Soldato
I was also pleasantly surprised by this unveiling, it looks really nicely polished.
*** The Official Microsoft Surface Thread ***
- Thread starter Bennie-Mac
- Start date
Are you getting confused here I assume?
The Pro version is a full laptop (ultrabook innards), with an i5 processor in, significantly more powerful than an any netbook ever was, and with a significantly higher resolution screen. That's why it's the same price as an ultrabook, because it is... except it has a detachable keyboard.
The ARM (RT) version is much closer to a netbook hardware wise but is a direct competitor to the iPads, Galaxy tabs and Transformer Primes of the world.
Obviously if you call Macbook Airs, Samsung series 9s and Asus UX31s netbooks then I'll forgive you... a little...
In actual fact MS aren't the only ones releasing these "touchscreen netbooks" There are a number of Ultrabook variations, from touch screen ultrabooks with permanent keyboards to ultrabooks with removable keyboards. All running Intel Ivybridge processors.
Looks like they've put quite a bit of thought into it, Bill Gates was adamant that a tablet needed some kind of tactile input and now they have it. Just a shame theyre still a good few months away and no concrete pricing info so far.
Was considering one of these but ive no clue what id need one for, was also considering an ipad a few months back and came to the same conclusions, ive no real need for one.
Was considering one of these but ive no clue what id need one for, was also considering an ipad a few months back and came to the same conclusions, ive no real need for one.
Soldato
Looks like they've put quite a bit of thought into it, Bill Gates was adamant that a tablet needed some kind of tactile input and now they have it. Just a shame theyre still a good few months away and no concrete pricing info so far.
Was considering one of these but ive no clue what id need one for, was also considering an ipad a few months back and came to the same conclusions, ive no real need for one.
Yup, "it [the iPad] has no input" was his phrasing. It's astonishing how many years it has taken Microsoft to turn Bill's vision into a reality. Windows 7 was just a stepping stone, but a vital one. As was the MinWin project, that for some reason no tech media sites could understand the purpose of.
What people don't realise is, ALL PC's are going to be tablets, within 3 years. The only desktops/workstations being sold will be for professionals and businesses - and even those will be in grave decline. That's why the hate for the new Metro look and Metro start menu is so misplaced. These people don't realise that the entire industry is changing. Touch screens and Kinect motion sensing are becoming the new general purpose forms of human interface. The venerable "mouse" will become a specialist tool.
Last edited:
Soldato
sarcasm or just completely wrong? i can't tell...
android is great, this microsoft jobby looks pretty damn good too. iOS, for me at least, is a pile of pants
Associate
even the presenter in that link reminded me of steve jobs..
Soldato
Same here. The iPad is fantastic for surfing the web, try to do anything productive.... pfft!
Soldato
I'm interested in this I have an iPad (utter cack) would be nice too have a tablet that's actually useful
yeh its so awful all those phone manufactures sticking it on their phones must be well stupid, and then all those millions of people buying Android phones man they must be blind right?
Last edited:
Caporegime
Why would you think it was designed for gaming? 
Caporegime
.. yeah, just as stupid as those millions of iPad/iPhone/iPod users, right?
Why's that?
Soldato
Don't loose you mind over this
Tablets have no secondary input surface because they are supposed to be one surface devices. That's what tablet, pad is meant to be. The reason why mobile tablets are more successful than netbooks or tabletPCs with flip screen and pen before it is because majority of consumers wanted simple, one surface device. It's really that simple. Adding keyboard to market that didn't want to devices with keyboards for over a decade is like adding fifth wheel to car for stability.
OSX might be simpler than android or now windows, but you are missing the point. You can buy faster, better, more accomplished, more stylish, more powerful and much cheaper devices than ipad on the market EVERY SINGLE MONTH for years. And yet ipad keep outselling them all. Because tablet market is not about processing power, ports, connectivity, hackability or complicated apps. It's the same reason why iphone is so successful while better on paper Android and Windows phones don't get anywhere near the same market margin and never will.
I know Ipad is not for me. I could not, ever, just sit and browse, or just sit and watch video, without ability of doing something else on the screen in the same time. I recognise that and I never bought Ipad. But I am not a target audience. And most of you aren't either. You mum is. Your girlfriend is. Your lame biology teacher that can't find his way around all the icons in thunderbird is. And it's the trick that every manufacturer missed so far. Everyone between your five year old niece, through your jailbreaking shell coding buddies to your gramma can get familiar and become user of iphone or ipad out of the box in under 30 minutes. Design might be dated, but it works for just about every living generation. Meanwhile look at the new windows. Just look at it. From the squares everywhere, icons, colours to the messy layout - it's like mothercare board game from ninenties. I haven't even touched windows 8 phone or PC yet, I see those squares on the screen and I already don't want to. And I actually am, its target audience.
Despite the fact I really don't want IOS to dominate mobile market (because it is stagnated and single tasked, which is not acceptable in this day and age), I'm going to make a small prediction:
For all the wrong reasons and despite all of its advantages, this device will be a niche product. Windows 8 will be a niche product most will tolerate on their new machines rather than actively seek to upgrade to. Microsoft will not succeed in mobile platform, not in a true sense of the word, for many, many years. Because they don't understand it. Before first half of this decade is over Nokia will tip over and go down, purely because Microsoft doesn't understand what wide audience needs from portable net browsers and mobile devices. We'll meet in a years time and see what happens.
Tablets have no secondary input surface because they are supposed to be one surface devices. That's what tablet, pad is meant to be. The reason why mobile tablets are more successful than netbooks or tabletPCs with flip screen and pen before it is because majority of consumers wanted simple, one surface device. It's really that simple. Adding keyboard to market that didn't want to devices with keyboards for over a decade is like adding fifth wheel to car for stability.
OSX might be simpler than android or now windows, but you are missing the point. You can buy faster, better, more accomplished, more stylish, more powerful and much cheaper devices than ipad on the market EVERY SINGLE MONTH for years. And yet ipad keep outselling them all. Because tablet market is not about processing power, ports, connectivity, hackability or complicated apps. It's the same reason why iphone is so successful while better on paper Android and Windows phones don't get anywhere near the same market margin and never will.
I know Ipad is not for me. I could not, ever, just sit and browse, or just sit and watch video, without ability of doing something else on the screen in the same time. I recognise that and I never bought Ipad. But I am not a target audience. And most of you aren't either. You mum is. Your girlfriend is. Your lame biology teacher that can't find his way around all the icons in thunderbird is. And it's the trick that every manufacturer missed so far. Everyone between your five year old niece, through your jailbreaking shell coding buddies to your gramma can get familiar and become user of iphone or ipad out of the box in under 30 minutes. Design might be dated, but it works for just about every living generation. Meanwhile look at the new windows. Just look at it. From the squares everywhere, icons, colours to the messy layout - it's like mothercare board game from ninenties. I haven't even touched windows 8 phone or PC yet, I see those squares on the screen and I already don't want to. And I actually am, its target audience.
Despite the fact I really don't want IOS to dominate mobile market (because it is stagnated and single tasked, which is not acceptable in this day and age), I'm going to make a small prediction:
For all the wrong reasons and despite all of its advantages, this device will be a niche product. Windows 8 will be a niche product most will tolerate on their new machines rather than actively seek to upgrade to. Microsoft will not succeed in mobile platform, not in a true sense of the word, for many, many years. Because they don't understand it. Before first half of this decade is over Nokia will tip over and go down, purely because Microsoft doesn't understand what wide audience needs from portable net browsers and mobile devices. We'll meet in a years time and see what happens.
Last edited:
I've had an Ipad 2 since March and i use it all the time to browse stuff but it does have a few flaws.
I'm seriously interested in Surface. It does look very slick and imo it looks better than the ipad.
it has great potential. If Surface will support a stylus with Pen Pressure then I may just buy one.
I'm seriously interested in Surface. It does look very slick and imo it looks better than the ipad.
it has great potential. If Surface will support a stylus with Pen Pressure then I may just buy one.
Last edited:
Ever try writing a long email on a tablet or smartphone? Bloody annoying, the keyboard basically takes away nothing when you don't need it (it's just a cover) but allows you the opportunity to actually use your tablet for proper typing or even programming which is unthinkable on an iPad. Even androids with keyboards are dodgy at best. With this being W8 the keyboard support should be flawless.