So it's curious because The iPad didn't score #1? Hasn't Apple been #1 with this survey before?
I don't think of Surface as a tablet but I guess because it's multi touch and the keyboard is detachable it's classified as such.
Curious in that JD Power has been doing this for 6 years, and each report is based on a different set of criteria. Microsoft Surface wasn't in previous reports (despite being more of a tablet 2012-2014 before canceling the whole ARM WinRT thing. Microsoft bills Surface Pro as a MBA competitor.
Mind you, if Apple was aiming for the kind of versatility JD power clearly wants, all it needs to do software wise is add a file manager and provide mouse support, and hardware wise add a USBC port.
that Apple hasn't would indicate it sees things differently than Microsoft or JD Power.
I'm sure it is a nice laptop, but a tablet? Please. Are there more than a dozen tablet apps yet for Windoze 10? Sure, you can touch it. You just can't do anything with it.
Mind you, if Apple was aiming for the kind of versatility JD power clearly wants, all it needs to do software wise is add a file manager and provide mouse support, and hardware wise add a USBC port.
that Apple hasn't would indicate it sees things differently than Microsoft or JD Power.
Apple has already articulated its position on post-PC tablets and PCs.
"Microsoft Surface users have the highest incidences of accessory use, which underscores the device's versatility. These accessories include a stylus (48% vs. 27% industry average); physical keyboard (51% vs. 14%); and mouse (27% vs. 6%)."
I just wanted to highlight that one sentence. To me, this might suggest that more people find they need a keyboard, stylus, or mouse to get around the shortfalls of the touch-based interface. Or, to put it another way, Microsoft have made the touch experience so bad around half of users have given up on it.
I realise there are other possible explanations, but, based on past experiences with Microsoft and UIs, I give this a high chance of being the right one.
Keep in mind, from day one - even with the ARM based Surface - the keyboard and mouse support were key selling features.
So it's curious because The iPad didn't score #1? Hasn't Apple been #1 with this survey before?
I don't think of Surface as a tablet but I guess because it's multi touch and the keyboard is detachable it's classified as such.
While I want to make clear that I think the Surface is a perfectly valid product (indeed, the Surface Pro is one of MS's best hardware products), what DED is saying is "curious" is that JD Power spontaneously decided to re-jig the way they calculate their rankings in a way that specifically benefits Microsoft and disadvantages Apple (and, for that matter, most Android tablets). I think the Surface Pro gives the iPad a very fair run for its money (though I am personally of the opinion that desktop use and tablet use means it does neither as well as it could), but this does, as some of the less-hysterical commenters have noted, smack of a payoff.
At the very least, JD Power could have easily maintained the illusion of a un-predetermined result by evaluating tablets that don't offer mouse support separately. The way they handled this, they might as well have said that only tablets that also run Windows apps will be considered for evaluation in the future.
"Microsoft Surface users have the highest incidences of accessory use, which underscores the device's versatility. These accessories include a stylus (48% vs. 27% industry average); physical keyboard (51% vs. 14%); and mouse (27% vs. 6%)."
I just wanted to highlight that one sentence. To me, this might suggest that more people find they need a keyboard, stylus, or mouse to get around the shortfalls of the touch-based interface. Or, to put it another way, Microsoft have made the touch experience so bad around half of users have given up on it.
I realise there are other possible explanations, but, based on past experiences with Microsoft and UIs, I give this a high chance of being the right one.
Keep in mind, from day one - even with the ARM based Surface - the keyboard and mouse support were key selling features.
I don't see how keyboards or stylus are shortfalls. Instead they may enhance the experience. As an example, handwritten notes are better with a stylus, something MS included since the first Surface Pro. Working a spreadsheet is better in a Surface Pro than an iPad, even though both have touch optimized versions of Excel. Drag-and-drop, selecting multiples cells and copy/paste are better with a trackpad/mouse than touch.
At the same time, there are apps where touch is the same experience in different platforms. As an example, I don't see any advantages in the iOS version of Netflix compared the UWP version in a Surface Pro.
IMO, Microsoft made a very good touch UI, with some advantages and disadvantages compared to iOS.
So it's curious because The iPad didn't score #1? Hasn't Apple been #1 with this survey before?
Yeah, I think that's pretty much it.
The big picture issue here is that when it comes to "pro" tablets, Microsoft is offering a product that many people really like and Apple is struggling with the iPad Pro. It's not the iPad Pro that gives Apple the lead in tablet sales, it's the more consumption-oriented non-pro iPads.
How is apple struggling with iPad Pro? It immediately outsold all Surface sales all by itself. The rest of iPad sales is far beyond what Surface has ever sold.
Also, it's actually a little misleading to look just at Surface -- you have to look at all of the 2-in-1 Windows hybrids to see how the MS tablet concept is doing in sales compared Apple's.
Don't get me wrong -- I don't find those things compelling myself. But I give Microsoft credit for sticking with it, continuing to refine and improve.
"Microsoft is offering a product that many people really like and Apple is struggling with the iPad Pro"
So you think, given the chance, you'd rather be Microsoft or one of its licensees than Apple?
"Microsoft Surface users have the highest incidences of accessory use, which underscores the device's versatility. These accessories include a stylus (48% vs. 27% industry average); physical keyboard (51% vs. 14%); and mouse (27% vs. 6%)."
I just wanted to highlight that one sentence. To me, this might suggest that more people find they need a keyboard, stylus, or mouse to get around the shortfalls of the touch-based interface. Or, to put it another way, Microsoft have made the touch experience so bad around half of users have given up on it.
I realise there are other possible explanations, but, based on past experiences with Microsoft and UIs, I give this a high chance of being the right one.
Keep in mind, from day one - even with the ARM based Surface - the keyboard and mouse support were key selling features.
I don't see how keyboards or stylus are shortfalls. Instead they may enhance the experience. As an example, handwritten notes are better with a stylus, something MS included since the first Surface Pro. Working a spreadsheet is better in a Surface Pro than an iPad, even though both have touch optimized versions of Excel. Drag-and-drop, selecting multiples cells and copy/paste are better with a trackpad/mouse than touch.
At the same time, there are apps where touch is the same experience in different platforms. As an example, I don't see any advantages in the iOS version of Netflix compared the UWP version in a Surface Pro.
IMO, Microsoft made a very good touch UI, with some advantages and disadvantages compared to iOS.
No, I said the keyboard or stylus is to get around the shortfalls, not that they are shortfalls themselves.
Keyboards and styuses are useful additions that are available for a number of tablets, but more people use them on Surface than on others? Why? My hypothesis is that people find using the Surface without one or both is too difficult. For example, I use Windows at work (a combination of versions including 7, 10, and Server 2012R2). When working from home on my Mac, using the Magic Trackpad, or on occasions when using my work-provided Windows laptop without an external mouse, it's almost painful to do anything. In my opinion, Windows without a mouse is hard to use.
On the other hand, I find the trackpad in macOS to be better than the mouse in many regards. Many of the problems I have with a trackpad in Windows are due to them not implementing gestures the same way as in macOS. In iOS, I can't think of a situation where a mouse would make the experience better. I can think of uses for a stylus, but nothing where it's absolutely necessary. I've used keyboards with my iPad, and often found having to set the thing up to be more hassle than it's worth.
Of course people are going to have different opinions about use cases. But if you're looking at whether something is a success as a tablet, I think a high usage of "traditional" input methods indicates that the product isn't really working as a tablet. And I think it highlights problems with the whole concept of "hybrid"/2-in-1 computers. They compromise on both the tablet and the notebook experience to not quite work properly as either.
JD Power is a rating service for hire. I hope people know that.
If so how did Apple get top billing in some previous years?. I find it hard to believe Apple would pay for something like that. If this were true then you'd be saying Apple paid for top billing in 2012, Samsung bought the top spot in 2013, Apple bought it in again for 2014, etc?
MS paid to have Apple on top in 2014 so that it would look even better when the Surface dethroned the iPad!
"Microsoft Surface users have the highest incidences of accessory use, which underscores the device's versatility. These accessories include a stylus (48% vs. 27% industry average); physical keyboard (51% vs. 14%); and mouse (27% vs. 6%)."
I just wanted to highlight that one sentence. To me, this might suggest that more people find they need a keyboard, stylus, or mouse to get around the shortfalls of the touch-based interface. Or, to put it another way, Microsoft have made the touch experience so bad around half of users have given up on it.
I realise there are other possible explanations, but, based on past experiences with Microsoft and UIs, I give this a high chance of being the right one.
Keep in mind, from day one - even with the ARM based Surface - the keyboard and mouse support were key selling features.
I don't see how keyboards or stylus are shortfalls. Instead they may enhance the experience. As an example, handwritten notes are better with a stylus, something MS included since the first Surface Pro. Working a spreadsheet is better in a Surface Pro than an iPad, even though both have touch optimized versions of Excel. Drag-and-drop, selecting multiples cells and copy/paste are better with a trackpad/mouse than touch.
At the same time, there are apps where touch is the same experience in different platforms. As an example, I don't see any advantages in the iOS version of Netflix compared the UWP version in a Surface Pro.
IMO, Microsoft made a very good touch UI, with some advantages and disadvantages compared to iOS.
No, I said the keyboard or stylus is to get around the shortfalls, not that they are shortfalls themselves.
Keyboards and styuses are useful additions that are available for a number of tablets, but more people use them on Surface than on others? Why? My hypothesis is that people find using the Surface without one or both is too difficult. For example, I use Windows at work (a combination of versions including 7, 10, and Server 2012R2). When working from home on my Mac, using the Magic Trackpad, or on occasions when using my work-provided Windows laptop without an external mouse, it's almost painful to do anything. In my opinion, Windows without a mouse is hard to use.
On the other hand, I find the trackpad in macOS to be better than the mouse in many regards. Many of the problems I have with a trackpad in Windows are due to them not implementing gestures the same way as in macOS. In iOS, I can't think of a situation where a mouse would make the experience better. I can think of uses for a stylus, but nothing where it's absolutely necessary. I've used keyboards with my iPad, and often found having to set the thing up to be more hassle than it's worth.
Again, it has nothing to do with how hard is to navigate a Surface Pro with touch. I have no problems with Netflix and the mobile versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, since they were designed for touch. But a keyboard/trackpad is far better for working complex documents and spreadsheets. It has nothing to do with the UI, but with the type of work you are doing. People use the keyboard/trackpad more in a Surface, since they have access to them. iPad users don't have a trackpad, so they go to their PCs/Mac to complete their work. iPad force me to navigate the UI with touch, while in the Surface Pro touch, keyboard and trackpad are all options. IMO, that's an advantage Surface Pro have over iPads. On the Pen, I don't see it as a tool to navigate the UI, instead is for handwritten notes and drawing.
Of course people are going to have different opinions about use cases.
But if you're looking at whether something is a success as a tablet, I
think a high usage of "traditional" input methods indicates that the
product isn't really working as a tablet. And I think it highlights
problems with the whole concept of "hybrid"/2-in-1 computers. They
compromise on both the tablet and the notebook experience to not quite
work properly as either.
The perfect device doesn't exist, and maybe never will. All of them have compromises. That's the reason you see PC's, notebooks, tablets, 2-in-1, wearable, and IoT devices, among others. A lot of people have a PC/Mac with their iPad since they cannot have all their work done in an iPad, since it has it's list of compromises.
Many people said that a usable 2-in-1 wasn't possible, because of the compromises (toaster/fridge comes to mind). But based in customer satisfaction, looks like MS (not Apple) did it. IMO, that's an achievement.
While Apple remains ideologically pure (and has its guns focused on Samsung phones), Microsoft snuck in through the back door and took top honors with its damned "hybrid". A HYBRID! Apple's ideological purists scorn such trash as they sail happily away on their Titanic -- the perfect, unsinkable ship...
I find it absolutely ridiculous that this review omitted serious and important considerations when evaluating tablets. Cost and performance. The price of a Surface that compares with the power of an iPad Pro 13" is incredibly expensive. Battery life is abysmal on a Surface as well and that's sort of important. There are so many factors to consider and instead, J.D. Power cherry-picked attributes that they needed to sell a product, plain and simple. They also didn't include the price of Malware and Virus Protection which is necessary when running Windows...
I know that you are currently analyzing the surprising results published by J. D. Powers, regarding tablet satisfaction.
I too was surprised by the findings. In looking at J. D. Powers’ charts, I was struck by two things: First, it portends of some underlying error in the modeling of their study that the very “bestest” tablet in the whole world is a mere 6% better than the very worst commodity tablet. Unless tablets have become so commoditized that buying a tablet is the equivalent of buying a drywall screw at Home Depot, it seems intuitively impossible that highly complex devices from numerous manufacturers with different (incredibly complex) operating systems could be so tightly clustered.
A second insight into the possible (likely) fallacy of their data is suggested by comparing their numerical ratings with their Power Circle Ratings. While I don’t know how they actually get their Power Circle ratings, It is revealing that this second system has so much greater variance than the numerical system. The lowest group is a mere 40% of the top group. So, while the numerical figures show that from the best to the worst is virtually (mathematically?) insignificant, the differences in perceived goodness from the Power Circle analysis shows a huge variance. How does Powers rationalize this incongruity?
Note: I am not a statistician and, as such, I am using the term “variance” in the literary sense; I have not tried to calculate the numerical significance of these results. It would be nice if somebody with formal statistical training could run the numbers.
Comments
http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsofts-surface-apples-ipad-in-customer-satisfaction-dead-heat/
How can we trust anything from someone who can't even find last year's report?
that Apple hasn't would indicate it sees things differently than Microsoft or JD Power.
We're now in 2017.
Give it a year. Anomalous rankings happen now and then.
I just wanted to highlight that one sentence. To me, this might suggest that more people find they need a keyboard, stylus, or mouse to get around the shortfalls of the touch-based interface. Or, to put it another way, Microsoft have made the touch experience so bad around half of users have given up on it.
I realise there are other possible explanations, but, based on past experiences with Microsoft and UIs, I give this a high chance of being the right one.
Keep in mind, from day one - even with the ARM based Surface - the keyboard and mouse support were key selling features.
If you know the answer, it's easy to make up the appropriate questions.
that's a limitation. Not a feature.
Someone needs to to have their bank account investigated.
Large deposits from MSFT no doubt.
Pathetic.
At the same time, there are apps where touch is the same experience in different platforms. As an example, I don't see any advantages in the iOS version of Netflix compared the UWP version in a Surface Pro.
IMO, Microsoft made a very good touch UI, with some advantages and disadvantages compared to iOS.
So you think, given the chance, you'd rather be Microsoft or one of its licensees than Apple?
Such a masochist!
No, I said the keyboard or stylus is to get around the shortfalls, not that they are shortfalls themselves.
Keyboards and styuses are useful additions that are available for a number of tablets, but more people use them on Surface than on others? Why? My hypothesis is that people find using the Surface without one or both is too difficult. For example, I use Windows at work (a combination of versions including 7, 10, and Server 2012R2). When working from home on my Mac, using the Magic Trackpad, or on occasions when using my work-provided Windows laptop without an external mouse, it's almost painful to do anything. In my opinion, Windows without a mouse is hard to use.
On the other hand, I find the trackpad in macOS to be better than the mouse in many regards. Many of the problems I have with a trackpad in Windows are due to them not implementing gestures the same way as in macOS. In iOS, I can't think of a situation where a mouse would make the experience better. I can think of uses for a stylus, but nothing where it's absolutely necessary. I've used keyboards with my iPad, and often found having to set the thing up to be more hassle than it's worth.
Of course people are going to have different opinions about use cases. But if you're looking at whether something is a success as a tablet, I think a high usage of "traditional" input methods indicates that the product isn't really working as a tablet. And I think it highlights problems with the whole concept of "hybrid"/2-in-1 computers. They compromise on both the tablet and the notebook experience to not quite work properly as either.
MS must have promised the guys at JD Power free iPad Pros with the Smart Case and Apple Pencil to buy the ranking!
MS paid to have Apple on top in 2014 so that it would look even better when the Surface dethroned the iPad!
The perfect device doesn't exist, and maybe never will. All of them have compromises. That's the reason you see PC's, notebooks, tablets, 2-in-1, wearable, and IoT devices, among others. A lot of people have a PC/Mac with their iPad since they cannot have all their work done in an iPad, since it has it's list of compromises.
Many people said that a usable 2-in-1 wasn't possible, because of the compromises (toaster/fridge comes to mind). But based in customer satisfaction, looks like MS (not Apple) did it. IMO, that's an achievement.
I would love to hear Steve's take on this...
– No, it underscores it's failure as a tablet.
Dear Dan;
I know that you are currently analyzing the surprising results published by J. D. Powers, regarding tablet satisfaction.
I too was surprised by the findings. In looking at J. D. Powers’ charts, I was struck by two things: First, it portends of some underlying error in the modeling of their study that the very “bestest” tablet in the whole world is a mere 6% better than the very worst commodity tablet. Unless tablets have become so commoditized that buying a tablet is the equivalent of buying a drywall screw at Home Depot, it seems intuitively impossible that highly complex devices from numerous manufacturers with different (incredibly complex) operating systems could be so tightly clustered.
A second insight into the possible (likely) fallacy of their data is suggested by comparing their numerical ratings with their Power Circle Ratings. While I don’t know how they actually get their Power Circle ratings, It is revealing that this second system has so much greater variance than the numerical system. The lowest group is a mere 40% of the top group. So, while the numerical figures show that from the best to the worst is virtually (mathematically?) insignificant, the differences in perceived goodness from the Power Circle analysis shows a huge variance. How does Powers rationalize this incongruity?
Note: I am not a statistician and, as such, I am using the term “variance” in the literary sense; I have not tried to calculate the numerical significance of these results. It would be nice if somebody with formal statistical training could run the numbers.