Surface raises some questions

Two questions arise. Firstly, why does Microsoft feel the need to launch its own tablet when a range of computer developers are set to launch Windows 8/RT based devices as soon as Microsoft makes the operating systems available officially? Secondly, what does it tell us about Microsoft's view of computing? Answering the first question is Jan Dawson, chief telecom analyst at Ovum. He says: "What does it say about the tablets Microsoft is seeing from its OEM partners ...? Either they are not happy with the devices out there, or they are not satisfied with only taking a licence fee from selling Windows based tablets. "Either way, it is a huge vote of no confidence in its OEM partners, who should rightly feel slighted." The second question shows the split in the computing market. On one side of the fence is the consumer, driven by price, user experience and styling – all boxes ticked by Apple. On the other side of the fence is corporate computing, largely dominated by Windows. Surface is, to all appearances, a notebook computer; it has a screen and a keyboard – one option features moveable keys – and it runs a Windows OS. It's something an IT manager will feel at home with. If corporate users are asking for an iPad, this is what they may be given. But it still doesn't really answer the question of why Microsoft wants to build its own devices. Microsoft, of course, is not renowned as a hardware developer. While it has done well with the Xbox, it has had less than enthusiastic responses to other launches, such as the Zune media player. Yet it wants to play in the tablet market and, if we are to believe the rumours, is likely to buy Nokia to support its mobile phone ambitions. Holding 95% of the market for operating systems obviously isn't quite enough.