Microsoft accidentally confirms existence of Surface Mini

[AlexGoesHigh]

whops, someone spilled the beans over at MS, they took it down now, but not before it fully surface to the world (all the puns)

When Microsoft unveiled its Surface Pro 3 tablet last month many had expected the company to also reveal a smaller Surface Mini device, but that never happened. Reports suggested that Microsoft canceled its plans to launch the Surface Mini just days before its event in New York City. Microsoft has never confirmed the existence of such a device, but a new Surface Pro 3 user manual posted online at the company’s site includes a number of references to the smaller tablet.

 

"You’ll pair your new pen with Surface Mini a little later during setup," suggests one section on the new Surface Pen, while two other parts of the user manual reference the Surface Mini when using OneNote and the rotation lock features of Windows 8. The references follow a similar slip-up in a support article that listed the Surface Pro 3 before its official unveiling. It’s still not clear whether Microsoft is still planning to release its Surface Mini device, with rumors claiming that CEO Satya Nadella and Executive VP Stephen Elop backed away from the project. We've reached out to Microsoft to comment on the Surface Mini references, and we’ll update you accordingly.

 

Source: The Verge

[Askew]

Always beneficial to scratch beneath the surface in case of any hidden treasure.

[Xorbot]

I've always wondered on how Microsoft would enter the portable/handheld gaming market alongside Nintendo and Sony.  The road with Surface may eventually blend into that path, especially with a Surface Mini.  Don't get me wrong, the potential Surface Mini is still incredibly far off from a handheld gaming device with the likes of 3DS and PS Vita, but perhaps Microsoft will just naturally enter the handheld market with continued iterations on different SKUs over the years, especially if one of those SKUs introduces simple buttons on the main unit including gamepad-like controls.

[Epitome]

I've always wondered on how Microsoft would enter the portable/handheld gaming market alongside Nintendo and Sony.  The road with Surface may eventually blend into that path, especially with a Surface Mini.  Don't get me wrong, the potential Surface Mini is still incredibly far off from a handheld gaming device with the likes of 3DS and PS Vita, but perhaps Microsoft will just naturally enter the handheld market with continued iterations on different SKUs over the years, especially if one of those SKUs introduces simple buttons on the main unit including gamepad-like controls.

The whole surface brand is targeted at productivity and work mostly, not really gaming.

[Xorbot]

The whole surface brand is targeted at productivity and work mostly, not really gaming.

 

Currently.

 

It is not impossible to fathom something like "Surface Blitz", "Surface Go" or some sort of snappy off-shoot sub-brand.  Then again, this would require the original Surface brand to be incredibly valuable, and I think it is just moderately valuable.  For example, brands like Coke, Kleenex, or iPhone are way more valuable.

 

Or they can create an entirely new brand if they choose to enter the handheld market.  Oh wait, making new brands may be tough for Microsoft (Zune, Microsoft B.O.B., etc.)

[AlexGoesHigh]

Currently.

 

It is not impossible to fathom something like "Surface Blitz", "Surface Go" or some sort of snappy off-shoot sub-brand.  Then again, this would require the original Surface brand to be incredibly valuable, and I think it is just moderately valuable.  For example, brands like Coke, Kleenex, or iPhone are way more valuable.

 

Or they can create an entirely new brand if they choose to enter the handheld market.  Oh wait, making new brands may be tough for Microsoft (Zune, Microsoft B.O.B., etc.)

i seriously doubt MS would make a handheld, they could have done one around the time the 1st xbox launched, that time was the peak of dedicated handheld devices, they didn't, now even less so because games on windows phone fill that blank now

[Xorbot]

i seriously doubt MS would make a handheld, they could have done one around the time the 1st xbox launched, that time was the peak of dedicated handheld devices, they didn't, now even less so because games on windows phone fill that blank now

 

And now we arrive to my original point that I think a handheld device would come naturally through iteration SKUs.  You can already make the claim that they have a gaming device through Surface with the first-party published Halo Spartan Assault.  In fact, with the power of mobile GPUs increasing at a rapid pace over the last years and the upcoming years, the only thing that's actually missing is the embedded gamepad.

 

So for "i seriously doubt MS would make a handheld" we are more or less already here.

[BallGum]

I wonder why the Mini was held back. It seems apparent that it must have been close to launching around the same time as the Pro 3, but something must have made them change their minds. I guess maybe they felt Surface wasn't strong enough of a brand to justify a smaller tablet yet?