Engadget: No, those bright blue, ruggedized devices being used on NFL sidelines aren't iPads. They're Surface Pro 2s. And while they may look like Apple's renowned tablet from afar, at least to some NFL commentators, Microsoft's been trying to help players and coaches get more familiar with the Sideline Viewing System since the league implemented it earlier this year. Naturally, this includes Russell Wilson, the starting QB of the Seattle Seahawks. Last week, during his day off, he took the time to talk to us at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, the team's practice facility -- located in Renton, Washington, around a 30-minute drive from downtown Seattle.
In October, Microsoft did something it's never done before, it generated more revenue selling its Surface line of PC/tablet hybrids to online consumers than Apple made selling iPads, according to data from 1010data.
Maximum PC: Microsoft is hoping to convince gamers to purchase a Surface Pro 2 tablet by giving away some free games and accessories. In partnership with Geek and Sundry, PC gamers who purchase any variant of the Surface Pro 2 will also receive two free downloadable games -- War Thunder Mustang Advanced Pack and Farming Simulator 2013 -- plus an Xbox Wireless Controller for Windows.
HuffPost:
The shocking news arrived this weekend: The Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2, Microsoft's second-generation "iPad killer" tablets, sold out in many stores.
Microsoft's been trying for years to catch up to Apple in certain areas, releasing the now-discontinued Zune to challenge the iPod and designing its own operating system for smartphones. The company's first attempt at building its own tablet was a disaster: Relatively few people bought the Surface RT, the base model, which started at $499, and Microsoft wound up having to take a $900 million charge at the end of its last fiscal year for unsold inventory and a $150 price drop.
