The Microsoft Surface Tablet thread.

[rockyct]

People can't figure out how to use Windows 8? I fucked around with it for 30 minutes and I got most of the stuff. What I didn't know I saw being demo'd and discussed on how to do so via touch and keyboard/mouse. People need to look before they go all crazy about not knowing how to do something without xyz. You only make yourselves look dumb as hell since you're too lazy to seek the answer.

BTW, I'm using Windows 8 with a standard kb/mouse. No issues here whatsoever. I think of the mouse as an extension of my finger and voila, things are working fine. I also tried Win8 on surface and other laptops/ultrabooks with touch screens and that was easy too.

I think the general problem is that from Windows 95 to Windows 7, it's been the same general look and interface. A lot changed but if you gave a computer with Win7 to someone in 1995, they would know the basics. Win8 is a complete overhaul of how Windows looks and feels. You can get to the desktop easy enough but the Metro UI is the core look and feel of Windows. Our PCs have had a start button in the bottom left corner for 17 years and many would rather that not change.

 

[finbarqs]

The multi-tasking isn't as great as traditional desktop though... sure, you can run 3 progs on the screen at once, but what if you want to run more than that? It's just pretty restrictive in what size you can have your windows to be...

 

[s44]

Edge gestures and swiping to go back make Windows tablets very nice because everything is full screen with only one physical button while still giving you full functionality. Android tablets are stuck with a big bar with some buttons on the screen most of the time and iOS just makes settings and multitasking harder to get to. iOS has some swipe gestures but I think everyone can go farther with this kind of interaction. Swiping really free up the screen but still let you get things done.

Maybe, but the RT tablets at least are all 16:9 and therefore have that big bar space already deducted...

 

[s44]

Well, per Anand's testing Exynos 5250 is way faster than Atom. And it's on two released devices vs zero for Clovertrail. So much for Intel dominance.

 

[podspi]

The multi-tasking isn't as great as traditional desktop though... sure, you can run 3 progs on the screen at once, but what if you want to run more than that? It's just pretty restrictive in what size you can have your windows to be...

I agree that 'Metro' multitasking isn't as good, but desktop multitasking is the same as it ever was, better even.

Multi-screen support for the taskbar was something I have wanted since XP.

I imagine as this interface gains adoption Microsoft will slowly ramp up its complexity, just as it did the standard Windows desktop. And the ability to run apps alongside the normal desktop is pretty awesome, especially when we're talking about a tablet.

 

[Red Storm]

Getting my mom a Surface for her birthday. Was able to get her to try it out by "stumbling upon" a Microsoft Store in the mall, so we went in to check it out and she tried the Surface with the Type Cover. The only dedicated program she uses is Office, everything else is online so it actually works well for her. With the USB port I can setup a keyboard and mouse on her desk at home to use, and the Type Cover will do for on the go use.

Question though, can you run two apps in an even split screen? I liked being able to run another app in a "dock" on the right or left, but I couldn't seem to get it to split the screen evenly in half for each app.

 

[TheStu]

Getting my mom a Surface for her birthday. Was able to get her to try it out by "stumbling upon" a Microsoft Store in the mall, so we went in to check it out and she tried the Surface with the Type Cover. The only dedicated program she uses is Office, everything else is online so it actually works well for her. With the USB port I can setup a keyboard and mouse on her desk at home to use, and the Type Cover will do for on the go use.

Question though, can you run two apps in an even split screen? I liked being able to run another app in a "dock" on the right or left, but I couldn't seem to get it to split the screen evenly in half for each app.

In desktop mode, yes. Just like in Windows 7 (and Vista? I can't remember), but in Metro, not that I know of.

 

[Red Storm]

In desktop mode, yes. Just like in Windows 7 (and Vista? I can't remember), but in Metro, not that I know of.

Yeah in Metro is what I mean. Seems odd they would leave out the even split screen.

 

[Zink]

Maybe, but the RT tablets at least are all 16:9 and therefore have that big bar space already deducted...

Yeah, that's the thing. I wouldn't even consider a 10" Android tablet at 16:9 because soft keys and a notification bar at the top already cut into the limited height in landscape. It's only acceptable because of some UI innovations on Windows tablets.
http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=34172704&postcount=94

16:10 without any bars across the screen would give you a vertical height much closer to a 4:3 screen like the HP Touchpad or iPad and likely make the trade-off of going with widescreen instead of 4:3 worth it for tablet use. Right now each aspect ratio is locked to an OS so it is hard to compare aspect ratios. It would be nice to see the same 10" device made with 16:10 and 4:3 to really be able to figure out which is better for use as a tablet and on a desk with a keyboard. To me it looks like 10.6 inch 16:9 is obviously too long for use in portrait orientation but Microsoft has stuck with it after it somehow got adopted in laptops. They can't be completely slow so maybe it really makes the difference for side by side multitasking and their side scrolling UI.

 

[Skel]

Getting my mom a Surface for her birthday. Was able to get her to try it out by "stumbling upon" a Microsoft Store in the mall, so we went in to check it out and she tried the Surface with the Type Cover. The only dedicated program she uses is Office, everything else is online so it actually works well for her. With the USB port I can setup a keyboard and mouse on her desk at home to use, and the Type Cover will do for on the go use.

Question though, can you run two apps in an even split screen? I liked being able to run another app in a "dock" on the right or left, but I couldn't seem to get it to split the screen evenly in half for each app.

You can in metro as well.. not sure how I did it, but it is possible. Cmdrdred, who's awesomely become our Win8 guru around here prob could tell you.

 

[dagamer34]

Yeah in Metro is what I mean. Seems odd they would leave out the even split screen.

50/50 split isn't supported because Metro apps are expected to have at least 768 pixels wide for their UI. When you split 1024 into 2, you only get 540, which will make them look very squished.

Perhaps they will add a mode for a 50/50 split later, I think it's better to take things one step at a time. It's lack of features like this that do make me think that Windows will be updated yearly in a major way.

 

[TheStu]

50/50 split isn't supported because Metro apps are expected to have at least 768 pixels wide for their UI. When you split 1024 into 2, you only get 540, which will make them look very squished.

Perhaps they will add a mode for a 50/50 split later, I think it's better to take things one step at a time. It's lack of features like this that do make me think that Windows will be updated yearly in a major way.

When you split 1024 in two, you get 512. Also, it would still be less than that since there is the dividing bar.

 

[Red Storm]

That line of reasoning doesn't make sense though because currently you can dock apps into a space smaller than half the screen, so if they allow that they should definitely allow 50/50 splitting.

 

[dagamer34]

That line of reasoning doesn't make sense though because currently you can dock apps into a space smaller than half the screen, so if they allow that they should definitely allow 50/50 splitting.

Docked apps have a different view that is explicitly supported. No developer wants to make 3 views for every screen (full, 50/50, and docked).

 

[finbarqs]

Okay. a few more questions, don't know if you guys got it figured out: How do you change your tile sizes? How do you display you battery on the start screen without swiping from the right? (like a permanent battery notifier)

 

[cmdrdredd]

Okay. a few more questions, don't know if you guys got it figured out: How do you change your tile sizes? How do you display you battery on the start screen without swiping from the right? (like a permanent battery notifier)

When you hold a tile and move it slightly it does not bring up the menu on the bottom asking if you want to unpin it (similar to right click on it) and there is an option to make it smaller or larger?

according to Microsoft it works like this but I can't test it as I have no touch pad.

Resize tiles (only available on some tiles)
Swipe down on or right-click the tile you want to change.
Tap or click Smaller or Larger to change its size. (A tile's color and font can't be changed.)

 

[finbarqs]

and the biggest annoyance of them all: the mail app cannot connect to my exchange account! using EAS or using outlook! wtf!!!! But outlook 2013 will connect..

 

[manas2020]

I have one question about the Surface! does Surface RT support complex script or right to left languages?

 

[gus6464]

and the biggest annoyance of them all: the mail app cannot connect to my exchange account! using EAS or using outlook! wtf!!!! But outlook 2013 will connect..

That's odd because my wife's is connected to her exchange at work.

 

[HeXen]

the more I read about it, the more I want one. too bad its so expensive for what it is, especially when I already have a tablet.

 

[cmdrdredd]

and the biggest annoyance of them all: the mail app cannot connect to my exchange account! using EAS or using outlook! wtf!!!! But outlook 2013 will connect..

Yeah the mail app is limited...no pop mail accounts supported at all, so I cannot add my ISP's email account to the list.

 

[Reliant]

That's odd because my wife's is connected to her exchange at work.

I'm sure people can connect to Exchange servers using ActiveSync, like your wife. I was left let down with the lack of a real Outlook program. It has mail, contacts, and calendar apps, but for enterprise use having Outlook do that all in one is a nice feature, as well as the way it was more than the average mail program.

 

[finbarqs]

I can connect with outlook 2013 preview (not through EAS) HTF do you get EAS to work? I can get it to work on my android, iOS, but NOT MS! wtf!

 

[IamDavid]

I'm sure people can connect to Exchange servers using ActiveSync, like your wife. I was left let down with the lack of a real Outlook program. It has mail, contacts, and calendar apps, but for enterprise use having Outlook do that all in one is a nice feature, as well as the way it was more than the average mail program.

Exactly why MS didn't offer it on the RT version. Office is where they make the major $$$. Corporations will use the pro tablets and buy Office.

 

[finbarqs]

Outlook will install to desktop mode. Funny thing is that the desktop mode feels like virtual machine but running 100% instead of the reduced performance mode.