No. Watch the video again. The hidge is always moving. They never show the profile of the device in the fully closed position for more than a split second.
Apple always shows profile pics of Macbook. Can't find a single microsoft marketing pic that shows the Surface book side view with lid closed.
Arguing about battery life, price, processor power, that hinge and all the rest is kind of pointless.
The real issue is there's virtually no useful software that is actually touch optimized for Windows. Oh sure, people use the terms "touch enabled" or talk about how Microsoft has made it easy to create universal Apps that run on desktop, tablet or phones, but they don't seem to understand the difference.
Just because an App can run on a tablet, and has a few touch enabled controls, doesn't automatically make it a touch optimized App. Developers simply aren't taking time to modify their Apps, which makes a Surface a useless device as a tablet. Hell, Microsoft is having a hard time getting devs to modify for high DPI displays.
Yep, optimization for high DPI is going darn slow... but it will get there.
I'm finding quite a few "Metro" apps enjoyable to use, and working fine in touch. None of them is heavy-duty like desktop Office or Photoshop and such... but there is mobile Office (tablet, not phone edition which is too simplified at this stage), quick photo editors, all kind of readers, built-in batch of mail, calendar, contacts, weather, map... media players... social apps... lite games... I'm using most of them (save for games) even in desktop mode, with kbd/mouse, albeit they work better with touch.
Back in March, they had 200,000 apps in Windows x86 store and close to 400,000 for Windows Phone. Sure, a lot were crap, but there is growing number of quality touch apps just as well. They are still back-runner, but I think they are safely out of fragile infancy.
I just checked out the prices on the preorder page. Geez, starts at $2,099 for the i7. It costs $2,699 for the i7 with 51GB. No thank you. I'll take a 15" MacBook Pro for cheaper. At least that will stay charged for longer than 3 hours.
Looks like the surface 4 still doesn't have a SIM card and GPS, can't see any reference to it. Surprised if that is the case.
You guys are looking at this from a personal purchase perspective. I know my corporate IT people are aggressively pushing surface tablets to replace iPads. They want to be MS only. There are many government and corporate IT types like that.
I just checked out the prices on the preorder page. Geez, starts at $2,099 for the i7. It costs $2,699 for the i7 with 51GB. No thank you. I'll take a 15" MacBook Pro for cheaper. At least that will stay charged for longer than 3 hours.
Now the question is, how many prefer slim laptop and laptop only, and how many prefer added tablet functionality with added thickness. We'll know in a few months.
Personally, I like SB concept... as long as graphics are reasonable. If that part can provide mid-range gaming at 1080p or even 900/720p resolutions, I might be sold. Otherwise, after positive experience with Surface Pro 3 as a (non-gaming) laptop/tablet integration replacement, it will be Surface Pro 4 for me.
I don't mind thickness, it is still reasonably portable and will fit all my laptop backpacks and bags fine. Additional thickness at hinge will make it easier to hold closed in hand. And weight with GPU option is 3.48 pounds - exactly the same as with 13" MBP, I think.
Looks like the surface 4 still doesn't have a SIM card and GPS, can't see any reference to it. Surprised if that is the case.
You guys are looking at this from a personal purchase perspective. I know my corporate IT people are aggressively pushing surface tablets to replace iPads. They want to be MS only. There are many government and corporate IT types like that.
Are they being bribed by their hardware supplier?
i don't think so. More likely their only quals is a Microsoft certificate and in traditional IT style, they hate the cool dudes in the graphics department and the fact the iPhone and iPad got the executives asking questions about the way IT does things. The surface is their opportunity for both vengeance and restoration of their control over IT decisions.
wait, what? because competitors are getting better, Apple is losing its magic? that doesn't make sense. it's not a zero sum game.
Oh boy, people are quick to reply without reading what they are replying to. I said that "Light, thin, elegant" were defined characteristics for Apple. I never said Apple s
Gah! I'm really tired of the abuse that I've been getting here. I share my *opinions* and 20 people need to tell me that I'm wrong?!? Can't you just focus on your own opinions without making personal attacks against other posters?
For the record, I'm comparing to the traditional PC laptop that was big, thick, heavy and clunky!
Oh, yes, the screen is very crisp. In "Metro" mode, it works very nicely as a tablet, the only problem is that nobody writes metro apps. In legacy mode, however, the crisp screen ends up giving you tiny, tiny type and a UI that can't be used unless you have a magnifying glass. At least, that's my experience on the Surface Pro 2. The biggest selling point is the support for legacy apps, but the way it's done they're not exactly very usable. And there are virtually no "new" apps in the app store. Other than that, the hardware is really well done.
It has improved a bit since Surface Pro 2 days
On my Surface Pro 3, I'm using only MS Office, Photoshop and Lightroom in legacy mode... everything else is Metro. Of course that's only my usage scenario...I can see it not fitting many others' needs. But much as my needs are concerned, those 200,000+ Metro apps have pretty much all I need for light computing.
I'm impressed. Apple is losing its edge to these competitors. Light, thin, elegant.... no longer Apple-defining characteristics.
Yet copying Apple is a defining characteristic of competitors. Look at the MacBook Pro and look at the sb4. It's clear they were more than inspired by the aging mbp design.
The laptop is a compromise and it won't gain traction. The surface pro 4 is ok. But not great. iPad pro kills it as a tablet while mbp kills the sb4.
Seriously, maybe some of the Microsofties will quit whining about Apple computers being too expensive. Once you start putting decent components in a Windows PC, like displays that don't have an 800 in their resolution numbers or 3 hour batteries the cost delta between Macs and PCs evaporates. At least Microsoft didn't call their PC a MicBook Pro. Putting extra video processing in the keyboard doc is very clever. But at the end of the day it's still Microsoft Windows running that thing. You've been warned.
Would I buy a Microsoft laptop (with standard taint) for myself? Hell no. But if my boss bought me one instead of a cheesy Dell I'd take it. This assumes the Microsoft unit holds up over time as well as a MacBook does. All of these Microsoft products are unproven entities. If I've learned anything about Microsoft it's that they seem to get their act together by the third generation of a product. Until then you are a paying beta tester (PBT). If you enjoy that sort of thing, rock on.
Comments
No. Watch the video again. The hidge is always moving. They never show the profile of the device in the fully closed position for more than a split second.
Apple always shows profile pics of Macbook. Can't find a single microsoft marketing pic that shows the Surface book side view with lid closed.
That's an image, not a video. Here's Microsoft's page for the Surface Book: https://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/devices/surface-book, and I count three images where the hinge is fully folded over. So no, you're making shit up.
Yep, optimization for high DPI is going darn slow... but it will get there.
I'm finding quite a few "Metro" apps enjoyable to use, and working fine in touch. None of them is heavy-duty like desktop Office or Photoshop and such... but there is mobile Office (tablet, not phone edition which is too simplified at this stage), quick photo editors, all kind of readers, built-in batch of mail, calendar, contacts, weather, map... media players... social apps... lite games... I'm using most of them (save for games) even in desktop mode, with kbd/mouse, albeit they work better with touch.
Back in March, they had 200,000 apps in Windows x86 store and close to 400,000 for Windows Phone. Sure, a lot were crap, but there is growing number of quality touch apps just as well. They are still back-runner, but I think they are safely out of fragile infancy.
I don't understand their products. Surface Book Laptop? And its not the same thing as the Surface 4? What?
Make a laptop.
Make a tablet.
For crying out loud make ANYTHING that is good at being ONE THING, Microsoft.
it's good at both. MS skunked apple this time - hahhahaha
if they really wanted to annoy apple, it would install / boot OS X 10.11
I'd consider running a hackintosh on this - at least as a VM
I just checked out the prices on the preorder page. Geez, starts at $2,099 for the i7. It costs $2,699 for the i7 with 51GB. No thank you. I'll take a 15" MacBook Pro for cheaper. At least that will stay charged for longer than 3 hours.
Are they being bribed by their hardware supplier?
We have also seen those on VAIO and all other kinds of laptops. So they are stealing good ideas. Should I remind you of late Steve Jobs saying..?
Alternatively, you can look at iPad Pro pen, keyboard cover and split-screen multitasking. Now where have we seen these recently..?
Whoa.
It also doesn't have detachable tablet mode.
Now the question is, how many prefer slim laptop and laptop only, and how many prefer added tablet functionality with added thickness. We'll know in a few months.
Personally, I like SB concept... as long as graphics are reasonable. If that part can provide mid-range gaming at 1080p or even 900/720p resolutions, I might be sold. Otherwise, after positive experience with Surface Pro 3 as a (non-gaming) laptop/tablet integration replacement, it will be Surface Pro 4 for me.
I don't mind thickness, it is still reasonably portable and will fit all my laptop backpacks and bags fine. Additional thickness at hinge will make it easier to hold closed in hand. And weight with GPU option is 3.48 pounds - exactly the same as with 13" MBP, I think.
Dunno. Ask [@]coolfactor[/@].
wait, what? because competitors are getting better, Apple is losing its magic? that doesn't make sense. it's not a zero sum game.
Oh boy, people are quick to reply without reading what they are replying to. I said that "Light, thin, elegant" were defined characteristics for Apple. I never said Apple s
Dunno. Ask @coolfactor.
Gah! I'm really tired of the abuse that I've been getting here. I share my *opinions* and 20 people need to tell me that I'm wrong?!? Can't you just focus on your own opinions without making personal attacks against other posters?
For the record, I'm comparing to the traditional PC laptop that was big, thick, heavy and clunky!
That's an image, not a video. Here's Microsoft's page for the Surface Book: https://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/devices/surface-book, and I count three images where the hinge is fully folded over. So no, you're making shit up.
When the first MBA was announced by Steve Jobs, he took it out, closed, from an envelope.
If you really want to argue, yes, it's not a video but a live presentation.
But you can always go watch the event or the MBA envelope ads on YouTube again.
It has improved a bit since Surface Pro 2 days
On my Surface Pro 3, I'm using only MS Office, Photoshop and Lightroom in legacy mode... everything else is Metro. Of course that's only my usage scenario...I can see it not fitting many others' needs. But much as my needs are concerned, those 200,000+ Metro apps have pretty much all I need for light computing.
What are those dingleberries protruding from the kb component after the display component is removed?
[IMG ALT=""]http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/63757/width/500/height/1000[/IMG]
Yet copying Apple is a defining characteristic of competitors. Look at the MacBook Pro and look at the sb4. It's clear they were more than inspired by the aging mbp design.
The laptop is a compromise and it won't gain traction. The surface pro 4 is ok. But not great. iPad pro kills it as a tablet while mbp kills the sb4.
Wow, a laptop with a taint. ????
Seriously, maybe some of the Microsofties will quit whining about Apple computers being too expensive. Once you start putting decent components in a Windows PC, like displays that don't have an 800 in their resolution numbers or 3 hour batteries the cost delta between Macs and PCs evaporates. At least Microsoft didn't call their PC a MicBook Pro. Putting extra video processing in the keyboard doc is very clever. But at the end of the day it's still Microsoft Windows running that thing. You've been warned.
Would I buy a Microsoft laptop (with standard taint) for myself? Hell no. But if my boss bought me one instead of a cheesy Dell I'd take it. This assumes the Microsoft unit holds up over time as well as a MacBook does. All of these Microsoft products are unproven entities. If I've learned anything about Microsoft it's that they seem to get their act together by the third generation of a product. Until then you are a paying beta tester (PBT). If you enjoy that sort of thing, rock on.
GREAT GOOGLEY MOOGLEY. Yuck.
Honest answer: something to break.