Microsoft Surface RT Priced

RSR · 16 Oct 2012 at 21:50

Skeeter said:
Have you ever tried using a small device with a full HD screen? We recently got some 15" laptops at work with full HD screens and you have to turn the text size up to be able to use them. At standard everything is far to small to use comfortably.

If you had a full HD screen in a 10" device with this tablet OS then things would just be scaled to the same size as on a 720p screen. Its another one of those features that people seem to think they want, but in reality don't.

I use Windows 8 on my rMBP at 2880 x 1800 with no problems (It's also my main OS).

rogueblade · 16 Oct 2012 at 21:52

Surface team are doing an AMA on reddit:
http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/11kyja/iam_panos_panay_gm_of_microsoft_surface_amaa_ask/

Skeeter · 16 Oct 2012 at 21:54

[RXP]Andy;22974936 said:
I use Windows 8 on my rMBP at 2880 x 1800 with no problems (It's also my main OS).

You don't have more tiles on the screen or smaller fonts though, do you (except for the Desktop, obviously).

My point is that like Android, W8RT will scale to the screen resolution to show the same stuff only sharper, rather than show more stuff.

A full HD Pro might make more sense, especially if you use the Desktop a lot, but for an RT its an additional un-needed cost that offers little benefit.

Del Lardo · 16 Oct 2012 at 21:59

Martini1991 said:
Doesn't mean I want one

Maybe I'm missing something but it seems odd to dismiss a tablet based on a SoC so long as the performance is acceptable. Surely with the Surface you're paying for the surrounding tech, i.e. screen, case, etc.

RSR · 16 Oct 2012 at 22:00

Skeeter said:
You don't have more tiles on the screen or smaller fonts though, do you (except for the Desktop, obviously).

Yes, I do. I have just tested it at 720P Vs 1800P.

Also Windows 8 along with OSX 10.7 will also take advantage of HiDPI modes, which I believe is what you mean.

sven256 · 16 Oct 2012 at 22:00

Too expensive in my view.

I think a price point of £299 and £350 with keyboard would have sold well.

There is nothing to justify the higher price point over android devices. If Microsoft are producing them themselves, there is no need to charge for the operating system when money can be made via apps.

They are in effect charging around £100 for the operating system, going of prices of android tablets around the same specification.

Prime example the ASUS Transformer Pad TF300-T with docking station (comparable specification) can be had for little over £350 which is £150 less than the equivalent Microsoft offering.

Martini1991 · 16 Oct 2012 at 22:05

Del Lardo said:
Maybe I'm missing something but it seems odd to dismiss a tablet based on a SoC so long as the performance is acceptable. Surely with the Surface you're paying for the surrounding tech, i.e. screen, case, etc.

It's the overall price, the limited OS and the SOC.
The design is impeccable.

But I'm not paying 480 quid to get one with keyboard.

200 quid will get you an N7 with 32GB storage, there's a 16GB Acer table with Micro SD and HDMI out for 180 quid with Tegra 3.

I just put down 250 on an Acer Iconia W500, I can throw W8 Pro on it and be free of RT limitations.

Del Lardo · 16 Oct 2012 at 22:13

Martini1991 said:
It's the overall price, the limited OS and the SOC.

I just put down 250 on an Acer Iconia W500, I can throw W8 Pro on it and be free of RT limitations.

Fair enough

EDDS · 16 Oct 2012 at 22:30

ChileanLlama said:
Did you read your receipt? Physical products coming from Ireland and Preorder now for delivery for 26/10.

If that's the case then it may be getting shipped pretty soon to make sure its with you for 26/10. Or is that me being stupidly optimistic

Yeah I did see that, can only hope it arrives early but I doubt it will.

Does anyone know if this will work ok with the RT version?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sandisk-Ult...KM30/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350422922&sr=8-1

Not to clued up on SD cards myself but just want to check before buying it.

Skeeter · 16 Oct 2012 at 22:30

Martini1991 said:
there's a 16GB Acer table with Micro SD and HDMI out for 180 quid with Tegra 3.

Is there?

Martini1991 · 16 Oct 2012 at 22:30

Although, I'm going to open up a DSR on the 23rd, see how things go.

Martini1991 · 16 Oct 2012 at 22:31

Skeeter said:
Is there?

Yeah, legless design and everything.
Nice and flat, can fit a cup of tea and a minor plate for sandwhich for a snack.

Skeeter · 16 Oct 2012 at 22:33

Lol, I didn't even notice the typo so wondered what the hell you were on about

What is the tablet?

Martini1991 · 16 Oct 2012 at 22:35

See, I thought you were picking up on the table typo, I didn't notice it until you quoted, so I figured I'd make a decent reply.

Facepalms all around.

Acer Iconia A110

Fallen god · 16 Oct 2012 at 22:39

Skeeter said:
If you had a full HD screen in a 10" device with this tablet OS then things would just be scaled to the same size as on a 720p screen. Its another one of those features that people seem to think they want, but in reality don't.

I have a really rare eye disease which makes me close to blind in 1 eye and the other is just a bit better but I find 1080p fine on 15".

Moreover when you have a higher res on a tablet having a high res = everything being much sharper, comparing the iPad3 to anything and you will just see the huge difference, you can view websites fully zoomed out and everything is just so sharp and crisp, even if it is smaller its still more visible due to the higher ppi.

K1LLSW1TCH · 16 Oct 2012 at 23:00

Some of the questions and answers on Reddit are hilarious:

How awesome is the Surface on a scale of 1 - Awesome?

This is Ricardo Lopez, Test Manager for Surface RT. You can swap cards like you would do in any other PC (no need to shutdown or anything special). Regarding rating, I believe it is extremely awesome.

Great, your first BSOD on the tablet.
"Windows had to shut down unexpectedly. Invalid array index: 'Extremely awesome' is outside the range of [1 to Awesome]"

MR.B · 16 Oct 2012 at 23:10

sven256 said:
There is nothing to justify the higher price point over android devices. If Microsoft are producing them themselves, there is no need to charge for the operating system when money can be made via apps.

Surface RT works with existing USB PC peripherals. Thats literally hundreds of millions of devices. Printers, cameras, external hard drives, mice, keyboards, gamepads... Android or iOS cant do that. MASSIVE advantage with that alone.

Then you get the full Office for free.

Neither Android or iOS have anything like the touch cover. They might have keyboard docks and stuff but the touch cover is entirely new and nothing like it has been done before. MS had to design and custom make each component in it from scratch. Nothing else is even close to being as thin and light. It's pressure sensitive too, it detects how hard you press each key (i can imagine games supporting this). It's far faster and responsive as well with key press detection down to 1ms. And when you lay your hand over it it can detect this so you wont accidentally press keys, but you can still type with your fingers while your hand is resting over other keys.

And overall the attention to detail and the VaporMg (magnesium) casing just all seem much higher quality than any Android tablet.

sven256 · 16 Oct 2012 at 23:18

MR.B said:
Surface RT works with existing USB PC peripherals. Thats literally hundreds of millions of devices. Printers, cameras, external hard drives, mice, keyboards, gamepads... Android or iOS cant do that. MASSIVE advantage with that alone.

Then you get the full Office for free.

Neither Android or iOS have anything like the touch cover. They might have keyboard docks and stuff but the touch cover is entirely new and nothing like it has been done before. MS had to design and custom make each component in it from scratch. Nothing else is even close to being as thin and light. It's pressure sensitive too, it detects how hard you press each key (i can imagine games supporting this). It's far faster and responsive as well with key press detection down to 1ms. And when you lay your hand over it it can detect this so you wont accidentally press keys, but you can still type with your fingers while your hand is resting over other keys.

And overall the attention to detail and the VaporMg (magnesium) casing just all seem much higher quality than any Android tablet.

I'm aware what it can do.

Worth £150 extra, no and I'm sure most people will think the same. By the way did you copy that from their marketing? it sounds like it.

Most stuff like printer, hard drive etc can easily connect to other tablets so not really a massive advantage.

The touch cover is a meh for me, it's nothing new unless there is something I'm missing.

For me at this price point it's a flop, but only time will tell. As i said at the £299 without the keyboard and £350 with it,i would have been buying one. But at £500 you are getting into ultra book territory.

I can see Microsoft pushing it like it was a full pc but in tablet form, confusing people with two versions. In an attempt to drive up sales.

K1LLSW1TCH · 16 Oct 2012 at 23:18

I'm also guessing that the wired Xbox 360 controller will be plug and play which will be awesome for games.

photoshop · 16 Oct 2012 at 23:30

No 3G?
Serious?

If the RT plays nice with my proposed future Lumia 920 then i will consider it. I really want to be able to use both devices in harmony like they are one