Microsoft for whatever reason seems to think they can compete in the "premium" market like Apple does. I don't know a single person who thinks Microsoft as a premium brand. They're going to be fighting a losing battle, especially in the educational market. If someone is going to spend $999 on a computer, you might as well get a Mac which is far easier to manage and less costlier in the end, with a better resale value as well. We turn our Apple products in after 4 or so years and get a credit back on them toward the purchase of replacements. It works out very well and depending on what you're turning back in, you can get quite a bit. Our PCs...well they get recycled because they're worthless.
Schools are ditching iPads for $200 ChromeBooks and this thing is supposedly aimed at the educational market? What the hell is going on here? And what about the AI trolls who are always bitching about MacBooks with the same amount of RAM and storage? This sounds really gefickt to me.
It was a confused event. Microsoft was billing it as an education event. So naturally people are assuming k-12 and a chromebook competitor. Instead they announce a laptop designed to compete with the MacBook or MacBook Air not a chrome book. It's like they didn't think they could have an event just to announce the laptop so they threw some education stuff in there to try and make it a complete event. People talk about Apple's sometimes confusing naming conventions. Here we have Surface Pro, Surface Book and now Surface Laptop. How is that not confusing?
Okay, but we just purchased HP ProBook x360's for $494 with 13" screen, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB SSDs in our school...why would I spend $999 for essentially something that does the same thing? In the end, its still a Windows hybrid laptop/tablet. I don't get this? It also I don't think has a network jack on it which is essential for management purposes when the HP does.
This new MS machine is not a hybrid, just a plain old laptop. One that can't run any software besides what is on the MS store. I have no idea what is actually on the MS store, maybe there is something useful but to me this machine sounds like Windows RC all over again. Didn't they learn the first time???
I am hopeful that Apple will come out with a laptop designed around the A10 or A11 processor that beats these specs and outperforms Intel Core i5/i7processors too. I think that will allow them to further reduce costs (no need to buy expensive chips from Intel) and have a huge App Store at their disposal. Really it's minor software to support iOS, a bit more to support Mac OS but Apple has been heading that way and has the ability to do so.
Are you promoting for Google Chrome? Do you know iOS does not support mouse?
Perfect timing for Microsoft to catch up to Apple as it clumsily stumbles with MBP. Last time Microsoft tried to pull such a stunt with Jobs, he brought out the iPhone, then smacked them up-the-head with the iPad.
Schools are ditching iPads for $200 ChromeBooks and this thing is supposedly aimed at the educational market? What the hell is going on here? And what about the AI trolls who are always bitching about MacBooks with the same amount of RAM and storage? This sounds really gefickt to me.
It was a confused event. Microsoft was billing it as an education event. So naturally people are assuming k-12 and a chromebook competitor. Instead they announce a laptop designed to compete with the MacBook or MacBook Air not a chrome book. It's like they didn't think they could have an event just to announce the laptop so they threw some education stuff in there to try and make it a complete event. People talk about Apple's sometimes confusing naming conventions. Here we have Surface Pro, Surface Book and now Surface Laptop. How is that not confusing?
Microsoft makes handsome profits selling OS and software. Google makes high profit margin selling ads. Apple makes money selling high quality reliable hardware. These are the essential differentiators of these three conglomerates.
Schools are ditching iPads for $200 ChromeBooks and this thing is supposedly aimed at the educational market? What the hell is going on here? And what about the AI trolls who are always bitching about MacBooks with the same amount of RAM and storage? This sounds really gefickt to me.
It was a confused event. Microsoft was billing it as an education event. So naturally people are assuming k-12 and a chromebook competitor. Instead they announce a laptop designed to compete with the MacBook or MacBook Air not a chrome book. It's like they didn't think they could have an event just to announce the laptop so they threw some education stuff in there to try and make it a complete event. People talk about Apple's sometimes confusing naming conventions. Here we have Surface Pro, Surface Book and now Surface Laptop. How is that not confusing?
No it wasn't. Windows 10s is what they are targeting at K-12. The Surface Laptop is not targeted at that market at all - there are several hardware vendors that are making the hardware for that market - starting at the $189 price point.
It's typical, but, apple users have NO clue as to what Windows 10s is. Windows 10s IS Windows 10 Pro with a couple of modifications - mainly involving startup, locking it to the windows store (a feature that is actually in Windows 10 Creators Update), and it can't be managed through on premise AD. Windows 10s is meant to be managed by cloud by a cloud based MDM solution (Intune for education being the main one). The point of windows 10s is to compete with ChromeOS - cheap hardware and easy to manage. Most American school districts have very little in the way of funds for IT, so can't spend money on expensive devices and device management. This is why Chromebooks are so popular in this market - and are eroding both Apple's and Microsoft's market share in that area (if you look at the actual numbers it has much more harm to Apple then MS at this point, but, it's only a matter of time before it starts really hurting MS as well). What Windows 10 s gives them is a secure easily managed and restricted environment with the ability to easily switch profiles.
Being locked to the Windows store in that environment is not really a hindrance - its a safety and performance feature. It seems to be little realized, but, even Win32 desktop applications can be made available to the Windows store via the Centennial bridge. There are a number of those applications on the store today - Adobe Photoshop Elements 15 being one example. Full Microsoft Office will also soon becoming to the Windows store as was announced today along with the Spotify desktop application.
Microsoft "Surface" messaging: - Surface Pro, which is a tablet that is promoted as a laptop (keyboard, kickstand, ability to dock). With keyboard, pen, and dock, it comes to $1,140 USD. - Surface Book, which is a laptop promoted as a "the ultimate laptop", with the detachable screen for tablet-like use, with a starting price of $1500 USD. - Surface Laptop, which is advertised as a laptop. Starts at $999.
So if you want a laptop, which one should you get?
Protests in the streets about the non-user-upgradable parts?
Strangely...I doubt it. No doubt very high praise in terms of "innovation" for a device that is essentially copying the MB Air, and adding a touch screen.
I'm sorry but is it at all possible for Microsoft to release anything without copying Apple? That whole video was literally the same intro video for the 2016 MacBook Pro, even down to the clip with the colored powders on the screen. Come on! Can't you do anything without copying Apple, Microsoft??? Not even a simple intro video????
I'm very unhappy that I'm unable to buy a denim computer. Maybe StitchFix will be able to do something in this area? Get ready to cross Centennial Bridge. Cheers!
Okay, but we just purchased HP ProBook x360's for $494 with 13" screen, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB SSDs in our school...why would I spend $999 for essentially something that does the same thing? In the end, its still a Windows hybrid laptop/tablet. I don't get this? It also I don't think has a network jack on it which is essential for management purposes when the HP does.
This new MS machine is not a hybrid, just a plain old laptop. One that can't run any software besides what is on the MS store. I have no idea what is actually on the MS store, maybe there is something useful but to me this machine sounds like Windows RC all over again. Didn't they learn the first time???
- From MS Store specs page:
Two full-size USB 3.0
Headset jack
Mini Displayport
Surface Connect
No USB-C is interesting.
Great! Makes my purchase even better! I'd like to see in the long run how many districts pick this up.
Microsoft "Surface" messaging: - Surface Pro, which is a tablet that is promoted as a laptop (keyboard, kickstand, ability to dock). With keyboard, pen, and dock, it comes to $1,140 USD. - Surface Book, which is a laptop promoted as a "the ultimate laptop", with the detachable screen for tablet-like use, with a starting price of $1500 USD. - Surface Laptop, which is advertised as a laptop. Starts at $999.
So if you want a laptop, which one should you get?
Surface Pro (tablet wannabe but really small PC chained to its Windows legacy) --> iPad Pro competitor (pure tablet) Surface Book (wants to compete as a high end laptop, sucks as a tablet) --> Macbook Pro competitor (high end laptop) Surface Laptop (small lightweight laptop with touchscreen) --> Macbook competitor (very lightweight laptop for those who don't want iPad)
Okay, but we just purchased HP ProBook x360's for $494 with 13" screen, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB SSDs in our school...why would I spend $999 for essentially something that does the same thing? In the end, its still a Windows hybrid laptop/tablet. I don't get this? It also I don't think has a network jack on it which is essential for management purposes when the HP does.
This new MS machine is not a hybrid, just a plain old laptop. One that can't run any software besides what is on the MS store. I have no idea what is actually on the MS store, maybe there is something useful but to me this machine sounds like Windows RC all over again. Didn't they learn the first time???
- From MS Store specs page:
Two full-size USB 3.0
Headset jack
Mini Displayport
Surface Connect
No USB-C is interesting.
Great! Makes my purchase even better! I'd like to see in the long run how many districts pick this up.
None will - just as none picked up Googles Chromebook Pixel. What they might be interested in is the much cheaper laptops coming - starting at $189.
Comments
- From MS Store specs page:
Last time Microsoft tried to pull such a stunt with Jobs, he brought out the iPhone, then smacked them up-the-head with the iPad.
https://youtu.be/kkwSh2q-1yE
No it wasn't. Windows 10s is what they are targeting at K-12. The Surface Laptop is not targeted at that market at all - there are several hardware vendors that are making the hardware for that market - starting at the $189 price point.
It's typical, but, apple users have NO clue as to what Windows 10s is. Windows 10s IS Windows 10 Pro with a couple of modifications - mainly involving startup, locking it to the windows store (a feature that is actually in Windows 10 Creators Update), and it can't be managed through on premise AD. Windows 10s is meant to be managed by cloud by a cloud based MDM solution (Intune for education being the main one). The point of windows 10s is to compete with ChromeOS - cheap hardware and easy to manage. Most American school districts have very little in the way of funds for IT, so can't spend money on expensive devices and device management. This is why Chromebooks are so popular in this market - and are eroding both Apple's and Microsoft's market share in that area (if you look at the actual numbers it has much more harm to Apple then MS at this point, but, it's only a matter of time before it starts really hurting MS as well). What Windows 10 s gives them is a secure easily managed and restricted environment with the ability to easily switch profiles.
Being locked to the Windows store in that environment is not really a hindrance - its a safety and performance feature. It seems to be little realized, but, even Win32 desktop applications can be made available to the Windows store via the Centennial bridge. There are a number of those applications on the store today - Adobe Photoshop Elements 15 being one example. Full Microsoft Office will also soon becoming to the Windows store as was announced today along with the Spotify desktop application.
Here is what I do not understand. Laptops are yesterday. Why invest in yesterday's news.
This was incredibly boring...
- Surface Pro, which is a tablet that is promoted as a laptop (keyboard, kickstand, ability to dock). With keyboard, pen, and dock, it comes to $1,140 USD.
- Surface Book, which is a laptop promoted as a "the ultimate laptop", with the detachable screen for tablet-like use, with a starting price of $1500 USD.
- Surface Laptop, which is advertised as a laptop. Starts at $999.
So if you want a laptop, which one should you get?
Surface Book (wants to compete as a high end laptop, sucks as a tablet) --> Macbook Pro competitor (high end laptop)
Surface Laptop (small lightweight laptop with touchscreen) --> Macbook competitor (very lightweight laptop for those who don't want iPad)
None will - just as none picked up Googles Chromebook Pixel. What they might be interested in is the much cheaper laptops coming - starting at $189.
Ever try Office 365?