Microsoft says Surface tablet is 'just a design point'

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 84
    hirohiro Posts: 2,663member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by not candunc View Post



    Well, I want a full fleged tablet. The Microsoft surface appeals to me because I am looking for a touchscreen laptop lacking a keyboard. I do love the iPad, but it isn't for me, even though I am a diehard apple fan.


     


    The Surface Pro isn't a tablet, it's a MacBook Air 11" class competitor.  It's just disingenuously named like the actual tablet, but it's a totally different machine with a different and incompatible OS and the same intel CPU line as is in the MBA.  With every other windows laptop having inferior battery performance for like CPU products, I wouldn't expect anything different from a company building it's first laptop computer.


     


    Since Surface Pro won't run the tablet OS (Windows RT), but runs the desktop Windows 8, how effective do you think it is going to be without the keyboard+trackpad?  So I don't think it will ever make sense to simply think of it as a tablet.  It's a laptop.

  • Reply 42 of 84
    kevinn206kevinn206 Posts: 117member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


    Are windows users colorblind? How can anybody not find that extremely distracting, eye-popping color on that keyboard to be really annoying? I wouldn't be surprised if it triggered seizures in certain people. The idiotic and poorly chosen color makes the keyboard more prominent than the actual display and tablet.



    Actually, I think you are colorblind because you couldn't see that you can CHOOSE black, white, cyan, magenta, or red.


     


    http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/06/microsofttablet0104.jpg

  • Reply 43 of 84
    kevinn206kevinn206 Posts: 117member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by frsven View Post


    Didn't Monkey Boy just say that he expects to sell millions of the Surface tablet?  Life in Microserfville must be getting confusing.



    No, if it's 5 millions for one YEAR, then it's pretty poor performing considering that Apple can get many times that in one QUARTER.

  • Reply 44 of 84
    kevinn206kevinn206 Posts: 117member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AdamC View Post



    Yes, Viginia you can only use the Surface on landscape mode.

    That kind of limit the usefulness of the Surface.

    Besides an iPad is more versatile with a Bluetooth keyboard than one with a magnetic keyboard.

    Designed with limitations, kind of sad for a company which refuse to move beyond the laptop mode.


    What prevents you from using a bluetooth keyboard with Windows 8?


     


    iPad = bluetooth keyboard or onscreen


    Windows 8 tablet = bluetooth, onscreen, USB, touch cover, type cover, where the three latter options use the tablet's built-in power


     


    What kind of logic do you use?

  • Reply 45 of 84
    kevinn206kevinn206 Posts: 117member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by richsadams View Post





    MS pretty much confirmed that when they introduced their vaporware product saying it would be priced comparable to Ultrabook PCs (43:40 mark):

    (Although the best part starts at 13:30)

    Report: Microsoft's Intel-powered Surface to Cost $1000

    However the price should drop once they start being offered by Woot!


    The Windows RT tablet price is comparable to the iPad.


    The Windows 8 tablet price is comparable to ultrabook.


     


    Quote from the same source:


     


    "Today brings us rumors of something more specific than that. Just yesterday word on the street was that the ARM-based Surface would cost $600 and the Wintel model $799 at the very least. The Next Web is now reporting that while the Windows RT Surface will cost $599, the Intel version of the tabletis going to cost closer to $1000. TNW cites a source close to Microsoft in reporting that the Tegra 3 powered RT model will retail for $599 and the Ivy Bridge Windows 8 Pro model will sell for $999."

  • Reply 46 of 84
    mrstepmrstep Posts: 513member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


    Are windows users colorblind? How can anybody not find that extremely distracting, eye-popping color on that keyboard to be really annoying? I wouldn't be surprised if it triggered seizures in certain people. The idiotic and poorly chosen color makes the keyboard more prominent than the actual display and tablet.



     


    Colorblind? That's statistically unlikely since there are more of them than other operating systems, so they just must lack taste.*


     


    So in the vein of "Would you rather...?" - Zune Brown or Surface Cyan? ;)


     


     


     


    * Not all, just the ones who will pop up here to emphatically say that these heinous colors are really OK. And Ballmer. But he's a given at this point. 

  • Reply 47 of 84
    kevinn206kevinn206 Posts: 117member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Hiro View Post


     


    The Surface Pro isn't a tablet, it's a MacBook Air 11" class competitor.  It's just disingenuously named like the actual tablet, but it's a totally different machine with a different and incompatible OS and the same intel CPU line as is in the MBA.  With every other windows laptop having inferior battery performance for like CPU products, I wouldn't expect anything different from a company building it's first laptop computer.


     


    Since Surface Pro won't run the tablet OS (Windows RT), but runs the desktop Windows 8, how effective do you think it is going to be without the keyboard+trackpad?  So I don't think it will ever make sense to simply think of it as a tablet.  It's a laptop.



    So how is it possible that a lot of the Windows 7 notebook and my notebook can get 7+ hours of battery life? Surface Pro runs the SAME metro apps from the Windows Store as the Surface (RT). The fact that it run also run legacy programs is a bonus. But I would rather trade off on legacy support for longer battery life, lighter, thinner, and probably better security by going with Surface RT.

  • Reply 48 of 84
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    woodlink wrote: »
    The Higgs boson will prove more tangible than a Surface.

    Yep, Surface, AKA Courier ....
  • Reply 49 of 84
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    sflocal wrote: »
    Ballmer is already backtracking.... just the beginning of things to come.  

    They probably can't get it to work as hoped ....
  • Reply 50 of 84
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    solipsismx wrote: »
    MS would love if you started calling it the God Tablet?

    You mean the 'Goddamn Tablet' ... To be accurate ...
  • Reply 51 of 84
    markbyrnmarkbyrn Posts: 661member


    Ballmer just keeps cementing his reputation as a double-tongued huckster.


     


    ballmersurface.jpg?w=593

  • Reply 52 of 84


    I feel like I am at Disney World.  It is a Figment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  not a Surface

  • Reply 53 of 84
    zbeezbee Posts: 5member


    If he were to eat some Beano he would simply disappear.

  • Reply 54 of 84
    ssquirrelssquirrel Posts: 1,196member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


    Are windows users colorblind? How can anybody not find that extremely distracting, eye-popping color on that keyboard to be really annoying? I wouldn't be surprised if it triggered seizures in certain people. The idiotic and poorly chosen color makes the keyboard more prominent than the actual display and tablet.



     


    As someone who is epileptic, I can say that just being a solid color like that doesn't trigger seizures in anyone I have ever heard of.  Bright color flashing on and off, potentially.  I'm not a fan of the color scheme at all tho.  I do find this new article amusing tho as MS seems to quickly be drawing back from being seen as a competitor of all their OEMs after the backlash they received.  If it was really a reference design, they would have said so upfront.  They could be at a cost advantage over the OEMs (since they don't pay for the OS) and the OEMs are rightfully not happy about it

  • Reply 55 of 84
    krabbelenkrabbelen Posts: 243member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by KevinN206 View Post


    What prevents you from using a bluetooth keyboard with Windows 8?


     


    iPad = bluetooth keyboard or onscreen


    Windows 8 tablet = bluetooth, onscreen, USB, touch cover, type cover, where the three latter options use the tablet's built-in power


     


    What kind of logic do you use?



     


    The kind of logic that says iPad is good in either orientation, landscape or portrait. In fact its portrait mode is very conducive to document creation, such as using Pages for iOS. This is enhanced due to Apple's choice of 4:3 ratio, like a page (book/document). If using onscreen keyboard, you have enough width and depth in portrait orientation for good experience. If using bluetooth keyboard, you can choose your screen angle and see a full page.


     


    Surface, as every other tablet on the market besides iPad, has chosen a skinnier, wide-screen ratio. Kind of rich for MS et al to then talk about iPad as "media tablet" for consumption and not creation. The iPad is the only one useful for anything beyond landscape media consumption. Very little depth for onscreen keyboard in landscape mode, and very little width for it in portrait mode. Furthermore, I have seen no photo anywhere of Surface used with its hardware keyboard while the screen is in portrait orientation; what happens if you want to use it in portrait orientation? We don't know... can the keyboard be used a few inches away, must it be attached in landscape mode to use? The journalists didn't actually get "hands-on" with it... not with it switched on anyway.


     


    All the things you mention for Windows 8 tablet are available for iPad -- there are any number of cases that include keyboard. Any number of ways to position and hold it (rotating handgrips and clamps for every use and industry, etc.). There is a massive third-party market for iPad already. And, yes, you can attach things via USB or card slot, cameras, certainly, plus other hardware (credit card readers, bar code scanners, medical instruments for diabetes, etc.) Besides, there are tons of ways to transfer files wirelessly, lots of internal storage space, and good cloud apps like Dropbox.


     


    The kind of logic that says that, once again, MS is trying to be all things to all people, and failing to make a commitment to get one thing right. This is betrayed with their tortured use of the phrase "no compromise": everything about this "product" (remains to be seen now, doesn't it), epitomizes Compromise. You get a compromised desktop experience and a compromised tablet experience. Will either one be satisfactory enough to make this a compelling product (if it ever ships)? Highly doubtful.


     


    What prevents you from using a bluetooth keyboard with it? Classic! The kind of logic that says, why should I have to buy something else to enhance my experience, when MS has already compromised my experience by setting up the device to act like a laptop with fixed orientation and angle and keyboard position. They have made such a big deal about this "innovation", and now you want to tell me I can get round it by having a bluetooth keyboard AS WELL. Lovely. Like the company who couldn't get WIFI to work with their tablet, so added a dongle as a FEATURE! Hey, guys, look at our innovations in this space... well, I guess you could use it like an iPad if you bought this, or did this or this; no, it's not as good, but hey, it's more fun and you can choose from more colors! Classic -- no substance whatsoever and completely compromised experience.

  • Reply 56 of 84
    gvoutgvout Posts: 8member


    Steve Ballmer speaking to Microsoft's partners about Surface.SteveBallmerIdea.jpg

     

  • Reply 57 of 84
    sasparillasasparilla Posts: 121member


    This squares with Balmer's recent statement that the Surface is only going to be available for sale at the few Microsoft stores and their online store only...


     


    This is serious backpedaling from where they were at the announcement with their prototype hardware that nobody could test.  Makes one wonder if they are realizing they'll be late or miss the shopping season.

  • Reply 58 of 84
    knightlieknightlie Posts: 282member
    Today I updated my Vista OS to Service Pack 3 so I could install IE 9. A company I work for needed me to use their site that requires Internet Explorer 8 or newer. After going through all of that with multiple restarts IE 9 seemed OK until it crashed and wouldn't open again no matter what I did. So I did a system restore and reverted to pre SP3 without IE 9. I HATE MICROSOFT SO MUCH!

    Sounds similar to the experience I had which led me to switch to Mac OS. No matter how many facelifts it gets, Windows remains a polished turd.
    I wish I could throw a truck load of crap on their building but the crap would be more valuable than their whole campus.

    They would simply package it up and sell it.
  • Reply 59 of 84
    knightlieknightlie Posts: 282member
    kevinn206 wrote: »
    Actually, I think you are colorblind because you couldn't see that you can CHOOSE black, white, cyan, magenta, or red.

    http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/06/microsofttablet0104.jpg

    kevinn206 wrote: »
    No, if it's 5 millions for one YEAR, then it's pretty poor performing considering that Apple can get many times that in one QUARTER.

    kevinn206 wrote: »
    What prevents you from using a bluetooth keyboard with Windows 8?

    iPad = bluetooth keyboard or onscreen
    Windows 8 tablet = bluetooth, onscreen, USB, touch cover, type cover, where the three latter options use the tablet's built-in power

    What kind of logic do you use?

    kevinn206 wrote: »
    The Windows RT tablet price is comparable to the iPad.
    The Windows 8 tablet price is comparable to ultrabook.

    Quote from the same source:

    "<span style="color:rgb(60,59,59);font-family:Verdana, Tahoma, 'Nimbus Sans L', arial, sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:18px;">Today brings us rumors of something more specific than that. Just yesterday word on the street was that the ARM-based Surface would cost $600 and the Wintel model $799 at the very least. The Next Web is now reporting that while the</span>
    <span style="font-family:Verdana, Tahoma, 'Nimbus Sans L', arial, sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:18px;">Windows RT Surface will cost $599</span>
    <span style="color:rgb(60,59,59);font-family:Verdana, Tahoma, 'Nimbus Sans L', arial, sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:18px;">, the</span>
    <span style="font-family:Verdana, Tahoma, 'Nimbus Sans L', arial, sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:18px;">Intel version of </span>
    <a class="kLink" href="http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Microsoft-Surface-Price-Release-Specs-Windows-8-Tablet,16110.html#" id="user_KonaLink1" style="color:#0000FF;font-family:inherit;border:0px none transparent;background-image:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;display:inline;line-height:18px;" target="_blank" name="user_KonaLink1"><span class="kLink" style="border-top-width:0px;border-top-style:none;border-left-width:0px;border-left-style:none;border-right-width:0px;border-right-style:none;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:#0000FF;padding:0px 0px 1px;background-image:none;background-color:transparent;float:none;display:inline;font-family:inherit;">the </span>
    <span class="kLink" style="border-top-width:0px;border-top-style:none;border-left-width:0px;border-left-style:none;border-right-width:0px;border-right-style:none;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:#0000FF;padding:0px 0px 1px;background-image:none;background-color:transparent;float:none;display:inline;font-family:inherit;">tablet</span>
    </a>
    <span style="font-family:Verdana, Tahoma, 'Nimbus Sans L', arial, sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:18px;">is going to cost closer to $1000</span>
    <span style="color:rgb(60,59,59);font-family:Verdana, Tahoma, 'Nimbus Sans L', arial, sans-serif;font-size:11px;line-height:18px;">. TNW cites a source close to Microsoft in reporting that the Tegra 3 powered RT model will retail for $599 and the Ivy Bridge Windows 8 Pro model will sell for $999."</span>

    kevinn206 wrote: »
    So how is it possible that a lot of the Windows 7 notebook and my notebook can get 7+ hours of battery life? Surface Pro runs the SAME metro apps from the Windows Store as the Surface (RT). The fact that it run also run legacy programs is a bonus. But I would rather trade off on legacy support for longer battery life, lighter, thinner, and probably better security by going with Surface RT.


    Oh God, now we have a Microsoft Apologist in the thread. Great.
  • Reply 60 of 84


    Steve Ballmer is excellent ...


     


     


     


     


     


     


    ... at saying things that don't really mean anything.

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