Microsoft Surface

There was a time not so long ago when updating, upgrading, repairing or otherwise tweaking your computer system was relatively tinkerer-friendly. Those halcyon days that helped fuel my drive toward a career as a computer engineer are now all-but over, and getting to the heart of today's ultra-thin notebooks and tablets calls for equal measures of cerebral athletics, manual dexterity and plain old luck. Happily, the folks over at iFixit are demystifying much of today's consumer electronic gadgets by ripping them apart, showing exactly what they're made of, and rating them for user repairability. Microsoft's new Surface tablet was recently given the teardown treatment and found to be quite a tough nut to crack ... but not quite as challenging as the iPad.  Read More

Technology moves quickly. Just a few weeks ago, we were anticipating an epic showdown between the 3rd gen iPad and Microsoft's Surface RT. Now, ahead of Surface's launch, Apple has already announced a brand new 4th-generation iPad. How does Microsoft's intriguing new tablet compare to the newly-refreshed iPad? Let's take a look …  Read More

This afternoon, Microsoft held a a presentation to celebrate the launch of its in-house Windows RT tablet, the Surface. The event, held separately from the main Windows 8 launch presentation, focused on the premium nature of the device and featured a potentially risky drop test.  Read More

With pre-orders underway, there's still a lot we don't know about Microsoft Surface RT. Though the tablet's display resolution looks subpar on paper, Microsoft says that its ClearType tech makes it look sharper than the 3rd gen iPad. What gives? One of the leading experts in display technology weighs in.  Read More

The tablet wars have begun. Though the iPad remains in the driver's seat, the last year has shown strong competition from several other companies. Two tablets that will be duking it out for your dollars this holiday season are the Microsoft Surface RT and Google/Asus Nexus 7. Let's see how these two (radically different) tablets compare.  Read More

Microsoft desperately wants its Surface tablets to be a hit. With Windows Phone struggling to catch on with customers, this may be Redmond's best chance to become a serious player in mobile. Its task won't be easy, though, as Apple's iPad has utterly dominated the high end of the tablet market. How does the Windows RT version of Surface compare to the iPad (third generation)? Let's take a look ...  Read More

The mobile computing market is at a critical juncture. Though Apple's iOS and Google's Android have established themselves as the leading platforms (by a long shot), there's still a window of opportunity for Microsoft. The king of desktop PCs fell behind early, but the smartphone and tablet markets may still be young enough to give Redmond a shot.  Read More