I went to a focus group about tablets -- the crowd was mostly unhip, older folk. The one unifying message they had was that they wanted a tablet that could run Excel and Powerpoint. I tried to tell them that Microsoft already had one, but I just got blank stares back. What they *really* want is for Excel and Powerpoint to run on an iPad. The Reality Distortion Field is still fairly intense, even with Jobs gone and the stock in the toilet.

CPennypacker: Microsoft Employee #1: Apple and Amazon are making lots of money selling tablets. We should make a tablet.
Microsoft Employee #2: What's a tablet?
Microsoft Employee #1: Its a laptop without a keyboard.
Microsoft Employee #2: Brilliant! Lets make one with a keyboard!
Microsoft Employee #1: . . . Brilliant!

To be fair, anyone I know who uses an iPad for more than Angry Birds generally has a little stand for the unit and a keyboard to go with it.

madgonad: Also ignored - the fact that 99.999% of the population isn't interested in anything from Microsoft that they don't HAVE to buy.

Yep out of 7 billion people on Earth - over a billion use a licensed version of Windows. MS sells roughly 20-30 million copies a month. 9 out of 10 computer users still use some form of Windows. That certainly sounds like a product that people don't want to use.

Yet people cream themselves that Apple has sold 100 million iPads over 3 years.

Abe Vigoda's Ghost: Does not look like Angry Birds or fart app.

Just because you have not found a good use for an iPad, does not mean that others have not figured out how to do useful things with it.







As far as I know, none of these tasks can be accomplished on a Surface RT because the apps aren't available yet, while the iPad is FDA approved for medical imaging.

What people don't get in these threads is that the iPad isn't intended to replace your laptop, it is supposed to be a digital clipboard so you can easily deal with documents and data entry while not at a desk. The Surface RT fails because it is not powerful enough or compatible enough with existing apps to be a laptop replacement, and the device is awkward to use in portrait mode due to the 16:9 screen and without a keyboard, especially for Office docs, so it doesn't make a good digital clipboard either. Having a non-retina display is also a big minus when it comes to medical imaging, viewing CAD drawings, showing real estate properties, displaying portfolios, or any other tasks that are dependent on having a high resolution screen with good color reproduction.

It's almost as if there's some benefit to having the first of a particular product type. Some sort of advantage for moving first, or being the first mover, so to speak.

Apple's ads do a good job of not only making their things look cool but generally show people DOING SOMETHING with the item in question, or show some ADVANTAGE of the item in question even if they are waaaay overselling a minor advantage.

The Surface commercials were terrible for that with random colors and flying tablets. Compare that to the 15 second iPhone commercial with the guy taking a panoramic photo of all the kids saying "Cheeeeeeeeeeese". It's a minor feature but people can instantly relate and think "Oh, I couldn't do that before, I should get one of those!" Even if they NEVER USE THAT FEATURE.

What they need to do is include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint standard on these, first. I know those are cash cows but sell them later. Right now you want toget the tablets into people's hands.

"With Office built right in, there's no need for a separate app. No need to return to the office. Edit a Word document on-the-go and on-the-fly using the touchscreen, or unfold the cover and you have a real keyboard built right in. Then relax and enjoy a movie, a game, read a book, or listen to your favorite music. It's all included, and it's only on one, superportable, tablet. Microsoft Surface."

It's really not that hard.

Microsoft Employee #1: Apple and Amazon are making lots of money selling tablets. We should make a tablet.
Microsoft Employee #2: What's a tablet?
Microsoft Employee #1: Its a laptop without a keyboard.
Microsoft Employee #2: Brilliant! Lets make one with a keyboard!
Microsoft Employee #1: . . . Brilliant!