Surface: Companion device or PC replacement?

PCs will sink below the Surface

Regardless of the tablet that you own (or want to own), Microsoft's own branded tablet has more than just an 'iPad competitor' sticker slapped on its back casing. The Surface is the post-PC personification of what Microsoft sees as the future of computing. Microsoft, the world's largest provider of PC software, is saying that its tablet is the future PC, and therefore tablets as a whole are 'the new PC'.

While Microsoft is a little behind the curve on the post-PC development cycle, partially because Windows 8 was late to the game -- by almost two years -- the tablet, smartphone and 'phablet' (part-phone, part tablet) phase is upon us and it's going nowhere any time soon. Windows remains in the world's most used operating system (by a long stretch, in spite of Apple's iOS). Ergo, with these two mushed together, it's a winning formula. Microsoft is making it clear that its Surface tablet will eventually replace the traditional hardware box.

Tablets aren't there yet

With the release of Windows 8 Microsoft took the bold move of encroaching into territory previously controlled by its hardware partners and release it's own tablet -- the Surface. Given that these tablets run Windows it is normal for people to assume that they are ready to replace the PC. After all, PC sales are stagnating, and instead customers -- consumers and enterprise alike -- are choosing instead to spend their dollars on tablets.

But the simple fact that tablets are outselling PC doesn't make them replacements to the desktop and notebooks. On the contrary, there are numerous obstacles that need to be conquered before tablets -- and specifically Surface tablets -- are ready to move from being companion devices to fully-fledged PC. Surface hardware is not yet powerful enough to take on the heavier duty tasks that people use PCs for, and the operating system and apps need to mature for longer before they are are ready to take on their full-sized counterparts.