Thoughts on the New MS Surface

[Tuttle]

As much as I love my two iPads, I am going to check out the fulll Windows 8 Surface when it, ahem!, finally surfaces. There is a good chance that it will prove to be a valuable tablet for productivity purposes.

And it will apparently come with a stylus! As I understand things, there will be two sensor grids: one rather course for touching buttons, etc, and a finer one that will react to the stylus point.

Any thoughts about how it will compete (or not) with our beloved iPads?

 

[Kaykaykay]

Too early to tell. It's half-baked at this point.

I see no reason to judge before a product is delivered. But I'm interested, and Microsoft is welcome to compete for my money.

 

[col.bris]

I have moved your thread as this is nothing about iPads. I suggest yu wait until the product is available. As right now it is not available

 

[sjleworthy]

Looks good, but, as with my previous tablet testing, the HUGE selling point for me with ipad is its silky smooth touch screen facility. So far the others just dont match up even close. Lets wait and see.

I do like the keyboard/cover though. Awesome idea.

 

[Kaykaykay]

Looks good, but, as with my previous tablet testing, the HUGE selling point for me with ipad is its silky smooth touch screen facility. So far the others just dont match up even close. Lets wait and see.

I do like the keyboard/cover though. Awesome idea.

I've not noticed touchscreen responsiveness varying among my six iDevices vs. my Samsung Galaxy Note or Kindle Fire. (But I know some users have complained about lag in other devices.) Samsung makes some Apple screens, so it's not like Apple has cornered the technology, though they've tried to via the lax granting of patents:

Apple Gets Touchscreen Patent, Makes Things Potentially Awkward for Rivals | PCWorld

 

[KevinJS]

Too early to tell. It's half-baked at this point.

I see no reason to judge before a product is delivered. But I'm interested, and Microsoft is welcome to compete for my money.

I have moved your thread as this is nothing about iPads. I suggest yu wait until the product is available. As right now it is not available

Some good advertising potential here.

The Microsoft Surface. So new, even Bill Gates can't get one. Yawn. NEXT...

 

[Kaykaykay]

Some good advertising potential here.

The Microsoft Surface. So new, even Bill Gates can't get one. Yawn. NEXT...

If we're buying imaginary products, I can afford whatever I imagine, lol.

 

[Tuttle]

Well, now! I thought this was "on topic"! After all, my question was how folks perceived the Surface as a competitor to the iPad.

 

[Seadog]

It is not a discussion about the iPad or an existing product. It is an imaginary (for now) product that can have huge potential. Microsoft has an opportunity here, but it would not be the first time they have blown it. Think Zune. They are wise to make their own tablet, and they have manufacturing experience. The other tablet manufacturers are too invested in Android to be interested, and Apple has shown that the best product has to be an integration of the OS and hardware. There are issues that can create major hurdels:

Microsoft mimicked the secrecy of Apple, but made mistakes in the intro. They did not allow the participants any time to try the tablets and see what they could do. Obviously, they are far from a ready product. The media was selected for being very friendly to Microsoft, so it was even more of a bad idea to not let them experience the OS. No mention of price, which is going to be a big question mark. How are they going to get around the total lack of apps? They should have at least a thousand apps developed in-house, or through an agreement with top app producers. How are they goiing to treat customers with Windows phones that are being left with no upgrade path?

 

[Tuttle]

Oh, I believe in the iPad! My question wasn't intended to derogate the iPad at all.

But I do think that if Microsoft delivers a quality product we will all benefit. I am convinced that the tablet is far more than Gee Whiz! Movies! Games! Internet browsing! Photos! I appreciate it for its great contribution to my productivity. (Don't get me wrong---I like to watch a video now and then and play a game or two also. But, to me, that is a bonus.)

If Microsoft does deliver the goods, industrial and business firms will probably be more inclined to support tablets. And that will be good for us all.

Who knows? The Surface just might (Wash my mouth out with soap for heresy!) turn out to be a nice tablet.

 

[Padinator]

(

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9GAG - Where is the DVD drive?

 

[biobunny]

I would buy it if it could run Linux.

Sent from K48

 

[Tuttle]

(YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVPEdYqT-_o )

9GAG - Where is the DVD drive?

Wow! What an about face, hunh? Too, too funny!

 

[Seadog]

The rumor mill has put out that the start price will be $599 for the base model with mobile OS, and $799 for the Intel version. Battery life will only be 7 hours at best, and no cellular offering will be available. This will severely limit the appeal to the general public and indicates that they are going to push this as a commercial product. It may still make things interesting, but to be honest, it reminds me too much of the PlayBook for comfort.

 

[twerppoet]

Lets just hope it doesn't end up reminding us of the Longhorn haul to Vista, then Windows 7 to fix Vista; or even worse, the Courier (which to be fair was never more than a an overhyped research project).

It has all the hallmarks of a product that Microsoft will hype early and often, in hopes that people will patiently wait for them to finish creating it.

And they have got to be desperate to get a popular tablet out there. The early adoption of tablets is over. At this point were well into mainstream adoption. If you can't sell your tablet now, the future will see you not just competing on tablet features, but having to supply a compelling reason for people to abandon their investment in Apple's and/or Android's entire ecosystem.

Hope I'm wrong. What little they've shows is interesting, if not enough to make me sell my iPad.