Microsoft’s Surface computer is brilliantly intuitive to use, unique, and available right now. But will Microsoft let its early lead in tabletop computing slip away as it has with so many other opportunities?
I spent a good chunk of last Thursday evening playing on a Microsoft Surface table at an AMD event for analysts.I had a ball, and AMD employees shared stories of hours spent gaming on the thing prior to shows and presentations. The system reminded me of how much fun the initial arcade machines were — the ones that predated Atari’s initial successful home gaming system run.
To me, the Surface has the potential to be more than a modern arcade machine, though. It has the potential to be something uniquely Microsoft, but Microsoft seldom seems to seize these opportunities. After all, Microsoft had tablets long before the iPad, and had all the parts for an iPhone long before Apple brought out that product, too. I wonder if the company isn’t once again missing a huge opportunity with Surface — an opportunity that could change the living room and home entertainment as we know it.
Beneath the Surface: How Microsoft is missing the boat on tabletop computing.