Gates: ‘Frustrated’ iPad users create opening for Microsoft

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Are iPad users truly frustrated that the Apple tablet can’t do everything a Windows PC can do? Bill Gates thinks thinks a lot of them are, and he’s betting that Microsoft will be able to capitalize on the situation over time. “With Windows 8, Microsoft is trying to gain share in what has been dominated… Read More…

CHART: Tablet market soaring, now almost two-thirds the size of PC market

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The market for tablets is continuing to climb dramatically, reaching 49.2 million units shipped worldwide in the first quarter, up from 20.3 million units a year earlier, according to an IDC research report issued today. That’s in sharp contrast with the market for traditional computers. An earlier report by IDC said that PC shipments declined… Read More…

Microsoft ships 900k Surface tablets in Q1, breaks into IDC’s top 5 for first time

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Microsoft is officially back on the radar in the worldwide tablet market, with its Surface Pro and Surface RT tablets combining for 900,000 units shipped in the first quarter, according to a report today by the IDC research firm. That gives the Microsoft Surface 1.8 percent market share, in fifth place, according to IDC’s estimates…. Read More…

How hardware is changing Microsoft: Surface helps Windows revenue, at a cost

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One of the luxuries of Microsoft’s longtime focus on software development — and one of the secrets to its financial success over the years — has been the profit margins. The Windows team has traditionally borne the cost of developing the code, without having to worry about the expense of costly hardware and physical components…. Read More…

Microsoft reportedly building a 7-inch Surface tablet

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Aiming to compete with the likes of Apple’s iPad, Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD and Google’s Nexus, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Microsoft is building a 7-inch Surface tablet. Sources tell the WSJ that a new lineup of tablets, including a 7-inch version, will go into production later this year. This all makes sense… Read More…

Look out, Microsoft? Tablets to become our primary computers, Gartner predicts

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A new report from the Gartner research firm paints a dire picture for the traditional PC market, predicting that tablets will quickly become the primary method of computing for most people around the world, exceeding shipments of desktop and notebook computers within two to three years. The prediction raises the stakes for Microsoft’s attempt to… Read More…

Google glasses ban; a sonic-powered vibrator; and other top stories of the month

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Here’s a look back at the top stories of the month on GeekWire. Thanks for tuning in everyone, and for being a part of the GeekWire community. Happy Easter, and hope to see everyone April 11th at the GeekWire Meetup and Radio Show. No Google Glasses allowed, declares Seattle dive bar (58 comments, 552 Tweets)… Read More…

Microsoft updates Windows 8 Mail, Calendar, People apps

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Microsoft will release an update to its native Mail, Calendar and People apps for Windows 8 and Windows RT starting tonight with new features and, perhaps more importantly, “big improvements to performance.” That’s the word from the company this morning in a post outlining a series of enhancements to the built-in apps — including new… Read More…

Microsoft update boosts Surface RT wireless, typing and trackpad

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Microsoft’s monthly Patch Tuesday update, issued today, delivers a series of fixes and updates for users of the company’s Surface RT tablet, including fixes to Wi-Fi reliability, improvements in the typing experience with the keyboard cover accessories, and trackpad improvements. The firmware upgrades, noted earlier by ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley, are documented on this Microsoft Surface… Read More…

Youngsters think Microsoft is getting cooler as it ages

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Looks like those hip new Microsoft commercials are paying off.  A Reuters poll found that just under 50 percent of 853 people aged 18 to 29 think Microsoft is “cooler” than it was in years past. The Redmond software giant actually did better than Twitter and Facebook in the coolness department. Only 42 percent thought… Read More…