Tag Archives: Surface

…not a creature was stirring except a Microsoft Type Cover

surface_typecove4_20121224

I’ve spent a full two months using the Microsoft Surface with Windows RT (check out my review of it on BYTE linked below). The tablet is still something I carry and use daily. However, while the Touch Cover I bought with it is “usable,” it is not optimal. After two months I still make a lot of typos that don’t occur when using a “real” keyboard. So, I bit the bullet and spent another $130 to buy the Type Cover for the Surface. It arrived this afternoon (Christmas Eve 2012). It is far too early to pass a judgement. However, I can say it feels better than the Touch Cover and the number of typos is much less using the Type Cover.

More later…

(BYTE) Surface With Windows RT: A Winner Despite Apps

STM Bag for Microsoft Surface tablet: Close fit sleeve with handle & shoulder strap


I’ve been hauling my Surface RT tablet to the office each day in backpack designed to hold a standard sized 15-inch notebook. This is not the ideal way to carry it during the day to, for example, meetings. After looking around a bit, I decided to buy this bag/sleeve from Amazon for $25.

STM Bags dp-2140-1 Jacket Extra Small Sleeve, Fits Most 11-Inch Screens, Black/Green

The Surface tablet slips in easily and the bag fits over it snugly but allows for easy zipping. This STM bag has both a shoulder strap (removable) and a handle. It also has a small front zippered pocket to carry a few odds and ends (including a phone).

I’m quite pleased with it after using it for about a week. It has a 4.5-star (out of possible 5) average customer rating (24 reivews) on Amazon.

Microsoft Surface on Hawaii 5-0 “Ohuna”

When Hawaii 5-0 rebooted in 2010, I noticed the Windows Phone product placement on the show. In fact, for a while it looked like the “good guys” used Windows Phone while the “bad guys” used Android.

In 2012, Microsoft is at is again. This time it is the Microsoft Surface tablet running Windows RT that got some prime time product placement on the Nov. 19 episode titled Ohuna (full episode available for a limited time on CBS.com). Officer Kono Kalakaua (Grace Park) literally goes through the motions snapping the Surface’s kickstand before firing up the display.

We’ll probably see a Nokia Lumix 920 or HTC 8X before the end of the holiday season.

Angry Birds Star Wars Edition for Windows RT 66% more expensive than iPad version

Angry Birds Star Wars Edition for the iPad is as good or better than the original Angry Birds (I’m not a fan of the other versions). So, I was interested to see the game appear in the Windows RT app store. Unfortunately, the version for RT costs 66% more than the iPad version: $4.99 vs $2.99.

While making more money per sale for developers is a good thing. I think Windows RT app prices need to be competitive with versions of the same app on other platforms.

Note: Composed this app entirely using a Surface with Windows RT. The biggest problem was finding an image editor. None of the RT apps provided freehand cropping. Will discuss how I worked around this in a future blog item.