Microsoft Has Done a Commendable Job With the Surface Tablet
Muhammad is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.
When Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) started showing interest in the smartphone market, most analysts argued that the company's success here would be an uphill task. True, Microsoft’s efforts in that niche have not yet yielded notable gains. Nonetheless, this has not bottlenecked the big wig’s desire to secure a place at the high table - a high table that Google and Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) aggressively guard.
Of the surface tablet and mounting curiosity
The surface tablet, released earlier this week, invited a lot of curiosity as conclusive details on its launch and on the tablet itself remained obscure before the launch. Some partners even supposedly claim that they were placed in an indescribable shade of darkness all along. I believe that Microsoft purposely did this in an attempt to get the attention of the media. Although critics may lash out, it chose the most tactful approach. Typically, the media will run towards anything that has some question marks hovering above its head.
As opposed to giving comprehensive details, some level of secrecy actually prolongs the spotlight. If Microsoft could have disclosed all the details, people like me would have found something else to talk about today. In my opinion, Microsoft has displayed an unmatched level of tact. It knows that its approach will prolong the attention and most importantly secure a longer shelf life for the Surface tablet.
Talking about shelf life, the Surface tablet is in need of some shelf life. Better yet it needs ‘shelf generations,’ so to speak - this is if it wants to increase its chances of piercing into iPad’s market.
The usual critic outlook
Don’t critics ever get tired of being too predictable? I guess not. After every big launch, you will never miss the ‘usual critic outlook’ (as I would like to call it).
One particular critical viewpoint grasps my attention. It is argued that the Surface is not quite an iPad rival. Who doesn’t know this? It is certainly not possible for the Surface, or any other new tablet for that matter, to swiftly pierce through iPad’s numbers in one bout. This would defy all the underlying principles of demand. In actual sense, saying that the surface is not an iPad equivalent is stale news made catchy. I believe that the market should focus on the Surface itself and not the sideshows and background noise. The Surface is an exemplary display of innovation. Microsoft has completely stepped into a new realm of operation and in my opinion deserves a round of applause.
The fact that Microsoft and Apple are in different brand orientations has also cropped up. This argument leans towards the fact that Apple has already established a comfort zone outside the PC era. It further accents that Microsoft is still caught up between two worlds; that is PC and mobile. Honestly speaking, this is a weighty point. Nonetheless, it is not quite relevant at the moment. Why? No matter what Microsoft does, it cannot immediately change the set of circumstances that surround the launch of the Surface. What it can however do is to play its cards well with regards to marketing and publicity (which I believe it already is).
The only critical point of view that I fully agree with is the fact that the Surface and the iPad may ultimately reach out to two very distinct markets. The latter blatantly removes the notion of a super laptop. The surface on the other hand still seems to have ties with its predecessors- the fact it looks like a laptop is well known to everyone.
All the same, these are Microsoft’s baby steps in the tablet niche - a few stumbles are allowed. What everyone should focus on right now are the renewed prospects at the Microsoft camp. I believe that it is time that the tech community actually acknowledged hard work. Microsoft has done a commendable job with the surface tablet. Even though Acer founder, Stan Shih, believes that this tablet will be Microsoft’s last one, I must say that first or last doesn’t really matter in this case. Microsoft’s display of determination, innovation and endurance is the actual deal.
Microsoft is not giving up. In my line of thought, this is a sign of great things to come. It is a definite buy.
muhammadbazil has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple and Microsoft. Motley Fool newsletter services recommend Apple and Microsoft. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.If you have questions about this post or the Fool’s blog network, click here for information.
