Scratching the “Surface”

A while back, I waxed poetically – some would argue otherwise – on the explosive growth of mobile devices within the accounting profession and how their meteoric rate of adoption was basically changing the traditional structure of the CPA firm in terms of remote accessibility and client interaction.

Depending on which survey you read, anywhere from 60-80% of CPAs own a mobile device (and arguably those figures could easily be higher) while more than 50% spend at least five hours per week out of the office on client visits. 

Since the average teenager texts and receives more than 3,000 messages per month (a number to which I remained highly skeptical until I received last month’s wireless bill and discovered my eldest daughter easily broke the 4,000 barrier), it stands to reason that CPAs with a large book of business would be spending at least a portion of their workdays on their iPads and iPhones.

In an attempt to prove that perhaps you can put toothpaste back in the tube, Microsoft yesterday unveiled the first computer it’s ever made, a tablet that goes by the moniker of  “Surface” that intends to burrow into a market long dominated by Apple.

In a tale of the tape, the dimensions between the Surface and iPad are fairly similar – the smallest Surface tablet is 9.3 millimeters thick and weighs 1.5 pounds, versus the iPad’s 9.4 millimeters and 1.44 lbs. The Surface has a bit larger screen at 10.6 inches compared to Apple’s 9.7 inches.

The Surface, we’re told, comes with a USB port, built-in kickstand, and magnetic cover that doubles as a touch keyboard. At its launch, it was unclear as to whether the new entrant in the tablet wars would connect to available cellular data networks or would function as Wi-Fi only.

But beneath – if you’ll pardon the obvious pun – the surface, the tactic may be emblematic of the new direction and strategies that the Redmond, Wash., software giant has been forced to adopt as it tries to capture at least some of the mobile market share it lost watching all those years from the sidelines and hopefully derail the Apple steamroller.  Or, at least slow it down a bit.

I probably won’t be rushing out anytime soon to purchase a Surface, as my current mobile capability consists of your basic iPhone, which, in full disclosure, I’m still struggling to master. As for the accounting profession, CPAs for the most part  tend to take a bit longer to adopt new technologies than many other fields, so for the time being, it’s safe to assume the iPad will remain the home town favorite for at least a while longer.

Meanwhile I just noticed that my mailbox is tilting – it must mean that my new wireless bill is here.