With recent news indicating Microsoft profits are down, it may seem like Microsoft is once again taking a beating ahead of its Windows 8 launch. However, I took a gander at Microsoft.com's revamped interface and watched the new advertisements for the Microsoft Surface tablet. Overall, I was impressed and stoked for Bill Gates' little company.
For one, the home page for Microsoft is clean and simple and getting to the Surface product specs is straightforward. For all the criticisms leveraged against the new Microsoft logo, I thought it looked all right when framed in a white background. Second, the advertisements for Microsoft's new product actually had the option for users to view it in .wmv, which is definitely a change of pace from being forced to install Microsoft Silverlight. This is especially relevant for devoted Linux users like me who use openSUSE or Ubuntu to browse web sites.
Microsoft Surface advertisements
Disclaimer: I'm not a designer and the closest I ever got to advertising is watching three straight episodes of Mad Men. I liked the old Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates commercials (which I preferred over the "I'm a PC" ads) and thought that although the PC vs. Mac Apple clips were awesome, they were excessive and occasionally cruel. I'm also an iPad 2 owner and a Linux evangelist.
"You call that an ad?"
I don't watch too much TV nor do I visit video sites very often, but I have to admit I actually liked the exuberant, colorful, and fun Microsoft Surface ad. I'm not sure if the magnetic keyboard can disconnect and reconnect to the tablet that easily but I sure hope it will (as shown by the happy users on the commercial). The segment didn't have any narration but used choreography and constant exposure of the product to elicit the mood and drive interest. Moreover, I never forgot for one second it was a Microsoft product. The clever use of executives, students, and professionals all toting the Microsoft Surface spoke volumes about how the product wasn't aimed at only one type of consumer. All in all, the quick video reminded me of the entertaining segment in "Enchanted" where Amy Adams breaks into a song ("That's how you know") in the park with a disgruntled Patrick Dempsey.
"How do you know if Surface is for you?"
Sold out
News reporting that pre-orders for the RT Surface did well isn't an indication of the product becoming successful, but I can't help but feel that as long as Surface works as advertised (durable, stable Windows 8 functionality, good keyboard), people will give it a try.
I don't really need another Windows laptop/netbook/ultraportable or tablet at the moment but I can certainly see how I would use the Surface Pro at work or at home especially since it has a pen(!) included. Surprisingly, the colorful ad illustrates how nice it would be to just plop down, instantly turn on a "computer" and start typing or scribbling without having to use a separate stand or hold the tablet with one hand. The Surface tablet makes a netbook positively bulky for on-the-go writing, coding, and blogging. Obviously, users won't be running Adobe Illustrator on the darn thing, but Windows users often take for granted the wealth of software (free and commercial) that is available for Windows. Even if Windows 8 doesn't come with much apps quite yet, I don't see why you can have a fully-functional system with 64GB of flash storage. With a full USB port available, you can easily connect an external optical drive for installation discs or access ISOs stored in a USB HDD.
To be honest, if I ever purchase a Microsoft Surface tablet, it will be the first Windows system I've ever had which I won't dual-boot with Linux.
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