Tag: tablet

Mario’s Hands-On Review of the Microsoft Surface

by Mario Armstrong

We’ve had the new Microsoft Surface in our hands for a few days but now that the big Microsoft event happened yesterday, we’re finally allowed to share our hands-on experience with the Microsoft Surface tablet!

The new Surface is a big move from Microsoft as they move to compete head-to-head with Apple and Amazon. And the launch corresponds with the brand-new Windows 8 operating system too. In the video, I walk you through how the new Windows (called Windows RT on tablets) is new and different. Plus I demonstrate the innovative new tablet cover that double as keyboards, called the “Touch” and the “Type,!” We also walk us through the App Store, and give you a general “feel” of using the device. It’s not quite the same as trying it out yourself, but it’s close!

The Surface costs $499. If you want to pick one up try the Microsoft site or the Microsoft retail stores.

For a complete comparison of recent tablets, check out our tablet comparison chart where we compare all the major tablets on the market.

Tablet Roundup: We Talk iPad Mini, Kindle Fire, Microsoft Surface & More

by Katherine Elsasser
iPad Mini Mockup by 9to5mac

This is going to be a big week for tech. Huge, even. This week the big guys (Apple, Microsoft, Google) make some of their biggest announcements of the year about devices, all in an effort to get us psyched for the holiday gift-buying season. We’re going to take this (special) occasion to talk in-depth about tablets all week, and compare the features and prices of the leading models that will be out this fall/winter.

Tuesday is the big Apple event, where we expect to see the announcement of the iPad mini and a couple other product updates. We’ll be liveblogging the whole thing, so sign up for our email newsletter or follow us on Twitter and we’ll remind you to tune in. Will we see an iPad under $300? We’ll just have to wait to find out!

Wednesday we’ll go hands-on with Amazon’s competitor, the Kindle Fire. After all, just because Amazon has already made their big announcements doesn’t mean we should ignore the Fire! After all, a year’s data on the Fire is only $50. That’s crazy cheap!

Thursday there are two huge tech events we’ll be covering: the introduction of Microsoft Surface and Windows 8, plus a mystery event being held by Google. We just found out about the Google event, so we haven’t gotten a chance to do a ton of speculating yet, but don’t be surprised if we meet another Google phone. We’ll also go hands-on with the brand new Microsoft Surface to check out the hardware and see if Windows 8 really is the revolution Microsoft needs.

Friday we’ll take a hands-on review of the Google Nexus, Google’s 7″ tablet that’s only $200. After Tuesday’s event, we’ll have a better idea about how the hardware and price compare to Apple’s latest offerings.

Short version: we’re reviewing the leading tablets this week, including the new ones, so you can figure out which one may be right for you this holiday season. Come back all week for up to date coverage of the major device announcements!

TODAY: When is the right time to Upgrade?

by Mario Armstrong

I like to tell people, when considering a product to buy, break it down into a category. Is this a purchase of primary importance? Of secondary importance? Or is it a luxury?

On the TODAY show this morning I had the chance to talk to Matt Lauer about how you should think about smartphones and tablets. When do you upgrade your device? How do you make that upgrade decision? Is there anything you can do/buy to prolong having to make those decisions?

For more info about some recent tablets, phones, and other devices, check out the following links:
– My video review of the Microsoft Surface tablet a serious iPad competitor.
– Our Tablet Buying Guide where we break down price points, features, and specs on all the major tablets.
– CONTEST: I’m giving away 10 smartphone and tablet accessories

Microsoft Announces Surface Starting at $499, Pre-Orders Start Today

by Katherine Elsasser

Microsoft Surface with Touch CoverWe were all set for the Microsoft Surface announcement next week (they sent us an invite and everything) and then all the sudden this morning, we have more details about the device than have leaked out over the last six months.

First off, the 32 GB Microsoft Surface RT will cost you $499. There’s also a 64GB model that will be $599. Both will come pre-loaded with Windows 8 and Windows. Microsoft is also offering 2 different kind of covers, both of which double as keyboards. The touch cover has flat keys that are pressure sensitive, and costs $120. The type cover has more traditional keys that can actually be pushed, and will set you back $130. If you know you’d like both, you can buy the Surface + cover together for $599 (32GB) or $699 (64GB).

Microsoft will be taking pre-orders at Surface.com starting today at 12pm Pacific/3PM Eastern. Devices will then start shipping October 26th. You’ll also be able to purchase the device at one of Microsoft’s new retail stores, if you happen to live near one…and they’re planning to have 44 stores open by the middle of next year, not including temporary holiday stores.

We’ll take more next week about the specs, user experience, hardware and more next week when we attend the Microsoft Windows 8 & Surface event in NYC. Anything you’re excited for? Let us know in the comments!

 

Pre-Order Windows 8 Devices for Small Business from Staples

by Katherine Elsasser

Today Staples started taking Windows 8 pre-orders for a huge variety of devices. It doesn’t officially ship til October 26th, but Windows 8 pre-order will let you be one of the first to get your hands on a brand-new device with Microsoft’s redesigned operating system. There are tons of devices to choose from, from tablets and ultrabooks to high-end touchscreen laptops. Here are a couple of our favorites for mobile productivity:

Staples Windows 8 Pre-Sale Samsung Slate 5
Samsung Series 5
It’s the best of both worlds: the tablet and the laptop. When you pop the tablet into the docking station you get a super-portable laptop that weighs under 2 pounds. Plus it’s designed to work together the the S-Pen stylus, which we love.

Staples Windows 8 Pre-Order Sony VAIO Ultrabook

 

Sony VAIO Touchscreen Ultrabook
This is dedicated 13.3″ Ultrabook that doesn’t sacrifice ports and connections OR processing power to be incredibly portable, making it a good business choice. Weighs in at 3.77 pounds, with a promised 5.5 hours of battery life, making it a good all-around machine.

 

There’s more where that came from! See all of the Windows 8 pre-order devices available from Staples.

Staples Windows 8 Pre-Order Devices

Plus Staples has also announced their free “8 Was Easy” program to make the switch completely painless. They’ll help you set up your new machine to take advantage of Windows 8’s new features and optimize your device’s performance. They’ll also walk you through key new features like the new Windows App Store and Skydrive, Microsoft’s new cloud storage program. AND they’ll help you transfer all of your old data to your new machine or a backup device of your choice for free. That’s a lot of incentive to do your Windows 8 upgrade, especially when you throw in the free phone support!

Click here to pre-order your Windows 8 device before the official launch.

Are you planning to upgrade? What do you think of the new tile layout? What upgrades do you want from Windows 8? Let us know!

Microsoft Windows 8, Surface Coming October 25th

by Katherine Elsasser

windows 8 and surface reception invitationMark your calendars now: we got the official invite to “celebrate” Windows 8 and the Microsoft Surface later this month in NYC! It’ll be an all-day event on October 25th as (presumably) Ballmer and team introduce us to the new Windows operating system that will also be powering a lot of the new smartphones coming for the holiday season (like the HTC 8X that we are very excited to get our hands on).

But perhaps the most interesting part of the day will be the launch of Surface, Microsoft’s long-awaited competitor to the iPad. We’ve talked before about how this is a crucial move for Microsoft as they try to catch up in the world of mobile devices, and we’ll all be waiting to see if Windows 8 seems like a real competitor to the more established mobile operating systems, iOS and Android.

There’s a lot riding on this event for Microsoft, and luckily we’ll be there to capture it all right here on the blog and of course on the smallbizgomobile twitter account.

First look at the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

by Shy Mukerjee

Meet the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1″

This morning, Samsung announced their latest tablet, the Galaxy Note 10.1″. The word “Note” here is perhaps the most important, as it signifies Samsung bringing their S-Pen technology to tablets from the 5.3″ phone bearing the same name. With the S-Pen, Samsung is hoping that people will be able to use the tab not just to consume content on the web and through apps, but to become producers of content as well. To that end, they brought out film director Baz Luhrmann and fashion designer Zac Posen to talk about how they have been using their tabs over the past few weeks creatively in their work.

This new tab brings a quad core processor to the table, 2GB of RAM, Ice Cream Sandwich (Google’s latest OS, Jellybean, won’t be coming until “later this year” says Samsung), font and rear facing cameras, and of course the S-Pen tech, now boasting more than a thousand levels of pressure sensitivity.

Mario and I got to spend more than an hour with the tablet, and while it wasn’t enough time to form a full opinion, we did get to test much of the hyped functionality of the tablet.  Read More

Microsoft Office on the iPad & Android Tablet

by Katherine Elsasser

Tablets have revolutionized our leisure computing. We can browse the web on our laps while we watch TV. Food magazines become full-color digital spreads right in our kitchens. And the email, of course. There’s always more email. But tablets haven’t been great work devices, not least because there’s no Microsoft Office on the iPad.

Now tablets have taken another step toward being all-around machines that can handle work too, thanks to CloudOn. Available on both the iPad and Android devices, CloudOn brings you the full Microsoft Office Suite using you guessed it, the power of the cloud. That means Powerpoint on the plane or tracking Word changes wherever.

Since it’s in the cloud, CloudOn links to both DropBox and Google Drive to make it easy to access, write and save files. Plus CloudOn automatically saves as you work, just in case.

We don’t advocate working on vacation, but if you’re planning to get away and worried something may come up, this could be the perfect strategy for coping without having to bring your fully decked-out work computer.

Microsoft Surface (Running Windows 8) Coming October 26th

by Katherine Elsasser
Microsoft Surface
Microsoft Surface, image courtesy Microsoft

It’s finally confirmed: Microsoft Surface, Microsoft’s groundbreaking entry to the personal computer/tablet market, will be available to users starting October 26, 2012, along with Windows 8, the latest incarnation of the Windows OS .

A long time in the making, Microsoft first debuted the Surface to the world just last month, but without a firm release date or a price tag attached. And while we still don’t know much a Surface will set you back, we do know a little of what you’ll get.

The most prominent (and innovative) feature of Microsoft Surface is its built-in keyboard that doubles as a cover to protect the machine’s screen, a clever innovation. Even with the cover, Surface is only 9.3mm thick (for comparison, that’s .2mm thinner than the latest iPad) but still manages to incorporate a full-size USB port and a Micro SD card. And while journalists haven’t been given Surfaces to review yet, we do know that they will be running Windows 8, which gives us a sense of the device’s interaction experience.

Why is Surface so noteworthy?

Well, if you’ve bought a PC lately, it was likely from Sony, HP, Dell, Acer or another manufacturer. It certainly wasn’t from Microsoft, and that’s because until now Microsoft has limited its forays into the hardware business to peripherals like keyboards and mice. The Surface tablet changes that, putting Microsoft into direct competition with its pals: the PC manufacturers.

Given its incredible portability, keyboard, and the fact that Windows is still the preferred OS for many business applications, Surface has the potential to be the first device to truly bridge the tablet/laptop divide. But only if the device — and Windows 8 — live up to their potential.

Tablet Updates: Amazon Updates & Google Predictions

by Katherine Elsasser

If there’s one thing we can conclude from all the tablet news from around the web this week, it’s that pretty soon we’ll have the widest range of screen sizes yet.

According to Demos Parneros, president of U.S. retail for Staples, Inc., Amazon will be introducing five or six tablet items, one of which will be a 10 inch model. There is no word on whether Amazon will retire any of their current e-reader iterations, but the 10″ tablet will almost certainly expand the more comprehensive Amazon Fire model that includes full color and multi-touch.google nexus 7

As Reuters notes, rumors have been swirling about whether Amazon will be entering the Smartphone market. Given that the Galaxy SIII has a 4.8inch screen (only two inches smaller than the Fire!) it seems like a foregone conclusion that Amazon has both the technical know-how and market incentive to launch smartphone as soon as possible. What size will the screen be? No one knows yet, but it’s worth noting that current iPhone 5 rumors peg that screen at a larger 4 inches.

Also competing at the 7inch size is the Google Nexus, the multi-touch tablet available for direct purchase from Google. The smaller 8GB version costs $199, the same price point as the Kindle Fire. But the larger 16GB has sold out at $249.00, with no word from Google as to when the tablet will be back in stock. With that kind of success, it would be a surprise if Google didn’t also expand into other size devices to meet the growing demand for tablet devices.