Microsoft exec promotes value of Windows 8 PCs, calls iPad mini a $329 'recreational tablet'

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  • Reply 161 of 209
    igrivigriv Posts: 1,177member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by zoetmb View Post


    That's just about the most ridiculous thing I've ever read.    It doesn't matter whether you're using a phone app, a Pad app or a computer app.   It doesn't matter what OS you're using or what brand of hardware you're using.    Good design and poor design can result regardless.    Just because I'm using OS X or Windows doesn't mean I'm going to design any better than if I'm using a Pad.    When people use too many fonts in a design or when the design is poor, I call the results "ransom notes".       There's no reason why someone using a tablet would be any worse at design than someone using a PC.   


     


    Maybe you should worry more about improper spelling and grammar.       


     


    Now if you want to talk about efficiency working on a PC/Mac vs. Table or Pad, that's another story.    It's far more efficient using a real keyboard and mouse than using a virtual keyboard.   



     

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    I disagree with the last sentence. Using a real keyboard is noticeably superior if you write A LOT. A mouse is mostly superior if you play games designed for mice. If you use the tablet to consume information, it is actually more efficient (faster startup, portable, so always with you, etc). 


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  • Reply 162 of 209
    igrivigriv Posts: 1,177member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by alandail View Post


    why is the 9.7 inch iPad called a 10" tablet while the 7.9" iPad is called a 7" tablet?



     

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    7.9 is 9.7 backwards, so obviously if you round the latter up, you must round the former down.


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  • Reply 163 of 209
    igrivigriv Posts: 1,177member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Macky the Macky View Post


    I find it amusing that the company that made a tablet to match wide-screen TV ratio, thinks the iPad is an "recreational device."



     


    Ah, but the 16:9 ratio on the Surface is to view to spreadsheets side by side! Yeah, that's it.

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  • Reply 164 of 209
    igrivigriv Posts: 1,177member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post





    I've used Red Hat over the years and use some version of Linux at work and elsewhere in many iterations, including on Citrix XenServer for many VMs of varying types, but I've never used CentOS.


     

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    CentOS is RHEL community edition, so you would not see any difference.


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  • Reply 165 of 209
    igrivigriv Posts: 1,177member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Sensi View Post



    I haven't tried it yet -don't know the limitations- but Microsoft Office RT (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote) is bundled with Windows RT.


     

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    No macros/ActiveX. Need I say more?


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  • Reply 166 of 209
    igrivigriv Posts: 1,177member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Shameer Mulji View Post


    Well, to its credit it does come with a full version of Office 2013. Office is to productivity software what iTunes is to music software. 



     

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    A version, yes. A full version, no. Ah, who needs those macros, anyhow.


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  • Reply 167 of 209
    igrivigriv Posts: 1,177member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by drblank View Post


    They came out with WIndows phones?  Really?  When?  I haven't seen anyone using them.  You mean, they actually are selling them?  When was the release date?



     

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    I was wondering about that myself. I thought it was supposed to be this last Friday, but no news...


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  • Reply 168 of 209
    igrivigriv Posts: 1,177member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NasserAE View Post


     


    I find it interesting that everyone was complaining that on the iPad you have to leave the app and go to the home screen to switch apps. Now, in Windows 8 (All versions) you have to switch to the FULL screen Start screen to start another app. No one is complaining.



     

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    That's because no one has bought the device. And you DON't have to do that on the iPad...


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  • Reply 169 of 209
    mj web wrote: »
    Microsoft was beating the crowd back with sticks in Century City!


    LL


    Honestly, there were at least 3 sales clerks for every Lookie Lou... Another bomb from Redmond!

    LL

    Hilarious. I remember seeing some banner ads around the net where Microsloths were trying to get people to come wait in line to win prizes. Maybe they should have given away some iPads and iPhones, then there would have been a line.
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  • Reply 170 of 209
    Anyone who trusts MS executives to know anything about technology is just plain dumb. This is a company who's CEO not only failed to understand the iphone but predicted it's failure ... the iphone in 6 years generates more revenue than the ENTIRE Microsoft company ... think about that - a CEO not only fails to see the competition but misses ONE BUSINESS UNIT that is now larger than YOUR ENTIRE COMPANY! So, there is zero credibility. Now scroll forward 3 later and Apple creates another another division that sells 100 MILLION units of something about an average price of $600 ... while MS puts their weight behind a tiles based OS that has failed on two tries already (KIn & Win 7 phones) ... they think running MS Office is a selling point ... it's not. It's EXACTLY like people said they wanted Flash on a tablet but 100 million ipad sales and 5 million android tablet sales, clearly, not an issue ...
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  • Reply 171 of 209
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    The Verge has come out with their surface review. They gave it a 7. From the review:

    "Maybe I say this too often, but I wanted to love this device. Actually, I wanted to love the Surface when I first saw it, before I even got my hands on the review unit. It made Windows 8 make sense in a way other products had not, and I could see a world where this kind of device was the only one I carried with me. Once I did get the review unit, I wanted to love it even more. And truth be told, there is a lot here to love. Plenty — but not enough for me right now.

    The promise of the Surface was that it could deliver a best-in-class tablet experience, but then transform into the PC you needed when heavier lifting was required. Instead of putting down my tablet and picking up my laptop, I would just snap on my keyboard and get my work done. But that's not what the Surface offers, at least not in my experience. It does the job of a tablet and the job of a laptop half as well as other devices on the market, and it often makes that job harder, not easier. Instead of being a no-compromise device, it often feels like a more-compromise one.

    There may be a time in the future when all the bugs have been fixed, the third-party app support has arrived, and some very smart engineers in Redmond have ironed out the physical kinks in this type of product which prevent it from being all that it can be. But that time isn't right now — and unfortunately for Microsoft, the clock is ticking."

    http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/23/3540550/microsoft-surface-review
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  • Reply 172 of 209
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    More anecdotal evidence that this could be a dud. And interesting that the better cover for typing (type cover) is not the one bundled with the surface. The touch cover looks cool but is much more prone to typing errors.

    http://ozar.me/2012/10/why-im-returning-my-microsoft-surface-rt/

    "I’m typing this with gritted teeth. My 24 hours with the half-baked Surface have been a frustrating challenge, a mix of love and hate. I want want want this to work, but one problem after another have led me to come to the conclusion – a temporary one at least – that this thing just isn’t ready to ship."
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  • Reply 173 of 209
    anonymouseanonymouse Posts: 7,098member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post



    The Verge has come out with their surface review. They gave it a 7. From the review:

    "Maybe I say this too often, but I wanted to love this device. Actually, I wanted to love the Surface when I first saw it, before I even got my hands on the review unit. It made Windows 8 make sense in a way other products had not, and I could see a world where this kind of device was the only one I carried with me. Once I did get the review unit, I wanted to love it even more. And truth be told, there is a lot here to love. Plenty — but not enough for me right now.

    The promise of the Surface was that it could deliver a best-in-class tablet experience, but then transform into the PC you needed when heavier lifting was required. Instead of putting down my tablet and picking up my laptop, I would just snap on my keyboard and get my work done. But that's not what the Surface offers, at least not in my experience. It does the job of a tablet and the job of a laptop half as well as other devices on the market, and it often makes that job harder, not easier. Instead of being a no-compromise device, it often feels like a more-compromise one.

    There may be a time in the future when all the bugs have been fixed, the third-party app support has arrived, and some very smart engineers in Redmond have ironed out the physical kinks in this type of product which prevent it from being all that it can be. But that time isn't right now — and unfortunately for Microsoft, the clock is ticking."

    http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/23/3540550/microsoft-surface-review


     


    Probably the only reason they gave it a 7 was because they were hoping to give it a 10. Without being graded on the "not-from-Apple" curve, it's probably really a 4 or 5 at best.

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  • Reply 174 of 209
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    rogifan wrote: »
    More anecdotal evidence that this could be a dud. And interesting that the better cover for typing (type cover) is not the one bundled with the surface. The touch cover looks cool but is much more prone to typing errors.
    http://ozar.me/2012/10/why-im-returning-my-microsoft-surface-rt/
    "I’m typing this with gritted teeth. My 24 hours with the half-baked Surface have been a frustrating challenge, a mix of love and hate. I want want want this to work, but one problem after another have led me to come to the conclusion – a temporary one at least – that this thing just isn’t ready to ship."


    There is also this: http://www.zdnet.com/three-days-in-the-life-of-a-once-and-former-microsoft-surface-rt-user-7000006421/

    I think there are 5 major issues for every great idea with this device but these comments are no different than the anti-Apple crowd finding someone who pooh-poohed the product. The difference is we aren't seeing too many glowing reviews. The ones that praise also seem to give it a pass because it had to compete with an Apple product, which I find unfair.

    Personally, I've analyzed this device and find it having too may issues to be a success. No Active Directory access for the ARM version means that it can't easily usurp iPad in the Enterprise. The x86 version being in Ultrabook prices but without the battery, ability to use on a lap or adjustable screen of a proper notebook. The ARM version, as you note, coming only with the Touch Cover so if you buy the 64GB model you then have to spend another $130 for the TypeCover for any real typing. The confusing nature of two fundamentally different Surface products running two fundamentally different versions of Windows, yet both with the Metro UI and traditional UI.

    I could go on an on but the bottom line is they "Homer Car"-ed this without making a great tablet, mobile OS, or a great desktop OS.
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  • Reply 175 of 209

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by anonymouse View Post


     


    Probably the only reason they gave it a 7 was because they were hoping to give it a 10. Without being graded on the "not-from-Apple" curve, it's probably really a 4 or 5 at best.



     


    Yes. If you read the details in the review, a 7 was generous.  Then read that user review Rogifan posted.


     


    It matches up well with the Verge review.  This is only the start. At least that guy knew what he was getting. Wait till the people who think they are getting a Windows 8 tablet that runs real Windows software end up with RT devices.


     


    So many of the big review sound more like PR than critical reviews. Josh at Verge does very in depth tech reviews and the tradition continues here.

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  • Reply 176 of 209
    He's right, it is recreational. It is not meant for business. But it could be used for business. Or college...or anything you want...
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  • Reply 177 of 209
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    solipsismx wrote: »
    There is also this: http://www.zdnet.com/three-days-in-the-life-of-a-once-and-former-microsoft-surface-rt-user-7000006421/
    I think there are 5 major issues for every great idea with this device but these comments are no different than the anti-Apple crowd finding someone who pooh-poohed the product. The difference is we aren't seeing too many glowing reviews. The ones that praise also seem to give it a pass because it had to compete with an Apple product, which I find unfair.
    Personally, I've analyzed this device and find it having too may issues to be a success. No Active Directory access for the ARM version means that it can't easily usurp iPad in the Enterprise. The x86 version being in Ultrabook prices but without the battery, ability to use on a lap or adjustable screen of a proper notebook. The ARM version, as you note, coming only with the Touch Cover so if you buy the 64GB model you then have to spend another $130 for the TypeCover for any real typing. The confusing nature of two fundamentally different Surface products running two fundamentally different versions of Windows, yet both with the Metro UI and traditional UI.
    I could go on an on but the bottom line is they "Homer Car"-ed this without making a great tablet, mobile OS, or a great desktop OS.
    So I'm assuming then with SurfaceRT I cannot access my work network drives or does it have VPN access? I know where I work they're not allowing us to VPN on an iPad (yet).
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  • Reply 178 of 209
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    I keep hearing about how the "fit and finish" is as nice or nicer than what you get from Apple. But it sounds more like Microsoft PR or just spin from pro-Microsoft media. Remember the initial spin from the media was Microsoft had to create Surface to show their OEM's how it's done because OEM's like HP, Dell, Acer, etc. are clueless and couldn't design their way out of a paper bag. And surprise, surprise, the surface comes out and these same people praise it for having Apple like design. Seems a bit suspicious to me.
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  • Reply 179 of 209
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    rogifan wrote: »
    So I'm assuming then with SurfaceRT I cannot access my work network drives or does it have VPN access? I know where I work they're not allowing us to VPN on an iPad (yet).

    I don't know. I haven't yet seen a full review of the device in the Enterprise. Maybe something like LogMeIn would work through the IE browser.
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  • Reply 180 of 209
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    solipsismx wrote: »
    I don't know. I haven't yet seen a full review of the device in the Enterprise. Maybe something like LogMeIn would work through the IE browser.
    Hmm...seems to me SurfaceRT is just an iPad that includes Office lite and USB, but unlike the iPad has a dearth of quality apps. And it seems to me Microsoft is just fine having the general public think SurfaceRT is just like Windows 8. But we'll see how long that lasts if people start returning the device in numbers.

    What I find odd is the 3 month gap between RT and Pro. If people have a less than pleasant experience with RT won't that sour them on wanting a pro? Or will the people who want a Pro just hold out until next year?
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