Apple iPad vs Microsoft Surface Tablet

November 20, 2012 by ·

The battle between the tablets from Apple and Microsoft has been lasting for a while and the year 2012 is no exception. Apple announced the launching of their new tablet, iPad 4, just a few days before the official release of the Microsoft Surface Tablet – and they promised a powerful processor and a better Wi-Fi connection. So which one would you choose?

In fact, there are two versions of the Surface tablet – one is the already available model powered by Nvidia Tegra 3 and using Windows RT, and the other one will come out soon and it will be dedicated rather to business people, powered by a friendlier Intel Core i5 processor and using Windows 8 Pro. Note that both Surface tablets are significantly larger and slightly heavier than the iPads.

Surface has a bigger screen with great resolution – 1366×768 for the Windows RT model and 1920×1080 for the Pro one – but iPad does offer a brighter image and better detail, contrast and color, thanks to the Retina display. On the other hand, Surface has some pluses, especially when talking about storage size. The model using Windows RT starts from 32 GB built-in-storage, while the iPad offers you 16 GB. Moreover, Surface gives you the possibility of a microSD card if you want to expand that storage, whereas the iPads do not.

Apple customers were a bit disappointed when they heard that the new iPad has a Lightning connector replacing the traditional 30-pin dock connector used for the previous models. That means that if someone wants to use regular cables, they will have to buy more upgrades, therefore spend more money for Apple. Fortunately, Microsoft Surface has the good old full-size dock, usable with all cables – you can plug in USB devices, cameras and printers.

Both tablets offer you fun and interesting apps and let you connect to millions of songs, books, videos and games. A nice feature available on Surface is the Kickstand, which lets you place your tablet almost vertically so you can use it handsfree- while talking on Skype with your friends, watching movies or maybe checking up some recipes online when you are cooking in the kitchen! If you miss the presence of a keyboard – sometimes necessary at work, school or just more comfortable for you when you have typing to do – the people from Microsoft have come up with a great idea. The Touch Cover can be used as a traditional cover that protects your Surface, but also as a very thin and sensitive keyboard.

In the end, it is a battle of tastes, and the success of iPads or Microsoft tablets will resume based on what customers want. There are differences between all the models, which means that the companies are trying harder and harder to bring something new to the scene and to eventually lead the market. That is a good thing for customers, who will have more powerful and efficient tablets to choose from. But will the fans of a certain company stick with it from now on too, or will they switch to the other one? We’ll have to wait and see.

Filed Under: Apple, Email News, General News, Microsoft, Tablets · Tagged: , , , , ,

Microsoft Tablets – A Closer Look at the Surface Tablet

November 13, 2012 by ·

When Bill Gates introduced the first Microsoft tablet, nobody was very interested. But when a few years later, Steve Jobs did the same thing for Apple, the world was thrilled. It seems that now, with the Surface tablets, it is time for revenge, but should Microsoft create more and more tablets to compete with Apple or should they just stick to PC software?

With the Surface tablet, the motto is “Less is more” and it is indeed true! The design is great, very nice to look at – colorful and fun – and also very comfortable to hold. The interior is compact and very well protected by a resistant molten magnesium alloy called VaporMg – it is three times lighter than aluminum, but very durable. Surface also has a special coating to protect it from fingerprint marks, so it will always look flawless.

The Microsoft tablet screen offers a perfect, crystal clear image (16:9 ratio) so you can enjoy all your favorite HD videos or seeing your friends while talking to them. If you want to share something with them, you can use either the front or the rear facing camera. The rear one is angled at 22 degrees and you can use it and be visible when you use the Kickstand. Speaking of Kickstand, it is an intelligent and very useful addition to the regular tablet design. It allows you to benefit from your Surface hands-free too!

One of the disadvantages of using an ordinary tablet is that you sometimes miss having a keyboard, especially when you need it the most! The designers from Microsoft have that covered – with Touch Cover! At first glance, it looks like any other cover, protecting your Surface, but it actually works as a keyboard too. It is only 3 mm thick and pressure-sensitive. It has all the keys and media controls that you are used to, including a trackpad. If you need to get moving fast, you do not have to waste time with turning the tablet off – just flip the cover over the display and it will take care of everything.

Transferring large files is quick and easy with the new Microsoft tablet; just plug in a thumb drive or hard drive and then drag and drop them to or from your Surface. The USB ports allow you to connect mice, printers or even your phone when you need to charge it. You can also opt for a microSD card for up to 64 GB of extra storage.

Working with apps is so much fun – you can have access to all the music you want, as well as books and videos or games using the Xbox, you can even use two apps at the same time and see them on a split screen. Get a SkyDrive account and you will be able to share your work with others, or record seminaries while taking notes in OneNote.

In conclusion, Microsoft tablets are promising. Surface is perfect for everyday use, work and study, both for teenagers and adults. It is easy to use and it really brings some nice changes!

Filed Under: Apple, Email News, General News, Microsoft, Tablets · Tagged: , , , , ,

Introduction to Cloud Computing – Definition and General Characteristics

October 18, 2012 by ·

There has been a lot of talk about the concept of cloud computing recently, as many businesses “move to the cloud”, adopting a set of new types of scalable technologies that have significantly enhanced the speed and quality of their online services, while also offering many other benefits, as well.

But What Is Cloud Computing Exactly?

Cloud services generally represent the delivery of hosting services (both hardware and software) through a network. The network is usually the internet itself, as represented by the term “cloud”. There are three main aspects that set them apart from regular hosting services:

  • They are extremely flexible, being provided according to the needs of each user at any given time;
  • Because the services are managed fully by the provider, the user will only need a computer or mobile device with internet access in order to use them;
  • Cloud services are typically sold on demand, either by the minute or by the hour, depending on each individual user or company’s demands.

Currently Available Cloud Types and Models

There are three main cloud service types available, which, set apart from several others, are the most important categories offered by cloud computing providers: Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS).

Apart from these, other cloud service varieties may include storage-as-a-service, data-as-a-service, API-as-a service, security-as-a-service and more; each of these are specially designed to provide different types of products and architectures on demand, usually regardless of organizational or geographic factors.

A cloud can also be categorized as either private or public. Private clouds represent proprietary networks that supply services to a limited number of people, while public cloud services are typically offered by providers through the internet to any potential clients.

Clouds have become an extremely broad market recently. As a result of the further SOA innovations that are constantly under way, combined with an increased speed and quality of internet technologies, the interest in cloud services is likely to continue rising in the future.

Now that you know the basics of cloud computing, stay tuned for more in-depth info, as there many important details you need to learn about to understand the full potential of such a service.

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