For reference, Apple's iPad operating system takes up less than 1 GB. If Microsoft had made the entry-level Surface a 16 GB device, you'd only have about 4 GB free to play around with.

While a slew of hardware manufacturers have embraced Google’s Android operating system for tablets and mobile devices, Windows 7 has lagged behind.

The Android operating system, developed by Google Inc. (Nasdaq:GOOG), is used on a variety of, smartphones and tablets made by numerous manufacturers such as Samsung, HTC and LG – making it an ...