Cook burns Surface: A ‘compromised, confusing product’

Looks like Tim Cook doesn’t think much of Microsoft’s Surface tablet. The Apple chief executive said the iPad competitor might be biting off more than it can chew.

“I haven’t personally played with the Surface yet, but what we’re reading about it is that it’s a fairly compromised, confusing product,” said Cook during the company’s earnings call today.

The Microsoft Surface has had very mixed reviews — people really like the way it looks and feels, but are otherwise, they’re left wanting for a better app ecosystem and operating system. But Cook in particular thinks the Surface is taking on too much at once. It has a unique body, but it also comes with a keyboard. It runs tablet-specific operating system Windows RT, but it’s lacking a number of major apps such as native apps for the social networks Facebook and Twitter.

“I suppose you could design a car that flies and floats, but I don’t think it would do all of those things very well,” he said. “I think people when the look at the offerings will really want an iPad.”

Top photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired