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Microsoft's Surface Tablet: What We Don't Know
关于微软Surface平板电脑的疑问
2012年06月20日13:53
（本文版权归道琼斯公司所有，未经许可不得翻译或转载。）
Microsoft on Monday unlocked the mystery of the secret device it is making, unveiling the Surface tablet at a fancy press event in Hollywood.
微软(Microsoft)周一为它正在生产的一款秘密产品揭开了神秘面纱，在好莱坞(Hollywood)一个超炫的新闻发布会上发布了Surface平板电脑。
But while it showed off the new device and revealed some of its specs,there are still many unanswered questions--even if CEO Steve Ballmer wants us to know that the 'Surface is a PC, the Surface is a tablet and the Surface is something new that we think people will really love.'
Associated Press微软首席执行长鲍尔默发布了微软新款平板电脑Surface。不过，虽然微软展示了这款新产品并透露了其部分规格，但围绕这一产品仍有很多疑问，哪怕微软首席执行长鲍尔默(Steve Ballmer)明确告诉我们：Surface是个人电脑，也是平板电脑，并且是一款微软认为大家都会非常喜欢的新产品。
Here are some of the biggest questions:
以下是部分最重要的疑问：
What will it cost?
售价多少？
Microsoft's Windows chief simply said the Surface will 'be priced like comparable tablets.' Some analysts expect Windows 8 tablets could be priced higher than the iPad, which starts at $499 for 16 GB. The Surface comes with 32 GB or 64 GB of storage, so a comparable iPad would be $599 and $699 respectively. If the Surface is as expensive or more, Microsoft will have the Herculean task of impressing consumers enough to convince them it's worth more than the iPad.
微软Windows部门负责人只是说，Surface的定价将与同类平板电脑类似。一些分析人士预计，Windows 8平板电脑的售价可能会高于iPad。16G内存的iPad起售价为499美元。Surface的内存有32G和64G之分，而同样内存的iPad售价分别为599美元和699美元。如果Surface与iPad一样贵或更贵，那么微软将面临一项极其艰巨的任务：要给消费者留下足够深刻的印象，让他们相信Surface比iPad更值得拥有。
When will it arrive?
何时发售？
Microsoft didn't release any dates, but the Windows RT version of the Surface is expected to come out with the launch of Windows 8 due out in the fall. The more powerful Surface Pro version is scheduled to come out a few months later in early 2013.
微软没有公布任何具体日期，但Windows RT版Surface预计将与Windows 8同时问世。Windows 8定于今年秋季发布。功能更强大的Surface Pro版定于在Windows 8发布后的几个月即2013年初与消费者见面。
Where will it be sold?
哪里出售？
Microsoft said it will sell the Surface on its website and at its handful of retailers but the company didn't say whether any other retailers will be selling the Surface. In addition to its website, Apple has built a formidable retail channel, with more than 300 of its own stores, kiosks in most Best Buys and its products in hundreds of AT and Verizon Wireless shops.
微软说，将在公司官网和旗下少数几个零售商那里销售Surface，但并没说是否还有其它零售商也将销售Surface。苹果(Apple)除在自己的网站上销售iPad外，还建立了一个强大的零售渠道，其中全球专卖店就超过300家，在大多数百思买(Best Buys)里设有专柜，而且美国电话电报公司(AT)和Verizon Wireless数百家营业厅也发售苹果产品。
Will it have 3G/4G connectivity?
是否支持3G/4G网络？
No word from Microsoft on how it would connect wirelessly. That may mean Microsoft is still forging partnerships with carriers. It'll most likely have WiFi capability, but given the iPad has 3G/4G connectivity, consumers will demand it especially if the Surface is higher-priced.
微软没有说Surface将如何实现无线上网。这可能意味着微软还在与运营商建立伙伴关系。Surface具备WiFi功能的可能性最大，但鉴于iPad能3G/4G上网，所以如果Surface售价高于iPad，消费者可能会要求Surface也支持3G或4G网络。
Where will the components come from?
微软制造Surface的零部件从何而来？
Microsoft boasted in a press release that the Surface was 'conceived, designed and engineered entirely by Microsoft employees.' But a big question is where Microsoft will get all of its components from, and how much it is paying. We can't imagine longtime PC manufacturing partners like Dell and Hewlett-Packard are happy that Microsoft is making its own tablet, though Ballmer tried to soften any issues by saying 'those partnerships are essential to the reimagination of Windows.' What we do know is that the Surface running Windows 8 will run chips from Intel and the versions running Windows RT will be powered by Nvidia.
微软曾在一次新闻发布会上炫耀说，Surface的构思设计和生产工艺完全出自微软员工之手。但是一个重要的问题是，微软将从哪里获得生产Surface所需的零件，这些零件的价格是多少？我们无法想象戴尔(Dell Inc.)和惠普(Hewlett-Packard Co.)等微软在生产个人电脑方面的长期合作伙伴会乐于看到微软自己推出平板电脑，鲍尔默试图让这个问题不显得那么尖锐，他说微软与这些公司建立的合作关系对Windows的不断创新至关重要。我们现在可以确定的是，运行Windows 8操作系统的Surface将使用英特尔(Intel Corp.)的芯片，而运行WindowsRT的Surface版本将使用英伟达(Nvidia Corp.)的芯片。
What is the battery life?
Surface的电池续航时间如何？
At first glance this is a curious omission on the specs sheet. But Microsoft is still developing Windows 8 so it probably doesn't want to estimate battery life until the OS is finished. Microsoft did say the RT model will have a 31.5 Watt-hour battery, while the larger Pro version will have a 42 W-h battery (the same as the new iPad). Much of it will depend on how much battery life Windows 8 hogs. And the screen will have an effect too--while it's larger than the iPad (10.6 inches to the iPad's 9.7), it has less pixels which could mean battery savings. Apple says the iPad can last up to 10 hours while surfing the Web on Wi-Fi, watching videos and listening to music, and up to nine hours on a 3G network.
乍一看，规格表上对这一点的遗漏有点奇怪。但是，由于Windows 8仍然在开发过程中，微软大概不想在Surface的操作系统开发完毕之前估计电池的续航时间。微软的确说明了Windows RT版本的电池为31.5瓦时，而更大的Pro版本的电池为42瓦时（与新iPad一样）。但这很大程度上取决于Windows8会占用多少电量。此外，屏幕大小也对电池续航时间有影响，尽管Surface的屏幕（10.6英寸）大于iPad（9.7英寸），它的像素却低于iPad，这意味着它的屏幕可能更省电。苹果说，iPad的电池可以支持长达10小时的Wi-Fi网上冲浪以及视频和音乐播放，使用3G网络时的续航时间为9小时。
What apps will the Surface have?
Surface将拥有哪些应用程序？
Apple's success with its various devices hinges on its app ecosystem--there are more than 600,000 apps across the iPad, iPhone and Mac, and more than 225,000 specifically for the iPad. But Microsoft has fallen way behind Apple and Google (and even BlackBerry) in the apps department. Its Windows smartphones have only about 70,000 apps, compared with a half a million or more for Android phones and iPhones. Microsoft will need to continue subsidizing apps in order to court developers who are tied to Android and iOS. Microsoft does have an army of Windows programmers who could get behind this, and also is creating a Windows Store, where developers can sell both desktop and mobile apps. One plus: Microsoft is pre-loading its Microsoft Office applications on the Surface.
苹果公司各种设备的成功依赖于其应用程序生态系统──针对iPadiPhone和Mac的应用程序数量已经超过60万个，有超过22.5万个应用程序只有iPad版本。而微软在应用程序的数量上已经远远落后于苹果和谷歌（甚至还有黑莓）。微软的Windows智能手机仅有大约7万个应用程序，相比之下基于安卓(Android)手机和iPhone的应用程序已经达到50万个甚至更多。为了吸引安卓和IOS平台的应用程序开发者，微软将需要继续为应用程序提供补贴。不过Windows平台拥有大批的程序开发人员，他们可以来承担这个任务。同时微软也正在创建一个Windows商店，开发人员可以在这里出售基于台式电脑和移动设备的应用程序。微软正在为Surface预装Office软件的应用程序，这一做法也能为Surface加分。