1. amazinglygraceless's Avatar
    I intentionally did not place this in the iOS section in the hopes of having a real discussion
    and heading off the trolls at the proverbial pass. If it needs to be moved I'm good with that.
    Some quoted sections truncated to save space.

    That being said, how does the community feel about the points made here and more importantly,
    how does all of this stack up to the Playbook in it's current incarnation?

    5 ways Microsoft's Surface may be better than an iPad

    Keyboard
    A frustration for many users of the iPad and other touchscreen devices is the keyboard. While it's possible to get somewhat proficient at tapping spots on a flat screen, most acknowledge it's impossible to get e-mail and other documents written as quickly as with physical keys.
    Sure, there are third-party keyboards you can buy to add onto the iPad, but they can be clunky.
    The Surface keyboard will be part of its Touch Cover, which is connected with magnets and flips open. There will be a version with pressure-sensitive flat keys and another with more traditional raised keys called a Type Cover............

    Size
    Apple has made such a compact, stylish tablet that many of its competitors look chunky by comparison. That's not true of the Surface, at least as it was demoed Monday.
    First, its display screen is 10.6 inches, almost a full inch bigger than the iPad's. And the company says it's optimized to have essentially the same dimensions as a movie screen: So, farewell black bars when watching video...........

    Power
    Especially with the Windows 8 Pro model, Microsoft has set out to blur the line between tablets and the new wave of light, slim ultrabooks and their predecessor, Apple's Macbook Air.
    Tablets have always been a hybrid hovering somewhere between a smartphone and a laptop, best used for game playing, Web surfing and media consumption. Microsoft wants the Surface to be something you can actually do some work on.
    The Windows Pro model will run on an i5 Intel processor and come with up to 128 gigabytes of internal memory (the iPad currently goes up to 64).

    Power
    Both versions of the Surface come with two USB ports (2.0 on the RT and a faster 3.0 on the Windows Pro). The lack of ports has been one of the few persistent compaints about the iPad.
    These ports open up the possibility of extra storage, printing and other external capabilities that should be easier and quicker than the workarounds iPad users need involving cloud storage, Wi-Fi connections and the like.

    Xbox SmartGlass
    The Xbox SmartGlass feature, which Microsoft rolled out at this month's E3 video gaming expo, will work with the iPad and Android tablets.
    But it's not hard to envision Microsoft optimizing the technology for its own piece of hardware.............
    Last edited by amazinglygraceless; 06-19-12 at 02:55 PM.
    06-19-12 02:46 PM
  2. Thunderbuck's Avatar
    I think the Surface tablets look very promising, actually. Or, at least the Pro version does.

    The form factor looks good, and those keyboards look very clever.

    They'll be expensive, I think we can take that for granted, and while app selection for Metro is good (yes, Netflix will be on board), I'm happy enough with my Playbook to replace it.

    I WOULD get the Pro as a kind of "travel computer". Bigger than than the Playbook, but still more portable than my 15" Precision.
    06-19-12 03:07 PM
  3. amazinglygraceless's Avatar
    @Thunderbuck I really like that keyboard. I'm amazed this was never an out of the
    box option for other platforms.

    Also, the size looks, at least to me to be a winner. I can see the Pro version completely
    removing my need for a notebook / netbook of any kind.

    My worry is that if there is a remote possibility of this eating into the iPad share there
    will be a negative effect on the Playbook also. Hopefully I am wrong on that point.
    06-19-12 03:22 PM
  4. Laura Knotek's Avatar
    The Surface Pro is the first and only tablet I have any interest in owning. Why bother with any tablet running a mobile OS, when the Surface Pro offers full desktop Windows?

    Any tablet running desktop Windows truly is the "first professional grade tablet".


    Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express
    Last edited by lak611; 06-19-12 at 03:32 PM.
    06-19-12 03:26 PM
  5. jwn66's Avatar
    And the lolMedia hype starts already, only to flop like usual.
    Last edited by jwn66; 06-19-12 at 03:34 PM.
    06-19-12 03:31 PM
  6. Pete6's Avatar
    I really like the Surface. I may just buy one. I HAVE to have a REAL keyboard.

    I am concerned over the magnesium case. Magnesium is highly a flammable metal Magnesium - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    06-19-12 03:36 PM
  7. amazinglygraceless's Avatar
    And the lolMedia hype starts already, only to flop like usual.
    This would make sense if the article stated "5 ways......IS BETTER......." but it did not
    do that.

    It offered a view of what the Surface offered and speculated on how that COULD challenge
    the iPhone. Where you see hype is a mystery. Using the term "lolMedia" should be criminal
    for anyone over the age of six (6)
    06-19-12 03:41 PM
  8. houshinto#IM's Avatar
    An interesting product for sure. It's Microsoft, so there's no problems with the MSM giving it the free hype.

    Let's see the details and then decide if it's really killer. I mean so is a Ferrari but even if I had the $$$ for it I'd never buy it.
    amazinglygraceless likes this.
    06-19-12 03:41 PM
  9. jwn66's Avatar
    This would make sense if the article stated "5 ways......IS BETTER......." but it did not
    do that.

    It offered a view of what the Surface offered and speculated on how that COULD challenge
    the iPhone. Where you see hype is a mystery. Using the term "lolMedia" should be criminal
    for anyone over the age of six (6)
    y u so mad brah
    06-19-12 03:46 PM
  10. amazinglygraceless's Avatar
    I really like the Surface. I may just buy one. I HAVE to have a REAL keyboard.

    I am concerned over the magnesium case. Magnesium is highly a flammable metal Magnesium - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    /off-topic/ Lord do I know. My first car fire was a Cadillac with a magnesium engine block.
    The duty captain thought it was humorous to let us probies keep throwing water at it. For an
    hour Class D extenguisher knocked it down in minutes

    /back on topic/
    06-19-12 03:47 PM
  11. amazinglygraceless's Avatar
    An interesting product for sure. It's Microsoft, so there's no problems with the MSM giving it the free hype.

    Let's see the details and then decide if it's really killer. I mean so is a Ferrari but even if I had the $$$ for it I'd never buy it.

    I honestly think it will take more than this to be a iOS killer but it does have serious potential
    in the tablet space. This is definitely one I will keep my eye on.
    06-19-12 03:49 PM
  12. Laura Knotek's Avatar
    My prediction is that the two major competitors in the tablet market will be Apple and Microsoft, with a few other cheap products available, but no serious competition.

    Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express
    sashlon likes this.
    06-19-12 03:52 PM
  13. MasterOfBinary's Avatar
    It seems like MS is paying attention to some of the tiny details - something Apple has excelled at. For example: "The rear-facing LifeCam is angled to 22 degrees so you can flip out the Kickstand and record meetings and events hands-free."

    Sounds like it's going to be a great tablet.
    sashlon and pantlesspenguin like this.
    06-19-12 04:07 PM
  14. hpjrt's Avatar
    I am intrigued by the pro version of the Surface, though I'd be looking to replace my desktop computer. I'd have to actually see a model to see what the keyboard is like etc, however it certainly sounds like it's going to be powerful enough.

    It should be interesting to see how the actual product plays out.
    06-19-12 04:18 PM
  15. CairnsRock's Avatar
    Ballmer said it will compete in the ultrabook space. That means $1000 plus.

    It's a laptop with touch screen or a tablet with a keyboard.

    It's a work creative device as opposed to a browsing, viewing device. That's what desktops and laptops are used for.

    They are still behind the eight ball on apps.

    All of the above combined = niche in a niche of a niche.

    Kind of expensive toaster with a high quality can opener strapped onto it.

    In 5 years Kevin will drag one out from his basement again as a curiosity and we'll all get a right good laugh at it.
    Last edited by CairnsRock; 06-19-12 at 04:28 PM. Reason: Typo
    06-19-12 04:22 PM
  16. Laura Knotek's Avatar
    Actually, I believe that is the future. The heavy, clunky 7# laptop with the HDD is on its way out. SSDs are the future.

    This and the MacBook Air represent the future of computing.

    Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express
    06-19-12 04:39 PM
  17. Thunderbuck's Avatar
    @Thunderbuck I really like that keyboard. I'm amazed this was never an out of the
    box option for other platforms.

    Also, the size looks, at least to me to be a winner. I can see the Pro version completely
    removing my need for a notebook / netbook of any kind.

    My worry is that if there is a remote possibility of this eating into the iPad share there
    will be a negative effect on the Playbook also. Hopefully I am wrong on that point.
    I'm not TOO worried about Playbook share. For one thing, it doesn't have a lot to lose. For another thing, the PB is considerably more portable than this thing is, which is why I suspect I'd buy the Pro version and not the RT; I can see scenarios where I'd prefer to have my Playbook with me instead of something that big (bear in mind, it's even a little bigger than an iPad!).

    Different devices, different use-cases.
    06-19-12 05:50 PM
  18. Thunderbuck's Avatar
    Actually, I believe that is the future. The heavy, clunky 7# laptop with the HDD is on its way out. SSDs are the future.

    This and the MacBook Air represent the future of computing.

    Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express
    I'm actually quite excited by the Pro model; it's almost a whole new form-factor: a full-blown PC that only includes a keyboard if you want it.

    I know there are a lot of things that are kind-of like it, and Microsoft has been trying to plug tablets for close to a decade, but this really is different. Frankly, more innovative than the new MacBook.
    06-19-12 05:53 PM
  19. avt123's Avatar
    y u so mad brah
    Because people are trying to have a decent conversation and you are typing like a child would over at a Call of Duty forum.

    Back on topic. I think the Surface Pro is going to be great. Like it has already been said in this thread, it will be a real "professional grade" tablet.
    06-19-12 05:55 PM
  20. Blackberry_boffin's Avatar
    Its the metro UI I have a problem with.
    06-19-12 06:10 PM
  21. Stewartj1's Avatar
    I'm definitely intrigued. Looks promising.
    06-19-12 06:20 PM
  22. howarmat's Avatar
    i just want to see price. I think that and maybe that alone can determine its fate. Similar to the PB, they slapped a $500+ price tag on it and it wouldnt move at all. You knock $300 off that price and sell at a loss and you move some stock and gain some marketshare. MS will face this issue also I think. I want one for sure but not it its $1000. I got my dell 15z for around $650 and it was loaded. It does run windows 8 already too. No touch screen but still. The average jack and jill looking at "tablets" isnt going to jump from 300-600 range to 1000 to easily either.

    Asus is making a dual boot android and windows 8 transformer i think and my guess is it will be priced pretty low. That has my attention also. Just have to see.
    06-19-12 06:28 PM
  23. otacon's Avatar
    Off topic: this isn't the first tablet that has a full fledged windows as it's OS. Towhiba launched an Atom powered, 10 inch tablet that has 64gb SSD and runs Windows 7. This way towards the end of 2011... And there's loads more of Windows 7 tablets out there in the market...

    I am always of the opinion that a tablet can never replace my notebook. Maybe I can rely on a tablet for short trips overseas, but for the long run, I still prefer to use my MBAir.
    amazinglygraceless likes this.
    06-19-12 06:45 PM
  24. itmccb's Avatar
    Off topic: this isn't the first tablet that has a full fledged windows as it's OS. Towhiba launched an Atom powered, 10 inch tablet that has 64gb SSD and runs Windows 7. This way towards the end of 2011... And there's loads more of Windows 7 tablets out there in the market...

    I am always of the opinion that a tablet can never replace my notebook. Maybe I can rely on a tablet for short trips overseas, but for the long run, I still prefer to use my MBAir.
    And there are tablets running XP from many eons ago. The neat thing here is that it's a tablet and desktop OS all in one.
    06-19-12 07:00 PM
  25. amazinglygraceless's Avatar
    Its the metro UI I have a problem with.
    I'm running Windows 8 on my netbook now and the UI while taking a bit to get used to is
    really quite nice even in a non-touchscreen environment. What were/are your issues?
    sashlon likes this.
    06-19-12 07:06 PM
58 123
LINK TO POST COPIED TO CLIPBOARD