Microsoft Scratches The Surface

Watching Steve Ballmer announce Microsoft's launching of its own tablet computer made me think of classical musicians playing jazz or ethnic music.  All the notes are as written, but the music is flat and boring.  Mr. Ballmer's shirt looks like a bad parody of Apple execs looking naturally techy with with their shirt tails left outside their trousers. It didn't feel good.

Microsoft partners must have been cringing when they heard the announcement.  Did they learn about it with the rest of us?  Finally, I notice that the Surface will have a "kickstand."  That word conjures up my first bike with pedal brakes and fat tires; the kickstand was something that bent, rusted and broke. 

I just get a feeling about the Surface...it's "Ohh Nooooo!"