V3 readers impressed by Surface tablets from Microsoft

Microsoft has received strong backing for its recently unveiled Surface tablets after the vast majority of V3 readers said they were impressed by the devices.

After the firm surprised many by unveiling the devices - that it built and designed in-house - we asked V3 readers if they thought the firm could match the iPad and offer a compelling user experience in the fast-growing tablet market.

A significant 68 per cent of responses said they thought that the inclusion of Office apps and the addition of a keyboard were strong elements of the device that made it an appealing proposition.

This underlines Microsoft's own stance that its footprint in the corporate world would help it compete with the iPad and meet the requirements of firms not sold on the business chops of the iOS platform.

However, there are clearly some naysayers out there with the rest of the respondents citing different concerns that Microsoft may need to address.

Nine per cent said the pricing of the device would be key to its success, while five per cent said it couldn't compete with Apple due to the AppStore's huge breadth of applications on offer.

More critically, eight per cent said Microsoft's less-than-successful track record in the mobile market meant they were unconvinced the firm would have any luck in the tablet market, while 10 per cent said Android tablets are the true challengers to the iPad.

This comes as Google recently unveiled its own tablet device at its annual I/O developer conference, the Nexus 7, built for the firm by Asus, in a clear indication that the search giant is unhappy with Android's performance in the tablet market and wants to step up its efforts.

With Microsoft and Google now both mounting what look like genuine contenders to the iPad, Apple will no doubt be working away on something special for its next iPad model, as the competition in the tablet market becomes increasingly fierce.