OK, Microsoft! You’ve got my attention! I have to admit, I used to be a MSFT fanboy, especially because the development tools they offered were the best around at the time. Back in 2005, I even attempted to build my home automation system using .NET and Flash and built in-wall touch screen (DIY: Inwall 15″ LCD touchscreen). I had Window’s CE phones (the first “smartphone”), HD-DVD (yup, I supported that), Viewsonic Smart Displays (remember those?), I use Microsoft Media Center with Extenders (MSFT abandoned it). See, the problem is that MSFT has not stuck through with the great technologies it has created — they release something and right when you think it’s going to go mainstream, they back out and kill it. I made the switch to Apple’s ecosystem once the iPhone came out and learned to develop in Objective-C. I’d rather invest in technology that improves (slowly) overtime than ones that come out strong and then nothing comes of it (dies a slow death).
Today, Microsoft announced the new Surface Pro 3 which is quite impressive — I was waiting for the announcement that Microsoft is killing Surface (like they did Zune). But instead they come out with a new 12″ version that’s a combination of a tablet form factor with the power of a laptop. Could this possibly be a version of the “Courier” that was killed off back in 2010. Looks like the “Pen” (a.k.a. Stylus) Bill Gates has been pushing all these years may actually work as a compelling selling point for the Surface Pro 3? I have a Wacom Cintiq that cost me about $1000 — the Surface Pro 3 looks like it could be a replacement for that — for a whole lot cheaper — starting at $799. Do I already mention that I’m pretty impressed with the Surface Pro 3? I think I need some time to have todays announcement fully sink in a bit… at least I have until June 20th to sort out my feeling on all this, because that’s when they are available for purchase.
