the active form of the word in question. That is, the verb: to rise up -- for something to appear that was not there before. It's a very apt definition for what Microsoft is doing, attempting to go from zero to hero on the tablet hardware front in just one shot. Is this, the Surface for Windows RT, good enough to erase decades of mediocre touchscreen Windows devices? Will it help Microsoft and its latest operating systems float up to the top of the tablet hierarchy? Your answers lie just below the break.

Gallery: Surface with Windows RT review

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Microsoft Surface with Windows RT review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pre-orders for Microsoft Surface with Windows RT start shipping

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DNP Microsoft Surface shipping

If you're one of the many people who pre-ordered Microsoft's Surface with Windows RT, you could be getting your tablet just in time for its official October 26th ship date -- and perhaps even before then. According to a few reader tips and a confirmation email sent to WP Central, those tablets are indeed in the shipping stages and could arrive as early as next week depending on your selected delivery method. While there have been reports of delays in UK and Canada, those were apparently incorrect, and we have no reason to believe the US shipments won't be on time. That said, if you haven't pre-ordered and you want one soon, you better get a move on -- Microsoft's store currently shows that Surface RT with touch cover bundles are shipping in one to two weeks while standalone units are set to ship in three weeks. Or maybe you can cross your fingers and hope you're one of five million to find one gift-wrapped under the tree.

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Pre-orders for Microsoft Surface with Windows RT start shipping originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Oct 2012 20:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft Surface pre-orders in Canada, UK are not delayed (Update)

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Microsoft Surface preorderers in Canada, UK report release dates pushed back to November 2nd

Microsoft's Surface for Windows RT appears to be flying off the virtual shelves, however it seems some of the customers who've pre-ordered will be waiting about a week longer than they thought. We've received several tips from readers in Canada and the UK indicating they've received emails (as seen above, check after the break for similar reports from Twitter) explaining that their tablets will be shipping on November 2nd, instead of October 26th as originally scheduled when they put their requests in days ago. There's no reason currently listed for the delay, however we have contacted Microsoft for further comment on the situation. Currently the Surface is listed as completely sold out on the UK and Canada Microsoft Store sites, and in the US all three variants are no longer promised for delivery on release date. It's been reported that Microsoft is building up to five million of the devices for launch this fall, hopefully they can all find their way to good homes sooner rather than later.

Update: A Microsoft spokesperson has responded, informing us that the emails sent out were incorrect, so "all customers should expect their devices by the original date given." It will be following up with customers to let them know their shipping date has not changed, and you can read the full statement for yourself after the break.

[Thanks to Jack, everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Microsoft Surface pre-orders in Canada, UK are not delayed (Update)

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Microsoft Surface pre-orders in Canada, UK are not delayed (Update) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Oct 2012 03:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft reportedly building up to 5 million Surface tablets for the fall

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Microsoft reportedly building up to 5 million Surface tablets for the fall

Just how confident is Microsoft that its Surface tablets will take off? To the tune of 3 to 5 million units shipped in the fall alone, according to the Wall Street Journal's supplier contacts. While that wouldn't be much when Apple already ships more than three times as many iPads, even discounting the supposed 10 million tiny iPads coming this fall, it would represent a strong start for a company that's only just dipping its toes into own-brand computing. Microsoft isn't confirming any numbers at this stage, but the large production volume might explain that Busby Berkeley-style TV ad -- you'd want a full song and dance routine if you had that many Surfaces to sell.

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Microsoft reportedly building up to 5 million Surface tablets for the fall originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 10:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft airs its first Surface tablet ad, focuses on keyboard, kickstand and… dancers?

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Microsoft airs its fist Surface tablet ad, focuses on keyboard, kickstand and dancers

Considering how interested we are in trying out Microsoft's new Surface Windows 8 tablets, it turns out we should've been practicing the art of dance instead of blogging. The first TV spot for the tablets aired tonight during Dancing with the Stars, fitting, since it featured an entire troupe of dancers and was directed by Jon Chu, best known for his work on flicks like the Step Up series and Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. While it didn't expose any deep details about the hardware, its potential pricetag or the software running on it, it appears Microsoft will separate itself from the pack based on that slick Touch Cover, Type Cover and kickstand. At the end it teases "coming 10/26" and promises a future behind the scenes video from the ad, but that's it. Check out the minute-long spot itself embedded after the break and let us know if you spot any new information about the slate.

Continue reading Microsoft airs its first Surface tablet ad, focuses on keyboard, kickstand and... dancers?

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Microsoft airs its first Surface tablet ad, focuses on keyboard, kickstand and... dancers? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 23:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft gifts full-time employees with Surface tablets, Windows 8 phones and PCs

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Microsoft gifts all 90,000 employees with Surface tablets plus Windows 8 phones and PCs

Reprising a Windows Phone 7 giveaway from back in 2010, Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer announced at the company's annual event that all 90,000 or so full-time employees are getting a taste of its latest hardware. That's one Surface for Windows RT tablet and Windows Phone 8 phone (we're told that last time around these came with two year contracts) in late December, along with a new touch compatible office computer running Windows 8, presumably arriving sooner. Forbes indicates those PCs can be a desktop, laptop, ultrabook or tablet, and we have a pic of one employee's new Lenovo-built slate running Windows 8 on a Core i7 CPU with 8GB of RAM after the break. Pulling an Oprah, again, isn't just one way to improve employee morale, it also ensures everyone's familiar with the new products as they roll out and are ready to tell people about them. Will that provide the necessary bump to catch up with the competition from Apple and Google? Only time will tell, but if you're wondering what to say when someone asks if every single person wants a Surface then our advice follows after the break.

Gallery: Microsoft Employee meeting Windows 8 gifts



[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Microsoft gifts full-time employees with Surface tablets, Windows 8 phones and PCs

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Microsoft gifts full-time employees with Surface tablets, Windows 8 phones and PCs originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 01:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows 8 RT tablets to sell for $300 less than Intel-based counterparts, says Lenovo exec

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Windows 8 RT tablets to sell for $300 less than Intel-based counterparts, says Lenovo exec

Microsoft and its OEM partners haven't been particularly forthcoming on how much the first round of Windows 8 tablets are going to cost, but one Lenovo executive just gave us a hint. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, David Schmoock, Senior VP of Lenovo's North American division, said that full-on Windows 8 tablets would ring up between $600 and $700, noting that ARM-based Windows RT slates would sell for $200 to $300 less. "RT will play in consumer and retail at very aggressive price points," he said. This echoes previous reports that suggested Microsoft would introduce the Surface with a competitive $200 price tag. The Lenovo VP didn't reveal any specific prices, of course, but his estimates would put the ThinkPad Tablet 2 somewhere between $300 and $500. Schmoock also commented on Ultrabook sales, stating that he didn't think Intel would meet its lofty saturation goals: 40 percent of the market by the end of 2012. "They'll be a lot bigger than they are now," he admitted, "but I don't know if it will get all the way up to 40 percent."

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Windows 8 RT tablets to sell for $300 less than Intel-based counterparts, says Lenovo exec originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 02:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft Surface for Windows RT tablet coming October 26th for $199?

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We'll admit to being a little blown away when Microsoft launched the Surface -- it was an impressively polished tablet that we had heard barely a whisper of leading up to the mysterious launch event. But, there was one thing that we were still left wondering: how much would it cost? Now, with Acer getting all in a huff about competition and Microsoft conceding that some OEMs might be a little upset when this thing ships, we might just have an idea for you. According to an inside source, a session was held at Microsoft's recent TechReady15 conference in which all the launch details were laid out. If things go according to the plan detailed then, the Surface for Windows RT tablet will be launching October 26th -- no surprise there -- at a compelling price of $199.

That MRSP, almost certainly lower than Microsoft's own cost, would line it up against the Nexus 7 and even the Kindle Fire. It would put Windows 8 on the map in a big way and give a lot of people a lot of reason to try out an operating system that is going to feel rather different than previous incarnations. The question is: will it drive enough sales of media and apps for Microsoft to recoup its loss? Or, will companies like Acer put up enough of a fight in the months between now and October to keep Microsoft from undercutting its own partners? We'll find out soon, dear readers.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Microsoft Surface for Windows RT tablet coming October 26th for $199? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 11:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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