The Verge:

Microsoft’s Office for iPad, iPhone, and Android is a reality. Although Office Mobile has been rumored and reportedly spotted in the wild, Microsoft has remained persistently quiet about its plans for the product. The Verge has learned through several sources close to Microsoft’s plans that the company will release Office versions for Android and iOS in early 2013.

zzzzzzzzOh, god, sorry. Dozed off for a minute there.

I’m sure there’s a core set of business users who will find this awesome for $6 a month, but I’ve got to think that most consumers have moved beyond massive office suites since the Clinton administration. Back when we printed a lot they made more sense, but now? Everyone’s needs probably vary, but I personally use Numbers for some financial stuff and Pages every now and again when I have to print out a letter like to my court-appointed…

When I have to print out a letter. Pivot tables and charts and presentations? Who am I, Douchey McDouchestein?

…

I’m not, by the way.

Hey, turns out there is a 16 GB Surface. It’s the 32 GB Surface.

The Verge:

Microsoft has revealed exactly how much free space new Surface owners are left with after taking into account Windows RT and system-related files. For the 32GB version of the new tablet, users have access to only 16GB of storage, with the remaining half taken up by Windows recovery tools, Windows RT, Microsoft Office, and built-in apps.

Buh? By contrast, my 32 GB third generation iPad has 28 GB of usable space. Of course, you could probably get a hunk of the Surface’s space back by deleting Office, but the ability to run total awesomeness like Office is the Surface’s key selling point.

But this is another problem with Microsoft’s “one device that does it all” scheme. How reasonable is it to have your one device have only 16 GB of free space? Or even the 48 GB of the “64 GB” Surface? Not very. So the truth is, you can’t realistically have one device that can do it all. You’ll have to have more than one. And if you have to have more than one, why not have them designed for different use cases?

Yeah, I know. I don’t know why I keep having this argument, either.

Mark Coddington on why political pundits hate Nate Silver. Read the whole thing, but here’s Coddington’s own executive summary:

When journalistic objectivity is confronted with scientific objectivity, its circuits are fried.

It’s fine to argue against Silver’s methodology, but the guy shows his work. He’s not stuffing things together to get a result he wants. Calling him a hack is just saying “I don’t believe in math or probability.”

Shawn Blanc commenting on Jim Dalrymple’s iPad Mini review:

I use my 3rd-gen iPad a lot. Around the house and during my work day I do a lot of reading in Instapaper, Reeder, Safari, and Mail. And when I travel, I usually take just the iPad with me — it’s my laptop replacement.

This is sort of the equation that will determine whether or not you want a tablet at all and how much you’ll use it for working versus just consuming media.

When my primary machine was a 13-inch MacBook Pro, I often used my iPad as my mobile computer instead of the Pro. Now that my primary machine is an 11-inch MacBook Air, I do that less and think a Mini might suit my tablet needs better than my current 3rd-generation iPad. Uncharacteristically, because I usually have the self-restraint of a hyperactive puppy, I may wait until a Retina version ships before making the switch, however. I did order one for my wife who’s been using a Nexus 7 since July. Because that’s no way to treat someone you love.

TNW:

Apple’s Senior Vice President, iOS Software Scott Forstall and Retail chief John Browett will leave the company and the rest of the executive team will take over additional responsibilities, the company has announced. Forstall will leave in 2013 and Browett will also leave at an unspecified date.

Tim Cook’s statement here is clear: Apple will not tolerate executives whose names end in double consonants. That’s just smart policy.

Better look out, Bruce Sewell.

Matt Alexander’s reaction was probably more positive than mine (and certainly more positive than Marco’s), but even he didn’t walk off with one.

The fact of the matter is, though, that what I witnessed last Friday was several years late. As much as I was genuinely impressed with the Surface, I was grading it, and Microsoft, on a curve.

Remember how Pew found that non-Google and Amazon Android tablets almost doubled their market share from 2011 to 2012? The Verge may have found the reason:

According to the MIT Technology Review, the OLPC organization dropped off crates full of Motorola Xoom tablets to two villages close to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Dear Africa: please accept these “Detroit Tigers, World Series Champs – 2012” t-shirts and Motorola Xooms. Love, America.

(Truthfully, if it helps these kids, I think it’s a great idea.)