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CNN Anchors Caught On Camera Using Microsoft Surface As an iPad Stand

MojoKid writes Since the release of its Surface Pro 3 tablet, Microsoft has pushed their new slate hard. It's as if the company wanted it to overwrite that part of our memory that recalls the Surface RT and its monumental losses. This past August, we saw the company make a big move by deploying a boatload of Surface Pro tablets to every team in the NFL, gratis. All season so far, coaches and even players have made use of them to plan their next course-of-action, and for the most part, they seemed to be well-received. Unlike some of the products Microsoft tries to get us to adopt, the Surface Pro 3 really is a solid tablet / convertible. Unfortunately, at least where the CNN political team is concerned, Microsoft hasn't won over a few anchors, like they have in NFL, when they were supplied with brand-new Surface Pros. In recent shots captured and tweeted about, a Surface Pro 3 can be seen acting as an "iPad stand," and quite an expensive one. As humorous as this is, it might not seem that interesting if it were just one correspondent who pulled that stunt. Let's be honest, some people just like their iPads. That wasn't the case, though. There were at least two commentators using an iPad on the same set, despite having the Surface right in front of them and seemingly hiding it behind Microsoft's darling Windows 8 slate.

11 of 236 comments (clear)

  1. Gibson got it right... by Indiana+Joe · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...the street does have its own uses for technology.

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    I can't decide if this post is interesting, funny, insightful, or flamebait.
    1. Re:Gibson got it right... by xevioso · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If you have anchors using items with prominent logos, you aren't doing the news, you are doing advertising. Get out of the news business and become an advertiser. I go to watch the news to find out whats going on in the world, not to find out whats going on in the world while being subjected to branding. That's called shilling, and people wonder why the media is trusted less these days.

  2. Re:Could have been worse by spire3661 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They are NOT comparable devices. Surface Pro addresses an ENTIRELY different segment of users and is an entirely different class of machine (can run arbitrary code)

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    Good-bye
  3. Microsoft can't win by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They put full Windows OS in their tablet, it's not as easy to use as an iPad.

    They put a tablet OS in their tablet, it doesn't have full Windows functionality.

  4. Rebrand old Windows RT devices as iPod Stands by jfdavis668 · · Score: 5, Funny

    That is one way that Microsoft can make some money from them. As seen on CNN...

  5. Re:Could have been worse by SmallFurryCreature · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The surface pro is one of the better devices to come out of redmond. It hands down beats the Ipad in lots of areas except for the apps.

    and the sales.

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    MMO Quests are like orgasms:

    You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.

  6. And they say.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Microsoft doesn't support Apple products..

  7. Re:nfl forced to use surface by nabsltd · · Score: 5, Informative

    Given a choice, they'd still be using iPads.

    This is the first season that any electronic device could be used by coaches and players during an NFL game. They weren't using iPads before...they were using steno pads.

  8. Re:Could have been worse by Ed+Avis · · Score: 5, Interesting

    In terms of sheer numbers, I'd guess you are right: more Win32 applications have been written since 1995 or so than there are apps for iOS. Especially if you include in-house software.

    In terms of applications to do something most people want to do, which is a subjective measure I admit, iOS may have the lead. Particularly so if you look for software that's optimized for tablet use: there are a lot of very capable Windows programs which are rather less usable on a tablet than with a physical keyboard and mouse, whereas iOS apps are all designed around touchscreen use.

    For example, I've been looking for a map program (similar to Google Maps) that runs on a handheld Windows 7 PC with attached GPS. It's surprising how few choices there are that do the basic function of showing your GPS position on a map, and aren't some crusty thing last updated in 2004. True, if I included Windows 8 "Metro" apps there would be a wider choice, but still it is dwarfed by what you get on Android or iOS. (FTR - in the end I went with Anquet Maps for hiking maps and Mapfactor PC-Navigator for city use.)

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    -- Ed Avis ed@membled.com
  9. "The Surface Pro is a stable platform" by tlambert · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...the street does have its own uses for technology.

    "The Surface Pro is a stable platform on which I rest my iPad"

  10. It's all in the name by SuperKendall · · Score: 5, Funny

    If you don't want people putting other things over your product, don't name it Surface.

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    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley