It is important to remember that Microsoft is responsible for the failures of Windows Phone. They are the ones that tried to make their own brand of phones with the Kin (if you do not remember these it is because they only existed for about two months). These two phones were all Microsoft and were complete and utter failures. Next up on the list of hardware failures was the original Zune. It was a joke and seen by many as an attempt to copy the iPod (which it honestly was). While the ZuneHD was a much better effort it also ended up as a failure due to Microsoft’s lack of understanding of the market.

Microsoft does have a successful line of keyboards and mice, but even their web cams are not great sellers. In fact the only item that Microsoft has “created” that is a success in terms of units sold (but it also a loss leader) is their XboX line. The very popular gaming console is about all that Microsoft has. Yet, many sites are trying to claim that Microsoft is leading the way and showing their partners how to do it right.

Well let’s take a look at the surface and see what Microsoft came up with. The charging port is based on an Apple design so that is not an MS invention there at all. The attachable keyboard is a new approach on an old technology as well. We saw this with the Asus transformer and even with many smart phones (like At&T’s Axiom). So once again nothing new there at all.

What Microsoft did with Surface was to take all of their partner designs (which had to be submitted to MS for logo verification) and then build their own. This was ego pure and simple and also a slap in the face to the very partners that Microsoft will need to depend on in the future. Many companies have had successful selling Windows based tablets (Asus, Lenovo, and even Dell) long before the coming of Windows 8. The problem with them is that Microsoft did nothing to help push the technology and the prices were far too high compared to the iPad and Android Tablets (many x86 tablets were $1000 or more).

Every time we read this myth that Microsoft built their own tablet due to a lack of confidence in we think about the way a mythology is created. Much like the way Apple built the myth that their computers and devices were immune to malware. It ends up hurting the consumer and the market in general. Now that this myth is out Microsoft (most likely the person behind the rumor) has now hurt sales of both Windows 8 and Windows 8 based tablets from anyone other than Microsoft (a company with little to no consumer confidence).

Right now there are “reviews” on the Internet that are not reviews, but extended versions of the original hands on time at the launch event so the information that is being spread about the Surface Tablet is becoming more and more of a mythology than fact (which again is good for Microsoft). Unfortunately, as we saw with the ZuneHD, this does not equal a commercial success and (again as we have said) with Microsoft bad mouthing their partners this will only hurt them in the end.

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