Microsoft continues ad assault on Apple's MacBook Air, features Lenovo in latest spot

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Comments

  • Reply 61 of 92
    I'm waiting for the first Surface commercial that admits that you have to pay extra for the keyboard, compares it to an iPad running a keyboard that costs as much, or shows users trying to work with a document while the device is in their lap.
  • Reply 62 of 92
    jfanningjfanning Posts: 3,398member
    kent909 wrote: »
    What I want to know is why no one is putting cellular capability into notebooks. That would be a selling point for me.

    Please explain what you mean by "no one"
  • Reply 63 of 92
    solipsismysolipsismy Posts: 5,099member
    kent909 wrote: »
    What I want to know is why no one is putting cellular capability into notebooks. That would be a selling point for me.

    I had (paste tense) wanted that feature for a very long time. I imagined including the antenna built into each PowerBook and then have the PCIe-like card for cellular for those that want to pay for that feature and have it possible to keep the PBs universal with all the various cards for MNOs being interchangable.

    Of course, that never happened although you can find Mac notebook prototypes with cellular built-in for sale.

    That said, it's needed a lot less today than before 2007 because most have a cellular data plan already with their smartphone -and- the final major hurdle was resolved with iOS 8 and Yosemite with the easily tethering I've ever experienced.
  • Reply 64 of 92
    sdw2001sdw2001 Posts: 18,039member
    Yawn. Another clever, but ultimately useless ad campaign. Micro$haft is and has been in the odd position of having to advertise products that aren't its own, just because they come with Windows installed. The result is a myriad of products that few can differentiate, coupled with increased awareness of Apple's relatively simple line-up. At the same time, they also sell software for the Mac, meaning that even if they can get more people to use Windows machines, they have fewer Mac customers for Office. MS should stick to promoting Windows, Office and other software, and let the hardware makers advertise their own products.
  • Reply 65 of 92
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,056member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by davygee View Post

     

     

    Yes the Surface Pro starts at $800, but this includes an i3 and only 64Gb SSD and Intel HD Graphics 4200, whereas the entry level MacBook Air starts at $900 and has an i5, 128Gb SSD and has Intel HD Graphics 5000, so in reality, you would need to go for the better model of Surface Pro 3 to compare like for like, which would be the i5, 128Gb SSD with Intel HD Graphics 4400, but this would set you back $1000 before adding the keyboard (another $110-$130), which makes the package $1100 minimum.  So in practice, Microsoft is overcharging, yes it's a better resolution and touchscreen, but you are having to pay an extra $200 for the privilege?


    Touch Screen and better solution together are offset with sucking keyboard and its touch pad together with plastic body. Macbook Air touch pad and keyboard are superior.

  • Reply 66 of 92
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,389member

    http://www.extremetech.com/computing/192893-the-first-core-m-laptop-paints-a-depressing-mediocre-picture-for-intels-broadwell

     

    Quote:

     What everyone agrees on is that the system throttles constantly, possibly in part because Lenovo chose to set a 3.5W target for the chip rather than the 4.5W TDP that Intel specifies 


     

    Quote:

    Lenovo’s claim of “up to nine hours” on battery life is farcical. WindowsCentral.com claims5-6 hours, at the very most. PC Pro hit eight hours, but only by turning screen brightness to its lowest levels; turn brightness up and battery life plummets. UltraBookReview reports that under various workloads battery life ranges from 6 hours to 4 hours 40 minutes depending on workload. Part of the problem is Lenovo’s decision to equip a 44 watt-hour (Wh) battery — the 13-inch MacBook Air, which tends to be the go-to comparison for a system in this price range, has a 54 Wh battery. 


     

    Quote:

    Multiple reviewers have commented that the laptop runs remarkably poorly in Chrome, that its gaming performance is sometimes a regression over the Yoga Pro 2 and other Intel laptops, and that the Yoga Pro 3 is incontrovertibly slower than its predecessor. 


     

    Quote:

    In this case, Lenovo cuts battery capacity, tosses in a high resolution display with an insane power draw, tightens the screws on the CPU to compensate, and then wraps the display in flimsy construction that multiple websites call out as flawed. 


     

    Quote:
     Why?

    Because laptop OEMs are gutless and sell on specs, not on experience. Because even when they build $1200 hardware, they infuse that price point with $300 thinking. Crank up the resolution, but use a panel with a bad color gamut. Slash the thickness, but gut the battery life. Charge four figures, but refuse to remove the spyware and shovelware that infest most OEM laptops like a bad case of fleas. Include a terrible webcam, because you can get away with saving 20 cents on the part. Improve the specs on individual parts, but don’t combine those improvements into superior products. 


     

    Wow, sounds like a fucking winner. Where do I sign up?? 

    What's farcical is comparing this poorly designed, poorly performing, mess of a machine with the impeccably balanced Macook Air- regardless of some individual, superior spec figures. But hey, it folds into weird positions and shit, so carry on!

  • Reply 67 of 92
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,056member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Relic View Post

     

     

    Actually not duh, the new Surface pro keyboard is actually quite good, I can type just as fast on it than I can on my MacBook ir. The prices I listed are retail as what is listed on Microsoft Store, the only thing that wasn't was the keyboard which is an Amazon deal but I also see them go for as low as 90 when purchased with Surface Pro 3. The rebate is only 50 bucks, not a real big help and is meant for the keyboard or docking station. I'm not saying one is better than the other here, just stating that Surface is not as expensive as your making it out to be.


    You gotta read all responses to your original post. Your $799 Surface is not comparable to $899 Macbook Air. If you configure the same specs, Surface Pro 3 will be $999 + $130 keyboard with a pathetic touch pad = $1130. I guess with that price, people'd rather go with Macbook Air + iPad Mini 2. 

  • Reply 68 of 92
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,389member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by coolfactor View Post



    I think it's a great ad. Effectively highlights the fact that that Apple is not pushing the boundaries of what defines a laptop.

     

    No, instead, Apple chooses to make excellent laptops, that are designed to support the way they are actually used. It's not all about 'pushing boundaries"- thats not the goal. The goal is to make an excellent product, pushing boundaries is merely a means to an end. Unfortunately, this goal is beyond the ability of most of these OEMs, so instead, they focus on the gimmicks and pretend thats the goal. 

  • Reply 69 of 92
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,851member
    gtr wrote: »
    Microsoft continuing it's ad assault...

    1000

    Oh that was funny.

    But those nasty things can spread viruses remember ... of wait a minute ...

    Maybe time for Apple to find a way not to qualify MS products for iOS. No access to iOS would hurt MS I would suspect in the coming years.
  • Reply 70 of 92
    splifsplif Posts: 603member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SolipsismY View Post





    Is anything really nice if you have to use MS Access?

    Huh, I've never heard of that. They have appointments for Genius Bar appointments, and there are lines for new products due to demand, but I've never seen an Apple Store they will force you to make an appointment just to look at the new products or buy some simple accessory they have on the wall.



    Never heard of that either. I don't think he is talking about an actual Apple Store or has no idea what he is talking about.

  • Reply 71 of 92
    nikon133nikon133 Posts: 2,600member
    gtr wrote: »
    Microsoft continuing it's ad assault...

    1000

    But if it carries malaria...
  • Reply 72 of 92
    nikon133nikon133 Posts: 2,600member
    mazecookie wrote: »
    Apple's and Orange's.

    Microsoft is comparing a two in one hybrid (I.E a tablet with a flappy keyboard) to a notebook.

    The Lenovo sports a hugely under performing processor and less than half the battery life. Oh, and Windows. Game Over.

    Heres an interesting review of this machine:

    http://www.extremetech.com/computing/192893-the-first-core-m-laptop-paints-a-depressing-mediocre-picture-for-intels-broadwell

    Except for huge majority of users who actually need Windows, for one reason or another.

    But I agree, Yoga is all style, not much real value, IMHO. Screen resolution is for marketing bragging, 1080p with better battery life would be much better for target audience. And stronger hardware - they are using Broadwell-Y, Intel logic basically designed for tablets, not for laptops. It is lowest placed Broadwell in terms of performance and power consumption, and site below Broadwell U, H and K (my understanding is that U is for ultrabooks, H for AIOs, laptops and such, K for desktops and mobile workstations... after that, there are Xeon parts, Broadwell EP and EX). They probably can because Yoga is, in theory, tablet-able, but it is laptop first. Two or so mm more would give more space for bigger battery, better cooling, less throttling... maybe even non-tablet internals.
  • Reply 73 of 92
    nikon133nikon133 Posts: 2,600member
    relic wrote: »
    The i3 Surface starts at 800, with the keyboard it's 910, Amazon sells the blue keyboard now for 110, i5 version costs 200 more. The MacBook Air starts at 900 not 800, so it's not a several hundred, it's 210, minus 50 with the included rebate for MS accessories, it's 160. For the difference in price your getting a 2160 x 1440 display vs. 1366 x 768, touch screen and an active digitizer stylus so it's not like Microsoft is overcharging. Though the keyboard really should be included, pretty tacky if you ask me.

    I think keyboard will get bundled soon. Instead of reducing price, they will bundle keyboard.
  • Reply 74 of 92

    This is stupid. The MBA is a better product because it's a really good laptop, as opposed to a mediocre laptop half-heartedly pretending to be something else.

  • Reply 75 of 92
    nikon133nikon133 Posts: 2,600member
    malax wrote: »

    In my experience working in an IT department and going to numerous conferences of the past 5+ years (technology, privacy, big data, XML standards, education), Apple completely dominates the market for business laptops.  Nowadays, if you look around the room at conference sessions, the distribution of attendee devices are iPads and MacBooks each with 30-60% of the crowd and the rest have other laptops (often with inventory stickers indicating they are company property) and other tablets.  And these are conferences that have absolutely no Apple corporate presence and aren't about consumer electronics.  MS is rightly scared.  Desktops are now the preferred platform for only 2 groups: businesses and gamers.

    That's for people going to conferences. People actually working... I'm still seeing much more EliteBooks and ThinkPads than MBPs. Interestingly, I'm seeing quite a few Surfaces Pro 3 recently among people attending conferences, roadshows etc. But that's here in NZ. Can't talk for the rest of the world.
  • Reply 76 of 92
    nikon133nikon133 Posts: 2,600member
    davygee wrote: »
    Yes the Surface Pro starts at $800, but this includes an i3 and only 64Gb SSD and Intel HD Graphics 4200, whereas the entry level MacBook Air starts at $900 and has an i5, 128Gb SSD and has Intel HD Graphics 5000, so in reality, you would need to go for the better model of Surface Pro 3 to compare like for like, which would be the i5, 128Gb SSD with Intel HD Graphics 4400, but this would set you back $1000 before adding the keyboard (another $110-$130), which makes the package $1100 minimum.  So in practice, Microsoft is overcharging, yes it's a better resolution and touchscreen, but you are having to pay an extra $200 for the privilege?

    Better resolution, touchscreen and functional, albeit big-ish tablet. I don't know... personally I think it's not bad. Main problem is that lots of people are simply not thinking of MS as premium brand, so the price sounds steep. Same as with, say, Toyota and Lexus - even if they'd release exactly the same car under both badges, Toyota would have to be cheaper - otherwise it would not sell as well, I think.
  • Reply 77 of 92
    nikon133nikon133 Posts: 2,600member
    relic wrote: »
    Actually not duh, the new Surface pro keyboard is actually quite good, I can type just as fast on it than I can on my MacBook ir. The prices I listed are retail as what is listed on Microsoft Store, the only thing that wasn't was the keyboard which is an Amazon deal but I also see them go for as low as 90 when purchased with Surface Pro 3. The rebate is only 50 bucks, not a real big help and is meant for the keyboard or docking station. I'm not saying one is better than the other here, just stating that Surface is not as expensive as your making it out to be.

    Also... beside small touchpad on keyboard, Surface has large 12" one, called touchscreen. With new alliance between Adobe and MS, and Adobe's promise to optimize CS for touchscreen, this could turn out to be huge advantage, at least for people who do a lot of Photoshop, Lightroom, Ilustrator... While this is probably just a mock-up, some ideas are quite intriguing:

  • Reply 78 of 92
    nikon133nikon133 Posts: 2,600member
    fallenjt wrote: »
    You gotta read all responses to your original post. Your $799 Surface is not comparable to $899 Macbook Air. If you configure the same specs, Surface Pro 3 will be $999 + $130 keyboard with a pathetic touch pad = $1130. I guess with that price, people'd rather go with Macbook Air + iPad Mini 2. 

    When I use my Windows tablet with keyboard, I often use touchscreen instead of keyboard's mouse navigation. I hate it on desktops and large laptops, but it is quite handy on smaller devices. And if Adobe really fulfil their promises about CS optimisation for Surface, it might turn out to be big bonus for tablet/laptop crossovers.
  • Reply 79 of 92
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,746member

    Even if you "need" Windows to run a Windows only application, it doesn't mean you need to buy a Windows PC, much less one of those hybrid monstrosities. The last good version of Windows, Windows 7, runs very nicely on any Intel Mac and remarkably well on VMWare Fusion. Now don't go jumping in about needing to run 16 instances of Photoshop against a 3 TB data set. I'm talking about a data set that you're likely to throw at a Surface flapjack without having to string a bunch of external gizmos to it. I've been very impressed with what VMWare can do on a modern Mac with decent memory. My VMs running on an iMac put my dedicated real hardware work PCs to shame.

  • Reply 80 of 92
    idreyidrey Posts: 647member
    Evey time i see this commercials i want to go buy a macboook air! But i am waiting to see if they will make retina MBA, hopefully next year
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