1. Gooseberry Falls's Avatar
    What I found odd about these various MS devices - is their compatible keyboards are NOT Bluetooth - they have to be physically attached (unless I have missed something) to work. So, for instance, where I can attach my pb to the tv and operate it across the room with my bt keyboard, these don't work that way. While I do imagine that a bt keyboard could be paired, it's not the same as the keyboard designed as the cover/keyboard combo.

    Well, with the falling price of the RT models, it definitely is something to consider.
    MS was having a problem with those attached keyboards there for a while, too. I suppose with any new introduction there are some problems to iron out. The falling price of RT stuff has me worried. MS isn't the greatest with mobile OS compatibility either and have no issue with shutting down an OS. They have Windows CE embedded for enterprise stuff (bar coders), Windows Mobile (now defunct and not supported), Windows Phone 7.X (no more planned updates), Windows Phone 8 (newest and greatest), and RT (tablets). None are compatible with each other.
    07-31-13 09:44 AM
  2. Matt J's Avatar
    None are compatible with each other.
    I think Microsoft is achieving compatibility through its Windows Store. For example, anything in the store can run on both the Surface RT and Surface Pro. I'm not sure if Windows Phone 8 uses the same store... if it does, then all three platforms are compatible.
    07-31-13 09:57 AM
  3. fanchettes's Avatar
    To those who have moved on from their Playbooks, I would gladly take them off your hands.
    07-31-13 10:02 AM
  4. Hup55's Avatar
    Not trying to be a downer but didn't microsoft just announce the $900 million dollar loss on these units?? I also thought I read in the same article that they too would be abandoning the tablet market?? If so not sure I would invest in one?? It would be brutal if you have to go through that all over again.
    07-31-13 10:11 AM
  5. Matt J's Avatar
    Not trying to be a downer but didn't microsoft just announce the $900 million dollar loss on these units?? I also thought I read in the same article that they too would be abandoning the tablet market?? If so not sure I would invest in one?? It would be brutal if you have to go through that all over again.
    True, there was a $900 million loss, but they are not abandoning the tablet market. I bought my 32 GB Surface RT for $350, which is exactly where it should have been priced in the first place. I suspect that RT will actually become very popular if MS can simply market the product effectively. I had no idea how good it was until I went into the store and tried it out. Side-by-side with the iPad, it's almost laughable how much better the RT is for productive uses. With Windows 8.1 around the corner and the world adopting it shortly en masse, the RT will make a lot of sense to people....
    07-31-13 10:22 AM
  6. Gooseberry Falls's Avatar
    True, there was a $900 million loss, but they are not abandoning the tablet market. I bought my 32 GB Surface RT for $350, which is exactly where it should have been priced in the first place. I suspect that RT will actually become very popular if MS can simply market the product effectively. I had no idea how good it was until I went into the store and tried it out. Side-by-side with the iPad, it's almost laughable how much better the RT is for productive uses. With Windows 8.1 around the corner and the world adopting it shortly en masse, the RT will make a lot of sense to people....
    Office is a plus and they should have been able to rake the people in because of it. They have been offering it (of course, limited feature version) on their mobile OS for years. They had it syncing to PC wireless/USB/BT at one point. Then took away wireless, then USB/BT, and now make you sync to Skydrive/Outlook.com. No other options when people were used to have local control over their information. There are so many people complaining about that. They don't realize that people don't adapt like that and like to continue as before and gradually adapt to new tech. They have to start listening to their consumers and giving them options.

    8.1 is another issue forcing everyone into the "modern"/Metro interface. They are becoming as arrogant as AAPL who apparently "know" what you need.
    07-31-13 11:37 AM
  7. Matt J's Avatar
    They are becoming as arrogant as AAPL who apparently "know" what you need.
    You know... at the end of the day... what has really changed? Apple iOS looks more like Palm OS than anything else. "Metro" is nothing more that bigger, wider icons that update themselves. Instead of swiping up and down, you swipe left to right. Big deal. BB10 is like iOS with "peek and flow". It's all crap.

    At the end of the day, it's about what you can do with your device. I need Office, Skype, a good browser, email and maybe Netflix. We may all be idiots for spending so much time on these forums to discuss useless things (I am just as guilty).

    ...alas...
    07-31-13 12:30 PM
  8. Beayve's Avatar
    Do you have any feedback on the IE flash limitation (white paper), wifi connectivity, and speakers? There are threads on the Microsoft forums and I don't know if they have been addressed in 8.1 or not. RT can be found on other manufacturer devices (Dell) and I was wondering if it was better to go with different hardware. The IE flash thing would be the same since it is RT but is it hard to modify the xml file?
    I used windows rt for a while (tested a dell xps 10 some months ago). The flash limitation from the first days is gone, even without windows 8.1 installed. The performance and sound issues are fixed either. Here is a link to the xda-developer forums, where you will find a list with 50+ tipps, e.g. how to increase usability of the standard desktop using your fingers or how to find all available apps. That was important, because this way i found a good touch explorer and didn't have to use the normal windows explorer all the time.
    If you own a good media streaming client like the wd tv live, you will be able to "send" videos to your tv via upnp. For the surface is better priced by now, I ordered one at last.

    The link:

    [REF] *Surface Hints, Tips and Registry Tweaks* - Last updated January 24th. - xda-developers
    07-31-13 03:36 PM
  9. southlander's Avatar
    Cool. But the Surface RT is underpowered. Microsoft is dumping them. If you'd went with a Nexus 7 you'd probably still be using it. I am thinking of picking a Nexus 7 up myself.
    07-31-13 03:42 PM
  10. Hup55's Avatar
    My father just texted me and told me that Best Buy is blowing out all Microsoft surface tablets today only one day sale. Will have to go check it out.
    07-31-13 04:51 PM
  11. Matt J's Avatar
    Cool. But the Surface RT is underpowered. Microsoft is dumping them. If you'd went with a Nexus 7 you'd probably still be using it. I am thinking of picking a Nexus 7 up myself.
    With an Nvidia Quad-Core Tegra 3 CPU running at 1.3 GHz, the Surface RT is not underpowered. It also has 2 GB of RAM. The problem lies in the OS somewhere. Going from Windows 8 to 8.1 made a big difference in performance, so hopefully further optimisations will yield more speed.

    For some reason, launching apps takes a little longer than it should, but once they are loaded, they are blazing fast. If you load two or three apps and run them at the same time, there is no hesitation, no lag at all.

    We shall see.
    08-01-13 06:34 AM
  12. anon(4227966)'s Avatar
    I have two Playbooks. My 64GB I use for work and is bridged with my BB 9790 and works fantastic. I can read my corporate e-mail on a big screen open attachments. Best functionality is the multi tasking. Moving from private e-mail to corporare bridge e-mail to calendar, to reading a Kindle book browsing vie tehtering. Using a small Bluetooth keyboard is fantasic especially when traveling in the airplane. No big heavy laptop to carry. Unfortunately my company wants to move from BB to Iphone (yuckee). But decision making is slow as they found out it is more expensive.

    The 32GB is next to my bed I use to read newspapers website, do private e-mail. I use kalemsoft Mediaplayer to watch movies from my Synology NAS. The apps I am realing missing is Sonos, so I can control my Sonos in house. I can use DS audio to Play my music from my NAS on the Playbook, but I want to use my Sonos speakers. I tried to install SONOS bar file but is is not working.
    Of course there other Android apps I would like to have such as the app for the Dutch Newspaper NRC etc. Or the Samsun app for my Samsung smart television. So if it could become very easy to install and rund Android apps via google market I am a very happy person and I have no need for BB10 on the Playbook.
    08-01-13 07:55 AM
  13. anon(2313227)'s Avatar
    As far as I understand it, they didn't say they won't support it. They just said no BB10 on it. Updates and maintenance release I am sure is still there. For 2 yrs I don't know, for now I would say it should still be.
    08-01-13 08:10 AM
  14. jpash549's Avatar
    Any time there is a major price drop on a tablet look for the reason. With the Windows RT there are at least three. Microsoft vastly overestimated the market and way overproduced. The RT platform will not run true Desktop windows apps and thus is not popular in a considerable segment of the market. New models are coming out which will have much better processors which will be faster and give much better battery life. The Intel ones are starting to appear and the ARM ones aren't far behind. There are also improvements in other areas such as displays and connectivity. The prices will be back up to a more normal level from the sellers viewpoint although price pressure will still be there.

    So grab your bargain Surface RT but don't be surprised if Microsoft support for the operating system is luke warm.

    On another topic I am sending this from my Nexus7 which is about 10 months old and has just been updated to Android 4.3. It is running slow. Those who want to get a N7 should consider spending a few more dollars and getting the new N7 with the Qualcomm processor.

    Sent from my Nexus 7 using CB Forums mobile app
    FF22 likes this.
    08-01-13 12:05 PM
  15. Matt J's Avatar
    So grab your bargain Surface RT but don't be surprised if Microsoft support for the operating system is luke warm
    We have to separate the actual Surface RT with the Windows RT operating system. I don't think that Windows RT is going anywhere and may end up being the primary platform for tablets moving forward. The full Windows 8.1 is not designed to be a tablet OS. It can't really stay "always on" and maintain its Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections and have reasonable battery life.

    People talk about how Windows RT can't run legacy Windows apps, but nobody asks why the iPad can't run legacy MacOS apps. It's a new OS designed for tablets.
    08-02-13 08:28 AM
  16. FF22's Avatar
    We have to separate the actual Surface RT with the Windows RT operating system. I don't think that Windows RT is going anywhere and may end up being the primary platform for tablets moving forward. The full Windows 8.1 is not designed to be a tablet OS. It can't really stay "always on" and maintain its Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections and have reasonable battery life.

    People talk about how Windows RT can't run legacy Windows apps, but nobody asks why the iPad can't run legacy MacOS apps. It's a new OS designed for tablets.
    Excellent point. But, at this time, clearly the ipad has the app market pretty well covered whereas the RT will need to inspire app creators, although it starts out with the advantage of having MS' biggie apps (is Outlook available as an RT additional purchase?)
    08-02-13 10:48 AM
  17. Matt J's Avatar
    Excellent point. But, at this time, clearly the ipad has the app market pretty well covered whereas the RT will need to inspire app creators, although it starts out with the advantage of having MS' biggie apps (is Outlook available as an RT additional purchase?)
    Actually Outlook comes as part of the 8.1 upgrade.
    08-02-13 10:55 AM
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