Microsoft Surface tablet at $499 is not good enough

Microsoft announced recently that the price for Surface tablets will start at $499. While this might be same as the price of a similar Apple iPad I don’t think it will help them.

Microsoft Surface tablet with White keyboard Cover

Most people will tend to buy tablets based on three parameters – brand, price and platform.

Apple, Samsung and Amazon have the brand locked down. Samsung and Amazon also have the price advantage with both low end ($199) and high end tablets along with having a widely used platform – Android, on their side.

That leaves Microsoft with a small group of enthusiasts and people who don’t care about app stores etc and just want a tablet to watch video and surf the web.

The Microsoft Surface tablet is 9.3mm thick,has one USB port and comes with 10.6″ ClearType display. The detachable cover is 3mm thick. Some reviews claim that the display is better than that on an iPad and the keyboard cover is a boon for content creators. 

I think this is going to be a tough battle for Microsoft even though they have a great device. Not to mention their whole Windows RT/8 thing confuses people. Having said all that, apparently the pre-orders for the Surface tablets have sold out!! Holy #$@% Batman, I could be wrong!

How the new Microsoft logo failed

It’s always a risk when large organizations rebrand themselves. Microsoft took that plunge a few days ago and I think they missed the mark. 

Enough has been written about how Microsoft needs to move out of the shadow of Windows/Office and rebrand itself. Unfortunately, the new logo does exactly the opposite. The color squares in the new logo are a reminder of the evolution of Windows and the logo that we have been seeing since Windows 3.1

With a rebranding exercise like this one, Microsoft should have gone for something that marks its path forward rather than reminiscing in the past.

Save Nokia - A simple plan

It’s not looking good for Nokia. They gambled and  put all their eggs in one basket. Microsoft screwed them and they will lose big time on Lumina 800. Every blog out there is predicting their downfall but I think they still have a chance. It won’t be easy but here’s the plan:

Hold hands with Android: You might be last to join the race but it will give you a fighting chance. Go for the low end and medium price segment, at first. Your brand recognition may help in these areas. Don’t skimp on the design.

Sue Microsoft for losses: Partners sue each other, it happens all the time with big corporations. Sure they might look like a sissy but if Oracle is not shy of suing Google, they shouldn’t be either. And fire your lawyers for not putting in a clause to safeguard against the Lumina 800 fiasco. Don’t drop MS, you can be frenemies and if it works out, you can be friends.

Diversify: This one is controversial. I know you have just started focusing on telecommunication in the last decade and Nokia-Siemens Network is not doing too well on profits. Push NSN to focus on profits and stop bleeding for them. As for Nokia, maybe it’s time to invest rather than acquire. Setup a venture fund and invest in mobile start ups. This will come with its own headaches but if you get the right guy for the job, it will pay off.

Cut the fat: Both NSN and Nokia are too big for their own good. You have to do more with less. I hate to say this but it means fewer plants and unfortunately, lesser staff which also includes the current CEO. Also things like Ovi store and completing with iTunes won’t work right now. Maybe you can try those when you have a pile of cash.