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Will Microsoft Solve Surface Pro Battery Issue with Add-On? By Barry Levine February 7, 2013 1:57PM     Since it first announced the Surface Pro line last year, Microsoft has continually made the comparison to Ultrabooks, which are thin, powerful, Intel processor-based laptops. To be compared with a laptop, however, the tablet needs the optional keyboard/cover, which goes for another $120. Microsoft is suggesting it may offer a battery add-on for Surface Pro.   Related Topics Surface Pro Microsoft Windows 8 MacBook Air Ultrabook Latest News Oculus VR Gets Huge Funding Boost Huawei Phone Is a Quarter-Inch Thin Yahoo, Apple Disclose Data Requests Free Video Messaging Comes to Skype Prism's Secret: Bigger Data Seizure Microsoft 's Windows 8 tablet , the Surface Pro, launches this weekend. Reviews have been mixed, with some observers dinging the paltry battery life. But a Microsoft executive has indicated the company may offer a battery add-on. This week, Microsoft Corporate Vice President Panos Panay told an online audience via Reddit that the company may provide some accessories that could take advantage of connector plates on the device -- plates which are not found on the Surface Windows RT model. The response was to a question that asked about a possible external battery pack or keyboard/cover containing an additional battery. The Pro has been criticized for having a battery life of 4.5 to 5 hours, about half that of other tablets. Interestingly, the Microsoft team told the Reddit audience that if the Surface Pro is compared to "a MacBook Air, you will quickly see that pound for pound in battery size versus battery life, you will find optimizations that put Surface best in its class." The MacBook Air's battery is marketed as having a life of 5 hours. 'Ultrabook-Class PC ' This Pro-to-laptop comparison appears to be a key part of Microsoft's marketing strategy of treating the device as a new category. Last week, for instance, Tami Reller, head of marketing for the company's Windows division, told news media that the $899 price for the Pro should be seen as "getting an Ultrabook-class PC with the added benefit of tablet package." Since it first announced the Surface line last year, Microsoft has continually made the comparison to Ultrabooks, which are thin, powerful, Intel processor-based laptops. To be compared with a laptop, however, the tablet needs the optional keyboard/cover, which goes for another $120. The MacBook Air starts at $999. The value proposition for this device is shaping up into an assessment of whether it is a great value as a laptop-plus-tablet, or whether it accomplishes neither role well. Tablet/PC or Neither? On the one hand, the device has an Intel Core i5 processor, runs a full Windows 8 operating system, supports legacy Windows apps , and, with its keyboard cover, can function as a laptop. As more than one observer has noted, it's essentially a flat PC. Without the cover, it is a tablet with a kickstand and a touchscreen interface using the new Windows 8 touch interface. On the other hand, the Surface Pro is heavier and thicker than other tablets -- 40 percent heavier than the heaviest iPad and more than 40 percent thicker. Some users have said that, under normal conditions, the battery life is actually less than four hours, problematic for a mobile device. Several reviewers have complained that its heft makes it clumsy to use in a lap, and that, judged against a comparable laptop, the Pro has less storage, fewer ports, and a keyboard/cover that does not compare. There is also no built-in cellular connectivity , which must be added through a plug-in modem.   Tell Us What You Think Comment: Name: Also Visit: iPad Info Center Billions of Bytes Mobile Device Now Apple Info Center TopTechWire.com

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Enterprise Hardware Spotlight

Samsung Offers Tiny, Superfast PCIe SSDs for Ultrabooks Solid-state drives are continuing their march forward. On Monday, Samsung Electronics announced it has started to mass produce the first PCI-Express 3.0 SSDs for the new wave of Ultrabooks.   Amazon.com Joins 3D Printer Craze, Enabling Wide Availability Commercially available 3D printers have recently moved from being expensive hobbyist devices to being pricey but accessible consumer and manufacturing machines. And now, Amazon.com will sell 3D printers & supplies online.   New Facebook Data Center Uses All Home-Grown Servers Facebook has opened its new data center in Lulea, Sweden. The data center is a first in two ways: the first in Europe and the first to be equipped with all Facebook-designed, Open Compute servers.

Mobile Enterprise Spotlight

Why Google's Project Loon is Smart Business Google is once again proving that it's much more than a search engine or even a mobile-device company, with Project Loon. The initiative aims to bring "balloon-powered Internet" to isolated areas of the world.   Authorities Want Smartphone 'Kill Switch' To Fight Thefts Law enforcement authorities are calling on the smartphone industry to adopt "kill switch" technologies that would deter theft by squeezing the market for selling stolen devices, which would be worthless if "bricked."   Small Business Gets Boost from Mobile Marketing Aside from the requisite e-commerce tricks, small businesses are turning their attention to the mobile arena to engage social media-savvy customers, as mobile marketing tools offer more channels.

Enterprise Technology Spotlight

New Facebook Data Center Uses All Home-Grown Servers Facebook has opened its new data center in Lulea, Sweden. The data center is a first in two ways: the first in Europe and the first to be equipped with all Facebook-designed, Open Compute servers.   Cisco Telecom Router Ready for Internet Traffic Flood The Carrier Routing System-X unveiled by Cisco for the telecommunications industry is a 400 Gbps per slot system that can be expanded to nearly 1 petabit per second, enough to deal with the coming flood in demand.   HP's IT in a Box Targets SMBs by Using Google Apps Hewlett-Packard is partnering with Google on HP SMB IT in a Box, which it bills as a "one-stop shop" solution for small and medium business customers. The move is likely to ruffle Microsoft's feathers.

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