Microsoft (MSFT) says the public reaction to its new Surface tablet has been “exciting to see,” and now the world’s largest software company is putting its first tablet into retail stores other than its own. Until now, the Surface has only been available on Microsoft’s website and through temporary retail stores that it set up for the holidays. Now Microsoft says it will extend the leases on many of those stores, and that soon other retailers will have the tablet.
Best Buy and Staples have confirmed that they will have the Surface with Windows RT this week. Staples could be an important partner for Microsoft as it works to infiltrate office environments before they become locked into Apple’s iOS and the iPad. The iPad has been making inroads into many corporate environments, including those that use the Windows operating system for personal computers.
But the Surface with Windows RT may not be the answer for enterprises looking for a tablet that integrates seamlessly with their desktop computers. That’s because most Windows applications running on a PC cannot be transferred to the tablet. The Surface with Windows RT is powered by an ARM-based processor, as are most smartphones and tablets on the market today. Most personal computers are powered by Intel chipsets, and therein lies the difficulty in making the tablet fully compatible with desktop computers. Early next year, Microsoft plans to release a version of its Surface tablet that will use an Intel processor and integrate with the desktop Windows operating system.
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