[dropcap]J[/dropcap]ust 11 days before the release of Microsoft's first tablet — original, designed by the company itself — a commercial for the device aired on national U.S. cable television during ESPN's Monday Night Football. It was different, and a show of audacity by the company, though there were remnants of the Internet Explorer commercials to be found (dance music with light dubstep).
Many a critic and advocate of originality — pure truth in authentic design — have been quick to publicly show their hatred of the Surface. This advertisement will only aid in furthering the damage due to its main focus: a magnetic cover. Narrow-minded folk who care little about the best interest of real-world users will not waste a second in slating this new effort by an old company. Microsoft has shown that it wants to be different than Apple; than Google; than all other manufacturers and tablet operating system developers. It has shown that it wishes to be seen as a company that has the current generation in its sights, hence the techno and dubstep in commercials. There's nothing wrong with this, but fanboys will have people believe otherwise.
A magnetic cover was first used with a tablet by Apple. There's no denying that Microsoft's solution is almost entirely unoriginal, but there is the fact that it has that one difference. It has a keyboard. Sure, there are lots of keyboard cases for the iPad. And yes, the Redmond, Washington-based corporation has very little going for it in the eyes of an Apple proponent. But this isn't who Microsoft is aiming at. It wants the product to appeal to the different people, not the ones who run with the crowd. Criticism is always issued to people who are different; they're outcasts who have no place in the lives of average citizens. They're simpletons to the fanboy of a rival company and cretins to the flock. Yet they have a striking ability to remain themselves, that different, happy-with-who-they-are person.
If this is Microsoft's doom, there are many who will enjoy proclaiming the traditional "I told you so." Even if it's just a slight success, all hope remains. A product should never be seen for what it is to be, but for what it could become. Even if there's little chance of a good path for it, one should at least give the naive newcomer a warm welcome into a two year old market. Optimism is lost in the minds of so many critics and most users fail to see beyond what is. Imagining the possibilities is what people should do when investing in any sort of product, whether it's a car, espresso machine, or tablet. Now, just imagine the fear of failure that Microsoft had to face when designing the Surface. This isn't a reason to buy it, but it is a reason to support something other than the norm.
People should be trying out Surfaces, not condemning them to a quick death before they are even trained for battle. People — the users — should have hope for the companies that work hard. Microsoft's new advertisement tells a new story for the company, and it's a pleasantly buoyant one.