Microsoft’s Pursuit of ‘Cool’

In the July issue, Seattle Business contributor Skip Ferderber wonders if Microsoft will ever be the cool kid in class. Just as the July issue hit the newsstands this week, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled the new Microsoft Surface, a tablet/PC designed to rival the coolness and cachet of Apples iPad.

Whether the Surface can capture a significant share of the tablet market is still open to question. Microsoft hasnt disclosed what it plans to charge for the two versions of the device or what the Surfaces battery life is. Some commenters even suggested that the Surface, designed completely in house, may constitute an ill-advised thumbing of the nose at longtime Microsoft hardware partners like Dell, Lenovo and Hewlett-Packard.

Nevertheless, plenty of technophiles gushed over the clever design of the Surface, calling it sleek and innovative for its built-in kickstand and a keyboard that doubles as a cover. Microsoft says the Surface is designed to seamlessly transition between consumption and creation, without compromise. So the least we can do is give em bonus points for alliteration.