The Microsoft Surface Tablet thread.

[bonkers325]

i still can't believe the touch/type cover is a $100 peripheral. it would make sense if the tablet itself was $100 less...

 

[dagamer34]

i predict an hp touchpad-like price concession on these when they are released an no one buys them at $500.

Why? The Surface doesn't fail if massive numbers of people don't buy them. Regardless of what haters want to believe, several hundred million Windows 8 laptops and desktops are going to be sold in the next year, and developers will want to write apps that target that platform, and those apps just so happen to also work on Windows 8.

You think the TouchPad failed because of the price? The TouchPad failed not because there were no apps, but the strong belief that there was no consequence for developers ignoring the platform. That's not true for iOS, Android, or Windows 8.

 

[dagamer34]

i still can't believe the touch/type cover is a $100 peripheral. it would make sense if the tablet itself was $100 less...

How is it any different from the $100 Logitech Ultrathin iPad keyboard that people rant and rave about? And that's for an OS that can't even let you switch apps just using the keyboard and outright encourages gorilla arm syndrome.

But again, in the real word, prices are not based on what raw parts cost, but what the market will bear. Econ 101.

 

[sequoia464]

i predict an hp touchpad-like price concession on these when they are released an no one buys them at $500.

Hope I can root it to run android, just like my Touchpad!!!

 

[dagamer34]

Hope I can root it to run android, just like my Touchpad!!!

Secure boot in Windows RT means that will pretty much never happen.

 

[sequoia464]

Secure boot in Windows RT means that will pretty much never happen.

Actually just kidding, I'm pretty interested in a surface because of office.

 

[cmdrdredd]

I don't see the point of this...can't run x86 applications so...totally limited functionality. Glorified Windows phone without the voice plan.

 

[GrumpyMan]

At that price point I would rather get a lap top for under $500.0. Comes with a keyboard and a 15" screen that works with all x86 apps and has a cover.

 

[ITHURTSWHENIP]

Why? The Surface doesn't fail if massive numbers of people don't buy them. Regardless of what haters want to believe, several hundred million Windows 8 laptops and desktops are going to be sold in the next year, and developers will want to write apps that target that platform, and those apps just so happen to also work on Windows 8.

You think the TouchPad failed because of the price? The TouchPad failed not because there were no apps, but the strong belief that there was no consequence for developers ignoring the platform. That's not true for iOS, Android, or Windows 8.

You seriously believe a guy with a desktop is gonna want to buy Angry Birds from Windows Store? Or that making an app for a device with a mouse and keyboard is going to automatically translate into an app for a touchscreen device?

 

[lkailburn]

I don't see the point of this...can't run x86 applications so...totally limited functionality. Glorified Windows phone without the voice plan.

exactly what I say about an iPad. Nothing but a giant oversized useless gadget. However the RT DOES come with USB 2.0 port, micro SDXC and HD video out. not to mention it comes with a free copy of Office 2013!

BUT, That's why i'm holding out for the Surface with Win8Pro. Full blown windows OS. Basically an ultrabook turned tablet with an ivy i5!

-Luke

 

[OBLAMA2009]

exactly what I say about an iPad. Nothing but a giant oversized useless gadget. However the RT DOES come with USB 2.0 port, micro SDXC and HD video out. not to mention it comes with a free copy of Office 2013!

BUT, That's why i'm holding out for the Surface with Win8Pro. Full blown windows OS. Basically an ultrabook turned tablet with an ivy i5!

-Luke

with surface microsoft has basically come out with a useless tablet, and then attached a keyboard to it, and reinvented...the laptop, except one that just wont run legacy software

 

[lopri]

I'm not a fan of bass heavy ads either, which is why I disliked the original Surface promo. This one is a bit better and gives off a highschool musical type of vibe, I kinda like it.

To me it looked like a bad parody of "The life at the Foxconn conveyor belt."

 

[cmdrdredd]

exactly what I say about an iPad. Nothing but a giant oversized useless gadget. However the RT DOES come with USB 2.0 port, micro SDXC and HD video out. not to mention it comes with a free copy of Office 2013!

BUT, That's why i'm holding out for the Surface with Win8Pro. Full blown windows OS. Basically an ultrabook turned tablet with an ivy i5!

-Luke

Yeah I suppose if you rely on Office. I had a laptop and thought I could do some work on the go or use my desktop apps on the go. I didn't. Ended up checking email and surfing the web all the time on it. Didn't ever do any work even though I had installed Office and Illustrator. So I sold it when I got a tablet. I can surf the web and watch videos etc and not have as large a device to carry around. Less functionality but you see I never did use the functionality that much. My current tablet has an SD card slot, supports 3D over HDMI etc. Just no USB and when would I use my USB port? Likely when I'm sitting at a desk next to my much faster PC with a 27" IPS display. That's just me.

I would possibly be interested in a Surface Pro but not for $1000. You see above that I didn't really use the laptop to it's potential and I run the risk of doing the same with the SurfacePro. Now if a Surface pro was $700 I may consider it.

It's all up to the individual usage, but the RT will never be enough since all it does, I can already do with my Transformer Infinity (minus the USB) and won't have the sheer number of apps(especially once rooted). Pretty soon my Android tablet will have Office anyway if I ever decided I needed that on the go.

 

[pelov]

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Samsung-Windows-8-Ultrabook-Tablets,18444.html

The 'Smart PC' lineup includes a 13-inch Series 5 Ultra Touch Windows 8 ultrabook. The device features a 1366x768 display, 500GB hard drive with 24GB of ExpressCache, 4GB of RAM, as well as being powered by a Core i3 processor that can be upgraded to a Core i5 for $50.

The South Korean company will also release two Windows 8-powered tablets for the OS -- the Avit Smart PC 500T and 700T. Each model have a 11.6-inch display, with the former boasting a 64GB hard drive, 2GB of RAM and an Atom Z2760 system-on-chip. The 700T, meanwhile, runs on a Core i5 processor, in addition to boasting 128GB of storage and 4GB of RAM.

The 500T will be available for $749.99 with a keyboard, while the price without a keyboard is $649.99. The 700T will retail for $1,199.99.

Hopeless! $750 for a netbook with a touchscreen. $1200 for an Ultrabook with crappy resolution and a touchscreen display. These OEMs, Microsoft and Intel seem to think selling us atoms at outrageous prices because it now offers "touch" justifies a 2x price increase. If I wanted a netbook, I'd buy a netbook. If I wanted a tablet, I'd buy a cheap tablet or go Apple.

 

[cmdrdredd]

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Samsung-Windows-8-Ultrabook-Tablets,18444.html



Hopeless! $750 for a netbook with a touchscreen. $1200 for an Ultrabook with crappy resolution and a touchscreen display. These OEMs, Microsoft and Intel seem to think selling us atoms at outrageous prices because it now offers "touch" justifies a 2x price increase.

Sadly yes...may as well buy a real laptop for that price...or just buy a cheaper tablet and build a real PC and spend the same amount.

 

[pelov]

Sadly yes...may as well buy a real laptop for that price...or just buy a cheaper tablet and build a real PC and spend the same amount.

So much potential too...

MS had a brilliant idea: tie everything using a single OS and even device, but my god have they fumbled it. Win8 is piss-poor on the desktop, the applications don't jive with keyboard and mouse, the x86 tablets have to go to the desktop interface to reach critical options/control panel which aren't touch optimized. Then there's the debacle that is Winphone8 with all of its zero applications and not-yet-released SDK. And lastly the prices... $700 for a netbook with touch and a crappy atom processor. Have fun trying to accomplish anything x86 related on an atom CPU, particularly legacy wise.

It's as if they started with a very good idea, then went down the list, one-by-one checking off everything that would make it a failure and making sure they didn't miss one of those poor decisions.

Hey... Ultrabooks aren't selling, so let's make it into a convertible tablet and somehow it will magically make them much better at an even higher price tag.

 

[slugg]

For $500, I'd still rather have an older used ultra book. You can get some old MacBook Airs for $500 ish, and you don't need to buy a $100 keyboard!

I was so excited for the Surface. But at this price, I'm out.

 

[cmdrdredd]

So much potential too...

MS had a brilliant idea: tie everything using a single OS and even device, but my god have they fumbled it. Win8 is piss-poor on the desktop, the applications don't jive with keyboard and mouse, the x86 tablets have to go to the desktop interface to reach critical options/control panel which aren't touch optimized. Then there's the debacle that is Winphone8 with all of its zero applications and not-yet-released SDK. And lastly the prices... $700 for a netbook with touch and a crappy atom processor. Have fun trying to accomplish anything x86 related on an atom CPU, particularly legacy wise.

It's as if they started with a very good idea, then went down the list, one-by-one checking off everything that would make it a failure and making sure they didn't miss one of those poor decisions.

Hey... Ultrabooks aren't selling, so let's make it into a convertible tablet and somehow it will magically make them much better at an even higher price tag.

Heh...I wouldn't go that far but it seems like they had poor planning from the get go. I do know, as far as Windows 8 on the desktop goes that you have options to skip metro altogether. You can run something like StartisBack and force Windows7 explorer into Windows 8 and you never have to see Metro again. It doesn';t even load MetroUI into memory so you save some ram too. Caveat is you cannot run programs that require metro as Metro is no longer functioning. Alternatively you can run start8 which will load Metro but immediately boot you to the desktop with an actual start menu. So you can switch to metro if you have an app that requires that interface to start.

 

[pelov]

You can run something like StartisBack and force Windows7 explorer into Windows 8 and you never have to see Metro again. It doesn';t even load MetroUI into memory so you save some ram too. Caveat is you cannot run programs that require metro as Metro is no longer functioning. Alternatively you can run start8 which will load Metro but immediately boot you to the desktop with an actual start menu. So you can switch to metro if you have an app that requires that interface to start.

I was referring to running the Metro applications on a desktop as well, which fair quite poorly. Even the Metro start screen is touch-optimized with its huge buttons and sideways scrolling, that while perfect for a tablet meant to be held sideways at 16:9 resolution, is most certainly a step backwards on the desktop.

 

[cmdrdredd]

What they are doing is making devs see "oh so there's 500,000,000 Windows8 users and we can just make our app run on metro and even Tablet users can use it"

Who knows maybe the next Xbox will even be pushed into this too.

 

[pelov]

Who knows maybe the next Xbox will even be pushed into this too.

It probably will. Xbox Music is being offered on Win8 devices, but it's not backwards compatible with Win7... apparently an .exe is too much to ask for.

Millions and millions of devices, and yet the operating system isn't going to fit any single one of them well. Oddly enough, WinRT may get the best true windows 8 experience insofar that it's strictly Metro and doesn't have to fumble about with the Metro-to-desktop issues that the x86 devices will deal with nor the potential issues with the atoms/Hondo chips being underpowered for typical desktop use.

That ugly duckling may not be that ugly at all, though still priced far too high.

 

[dagamer34]

Sinofsky is actually skating on the Surface: http://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-windows-team-leader-uses-surface-as-a-skateboard

 

[ultimatebob]

Why? The Surface doesn't fail if massive numbers of people don't buy them. Regardless of what haters want to believe, several hundred million Windows 8 laptops and desktops are going to be sold in the next year, and developers will want to write apps that target that platform, and those apps just so happen to also work on Windows 8.

You think the TouchPad failed because of the price? The TouchPad failed not because there were no apps, but the strong belief that there was no consequence for developers ignoring the platform. That's not true for iOS, Android, or Windows 8.

All of those laptops and desktops sold with Windows 7 or Windows 8 next year are running software that is incompatible with Windows RT. Sure, some developers will eventually release an ARM version of their software for the Surface, but I'll bet that most will wait and see if consumer demand is there.

I'm calling it now.... By the end of 2013, a liquidators like Woot will be unloading millions of these tablets that didn't sell at $499 for less than $189 each.

 

[blurredvision]

While I don't think this is the right pricing point that Microsoft should've hit, I don't understand why everyone talks about how $500 is poor for what you get yet say nothing of the iPad. The iPad will sport the better screen (most likely) and the better app store, but the Surface appeals more to me in looks and the app store is almost certain to come along. Sell enough Win8 tablets/laptops/computers and you'll see apps launching day and date on Apple and Microsoft's stores simultaneously.

 

[blurredvision]

All of those laptops and desktops sold with Windows 7 or Windows 8 next year are running software that is incompatible with Windows RT. Sure, some developers will eventually release an ARM version of their software for the Surface, but I'll bet that most will wait and see if consumer demand is there.

I think you'll be wrong on this. From what I've gathered, getting an app to work on normal x84/x64 and ARM architectures is a pretty simple process (relatively speaking in the coding world, anyway).