Microsoft already hyped up the crowd with the expected release of Surface Mini last May, but what they have presented is the new version of its flagship tablet Surface Pro 3 instead.
Just when the Surface Mini buzz was about to subside, various tech sites have confirmed that the Surface Pro 3 manual (purposely or weirdly enough) contained numerous references to the Mini. Could it be due to the last minute cancelation of the device's release?
Fortunately, we're able to spot some online photos that evidently show how the downloadable Surface Pro 3 user guide mentioned Surface Mini quite a number of times. As of writing, Microsoft site has already removed this link, so here they are:
These so-called "errors" made tech experts conclude that the Surface Mini has already been completed. Tech blogger Paul Thurrott even tweeted:
There are Surface Mini references all over the Surface Pro 3 User Guide. Hilarious.
— Paul Thurrott (@thurrott) June 20, 2014
With regards to the specific reason on why Microsoft has decided to postpone the release of Mini, ZDNet cites CEO Satya Nadella who said that this device "wasn't different enough from rivals and probably wouldn't be a hit".
Another anonymous source from the company told Neowin that Microsoft is just waiting for the touch-based version of Microsoft Office (codenamed Gemini) prior to Mini's official release. Tech Radar cites the prediction made by ZDNet's columnist suggesting that Microsoft's Gemini applications will be released in Spring 2015, perhaps pushing Surface Mini's release date next year.
The iPad mini rival is allegedly a seven or eight-inch device with 4:3 aspect ratio as well. Since these details remain unverified, no final information regarding its OS has been announced yet. However, top choices include full-flat Windows 8, along with Windows RT, which is considered as the 'budget' operating system.
If we are going to keep track of RT's performance with the original Surface RT tablet two years ago, many users were disappointed with the inaccessible back catalogue of Windows software - particularly those business related programs that could have been Microsoft's sharp advantage over Android or iOS tablets.
What could be the Surface Mini's possible advantages over the iPad Mini? Will it really be a threat? Sound off in the comments section below.
