Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

Lovers and loathers: The tweeting masses respond to Microsoft’s ‘Surface’ tablet news

Trevor Mogg
By

Twitter is usually a good place to go to get an early reaction to breaking news (indeed, these days the microblogging site breaks the news), with Microsoft’s Surface tablet announcement on Monday prompting many to express their thoughts and feelings on the new devices, albeit in 140 characters or less.

While a good number of people seem pretty impressed by the computer giant’s tablet offerings, others are dumbfounded at Microsoft’s failure to mention a price or release date. A fair few have simply asked why the company even bothered coming up with something that’s already been done.

Recommended Videos

Perhaps most surprising of all is that many appear to be more impressed with the accompanying ultra-slim keyboard cover than with the tablets themselves.

Related

So without further ado, here’s a selection of just a fraction of what’s being said, divided into two camps: the lovers and the loathers….

Lovers

“welcome back Microsoft, time to kick out the hipsters” – @agentsmart

 “‪Microsoft‬ ‪Surface‬ tablet – The most innovative tablet ever created. No, I’m not kidding. VERY NICE WORK” – @ByHenrik

“As bulky as it looks, the new ‪Microsoft‬ ‪Surface‬ Tablet looks like it has heaps of potential. Totally digging what they’ve done with it.” – @Matthewinnz

‪“Microsoft‬’s tablet Surface looks like it might be a tablet that can do things. Unlike the ‪Playbook‬ and ‪iPad‬ my wife and I are stuck with” – @Scott_Paradis

“Is it just me, or does it feel like Microsoft finally figured out tablets? ‪Surface‬ with Windows 8 looks great!” – @billpena

“As Yoda would say: “Begun the Tablet War has.” – @androidmoser

“It’s so thin! WOW Microsoft really blew me away with this new computer.” – @DebBreitenstein

“Newly announced Surface by Microsoft…..Shut up and take my money” – @ZakariaSoliman

“Yes, I am excited about Microsoft‬ Surface. It just has to find that pricing sweet-spot so consumers will want to buy it.” – @ericmlogan

“Now THIS is what a tablet should be like! ‪Microsoft‬’s “Surface” Tablet should be a game changer!! ‪#techwarsbegin‬” – @ishraquekhan

Loathers

“Dear Microsoft, INNOVATE – look it up, it’s in the dictionary and no – the definition does not say ‘copy Apple’! ‪#surfaceyawn‬” – @paul_ricketts

“and ‪microsoft‬ does it again! another killer product for 1995!” – @erikvold

“So that’s where RIM’s marketing genius went. ‪#AvailableAtSomePointWhenWeAreActuallyReady‬” – @mkuplens

“‪Microsoft‬ announces new tablet called ‪Surface‬. I think it maybe too little and way too late. Maybe a better name might be the ‪iZune‬?” – @RichardFagen

“I think I’m gonna order my ‪Microsoft‬ ‪Surface‬ with the blue Touch Cover to match the Blue Screen of Death” – @chriskk

“Oh ‪Microsoft‬. You can’t create an ACTUAL buzz without announcing a release date and a price. EVEN if you have to change it later.” – @_KidIncredible

“Laptop: a computer and keyboard with a fold-up screen. ‪Microsoft‬ ‪Surface‬: a computer and screen with a fold-down keyboard.” – @DerekKen

“I don’t really care if the MS Surface is better/worse than an iPad… Its been done. Do something original” – @bmatthewwhite

“Seriously ‪Microsoft‬. You didn’t quote prices. You didn’t even mention battery life. You didn’t provide a link to order a Surface. ‪#stupid‬” – @jackwilliambell

“wow…Microsoft can’t even get their tablet right. they should just stick to the only thing they are good at…Xbox” – @mt_jensen22

And let’s not forget the…..

 Keyboard applauders

“one thing I do like about the new ‪#Microsoft‬ Surface. the way the keyboard attaches, detects, etc. Better than anything I’ve seen 4 apple” – @dbrinkmann

“I think the thing that excites me the most about the new tablet from Microsoft is the full size keyboard.” – @david_maynard

“I love my iPad to death but that keyboard cover looks pretty slick, nicely done.” – @FindWaldoNow

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Trevor Mogg
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
How to order the Microsoft Surface Duo 2
Microsoft Surface Duo 2 feat image.

Microsoft has made some serious enhancements to the new Microsoft Surface Duo 2, fixing most of the mistakes people found with last year's Surface Duo. The folding dual-screen still shines, and it now comes with a 90Hz refresh rate on both panels. This is augmented by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, triple camera array, and the addition of 5G. Thanks to these improvements, the Surface Duo 2 takes its place among the top-tier folding phones and commands a correspondingly high $1,500 starting price.

The Surface Duo 2 is slightly thicker and heavier than the first Surface Duo, but it's also more solid and sturdy in the hand. The outside glass discreetly curves into the edges for a more elegant and subtle look and feel. The display sizes are somewhat larger at 5.8-inches, while the bezels have lost some fat around the edges. A fingerprint reader with a power button tops the updated package. The phone runs Android 11.

Read more
Surface Duo 2 vs. Surface Duo: Which is better?
The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 rests on a staircase railing because: right angles.

The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 is one of the most interesting phones to launch this year. It's Microsoft's unique take on the foldable genre of smartphones, and it advances the concept rather than collapsing into the more consumer-friendly style we see in the Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip-series of foldables. Instead of a single, folding screen, the Surface Duo-range uses two separate displays side-by-side.

While it might be the newest, sometimes the latest isn't always the greatest. We're trotting out the original Surface Duo to see if it's a viable alternative to the Surface Duo 2 by looking at their specs, designs, and overall capabilities. You want a foldable phone from Microsoft? Let's see which one of these two is the best.
Specs

Read more
There’s a HUGE SALE on Microsoft Surface devices today
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 with a nature scene on the display.

Microsoft's Surface devices blur the line between tablet deals and laptop deals, with different configurations and form factors available. You have plenty of options from the available Surface Laptop deals and Surface Pro deals -- it's all just a matter of choosing the Surface device that's perfect for your needs and budget.

If you're set on a Surface device as your next purchase, the good news is that there are discounts that you can avail yourself of today from Amazon and Best Buy. The Microsoft Surface Go 2 is available on Amazon for $475, after a $75 discount to its original price of $550, while the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 with Type Cover is sold on Best Buy for $599, after a $360 reduction from its original price of $959. Amazon is also selling the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 at $69 off, bringing its price down to $930 from its original price of $999.
Microsoft Surface Go 2 – $475, was $550

Read more