If the reviews are any guide, the Microsoft Surface, which ships Friday, the device isn’t going to break any sales records.
Reviewers praise its attractive design and the sturdy kickstand, no one likes the cameras (one front, one rear) which are panned for being slow and taking so-so photos, but after that, opinions differ.
David Pogue at the New York Times writes that “You’d have to be fairly cold-blooded to keep your pulse down the first time you see the Surface….How incredible thhat this bold, envelope-pushing design comes from Microsoft.” On the other hand, he laments, “How ironic that what lets the Surface down is…Microsoft’s specialty: software.”
Pogue’s counterpart at the Wall Street Journal, Walt Mossberg, says the device is “historic,” and “is a tablet with some pluses,” such as the major office apps and optional keyboards. But he is otherwise unimpressed, dissing the cameras, lack of battery life, lack of apps, and a display that doesn’t measure up to the iPad’s.
Matt Honan at Wired rather like the device but criticized its lack of apps.
The Verge wrote that the Surface is “unfortunately more functional as a laptop…on a desk.” It also criticized the instability of the Microsoft Mail app and the way it handles threading, and it touchscreen’s ability to handle only five points at a time compared to the iPad’s 11.
Other reviews:
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Tags: David Pogue, Engadet, lack of apps, Matt Honan, Microsoft Surface, NYTimes, reviews, The Verge, Wall Street Journal, Walt Mossberg, Wired
