Posted on 01/25/2016 3:03:56 AM PST by Enlightened1
Tablets on New England Patriots' sideline fail, preventing coaches and players from using the devices to review plays.
Microsoft's tablet partnership with the National Football League has not always been smooth.
After Microsoft struck a reported $400 million deal in 2013 with the NFL to have its Surfaces exclusively on team sidelines for reviewing plays, TV commentators kept referring to them as "iPads." At the time, it was said that networks were constantly reminding their talkers that the Surface looks nothing like an iPad and should therefore be referred to by its actual name.
Microsoft suffered another public black eye during the AFC championship game Sunday between the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots, when the tablets on the Patriots' sidelines apparently failed.
"They're having some trouble with their Microsoft Surface tablets," CBS' sideline reporter Evan Washburn reported during the game. "On the last defensive possession the Patriots' coaches did not have access to those tablets to show pictures to their players. NFL officials have been working at it. Some of those tablets are back in use, but not all of them. A lot of frustration that they didn't have them on that last possession."
The Patriots' tablets were soon restored to working order after the brief interruption, which a Microsoft spokesman blamed on a network connectivity issue.
"Our team on the field has confirmed the issue was not related to the tablets themselves but rather an issue with the network," the company said in a statement. "We worked with our partners who manage the network to ensure the issue was resolved quickly."
The Broncos, who apparently didn't suffer a tablet interruption, were allowed to continue using their tablets because NFL rules require the tablets to be shut down for both teams only if they malfunction before the game begins.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnet.com ...
For one thing iPads have not only just Wifi but they go off Cell Towers too. Thus, a Wifi Router goes down, then the iPad will automatically go to the back up on the Cell Towers.
Apple’s are just a more stable platform. That’s why you do not spend any time cleaning up viruses, malware, Trojans, hijackers,etc... with Apples. They are very secure and stable.
Microsoft machines are cheaper, but then you lose time and money running cleaners all the time on them. Plus you have to spend additional money if you want Microsoft Office. So in the end it all comes about to be the same. Apple you pay more upfront and have a pleasant experience. Microsoft you pay less and deal with issues.
So in this case the iPad would go down too, assuming they don’t run this NFL software over the internet, right?
Microsoft spokesman blamed on a network connectivity issue... believing that is right up there with believing Obama.
No they would not. That’s only Microsoft issue since Bill Gates basically copied Apple platform and named it Windows anyhow.
Your wireless network never goes down? Wow!
Tell me what to get. I’m all ears.
So the dual network option isn’t available on any Microsoft tablets?
And what does your statement have anything to do with this. Apple and Microsoft had offerings at the same time. Apple lost. Boo hoo.
If Surface is the official NFL tablet, doesn’t that mean the other team was using the same device but not necessarily the same network?
My wireless goes down off an on like most folks and then I sometimes spend 20 minutes or so getting my Win 7 computer to recognize it's back up and running. Last person I'd take the word of is a Microsoft spokesperson on a Microsoft product.
Let me guess let me guess! Err Phantom touch and gestures made input impossible.
I have had an iPad for 5 years. My children haven’t destroyed it. It had no case for 3 of those years. My children have played games on this iPad since we bought it.
Even the NFL announcers were calling them MS Tablets. Ouch.
Pretty funny. After being reminded by the network not to call them iPads, the commentators then referred to the failing tablets properly as MS Tablets.
lol my husband said the same thing but I pointed out it sounded like a network issue. But of course he insists macs never have any problems. lol whatever. I use microcrap, which certainly has plenty of flaws, but macs are not flawless.
by entire stadium you mean people on various smartphone data providers? how does that have anything to do with sideline connectivity to camera feeds or other data on an entirely different network?
It isn't the Messiah. Jesus will change your life.
However, an IPad is an outstanding piece of equipment, and you can "use" it for everything from watching movies, viewing mail, managing your calendar, writing papers, making slides, sending messages, or even using it as a phone. It can use any App, from 3-D world maps to scanning, to real estate functions, you name it.
To make a claim such as yours, that it is only good for games, was and is a ridiculous statement on your part.
okay you really should stop talking when you don’t have a clue.
In terms of advertising, not good for Microsoft, cause whether it was a MS problem or not, announcers were still on a national broadcast using Microsoft name and "not working."
Each team is going to be on its own network for reasons that should be obvious. There would be a whole team of network specialists, probably not even MS folks, making sure the networks were properly set up and secure. The computers simply lost their connectivity with one another on the network, most likely because of a flaw in how the network was set up. Nobody is suggesting that the computers weren't able to get a wireless signal. Anyone with any knowledge at all about computers and networks knows that blaming this on the tablets themselves is nonsensical.
Wireless networking in a venue where there were probably 75,000 or more devices with WiFi enabled and people trying to connect to anything that shows up is going to be a challenge.
Everyone else in the stadium would be on a different network. Do you really think the opposing team would share a network with the Patriots? They each get an independent network for security.
In other words, they investigated themselves and found someone else guilty. And you believed them.
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