Browsing on a Surface

When iPads were first introduced way back in 2010, Apple promised that the “iPad’s revolutionary Multi-Touch interface makes surfing the web an entirely new experience, dramatically more interactive and intimate than on a computer.” Yes that is an actual quote. The implication was that the web via the tablet would be unrecognizable and vastly superior then what users had come to expect from their desktop computers and laptops.

Well here we are three years on, and we’re still waiting for that “interactive and intimate” browsing experience on iPads. I actually become acustomed to the weak internet browsing experience on my iPad. Then last week I started using the Microsoft Windows 8 Pro Surface tablet.

Reportably an astonishing 98 percent of tablet traffic is on on websites. Despite this, the actual experience of surfing the web on an iPad is underwhelming at best and often infuriating (at least to me). Simply put, today’s state-of-the-art tablet browsers, especially Safari, don’t do the Internet, the user, or the iPad justice. Apple wasn’t totally wrong back in 2010. The iPad has indeed proven itself to be a revolutionary device in many ways. Just not browsing the internet, outside of the pre-approved Apps. 

Getting back to the Surface tablet. Microsoft's new device comes with Internet Explorer 10, which is the exact same version that is installed on Windows 8 desktop computers. Just think, a nice small mobile tablet with a fully functional internet interface. This has been one of the highlights for me in respect to using the new Windows 8 tablet. Don't worry IE haters, there is indead a Chrome Browser for Windows 8. 

One final observation here. It's great to have Flash working on tablet.