Microsoft has a smaller version of their Surface tablet waiting in the wings. This will allow it to be more pocket friendly and make it a viable e-reader for those of us on the go. Will the Surface Mini be a hit?
The Microsoft Surface Mini was first tipped in an Amazon product page for a protective case. There has been consistent rumors for the last year surrounding the new product that was originally tipped for an official annoucnement in May 2014.
The Surface Mini is thought to be seven to eight inches in size. One of the big hyping factors regarding this new device is the active digitizer Pen that will replace the capacitive one that shipped with the Surface 1 and 2.
Microsoft recently shed some of the bulky file size with Windows 8.1. The more lightweight operating system will allow tablets to get more bang for their buck with storage memory.
One of the big selling points behind the Surface Mini should be the Microsoft Reader app the company is developing. MS has mandated that Barnes and Noble discontinue support for their own app and throw their development might towards Microsoft’s upcoming product. There will be millions of books, newspapers and magazines available to purchase and also allow customers to open up their own eBooks and PDF files.
The Microsoft Surface Mini could be a compelling enough product if the price is right. In the past all of the Windows 8 tablets have been horribly overpriced and hinder mass market acceptance. A recent Gartner report done in 2013 stated that 195 million tablets were sold and Microsoft only accounted for 2.1%.
Michael Kozlowski is the Editor in Chief of Good e-Reader. He has been writing about audiobooks and e-readers for the past ten years. His articles have been picked up by major and local news sources and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times.
