Like your iPad? A bunch of companies would like to convince you that their product is better.

From Samsung to Barnes & Noble to Amazon, potential competitors have tried to knock Apple’s tablet off its perch.

The most aggressive opponent, however, might be the Microsoft Surface. That and more in today’s Lunchtime Links:

Competition surfacing: With Microsoft’s Windows 8 coming to market in just a few weeks, the company’s plans for its upcoming Surface tablet are starting to become clear. Starting price for the low-end RT version of the tablet will be $499, according to TechCrunch. However, don’t expect the fancy cover/keyboard — the product’s main selling point — at that price. The lowest-end model available with the touch keyboard is $599, according to the report. If you’re curious, here’s the ad for the device:

While it looks cool, the Wall Street Journal points out the pricing puts it at the high end of the tablet market. And that’s even before the release of the more-powerful Microsoft Surface Pro, which comes out next year. That said, would you buy this?

This is how I approach writing a novel, and it’s the only way I know how to work on something so large and unwieldy without my head exploding.

Think small-picture about a site: Working on a new website for your organization? Think about it the way you might approach writing, says Jennifer Doron of the Ohio Environmental Council. “As we began the project, I forbade myself to think about the website as a whole at all,” she explained. “This is how I approach writing a novel and it’s the only way I know how to work on something so large and unwieldy without my head exploding.” Doron explained her philosophy in a guest post for Kivi’s Nonprofit Communications Blog. Have you worked on a web project? If so, what’s worked for you?

Market on the cheap: If you don’t have a huge budget to market to your members, don’t be afraid to work the shoestring angle, Spark Consulting’s Elizabeth Engel advises. “Who are your passionate members and volunteers? If you know, ask them to spread the word about the exciting things you’re doing (you are doing exciting things for them, right?),” she writes. “If you don’t know, FIND OUT!”

The good — and bad — of engagement: Feeling a little put off by negative comments about your organization or its work? Learn from it — it’s engagement happening right under your nose. Consultant Andrea Pellegrino, writing on The Demand Perspective, wants to remind you to take the bad with the good when to it comes to engagement: “Guess what? Complaining about the association on message board is engagement! So is every customer service inquiry, complaint, voicemail, email, or other message. Every website visit, page click, email open, and click-through … is engagement,” she writes.

What lessons can you take from a negative comment? Post your own thoughts, whether negative or positive, below.

(Microsoft photo)