The difference between Surface, Nexus 7 and iPad

The number of stories about Microsoft's Surface are growing and most of them have a similar theme - how poorly it has performed. Why have so few people bought the Surface when clearly tablets are really hot sellers right now. Just look at iPad sales and Android tablets like the Google Nexus 7 are doing pretty good too.

It is all down to the way that Microsoft sees tablets:

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On the left is the iPad mini and on the right is the Google Nexus 7. Notice that they are hand held devices that are designed to do fun stuff.

This is how Microsoft sees tablets. It is a Surface RT and both Microsoft's advertising and reviews have highlighted the keyboard. This is not a tablet!

Screen + keyboard + Windows = Laptop Computer.

Microsoft isn't competing with other tablets. It isn't even in the same market. What it is selling is an ultra-light laptop computer with a removable touch screen. Microsoft clearly sees the Surface as a computer and not a tablet and that's where it is going wrong. It's too big, it runs a desktop OS and it has a keyboard. None of which people want in a tablet.