Surface - page 2

Should Apple make iPad Pro compatible with a mouse? [Friday Night Fights]

By

iPad Pro Keyboard Mouse
Would you use a mouse with iPad?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is again trying to convince fans that the iPad Pro is a suitable PC replacement. Earlier this week, the company rolled out new ads that remind us why its high-end slate is better (in some ways) than a desktop. But there’s just one problem.

Friday Night Fights bugiPad Pro, like other iOS devices, isn’t compatible with a mouse or trackpad. That’s fine in most cases, but many users would like to use a mouse for all manner of things, and Apple doesn’t allow it. Should this change in a future version of iOS?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we discuss why mouse compatibility might be great for iPad Pro, and why it might be pointless!

Microsoft says MacBook switchers hit an all-time high

By

Microsoft Surface Studio
Microsoft's Surface Studio is a tablet and a PC.
Photo: Microsoft.

The new MacBook Pro apparently has been great business for Apple rival Microsoft.

Mac users are switching to Microsoft’s Surface more than ever before, claims the PC-maker in a new blog post that takes several shots at Apple’s new MacBook Pro and Touch Bar.

Has Apple become boring in its middle age? [Friday Night Fights]

By

fnf
Well... are you?!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is 40 years old today. In that time, the Cupertino company has delivered some incredible products and services, and revolutionized smartphones, tablets, and music players. But is it boring now?

Friday-Night-Fights-bug-2Some say Apple’s innovation has stalled in recent years, and it has become too predictable. The surprises we used to see during its big keynotes no longer show up, and despite its secrecy, you can almost predict its product roadmap for the next year.

Are those claims harsh? Is Apple really past its best, or will it deliver groundbreaking new products again that can shake up the consumer technology industry?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we fight over Apple at 40.

Microsoft skewers Mac with new Surface Book ads

By

The Microsoft Surface Book  is a tablet and laptop in one.
The Microsoft Surface Book is a tablet and laptop in one.
Photo: Microsoft.

Microsoft is taking a page out of Apple’s marketing playbook for its newest ads promoting the Surface Book, and the company threw in a few digs at the Mac while they were at it.

Rather than just focusing on the product, Microsoft’s new ads add a human touch by focusing on how the device has changed some professionals’ workflow. First up is photography Tim Flach, who uses a Surface Book and Surface Pen to precisely edit his incredible animal photography. If owning a Surface Book gave me killer shots just like Flach, I’d ditch my Mac too.

“Being able to use a pen like this on the screen directly with the image gives me a different relationship to it,” says Flach. “And I just can’t do that on my Mac.”

Check it out:

Got an old Android? Sell it to us for a great price!

By

got-an-old-android-sell-it-to-us-for-a-great-price-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads20160220140529_sims-erecycling_0536-final-640x426-jpg
It's easy to turn your old devices into cash.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Got an old Android you don’t use anymore? It’s useless to you in the bottom of a drawer, but if you dig it out and dust it off, you can sell it to us for cold hard cash!

We’re buying used and broken Android and Microsoft devices through our new buyback program, and we pay more than Best Buy, Gazelle, and Walmart in most cases. We’ll even buy used wearables, watches, and devices that don’t even work anymore.

iPad Pro dominated Microsoft Surface lineup during holidays

By

Microsoft Surface to take on iPad
Microsoft’s next Surface tablet wants to make difficult for iPad.
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft still has a long way to go before it takes down the iPad.

The iPad Pro absolutely dominated the Microsoft tablet lineup, selling more units than the Surface Pro 4 and Surface 3 combined, according to the latest estimates from IDC which revealed that the iPad Pro was the clear winner this season as the top selling detachable tablet.

Microsoft excited to almost reach iPad levels of success with Windows 10

By

It's on many devices, but we still don't know what kind of devices.
It's on many devices, but we still don't know what kind of devices.
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft is excited, as it’s almost got as many installs of Windows 10 as there are iPads. Of course, the Redmond-based tech company didn’t put it in as many words, rather shouting out that Windows 10 is on now on a ton of devices.

“As of today,” writes Microsoft on its website, “there are more than 200 million monthly active devices around the world running Windows 10.”

That’s surely a lot of installs, showing significant growth.

Should Apple merge iOS with OS X for iPad Pro?

By

fnf_1024
It's that time of the week again!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Is merging iOS with OS X a good idea? For the longest time, the answer to that question has been a resounding no from anyone who appreciates good software — but with iPad Pro on the horizon, there may well be a growing case for it.

Friday-Night-Fights-bug-2The iPad Pro has the potential to be the ultimate 2-in-1 — a laptop that could really replace a notebook when you need to get stuff done. But in many ways, it’s being held back by iOS, which is still very much a mobile platform without many of the basics we have on our desktops — like a file manager.

So, is there now room for a new platform that delivers the best of iOS and OS X, perfectly suited to a tablet that doubles as a notebook?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we battle it out over that very question!

Samsung’s super-sized iPad Pro competitor to pack disappointing specs

By

samsungs-super-sized-ipad-pro-competitor-to-pack-disappointing-specs-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201507samsung-galaxy-tab-s2-2015-07-20-02-jpg
Samsung's massive tablet could be a massive disappointment. Photo: Samsung
Samsung’s massive tablet could be a massive disappointment. Photo: Samsung

Samsung’s super-sized iPad Pro competitor will come packing painfully disappointing specifications, according to the latest leak.

The slate’s 18.5-inch display is to be accompanied by a speedy octa-core Exynos processor — but it’s lacking in RAM, cameras, and motion sensors.

Cheap Chromebooks teach Apple a lesson: Price matters

By

post-304798-image-39ef836c3a27ca8d30436c0923240ba4-jpg

Apple and Google are very interested in taking over the U.S. education market from Microsoft, but when it comes to capturing marketshare, the Chromebook is teaching Apple an important lesson: Price matters.

For the first time ever, Google has passed Apple in the U.S. education market, according to IDC data obtained by The Financial Times, which shows Google’s Chromebook laptops are more popular now in the K-12 classrooms than the iPad.

Microsoft’s plan to takeover NFL sidelines fumbles on opening night

By

microsoftnflsurface-600x330

Microsoft’s plan to takeover the NFL with its Surface tablets hit a few snags during the debut of its new Sideline Viewing System at last night’s Hall of Fame game between the Giants and Bills.

As part of the new Sideline Viewing System for the NFL, Microsoft is flooding coaching staffs with special Surface Pro 2 units that are designed to replace binders of printed photos, but according to Buffalo Bills head couch Doug Marrone, his team didn’t get access to the new feature.

Microsoft will pay you $650 to ditch your MacBook Air for a Surface

By

surface-03

No matter how many updates Microsoft makes to its Surface tablets, it just hasn’t been able to live up to its promise of killing the iPad and MacBook Air in one swoop, but now Redmond is ready to try another tactic — buying you out.

Microsoft announced that starting today, MacBook Air owners can walk into any Microsoft retail store and trade-in their Apple machine for $650 of store credit toward the purchase a Surface Pro 3, which Microsoft swears can replace your laptop, because you know, it’s got Office.

Microsoft Tries To Discredit iWork As Competition, But Ends Up Looking Desperate

By

Apple has turned software pricing on its head, and Microsoft isn't happy about it.
Apple has turned software pricing on its head, and Microsoft isn't happy about it.

Yesterday Apple announced that all of its consumer software, including OS X Mavericks, is now free. Customers who buy Apple’s hardware will have full access to the completely new versions of iLife and iWork at no additional cost. It’s a bold move that The New York Times called a direct attack on Microsoft Office.

The decision to make iWork free wasn’t Apple’s only jab at Microsoft during yesterday’s keynote, and now the Redmond giant has gone on the defensive.

New iPad 5 Could Come With Microsoft Surface Style iTouch Keyboard

By

IpadMiniNewWhite2_1024x1024

What is the point of the iPad now that the iPad mini is on the cusp of going Retina? It’s Apple’s pro device: the iPad for people who want a tablet to replace their laptops, not just be a more fully-functioning e-reader.

Why is why the latest rumor to come down the pipes makes a lot of sense. It says Apple is intending on launching its own keyboard cover for the iPad at tomorrow’s event, a la the Microsoft Surface.

Steve Ballmer Confirms Office Will Come To iPad When It’s Ready For The Touchscreen

By

officeforipad

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has confirmed that Microsoft Office will come to the iPad just as soon as it’s ready for devices with a touchscreen. Speaking at the Gartner Symposium/ITxpo in Florida today, Ballmer said, “iPad will be picked up when there’s a touch first user interface.”

That user interface is “in progress” Ballmer added, but it’s likely to come to the Windows version of Office first.

Microsoft Is So Desperate For You To Ditch Your iPhone It Will Happily Buy It Off You

By

Microsoft-iPhone-trade-in

Nothing makes Microsoft happier than seeing an iPhone user ditch their device for a Windows Phone smartphone. In fact, the company will even buy your iPhone off you if you promise to make the switch.

Starting this Friday, you’ll be able to take your old iPhone 4s or iPhone 5 into select Microsoft stores across the U.S. and Canada and receive a minimum of $200 in-store credit for a new Windows Phone device. The move comes weeks after Microsoft kicked off an iPad trade-in program to encourage consumers to switch to its Surface tablet.