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Surface RT vs. iPad for Business

December 18th, 2012

Both Apple’s third-generation iPad and the new Microsoft (MS) Surface RT are in the same price range ($500-800), weigh about 1.5 pounds and run a touch-based OS. The Surface Pro model, on sale in early 2013, will run Windows 8 desktop software on x86 processors with full-fledged laptop power at the expense of battery life—it’s more like a hybrid between a tablet and an ultrabook.

Therefore, the only fair iPad comparison is against the RT—at least until the fourth-generation iPad, already on sale in India, appears in the U.S. next year.

OVERVIEW

RT: The RT includes a unique version of Office, but you need a business license to use it for work—and the keyboard/cover is an extra $100. For companies now using tablet PC rentals, the RT can integrate (somewhat) with enterprise-level users on Windows 7/8, giving it a slight edge with the IT crowd.

iPad: You can use third-party Bluetooth keyboards with our iPad rental, plus Office-compatible apps and honest-to-Office web services from MS licensees like CloudOn. All that’s a chore for IT folks to “harmonize.”

APPLICATIONS

RT: This is not your office’s Office—the RT version has Excel, PowerPoint, Word and OneNote, but no Outlook. For now you may need to rent laptops with Windows 7/8 to use some ”real PC” programs such as Outlook, as RT uses only specified Windows Store apps.

iPad: Apple’s App Store is heading toward a million apps (700,000+ as of October), while Windows apps are just getting going. For now the iPad has a huge advantage.

OPERATIONS

RT: MS’s cloud-based tool, Intune, will soon offer secure device management, while Exchange ActiveSync empowers synchronized messaging. Modern office computers, like our desktop PC computer rentals, will thereby maintain a degree of intra-office and -system interoperability with Surface devices.

iPad: Apple’s iOS supports Exchange ActiveSync, too, and third-party mobile device management platforms that even monitor corporate compliance. OS X Server on our Xserve units does all this, too, but properly licensing iPads for corporate use is complicated however you try it.

SECURITY

The RT owes its superior security to (1) a hardware-level “secure boot” that checks for tampering and (2) anti-malware that loads first. The RT’s hardware security module also does smartcard duty for authentication, and supports full disk encryption.

iPad: Although iOS provides disk encryption, as Mac OS X does for MacBook Pro rentals, the iPad’s boot routine uses read-only memory and offers no smartcard abilities.

BOTTOM LINE

Neither the iPad nor the RT are particularly strong candidates yet for an enterprise workforce. The Surface Pro may be, but depending on configuration a tricked-out Pro could top $1,350. The Apple comparison at that price is a MacBook Air or 13-inch MacBook.

As iPads and the Surface Pro both support virtual desktops, using PC/Mac software will sooner or later be possible. But hosted virtual desktops (HVDs) are expensive, says Gartner Research, increasing retail cost “by more than $600″ per device. We’ll keep you posted as it all shakes out.

What’s shakin’ with your company? CRE keeps you moving forward with first-rate event production rentals and the post-production gear you need. One call or e-mail, or a short visit to our Quick Rental Quote form, gets it done—and right now’s a good time!

Can an iPad Replace Your Laptop?

December 4th, 2012

With every new smartphone, tablet or multifunction-Wi-Fi-enabled personal doohickey comes at least one prediction that this latest device is really—really!—the long-awaited laptop killer. In the early 2000s, before mobile processors evolved to be as powerful as the ones found in the typical desktop computer rental, the notion of a “desktop replacement” laptop was only a dream. But now that high-end units like our MacBook Pro rental are more potent than many desktops, the battle is on to see which phone, tablet, or geegaw will emerge as the laptop replacement. As the frontrunner in the tablet race, Apple’s mega-selling tablet is first up: So, can an iPad replace your laptop?

Early Tablets

When the original iPad debuted in 2010, it was the “Year of the Netbooks,” those low-priced 9-to-11-inch mini-laptops that were generally far less expensive than the iPad. When CRE stocked its first iPad rental, it was something like a netbook without a keyboard—but it was also like a supersized iPod touch. Had it been built to run OS X, it may have qualified as a “little computer.” But it came with iOS, which limited your installation options, abandoned Flash, and came up far short of being a full-fledged computer OS. (The current version, iOS 6, still isn’t one.) At the same time, this brought improvements in its simple and ergonomical ease-of-use. The Windows-based tablet PCs had some of the right puzzle pieces—touch capability, handwriting recognition, convertible operation—but were, and arguably still are, works in progress. (Microsoft’s Surface Pro debuts in January 2013. Is it a laptop killer, or a new paradigm?)

Developments

Fast-forward now: The iPad 2 added cameras, the third generation debuted the Retina Display, and now the supply of iOS apps is in the zillions. Users are still quarantined behind the “walled garden” of apps, but web-based tools are proliferating – capitalizing on the user-friendly interface. There are any number of things that an iPad can do as well or better than a laptop (or desktop)—reading, managing e-mail, watching movies/TV, staying plugged in to social media, and gaming. These activities may also be work-related, though some people consider the iPad better for watching entertainment than producing it. Yet, with every new advanced app in every area of media expertise—content, production, PR, even event planning—this is changing.

For example, the newly updated iMovie and iPhoto apps are powerful enough for video and photo editing/management, capturing HD (stills, video), audio recording, and more. Media pros still use such advanced computer-based tools as our AJA IO HD, but can now integrate the iPad into their workflow, on-set and in the editing bay, for a variety of purposes.

The Conclusion?

Given its growing capabilities—running major office programs, leveraging cloud storage, doing lots of cross-platform tasks—the iPad can now probably be considered a replacement for that secondary laptop you use for traveling (or when the kids take over the PC). How long until it replaces your number one computer? Stay tuned…!

A single call or e-mail, or a simple visit to our Quick Rental Quote form, will get you exactly what you need to overcome every challenge and meet every deadline. We’re here for you, right now!

Top 10 Apps for Production

November 27th, 2012

REFERENCE

Sun Seeker (iOS $8.99; Android $5.99) maps Old Sol’s path via “augmented reality” and indicates hourly intervals, sunrise/sunset and winter/summer solstice paths so you can set up outdoor shots. A map view gives you the sun’s direction for every hour of the day.

Moviola’s Final Cut Pro Field Guide (iOS $3.99) is a must-have for anyone working with FCP (for which you want Mac Pro rental power). Get help with troubleshooting, editorial workflows, emerging tech (RED, P2, etc.), keyboard shortcuts and more. With great resources – from software and hardware to reviews and online forums – shutterbugs, lensers, and cutters are never alone.

The Filmmakers Guide to Location Filming (Android, free) from the Location Managers Guild of America is the primo resource guide for auteurs in every niche: feature films, TV episodes and newfangled webisodes, music videos, commercials and more. Whatever you do, if you need render farms or a van full of servers, this guide will steer you to the right people, places, and things.

MANAGEMENT

Using TCoder (iOS, $3.99) results in “notes with a timeline” to keep notes from interviews, live presentations and press conferences in sync with, say, audio captured on one of our digital recorder rentals. You can e-mail your notes from within the app, a real time-saver.

Producer (iOS, $14.99) is finely tuned for managing film and video projects. From budgeting and personnel to shooting schedules and inventory, it’s right at hand on the set or in the field. Export PDFs to share with other crew that may be using tablet PC rentals running Windows.

PRODUCTION

ProPrompter (iOS, $9.99; Android, $9.99) does an effective job as a teleprompter on an iPad rental or Android tablet. You can import MS-Word files directly from Word and control scrolling speed, looping, countdown, cue points and more, via Bluetooth remote control if you like.

Softbox Lite (iOS, free; Android, free) is a portable lighting system with soft box or light table options, color temperature support for matching white balance and an efficient, minimalist interface. Don’t get caught in the dark again.

AUDIO/VIDEO

Reel Director (iOS, $1.99) offers HD output with little quality loss due to editing, and has a full range of effects, from totally customizable text to 28 unique transitions. With real multitasking, it’s like having iMovie on an iMac – except it’s on an iPad or iPhone.

FiRe 2 (iOS, $5.99) is a recent upgrade of the first iPhone recorder to display real-time waveforms accurately, support markers and offer native SoundCloud integration. New features: advanced editing, EQ and effects by Audiofile Engineering, iZotope input processing, Dropbox integration and region support.

CLOUD STORAGE

The last app is actually half app and half service, and comes with a lot of different labels for the same commodity: cloud storage. You can get from 2GB to 10GB free from Microsoft’s SkyDrive, Dropbox, Box, SugarSync, ASUS WebStorage and Drive from Google, among many others. Why do you need cloud storage? We tell you all about it here and here.

Besides having the post-production gear and trade show convention rentals you need, we can’t stop thinking of new ways to help. So watch for more blogs like this one to give you the top apps for meeting planners, conference organizers, trade show exhibitors, marketing managers, and other professionals. A single call or e-mail puts an experienced Account Executive to work developing solutions uniquely suited to your situation. If you already know what you need, hit the Quick Rental Quote page and get it handled ASAP!

Surviving Conference Wi-Fi

November 8th, 2012

Google once held a press conference to announce that the firm and its partner, EarthLink, would provide San Francisco with free Wi-Fi. It didn’t instill much confidence in the attendees that the conference Wi-Fi was down until the event’s last few minutes. This is not rare. Wi-Fi gridlock at conferences is embarrassingly commonplace.

“OUTGROWING THE SPEC”. When wireless devices first appeared and the iPad rental was a novelty, conferences offered free Wi-Fi to keep attendees surfing happily. All that personal, bandwidth-wasting activity continues to this day with many more users, even as conference Wi-Fi is also pressed into service for official activities and communications.

The problem? Wi-Fi was not designed for auditoriums with thousands of people milling about, backpacks and pockets stuffed with iPods, tablet PC rentals, laptops, and smart phones. (Truth be told, there’d be no Wi-Fi problem if people would leave everything in those backpacks and pockets.) What to do? Let’s review…

EVOLUTION OF WI-FI. Standard Wi-Fi covers relatively small areas, providing access to devices making only modest demands for bandwidth. Even now, conference organizers and Wi-Fi consultants still underestimate bandwidth requirements and other factors. It is not only a matter of attendance figures, or how many attendees will have a net-ready laptop computer and other gizmos. Many things come into play, from the size of the room(s) to the amount of reflectivity (hard walls) and absorption (bodies, carpets).

CONFERENCE SOLUTIONS. Simply adding access points won’t guarantee success. In fact, that is likely to make things worse by creating more interference and introducing additional security flaws. The following actions can help:

Choose wisely: Read our blogs, do some research, ask questions, and check references so that you can choose a venue that has already solved the problem.
Down, boy: Attendees can be advised to turn off devices that aren’t mission-critical, and to avoid downloading large files. It won’t be the most popular mandate, but it will help.
Wired ports in a storm: Our MacBook Pro rental has an Ethernet port, but Apple’s next generation won’t. As many wireless problems (interference, signal loss) have yet to be resolved, a wired Ethernet port comes in handy. Of course, this won’t help all of your attendees and it’s far from ideal. But in a pinch, it can be helpful.
The simplest move? Talk to us. We have custom event Wi-Fi service solutions that can put signals in places that have none (it sounds like magic, but it really works!) and can distribute Wi-Fi access to hundreds or even thousands of simultaneous users without service drops.

EXHIBIT SPACE SOLUTIONS. If you will attend and/or exhibit at a conference that you know will have Wi-Fi problems, you can soften the impact with some planning:

Minimize Wi-Fi: Make phone calls and access online resources in advance, and locate wired access points to use when needed.
Try Mi-Fi instead: Personal hot spots through many carriers can support up to five devices, but there may still be interference issues.
Teamwork: One conference team member can be the communications hub, securing a wired access point, even if it’s in a hotel room, and keeping everyone connected and informed. If you rent laptops, you can share files without Wi-Fi via flash drives, AirDrop (with Macs) or cross-platform with the nearly ubiquitous Bluetooth.
Once again, you could call on us…

…for everything from event production rentals to mountainous mounds of high-speed storage, one call or e-mail connects you to an experienced CRE Account Executive. Already know what you need? Just use the handy Quick Rental Quote form.

Apple Wows the World…Again

October 30th, 2012

It was yet another Apple media circus last Tuesday, Oct. 23rd, but with four rings this time:

the new iPad mini,
the fourth-generation iPad,
a new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display, and
a wholly revamped iMac line.

Watch for detailed blogs coming up, but right now we will hit the highlights for you.

Star of the Show

The star of the day was the iPad mini, and “mini” it is at a bit over 10 ounces, a smidgen over a quarter-inch thick and sporting a 7.9-inch screen. Design chief Sir Jonathan Ive assured the assemblage that the mini was not a “shrunken replica” of the original, but “a concentration” of it. It ships Nov. 2nd to compete with such 7-inch heavyweights as the Kindle Fire and Google Nexus 7 that are priced starting at $199, while the mini is $329 (16GB Wi-Fi base model). Opting for cellular (LTE) adds another $140 to the price.

iPad Turns “4″

If you like the CRE iPad rental then you will love the fourth generation model that made its surprise debut last week. It has the same price points, 9.7-inch Retina Display and dimensions as the current model, but along with the smaller, sturdier and reversible Lightning connector, the latest iPad has an A6X processor that Don Reisinger at CNET figures will “double the current CPU and graphics power.”

New 13-inch MacBook Pro

CRE’s popular MacBook Pro rental got a new sibling, too, as Apple added the Retina Display to the 13-inch model. Apple is dropping optical drives, but the laptop has two USB 3.0 ports, two Thunderbolt ports, an SDXC card slot, HDMI port, headphones/line-out jack, and a MagSafe 2 charging port. MacBook Pros also use Solid State Drives (SSDs) now, instead of spinning-platter hard drives, so they boot up and launch programs a lot faster.

The Flagship Sails On

Apple veep Phil Schiller reaffirmed that the iMac was the company’s “flagship” at last Tuesday’s event. The computer whose 1998 debut saved the Cupertino company is now in its eighth generation, with two models carrying the last few editions’ 21.5-inch and 27-inch screens into the future in a body that tapers to just 5mm at the edges (it’s thicker in back). The new iMacs have Intel’s potent Ivy Bridge Core i5 and i7 chips, separate (discrete) graphics cards, and up to 3TB of disk space.

With the new iMac, Apple also introduced its “Fusion Drive.” This hybrid mates a 128GB SSD with a 1- or 3-TB hard drive, so the OS and applications go on the SSD for speed, the files on the hard disk for storage. Again, there is no optical drive, but you get four USB 3.0 ports, two Thunderbolt ports, an Ethernet port, and a headphone/line-out jack. The new iMacs start shipping in November (21.5-inch model) and December (27-inch).

Need real tech support? A single call or e-mail, or a simple visit to our Quick Rental Quote form, will get you exactly what you need to overcome every challenge and meet every deadline. We’re here for you, right now!

State of the Mac, 2012

September 13th, 2012

Tech giant Apple posted record-breaking numbers in Q1 2012, selling 15.4 million iPads, 15.4 million iPods, 37 million iPhones, and 5.2 million Macintosh computers for total sales of $46.33 billion. While scoring records for its other lines, the iPod number was down over 20% from Q1 2011. Through the next two quarters the Mac and iPhone figures dipped, too. In Q3 2012, sales were at 17 million iPads, 6.8 million iPods, 26 million iPhones, and 4 million Macs .

Changing times

Apple now sells about four times as many iPads as Macs each quarter. In fact, with the proliferation of iPad rental units and booming sales worldwide, the Cupertino firm sold more iOS devices in 2011 than it has sold Macintosh models, ever. Clearly, iOS is now Apple’s “money” platform, and the company is working to adapt the Mac OS to the iOS look, feel, and “vision.”

This has prompted speculation that future Macs will operate on a “converged” OS. This is unlikely. Despite declining Mac sales, the computer will be with us for at least another decade, though some say not much longer. As long as there are iMacs, of course, CRE will have iMac rentals, as well as this blog to keep you in the know.

Mac to the future

If we imagine the kind of computer that people will be using 10 or 15 years from now, it would doubtless be more of an iPad than a Mac. A simple, low-cost, touch-based tablet seems a good guess, although it wouldn’t replace a notebook or desktop PC rental for everyone. Video pros, engineers, audio recordists, graphic artists, and others will always need as much power as possible, plus graphics accelerators, large monitors, special plug-in cards, and so forth.

The market for high-end, premium computers has always been a niche, and will remain one. Apple definitely wants to continue as the go-to brand for creatives and geeks, and it will. The Mac isn’t going anywhere. Will it last another 30 years? Who knows? All indications suggest that it should be around for at least another 10, and probably 20 years. Expect Apple to anchor both of its platforms with iCloud, so that people can use any Apple device, with either OS, in a more synchronized, unified, seamless manner.

We shall see…

And yet, as long as its notebook and desktop models rely on trackpads and mice, not touchscreens, with different considerations for battery life, processing power, and application support, Apple will maintain two significantly different operating systems. Going forward, the iOS calls for continued simplicity and ease, while the Mac OS, currently at version 10.8, Mountain Lion, calls for more sophistication and power.

For now, a formal combination of the two into a hybrid OS doesn’t appear to be Apple’s plan. Bridging them together? That’s the ticket. As always, we’ll keep you posted!

For everything from event production rentals to post-production and massive amounts of high-speed storage, one call or e-mail connects you to an expert CRE Account Executive. If you already know what you need, just use the handy Quick Rental Quote form!

Invasion of the SSDs!

September 6th, 2012

The invasion of the SSDs (Solid State Drives) has begun. Although hard disk drives (HDDs) will likely survive – some contrarians even expect the 50-year-old technology to beat back the flash memory challenge – the fact is that SSDs are poised to sweep most HDDs into the dustbin of history. An SSD will no longer be just a high-end choice on a MacBook Pro rental or mobile device, either. Dropbox and Amazon are both deploying SSDs in their data centers now, and others companies big and small are jumping on the bandwagon. So what gives?

Time for a paradigm shift?

The veep that runs Intel’s Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group, Rob Crooke, puts it succinctly: “We’re not talking 10, 20 percent improvement here. [SSDs] can be 10 times more reliable [and] a thousand times faster than a hard disk.” This means that web searches – on your desktop PC rental, smart phone, or tablet – return increasingly accurate results with every letter you type. The newer, cheaper, faster type of flash memory in today’s SSDs that makes all this progress possible is called NAND.

Industry analysts predict that shipments of NAND flash memory for SSDs will hit 16.3 billion gigabytes in 2015, an astonishing increase from the 1.6 billion in 2011. Intel’s Crooke says the growing capabilities of SSDs will increase demand and “disrupt” the computing industry in a big way. The new svelte PC “ultrabooks” (based on the trailblazing MacBook Air) demonstrate that disruption and exemplify the superior characteristics of SSDs:

speed and responsiveness,
cooler and quieter operation,
reduced power consumption,
greater reliability and
longer life.

The future is now

At its data centers, Intel has deployed some 80,000 SSDs. Company records show HDD failures of around 4 percent per year, but for SSDs it is a mere one-half of one percent. So why doesn’t everyone just convert right now? It’s more expensive, at least for now. But CRE’s iPad rental holds the answer: With Apple’s tablet as a top seller, and numerous competitors coming out of the woodwork, the Cupertino firm is a big part of the growth in SSDs. Even at today’s prices, many companies have demonstrated that the total cost of converting to SSDs gradually decreases over time as employees become more productive.

Samsung and Toshiba are Intel’s major competitors in this niche, but the dramatic growth in SSD demand has encouraged a lot more companies to enter the fray. Some target specific segments like server SSDs and “commodity SSDs” for widespread use in embedded systems. We will keep you posted on the progress of SSDs, as the scope of their influence ranges from enterprise storage and high-end computing to phones, gadgets, and tablet PC rentals. There will be few high-tech niches untouched by this future-is-now technology. Stay tuned!

CRE Account Executives can suggest the right plasma display rentals for your conference booth or the appropriate Xserve RAID configuration for your mass storage needs. One call or e-mail, or a visit to our Quick Rental Quote page, and you’ll have the right solution, right now!

Whatever Happened to Netbooks?

August 9th, 2012

Netbooks were set to take over the world just a few years ago. Optimized for social media and web surfing, these smaller, lighter offerings flooded the market, especially Europe. Now no one even uses the word, much less the (original) devices. What happened, and what can we learn from it? Let’s take a look.

What’s in a name?

With the introduction of the Asus Eee PC in 2007, the term “netbook” gained currency. Acer Aspire models were also popular, due in no small part to the ease with which one could install OS X on them (and pretend to own a MacBook). Then, after a couple of roller coaster years, netbooks started losing that “cool” factor. And when CRE stocked its first iPad rental in 2010, it signaled the end of the upward curve for netbooks. By mid-2011 the netbook craze was over.

After being trumpeted as the most significant computer innovation since the trackpad (maybe the Magic Trackpad?), the netbook was finally seen for what it was – an inexpensive mini-laptop with no optical drive. With most keyboards too small for serious work and the CPUs generally underwhelming, the traveling professionals that were field-testing them finally gave up. It made more sense to buy or rent laptops with desktop-level power, since a new generation of potent CPUs was beginning to provide it.

Cupertino category killers

A two-round volley from Apple put the final kibosh on netbooks. First, in 2010 the iPad immediately captured the entire world’s imagination (like iOS 6 and the iPhone 5 are doing now, before they’re even released). If you just needed a tool for browsing, e-mail and buying the occasional widget, you could now do so with the iPad – along with a slew of other handheld devices, smart phones and tablet PC rentals. With both Apple and Android devices now flooding the market, there is no reason to maintain an artificial product category like “netbook.”

The second move from Apple was the repositioning of the MacBook Air. Initially underpowered and under-loved, the model had been around a short time when Apple gave it that 11-inch screen. Diminutive and super light, the upgraded Air sported a full-sized keyboard while its souped-up components made it a true desktop-replacement machine.

If you don’t want to use a Mac, the “Ultrabook” form factor is the Next Big Thing in PC laptops. With proper CPUs, generous helpings of RAM, huge amounts of SSD storage and full-size keyboards, connectors, ports and plugs, Ultrabooks are real computers ready for real work. To summarize: “Netbook” is dead, “Ultrabook” is ascendant – and we’ll keep you posted on what comes next!

CRE Account Executives can recommend the appropriate PC desktop computer rental for your expanded telemarketing project, as well as processing and storage technology for post-production work. One call or e-mail, or a trip to our Quick Rental Quote page, is all it takes!

Introduction to Custom Conference Apps, Part 2

July 26th, 2012

In Part 1, we met übergeeks creating applications from scratch, and also discovered conference-oriented plug-ins that essentially make WordPress a development platform. In Part 2, we offer an overview of custom conference app development as well as some basic features.

Bring on the expert coders

From freelancers specializing in coding to specialized app makers, there is a dramatic surge of custom app creation due to the growing use of “smart” electronics like GPS units, interactive devices, phones and tablets. Today’s business professionals – the people that attend conferences, corporate meetings, trade shows – wouldn’t leave the house without their iPads, tablet PC rentals and smart phones.

Since marketing strategies need to “reach people where they are” (via whatever devices they have), you will likely need a few versions of your custom app – iOS, Android and web-based (HTML). Among the most successful apps are those that help organizations connect with their members, clients and/or customers, wherever they are, with products that are simultaneously effective and mobile (like guidebook to name one). The kind of custom conference app(s) businesses need are varied, but share some fundamental characteristics.

Custom app basic features

Besides continuing to promote the event after it has begun, which requires a bit of finesse, your custom conference app must

have versions for iOS (iPhone, iPad rental), Android (tablet, phone) and the web;
provide correct, up-to-date schedules for speakers, sessions and exhibit-floor events;
include an exhibit floor map that scales to viewers’ devices, whether they decide to rent laptops or bring their personal smart phones;
enable social media coverage via Twitter, Flickr, Facebook and the new Google+ Events (subject of an upcoming blog);
introduce out-of-towners to the area (what to do, where to eat); and
give attendees a guaranteed way to reach you if they still have questions.

As you look into producing custom iOS and Android conference apps, consider using content that your marketing department has already created (website, brochures, etc.) to guarantee the same look and feel as your app. Whether viewing your site via MacBook Pro rental or using the new app on a smart phone, you want prospects, customers and other visitors to feel at home. Using certain kinds of custom apps in conjunction with one of our Audience Response Systems just might result in the most specific, useful prospect and customer information you’ve ever gotten.

Various firms and individuals can build a custom conference app to your exacting specifications. CRE works to a similarly high standard, with expert Account Executives who can suggest the right PC desktop computer rental for your new outbound sales team, as well as the appropriate Xserve RAID for your storage needs. One call or e-mail, or a trip to our Quick Rental Quote page, and you’ll have the right solution at the right price – right away!

Microsoft Surface: Windows 8 Tablet

June 26th, 2012

On Monday, June 18th, Microsoft staged a media event almost as stylish and savvy as an Apple press party, with CEO Steve Ballmer announcing “a whole new family of computing devices from Microsoft.” Of course, Ballmer was speaking about his firm’s iPad competitor, the new Microsoft Surface tablet, so he meant “new to Microsoft” as opposed to “new to the world.” While the latter would have really been like an Apple announcement, Microsoft’s tablet is still a bold move for several reasons.

Microsoft Surface specs

Microsoft’s “new family” begins with two models, both under two pounds with 10.6-inch screens and similar magnesium cases (built-in stand, cameras front and back, keyboard and trackpad in the cover). Both models will run the new Windows 8 OS, with the 1.5-lb., 9mm-thick basic unit getting the “low-power” RT build with the “Metro” tile interface. The 2-lb., 13.5mm-thick Pro will compete with our iPad rental and other high-end tablets, pairing Metro with a full Windows desktop. Intel’s powerful Ivy Bridge chip lets users type on the Pro keyboard, use fingers on its touchscreen or write with a stylus.

The basic model comes with 32 or 64GB of memory, the Pro with 64 or 128. Some vital specs were not discussed, including screen resolution, battery, release date or price. (Windows 8 is set to debut “later this year” so it will obviously be after that.) The original ancestor of our iMac rental was a “Bondi Blue” piece of eye candy in a putty-colored PC world, and now the Surface tablet is breaking the mold, too (albeit 15 years later). The design is “über-modern,” stressing flat, black, thin and shiny for the hardware, perhaps to balance the “Disneyland look” of Metro tiles.

Sink or swim for Microsoft?

The Surface tablet is an uncharacteristically risky move by Microsoft, driven, some say, by a “loss of faith” in its corporate partners. The Xbox game console is one of the few hardware successes from the Redmond firm, as the Zune music player was discontinued and the KIN phones for teens lasted about a month. Microsoft dominates personal computing with its software (DOS, Windows, Office), and Windows 8 is the first “MS OS” designed for everything from desktops and tablet PC rentals to mobile touchscreen devices.

MS boss Ballmer said the company “took the time to get Windows 8 and Surface right,” and went on to call the new MS tablet “a tool to surface your passions and creativity.” Whenever the Surface debuts (autumn or ?) the tech world will be watching to see if the new device sinks or swims. We’ll keep you posted!

It’s hard to separate facts from rumors, but we do it every day to keep you informed and productive. Whether you need the best trade show convention rentals or humongous mass storage for post-production, a single e-mail or call does it all (or use our Quick Rental Quote page if you know what you need).

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