Microsoft is nothing if not an expert when it comes to spinning technology. Take for instance the software giant’s latest comments that its Surface tablet actually outperforms the iPad’s Retina display. You remember the Retina, the display with 3.9 million pixels and described by some as the best display ever for a mobile device?
Well, turns out the Surface’s 1,366-by-768 display is even better at something called “perceived resolution.” Microsoft engineer Steve Bathiche told a Reddit audience this week that the tablet’s ClearType technology can reduce the glare from reflected light. The Surface’s display reflects between 5.5 percent and 6.2 percent of light, compared to 9.9 for the iPad, according to the engineer…
“Doing a side by side with the new iPad in a consistently lit room, we have had many people see more detail on Surface RT than on the Ipad (sic) with more resolution,” Bathiche wrote.
This argument sounds extremely close to the initial marketing from Amazon promoting the Kindle over the iPad. Remember the ads showing a Kindle owner at the beach happily reading his or her e-book while the iPad user shades his eyes?
As Amazon learned, consumers weren’t all that interested in the glare argument. After all, most people read their tablet indoors, often in the muted light of a bedroom. More important is such items as battery life, speed, or game operation.
What do you think? How high up is display glare on your list of tablet questions?