Microsoft Surface makes Oprah’s ‘Favourite Things’ list
Microsoft just got one of the best endorsements a company could ever get — the stamp of approval from Oprah Winfrey.The queen of product endorsements has listed the new Microsoft Surface tablet on her annual “Favourite Things” list for the holidays.That means two things: 1) Oprah will be giving away a whole bunch of Surfaces in an upcoming two-hour special, and 2) The Surface is about to receive a lot of positive media attention.The Surface, which has only been out for a little over a week, not only made the list, it got a rave review from Oprah herself. Her praise for Surface was so effusive it’s sure to catch the attention of her faithful followers.“The Surface, Microsoft's first tablet, feels like a Mercedes-Benz to me, people!” her review said."The full-size keyboard built right into the cover makes work easy, the very smart kickstand makes watching a movie or Skyping a friend a delight, the less than a pound-and-a-half weight makes a great alternative to a laptop, and the many other features make it fun for work and play. Now, that's a wowser!"Every year, Oprah dedicates an entire programme to showing the world her favourite things for the Christmas shopping season. She still does it, only now the show is on her OWN network.The items on the list have varied widely over the years including everything from Williams-Sonoma croissants to UGG boots. Sometimes they’re big ticket items like flat screen TVs or a car.Back in 2012, Oprah included Apple’s iPad on her list, but now she’s touting Surface, which starts at a price of $499. Absent from the Favourite Things list is Apple's new iPad Mini, which was released shortly after Microsoft's Surface.Whether Oprah’s endorsement of the Surface will produce more sales for Microsoft remains to be seen, but the mere act of her praising the device so highly is sure to make a few executives at the company (and their PR teams) very happy.The “Oprah’s Favourite Things of 2012” list appears in the December issue of O Magazine and on the “Oprah’s Favourite Things” show which airs November 18, 2012 on the OWN network.