India, Sept. 9 -- Most major tech brands have a routine: launch a campaign, aim for impact, then move on. For Microsoft, a recent Surface Pro ad posted on X followed the same plan until keen-eyed viewers picked up on a slip that the company didn't expect. The official @surface account shared a post calling the Surface Pro "the ultimate research buddy." But it wasn't the copy that drew attention; it was the image. The device on display was running iPadOS, not Windows 11.

The confusion started as users zoomed in on details like Apple's signature control bar, the home indicator at the bottom of the screen, and a layout familiar to anyone who's used an iPad. Windows Central was among the first to report the mistake, and the story soon spread...