Microsoft Executive Hints That iPad Mini is “Recreational Tablet”

I know it’s probably a terrible thing for me to say, but I really miss the “old days” when Microsoft and Apple were seemingly at each other’s throats every day. It was entertaining from a consumer standpoint to see both companies battle it out on a daily basis, not just because it really benefited the consumer tech world (which it did with all the innovative ideas), but because it was great to see two powerhouses showcase such an intense amount of passion for their products and customers. But lately, the constant battles and heated exchanges have pretty much subsided. It’s all calm on the consumer tech front.

Or, maybe it’s not. Lately, Microsoft has become more and more vocal about its plans to “retake” the consumer tech front from its once great rival and it is obvious that Microsoft has begun to get irritated that Apple is seemingly dominating its “domain.” In the past few months, we have seen a couple remarks from Microsoft executives about the current state of the consumer tech world and how the company is planning on “battling Apple in all fronts of consumer technology.” Fast forward to now, and it’s apparent that Microsoft wasn’t “kidding” when it made those claims. We have seen a new OS, tablet, phone, and application from the developer, and the company is showing no signs of backing down or losing steam in the near future.

In fact, it now seems that Microsoft is only getting more fired up. In a recent interview with AllThingsD, Microsoft President of Windows and Windows Live, Steven Sinofsky, talked exclusively about the direction of PCs and Windows 8. Microsoft recently held its Windows 8 unveiling event this last Thursday, just two days after the Apple event. Sinofsky took the opportunity to deliver a little lash at their competitor. The Microsoft exec stated the following concerning a very affordable laptop unveiled at their latest event;

“These are fantastic machines. It’s $279. Here we are, talking about seven-inch recreational tablets for $329. It’s not just discounting. It’s engineering work that drives the cost down.”

Sinofsky didn’t directly cite Apple as the proprietor of that “$329 tablet,” but it’s pretty easy to see that he’s poking fun at the iPad Mini’s higher-than-expected price point. I for one welcome this newfound competitive fire at the Microsoft offices, and it’s going to be very interesting to see what the tech company does next to combat their rival. Apple however, has seemed very unshaken by Microsoft’s new competitive attitude and has yet to really cast any blows in their general direction.

Photo Credit: Microsoft