1. belfastdispatcher's Avatar
    My biggest problem with the surface is the whole fail-full strategy of insisting on shoving Windows into places it doesn't belong, and making a version of Windows that isn't really Windows.

    The amount of smoke blown up peoples you know what is incredible. I mean Microsoft is seriously trying to convince people that this isn't just a regular tablet, it's a WHOLE NEW KIND of product based on the fact that A: You can get it with a keyboard (Nevermind the fact that you can get a keyboard for any tablet!) and B: IT COMES WITH OFFICE! (As if you couldn't get an office program for any tablet for either free or ten bucks)
    I much prefer Open Office.
    11-11-12 10:30 AM
  2. belfastdispatcher's Avatar
    Is this true? I guess I could look for myself...
    From what i see in the videos you cant, it flips open and closed, i don't see any adjustments.
    11-11-12 10:32 AM
  3. Rickroller's Avatar
    My biggest problem with the Surface vs Laptop is you can't adjust the screen angle on the table, how do you put a kid in front of it or a very tall person? It's simple things like this that will kill it.
    You simply adjust the tablet on the table, or prop something under either side to change the angle. I would think something so simple as viewing angle will hardly be the deciding factor on whether this tablet does well..
    11-11-12 10:33 AM
  4. kbz1960's Avatar
    My biggest problem with the surface is the whole fail-full strategy of insisting on shoving Windows into places it doesn't belong, and making a version of Windows that isn't really Windows.

    The amount of smoke blown up peoples you know what is incredible. I mean Microsoft is seriously trying to convince people that this isn't just a regular tablet, it's a WHOLE NEW KIND of product based on the fact that A: You can get it with a keyboard (Nevermind the fact that you can get a keyboard for any tablet!) and B: IT COMES WITH OFFICE! (As if you couldn't get an office program for any tablet for either free or ten bucks)
    Yeah, the rt is just another tablet. The pro is not just another tablet.
    11-11-12 10:33 AM
  5. belfastdispatcher's Avatar
    You simply adjust the tablet on the table, or prop something under either side to change the angle. I would think something so simple as viewing angle will hardly be the deciding factor on whether this tablet does well..
    I said Surface vs a Laptop.
    11-11-12 10:36 AM
  6. pantlesspenguin's Avatar
    LOL, I hear ya.

    *sigh* it is almost crazy, as a consumer, to buy items first run. If you do, you are a paying beta tester it seems.
    I completely agree, and it sucks. I've never been one for delayed gratification. When I first learned of the Surface I really wanted one, but when it was released I compromised and just shelled out $40 to update my current laptop to Windows 8. That did the trick for me. It's almost like I have a new device. And with this news about the Surface's QC issues I'm really glad I didn't jump on it.
    11-11-12 01:27 PM
  7. NickA's Avatar
    11-12-12 09:44 AM
  8. owadkelly's Avatar
    This sucks, was wacthing this product for someone to let them know if it was worth their while to get one. If it was a software bug, then no prob but low quality hardware build ... not good at all.
    11-12-12 12:23 PM
  9. texazzpete's Avatar
    My biggest problem with the surface is the whole fail-full strategy of insisting on shoving Windows into places it doesn't belong, and making a version of Windows that isn't really Windows.

    The amount of smoke blown up peoples you know what is incredible. I mean Microsoft is seriously trying to convince people that this isn't just a regular tablet, it's a WHOLE NEW KIND of product based on the fact that A: You can get it with a keyboard (Nevermind the fact that you can get a keyboard for any tablet!) and B: IT COMES WITH OFFICE! (As if you couldn't get an office program for any tablet for either free or ten bucks)
    Have you ever used Microsoft Office before?!
    And you think Documents to Go or QuickOffice provides a similar experience?

    As for your earlier points, no, the Surface isn't just another tablet. Read Anandtech's review....the multitasking alone makes it much more useful to him as a productivity device than his iPad and Android tablets.
    Also, because WinRT shares the same driver pool as Windows 8, compatibility with printers, mice, keyboard and many many other devices make it rather unique. Plug in your iPhone to the Surface and it recognizes it as a camera, allowing you to access images, etc. Not sure which other tablet does that.

    Sorry I have to come back to it, but did you REALLY compare full blown Word, Excel, Powerpoint & OneNote to the likes of QuickOffice?
    11-12-12 04:18 PM
  10. richardat's Avatar
    Never good when stuff like this gets past quality control. For the price point, I think this should not be a concern. if it is, bad press will follow.
    This is MS. It's why, (along with my hatred of MS), that I predicted...well..unpredictability. NEVER EVER EVER underestimate MS's ability to screw-up and/or deliver shoddy products. I don't know how much merit there is to the latest reports, but it's par for the course for them. I suppose Surface owners should look at it like xbox owners....some will get 2...some will get 5....sooner or later, you'll get one that holds together. ;-)
    11-12-12 11:11 PM
  11. Mr.Willie's Avatar
    Have you ever used Microsoft Office before?!
    And you think Documents to Go or QuickOffice provides a similar experience?

    As for your earlier points, no, the Surface isn't just another tablet. Read Anandtech's review....the multitasking alone makes it much more useful to him as a productivity device than his iPad and Android tablets.
    Also, because WinRT shares the same driver pool as Windows 8, compatibility with printers, mice, keyboard and many many other devices make it rather unique. Plug in your iPhone to the Surface and it recognizes it as a camera, allowing you to access images, etc. Not sure which other tablet does that.

    Sorry I have to come back to it, but did you REALLY compare full blown Word, Excel, Powerpoint & OneNote to the likes of QuickOffice?
    Um, Surface doesn't have full blown Office, (it is however a much better implementation of their previous versions of mobile office). I installed an HP LaserJet Pro on my network, and it "magically" appeared on my iPad, ready to roll. I also suggest that you read the Surface reviews on WindowsITPro website.
    11-13-12 03:21 AM
  12. texazzpete's Avatar
    Um, Surface doesn't have full blown Office, (it is however a much better implementation of their previous versions of mobile office). I installed an HP LaserJet Pro on my network, and it "magically" appeared on my iPad, ready to roll. I also suggest that you read the Surface reviews on WindowsITPro website.
    Word, Excel, Powerpoint and OneNote have about 98% of the features on x86 (as long as you don't need Excel macros). Every other formula and formatting option is all there.

    Some wireless printers will work on the ipad. Nearly all WIRED printers will work on the Surface, along with the wireless ones.

    There are significant shortcomings to the Surface, but it's still a compelling product. For multitasking and compatibility with diverse hardware (thanks to its driver support and full size USB port), it can't be beaten. You can just plug in an Xbox 360 pad and start using it, for example.

    here's what Anand Shimpi of Anandtech (perhaps the most respected tech site) had to say in his review

    Surface is the most flexible tablet I've ever used. Through two seemingly simple additions to the design (but incredibly complex to actually develop and implement), Microsoft took a tablet and turned it into something much more. If you're frustrated by productivity limits of currently available tablets, Surface really seems to be the right formula for a solution. It's important to note that Microsoft's execution with Surface establishes the company as a competitive powerhouse in the mobile design market. I can only imagine what multiple revs of the design will give us, not to mention what could happen if Microsoft set its obsessive sights on smartphones or notebooks.

    The Windows RT experience, in many senses, is clearly ahead of what many competitors offer in the tablet space today. Multitasking, task switching and the ability to have multiple applications active on the screen at once are all big advantages that Microsoft enjoys. For productivity workloads, Surface is without equal in the tablet space.

    Content consumption is also great on the device. Surface's display isn't industry leading but it's still good. Reading emails, browsing the web flipping through photos and watching videos are all good fits for the platform - just as good as competing solutions from Apple or Google.
    I don't have one or plan to get one (personally, i'd go for the Surface Pro...nothing like being able to play the full version of FIFA 13 on the go on a tablet) but it's a pretty good effort from Microsoft.
    11-13-12 09:09 AM
  13. texazzpete's Avatar
    For what it's worth, this is a troll thread anyway.

    The Surface is not in competition with any of RIM's devices. Not with the much cheaper PlayBook (look to the Nexus 7 for that) and certainly has nothing to do with sales of BB phones or BB10.

    Much more interesting that the Nexus 4 sold out completely within ONE HOUR. From being devices that only tech geeks had interest in, it's gone to become a VERY compelling purchase...getting a very powerful phone for so cheap. Many of the folks who would have held out for WP8 or BB10 will end up walking away with one.

    That is something the OP mrfreetruth should be much more concerned about instead of trolling Microsoft Surface that has ZERO overlap with RIM.
    11-13-12 09:12 AM
  14. kbz1960's Avatar
    Word, Excel, Powerpoint and OneNote have about 98% of the features on x86 (as long as you don't need Excel macros). Every other formula and formatting option is all there.

    Some wireless printers will work on the ipad. Nearly all WIRED printers will work on the Surface, along with the wireless ones.

    There are significant shortcomings to the Surface, but it's still a compelling product. For multitasking and compatibility with diverse hardware (thanks to its driver support and full size USB port), it can't be beaten. You can just plug in an Xbox 360 pad and start using it, for example.

    here's what Anand Shimpi of Anandtech (perhaps the most respected tech site) had to say in his review



    I don't have one or plan to get one (personally, i'd go for the Surface Pro...nothing like being able to play the full version of FIFA 13 on the go on a tablet) but it's a pretty good effort from Microsoft.
    Funny that multitasking is a plus for MS but when it comes to RIM no one cares about multitasking on a tablet or.phone.
    11-13-12 09:17 AM
  15. texazzpete's Avatar
    Funny that multitasking is a plus for MS but when it comes to RIM no one cares about multitasking on a tablet or.phone.
    Leaving an app running in the background (and enabling a quick switch from an active app to a background app) is good, but is nowhere near comparable to running TWO full apps side by side on screen at the same time.

    Can have Documents to Go and Browser snapped side by side and active on the same screen? Can you drag an image from your browser to a photo editing app?

    Something like this...
    -screenshot-12.jpg
    mikeo007 likes this.
    11-13-12 11:47 AM
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