The Microsoft Surface Tablet thread.

[Zink]

I think in general this board has a tendency to back "big name" projects.
*snipped mud slinging
Do people even step back for a second for a bigger picture? These things sound cool but it's all about execution in the end.

A list of every user group you could think of with a bit of offensive criticism? I can see you're just trying to offend everyone equally.
There are so many parts of Windows RT that are great. Few people ran out to get a Surface though because it is missing parts or a step backwards in many other aspects. I guess I agree with you, it is about executing the whole experience as flawlessly as possible. We can't just look at the good parts.

 

[podspi]

I thought I read only about 70% of the code would match between the two?

I think that is between Windows RT/8 and Windows Phone 8

 

[Deeko]

I thought I read only about 70% of the code would match between the two?

I think that is between Windows RT/8 and Windows Phone 8

Yea. Windows RT and Windows 8 apps in the Windows Store both run under the WinRT framework, and the ARM code is exactly the same as the x86 code. As someone else said earlier you literally have to go out of your way to disable ARM support in the store. I can't imagine why someone would make a Windows RT app and not support Windows 8 as well.

 

[OSULugan]

When I first heard of Windows Surface, 6 years ago, the idea was revolutionary. I remember watching a demonstration video of a coffee-table sized surface. The demonstrator took some pictures using their digital camera, then placed it on the surface. The surface recognized the camera and downloaded the new pictures, and in turn displayed a stack of digital pictures near the camera, that the user was then able to manipulate and flip through.

What it's turned into? Another Apple product knock-off.

 

[lkailburn]

When I first heard of Windows Surface, 6 years ago, the idea was revolutionary. I remember watching a demonstration video of a coffee-table sized surface. The demonstrator took some pictures using their digital camera, then placed it on the surface. The surface recognized the camera and downloaded the new pictures, and in turn displayed a stack of digital pictures near the camera, that the user was then able to manipulate and flip through.

What it's turned into? Another Apple product knock-off.

That's now another product..

 

[dagamer34]

When I first heard of Windows Surface, 6 years ago, the idea was revolutionary. I remember watching a demonstration video of a coffee-table sized surface. The demonstrator took some pictures using their digital camera, then placed it on the surface. The surface recognized the camera and downloaded the new pictures, and in turn displayed a stack of digital pictures near the camera, that the user was then able to manipulate and flip through.

What it's turned into? Another Apple product knock-off.

The Surface was in development before the iPad was announced.

 

[Dominato3r]

When I first heard of Windows Surface, 6 years ago, the idea was revolutionary. I remember watching a demonstration video of a coffee-table sized surface. The demonstrator took some pictures using their digital camera, then placed it on the surface. The surface recognized the camera and downloaded the new pictures, and in turn displayed a stack of digital pictures near the camera, that the user was then able to manipulate and flip through.

What it's turned into? Another Apple product knock-off.

That surface used cameras to detect objects on the 'surface', it uses nothing that modern touch devices use for interaction

 

[Roland00Address]

- Tegra? OMG. NVIDIA. OUR FAVORITE. Must be like the coolest thing. Oh wait it's the crappiest SoC on the market. Damn. Just because you get 120fps in Crysis Ultra doesn't mean your phone running NVidia will do the same.

While Tegra3 sucks compared to A15, Krait, Swift those are next generation products which in theory compete with Tegra4. This is assumming Tegra4 will get in devices fast enough, rumor has it will be shown in devices at CES but who knows when the devices hit the market. Samsung dual core A15, Krait, and Swift are hitting the market now.

If you compare Tegra3 against its rivals in the generation where devices were actually shipping it performs very well against Omap 4430/4460/4470 and Exynos 4 Dual only seriously losing to the A5/A5X and the Exynos 4 Quad.

Tegra2 truely was a crappy dual core chip, yet it was the first A9 dual core on the market for several months. You have to show up to compete.

Tegra 1 really had little redeeming features.

 

[Pia]

I think in general this board has a tendency to back "big name" projects.

"Big name" projects typically try to do something at least partly new. Some of it will pay off. Some will not. I'll take that over sitting on my porch and shaking my fist at the passing horseless carriages.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

I don't believe there is such a guarantee, which was one of my complaints and source of confusion from the beginning. Can you cite/link to back up the claim?

MS would surely want to have apps maintain compatibility between the two, but I don't see how it can force the developers to maintain the parity in times to come. Even if something works on both platforms at launch, it's more likely that updates or further developments may not, leaving consumers in limbo. Also, it's not difficult to imagine a developer pulling out of one platform if an app isn't selling. Then consumers have no place to turn to - I have read the Surface' EULA and MS explicitly disclaims any kind of responsibility (as it should, perhaps).

Windows Phone is yet another. I am guessing there will be a higher chance of compatibility between phones and tablets (ARM), but it still can be confusing and the best a consumer can do is make a case-by-case judgment.

There is no reason it shouldn't work on both, Modern apps on both Windows RT and Windows 8 use the exact same RT framework and the mast majority of them won't be written in native code so there is no need to recompile.

It's the same reason normal Android apps work on Medfield without a problem even though it is x86.

 

[Deeko]

I got my Surface today. Pretty happy with it so far. Performance issued have been greatly exaggerated...then again the updates that were ready when i powered it up were supposed to help with that.

 

[rockyct]

I got my Surface today. Pretty happy with it so far. Performance issued have been greatly exaggerated...then again the updates that were ready when i powered it up were supposed to help with that.

The performance boost in that update was mostly exaggerated. I'm thinking the updates available on launch day did help a lot and the review units didn't have those updates. I only really read about performance issues in people that had review units.

 

[finbarqs]

The post right above yours has a statement from Wacom stating that they make the stylus for Surface Pro.

umm.. no it doesn't. The guy himself just added the Surface pro statements.

 

[Pia]

umm.. no it doesn't. The guy himself just added the Surface pro statements.

Some random troll called "Wacom" with 14k posts on the Wacom forum says Surface Pro has a Wacom tech stylus.
http://forum.wacom.eu/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=12120

 

[finbarqs]

forum is just a forum. Unless it's actually announced, it can only be speculation. For the longest time, the courier was gonna be released last june. The only thing I can think of is the patent that microsoft released for their pen.

http://www.patentbolt.com/2012/06/the-patent-behind-microsofts-digital-pen-for-surface-tablets.html

 

[nerp]

Wife got me a surface tablet and the blue keyboard for Xmas. Holy crap, it's awesome. Fast. Just a pleasure to use. Excited to see it improve and expand as time goes by, especially in terms of available apps. Typing on the keyboard takes some getting used to but I was flying on it in no time. I love that I can use Remote Desktop, or poke around my WHS box and stream music, videos and avi/mp4s over the network. The multitasking is actually real, unlike how my iPhone pretends to do. Being able to drop to the desktop and actually get into the filesystem, storing files/photos/etc and dealing with them just like I would on a PC is a revelation for a tablet device. In just a few hours messing with it, I was doing things I could never dream of doing on an iPad because I already have a WHS and MCE box. I can actually get real work done. IE runs well. Did I say the thing is fast? It really is.

I haven't used Win8 before this so Metro was all new to me. I like it. I do not feel limited in any way aside from the lack of apps available in the store. Love how I can pop in a wireless mouse or my Model M keyboard via the USB slot and it basically is a very sleek PC. Build quality is superb.

My wife bought it and hid it two months ago. Out of the box it needed a pile of updates. Took me a while before I realized you have to update the apps through the store and not just rely on windows update.

I see myself using this for a lot of things that I'd normally have to whip out my laptop or go sit at my desktop. For work, I use a CMS that lets me upload jpgs and video and has some pretty dynamic and custom tools that just don't work on the iPhone or iPad. There's no way for me to e-mail myself a photo and upload it to an article using an iProduct. It's trapped in some world of photostreams and iPhotos and there's simply no way to click on a "upload file" link and BROWSE to the goddamn file on apple devices. With Surface, it just works the way you'd expect a PC to work. The thing calls itself a PC throughout the UI.

The thing came out not too long ago so it's really promising for being early in the product cycle. Can't wait to see it evolve as time goes on.

Does anyone know of a definitive Surface tablet site/community/forums? I'd like to find one.

 

[s44]

You know you've been able to do all of the above on Android forever...

 

[Deeko]

You know you've been able to do all of the above on Android forever...

How is that at all relevant here? Did he say you couldn't do it on Android?

 

[Red Storm]

While the Surface just isn't for me, I'm glad to see Wacom stylus support. Honestly every mobile device needs to support these and other real stylus pens, not those thick, spongy crap "styluses".

 

[nerp]

Yeah I never mentioned Android because I was comparing to what I've used before. I've looked at a lot of Android tablets over the past year and there seemed to be some nice ones, but a LOT of questionable quality ones that were too-cheap-to-be-true. This Surface tablet landed in my lap (I wasn't expecting it). What's an equivalent tablet running Android that has USB and expansion and roughly the same build quality? I'm interested to know —*not for argument sake — just so I know. Lord knows I might come up with an idea for using another tablet around the house for some reason and I'm happy to use any device if it does the job. (Typing this on my 27 inch iMac running Mountain Lion).

 

[totalcommand]

We visited a Microsoft store and an Apple store that were right next to each other with my mom. She compared the iPad and the Surface, and begged us to get her the _Surface_ for Christmas. We got it for her, and she loves it. She's not tech savvy at all, but she just liked the interface, the keyboard cover, and that it can run Office.

 

[s44]

Ugh, Tapatalk *and* Tapatalk HD beta are conspiring to mangle my reply.

Anyway, the equivalent build-quality+options Android tablet would be the Transformer Infinity... though the Tegra4-based sequel (probably that SOC's launch device) is right around the corner.

 

[Aabel]

Can anyone provide any feedback on the speed and responsiveness of the Remote Desktop experience using the surface tablet? I have been using splashtop on my iPad but I find the limitations imposed by iOS to be a deal breaker for serious Remote Desktop work on the iPad.

 

[nerp]

Remote Desktop works pretty good. I haven't played with it much so far but it seemed quite fast. It's RDP running Windows 8, basically, so it's a very "true" experience so to speak.

 

[Deeko]

Remote desktop works great. I've been on it all night - I have LyncMX snapped to the left and remote desktop in the main view while dealing with an incident at work. Worked without a hitch.