Microsoft's Surface Tablet

I really like the way it looks with the blue keyboard for some reason, it LOOKS windows 8, which is kind of a first for pc shit. it never really integrates the hardware with software aesthetically like apple shit. i'm also concerned about how many retards think tablet computing is new to microsoft. they were trying to push tablets like in the 90's.

apparently, the keyboards snap in mechanically with the aid of magnets, and there are two types. one with mechanical keys and a multi-touch pad, and the other with touch keys more like a virtual touch keyboard - it's of course smaller. i think these options definitely help it appeal to a wider audience. i would prefer the touch keys, but can see a casual user liking the touch keys for portability if they wanted to use a keyboard at all.

mega ++++ for the integrated kickstand. most killer points for card slots and a usb port. i have fucking loathed all these netbooks and tablets that just did away with them.


Genius Gone Insane said:
It's almost there. When they come out with the laser-drawn keyboards and you can type emails on cocaine-laced titties, I'll get excited.
Click to expand...

shits been around for like 20 years
[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Celluon-Magic-Projection-Keyboard-Touchpad/dp/B005ES6E6W[/ame]

e722_cube_laser_virtual_keyboard_for_iphone_inuse.jpg
 
I agree with Charlie @ SemiAccurate on this one. MS screwed the pooch. They're killing their OEM/ODM ecosystem in the gamble that they can somehow be Apple jr. Even if its a decent product they still lose. They're screwing their developers, partners and users in the hopes that people will choose them over Apple when they're 6yrs late to the party. Finally they're wholly placing their weight on Intel to provide the platform (yes I know the tablet is tegra based), but whereas Apple has leverage on Intel that forces them to follow Apples platform MS has nothing but a prayer. Intel is basically providing everything, but the chassis on this one. MS should know better. Their relationship with Intel has always been contentious and Intel has repeatedly shown its is perfectly willing to pull the floor out from under them if it suits them. It's only a matter of time. Win8 is a great OS (regardless of peoples feeling on Metro) with some enormous strides in scheduler and powermgmt, but it's not going to keep them afloat for long if they ditch all their friends.
 
First of all, I got bored to death while watching the presentation yesterday. Especially at Panos' part. I wanted to choke myself.

Second, in my opinion, Microsoft Surface was born dead. Why?

* It's late to the party. iPad and hundreds of Android tablets already dominated the market.

* Surface for Windows 8 RT looks cool, and it's exactly what a tablet should be. Simple, no regular computer hardware, good expansion options like USB and HDMI. Pricing is good with similar with iPad and other equivalents. But what about software? Does it already has thousand of applications like it's opponents? How long will it take for the software market to catch others? There's a great potential that it can remain as a web browser only.

* Surface for Windows 8 Pro is not different than a laptop. It's just a laptop in tablet form. This is not what an average tablet user wants. Is it simple? No (think of iPad here). Pricing? Similar to an ultrabook, which is a great device with super mobility options with thin and lightweight case and more than enough processing power. We had lots of different tablets similar to laptops and they all failed due to their complexity. Tablets should be similar to smartphones. Easy to use, not tens of fancy stuff that I won't be using ever and the most important, they need to be idiot proof if you target mainstream. This is why iPad is very successful with a wide margin.

In the other hand, kickstand and those keyboard covers are brilliant. SD card slot, USB, HDMI and other options are great for enthusiasts. But we already learnt that, application support is what makes a device great. There are a lot of smartphones with quad core CPUs, fancy features and amazing benchmark results. But I think they all fail at application support, sustainability due to lots of different models from different manufacturers with different version of OS. Microsoft wants to eliminate these problems with making Surface only under their own brand. There's support to x86 applications with Surface for Windows 8 Pro and it'll be easy to port applications that already present on ARM powered devices to Surface for Windows RT. I don't know how smooth this process will go but we'll see shortly after the product launch.

Regarding these statements, Surface is not for me. I don't own any tablet and I don't plan to buy one. But if I get a tablet one day, Surface would be at the end of my list.

Just my 2 cents.
 
Actually, a tablet that's really just a laptop could really interest me.

I've not seen anything with real depth or artistic interest on a tablet yet - it's all little mini games, stripped back software with no real relevance to the world I live in... it's all entertainment. I don't want entertainment. I actually want tools that I can work with on the fly. I want Cubase style functionality to recording software... on a tablet. I want Pro Tools, I want Steam, I want utilities for writing novels, music, emails... I don't want a platform for disposable entertainment.

I don't want an app store, where someone else veto's my choices, and decides what I am allowed to access. I want a free market as far as applications go.

Oh, and the one that runs Windows 8 can run all the regular Windows programs, allegedly. If that works well, there are already tons of apps out there for it.

If I could run Reason, or Studio One, on a tablet, and sit in a tree and come up with some hip-hop beats and lyrics.... that'd be dope. If I could sit in a coffee shop just with my tablet, and work on my novel, with access to all the research I need, with access to the novel writing software I use.... that'd be dope. I've not seen serious solutions to any of these "creativity on the move" on the iPad, or even the Android store.

Anyway... just my 2p. Not saying Surface is the solution to any of this. But it could be closer than what we've got so far.
 
drew_drummer, I agree on everything you say. This is exactly why I don't have a tablet. But let's face it. You are minority. I am minority. Tablet is already labeled as disposable entertainment and aimed to people who want it. For serious work, we have laptops. A tablet will never be as comfortable as a laptop for serious work. You can't go beyond GarageBand on a tablet. Maybe you can use it as a touch controller for your DAW. But that's all for the moment.
 
drew_drummer said:
Actually, a tablet that's really just a laptop could really interest me.

I've not seen anything with real depth or artistic interest on a tablet yet - it's all little mini games, stripped back software with no real relevance to the world I live in... it's all entertainment. I don't want entertainment. I actually want tools that I can work with on the fly. I want Cubase style functionality to recording software... on a tablet. I want Pro Tools, I want Steam, I want utilities for writing novels, music, emails... I don't want a platform for disposable entertainment.

I don't want an app store, where someone else veto's my choices, and decides what I am allowed to access. I want a free market as far as applications go.

Oh, and the one that runs Windows 8 can run all the regular Windows programs, allegedly. If that works well, there are already tons of apps out there for it.

If I could run Reason, or Studio One, on a tablet, and sit in a tree and come up with some hip-hop beats and lyrics.... that'd be dope. If I could sit in a coffee shop just with my tablet, and work on my novel, with access to all the research I need, with access to the novel writing software I use.... that'd be dope. I've not seen serious solutions to any of these "creativity on the move" on the iPad, or even the Android store.

Anyway... just my 2p. Not saying Surface is the solution to any of this. But it could be closer than what we've got so far.
Click to expand...

I agree with you completely, and that is exactly why I think Surface looks cool. I would be interested in the full Windows 8 Pro version of it. I don't have a tablet, because they are expensive and I want to actually be able to do work/create on one... Current tablets are really just for media consumption.

However, I still think the touch functionality/interaction of tablets is cool... I just don't want to sacrifice being able to actually do real work on them for the price that they cost. So, that's why I find a laptop/tablet hybrid like Surface interesting...

Of course, I could get a much more powerful laptop for the price that these will cost, but that's without the touch functionality...
 
Lasse Lammert said:
I was watching about 3 mins of that video, expecting the presentation in the background go bluescreen..
couldn't be arsed to watch it any longer, so fill me in, how often did it crash during those 45 mins presentation?
Click to expand...

Around 13 minute mark, they had a technical difficulty with one of the tablets. :p
 
Josh Burgess said:
Of course, I could get a much more powerful laptop for the price that these will cost, but that's without the touch functionality...
Click to expand...

Josh, there have been convertible tablet notebooks around for many years and I owned 1 for a few months. Believe me it's not what you expect.
 
if it's got a windows then it will be prone to several related pitfalls that unavoidably follow when a system is trying to work for everything and everyone. that is completely understandable, however one of the distinct features of why do people like tablets over laptops is their lack of crashes and failure in comparison. that's why tablets have ios, android and not windows, osx, linux.

i'm also somewhat skeptical of the design. they're pushing the line between tablets and laptops and they might have gone too far with this. it's hard to say without giving it a try first though.
 
Android can crash - at least my phone does. :) Can any of iOS user tell me if it's the same there.

I never liked Microsoft as a company and most of their software either (Win 7 is not that bad for example). But I'm rooting for them now - more competition on the market is good for users.

As for Surface... well I can't image what else could they have done. That was an expected move. Let's now see if anyone needs the device like that and if it really can be good at being both table and pc. I doubt it though.
 
If I got it right, the tablet version of Windows installed on those Surfaces cannot run good old x86 programs, so you won't be able to load your productivity programs, or your favorite DAW until the developers make it available especially for it, is that true or did I read too fast ?

Otherwise, I think it looks nice from a distance actually.

EDIT : as for iOS, I don't remember an actual crash of it, since my iphone 3G, when it does it's because of a buggy app and is easily fixed. I think I was worried once or twice with the iphone not starting up but it quickly went to normal, nothing major, and I don't know if it's iOs or hardware related. Short answer : never had any real iOS problem
 
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