The images may make it look like a notebook, but Microsoft's new Surface line is all about tablets. As the center of the computing industry continues to shift from PC to mobile, Microsoft, maker of keyboards and mice for three decades, is directly challenging Apple’s iPhone and iPad dominance with the Surface sub-brand.

"Microsoft founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen made a big bet — a bet on software — but it was always clear that we had to push hardware in ways that sometimes manufacturers hadn't envisioned," said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at Monday's unveiling. "We believe that any intersection between human and machine can be made better when all aspects, hardware and software, are working together."Continue reading...

Microsoft scored a rare victory over Apple, basking in strong sales and positive reviews for its new Windows 7 operating system for PCs. But a new battle will pit not only old brand against new, but today's technology against tomorrow's.

Microsoft now has to worry about the rise of cloud computing, a wave Google intends to ride to the fullest, with its upcoming Chrome operating system.

The October 22 introduction of Windows 7 has been an unqualified success, says Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer. The company claims to have sold twice as many copies of Windows 7 as any previous operating system thus far. Indeed, Windows 7 has met with almost universal acceptance, especially after its predecessor, the disastrous Vista operating system, was fraught with technical problems.Continue reading...