Whos buying a a W8 Tablet?

Which W8 Tablet?

  • Windows RT

    Votes: 37 14.5%

  • Windows 8

    Votes: 28 10.9%

  • Windows 8 Pro

    Votes: 114 44.5%

  • None

    Votes: 105 41.0%
  • Total voters
    256
Is Samsung the only one that has the closest specs to the Surface Pro? All the others guys are either lacking a 1080p screen, active digitizer, or a keyboard dock.

I heard Asus is holding an event the 23rd, so I hope they will announce at least one device similar to their transformer series with a 1080p screen, HD 4000, active digitizer, and a keyboard dock. If not then Samsung is the only choice left.
 
heatlesssun said:
Duh, thanks! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN4tb8OwoG0&feature=g-hist
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Wish I knew Russian.

Nice to see a final production unit. I am glad the SD slot made it. That was iffy.

Lots of vents. Kinda looks like they took a laptop and turned it upside down for their case design.

MS surface pro probably has the best venting solution for using your laptop on the bed.

Why does every reviewer not know how to use a stylus? They tend to only think the pen is a replacement for fat fingers. Those who try to write with it can never get it to work like in this video. Why? They are touching the buttons on the pen as they write. This is a true case of "you are holding it wrong"
 
AQ_OC said:
It depends on what the machine can do. My main reason for a win8 surface tablet will be to run Powerpoint & OneNote on a highly portable "presentation" machine (very light weight with some zots). I want the least expensive machine I can get that does this (need a good digitizing screen/pen, too). If an RT machine will do it, then I'm good. I need it to drive a vga projector. PDFs that can be zoomed in & out like on a tablet is a big plus feature too.

Everything else I do I can do better on some other machine. I want a superlight weight convertible, but if it comes in the form of a Win8 surface tablet, so be it. 2lbs and 6 hrs battery life do the trick.
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Surface RT is perfect for you then. Incredibly thin/light, comes with PowerPoint/OneNote, pen can be added, and you can buy an official VGA adapter for projectors. The PDF viewer included does pinch to zoom very well. I'm mainly pointing this out because I just discovered it does have a VGA adapter available, which I wondered about.

http://www.microsoft.com/Surface/en-US/accessories/more-accessories
 
Agenesis said:
Is Samsung the only one that has the closest specs to the Surface Pro? All the others guys are either lacking a 1080p screen, active digitizer, or a keyboard dock.

I heard Asus is holding an event the 23rd, so I hope they will announce at least one device similar to their transformer series with a 1080p screen, HD 4000, active digitizer, and a keyboard dock. If not then Samsung is the only choice left.
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If you dont mind a permanently attached keyboard the Sony Vaio Duo 11 is better in specs than the 700T. 1200 gives you same processors 1080p IPS LED lit screen, 6GB of ram, 128GB SSD, Digitizer, NFC, GPS, Accelerometer, Gyro etc. It also has full sized ports, HDMI, VGA, 2 USB 3.0, expansion slots, and one of the biggest attractions for me is the expandable sheet battery.
 
///AMG said:
If you dont mind a permanently attached keyboard the Sony Vaio Duo 11 is better in specs than the 700T. 1200 gives you same processors 1080p IPS LED lit screen, 6GB of ram, 128GB SSD, Digitizer, NFC, GPS, Accelerometer, Gyro etc. It also has full sized ports, HDMI, VGA, 2 USB 3.0, expansion slots, and one of the biggest attractions for me is the expandable sheet battery.
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Yeah I saw the vaio but it is too bulky for me. I've owned regular tablet pcs before such as thinkpads and the touch smart series but I've always found it too bulky and can't comfortably hold it up with one hand, and the vaio looks to be the same.

Right now I'm really liking the transformer book but I don't know if that'll ever hit the market. If it doesn't get announced after the 23rd then I'll just go with the next best thing that is the Samsung.
 
Agenesis said:
Yeah I saw the vaio but it is too bulky for me. I've owned regular tablet pcs before such as thinkpads and the touch smart series but I've always found it too bulky and can't comfortably hold it up with one hand, and the vaio looks to be the same.

Right now I'm really liking the transformer book but I don't know if that'll ever hit the market. If it doesn't get announced after the 23rd then I'll just go with the next best thing that is the Samsung.
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Yea, the old tablet pcs were huge. But I believe the vaio duo is ultrabook level thinness. For me I am ok with the extra bulk, I really want battery life and a 256GB SSD. I dont think the samsung will have a replaceable SSD unless you really go at it. The Sony Vaio Duo might, and it has the expandable sheet battery plus full size ports. Though if I dont like the Duo I will probably get the Samsung 700T.
 
Agenesis said:
Yeah I saw the vaio but it is too bulky for me. I've owned regular tablet pcs before such as thinkpads and the touch smart series but I've always found it too bulky and can't comfortably hold it up with one hand, and the vaio looks to be the same.

Right now I'm really liking the transformer book but I don't know if that'll ever hit the market. If it doesn't get announced after the 23rd then I'll just go with the next best thing that is the Samsung.
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Do you have any links to websites with the specifics of the specs for the transformer book series? I'm seeing sizes ranging from 11.6 to 14 inches with some sites saying all have nvidia GPU's in them. However even after searching google and ASUS' website I can't get a hold of any hard specs. This line up is looking good if priced right to me anyway.
 
xBanzai89 said:
Do you have any links to websites with the specifics of the specs for the transformer book series? I'm seeing sizes ranging from 11.6 to 14 inches with some sites saying all have nvidia GPU's in them. However even after searching google and ASUS' website I can't get a hold of any hard specs. This line up is looking good if priced right to me anyway.
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I actually didn't know such device existed until I read this thread several pages back and researched on it. Apparently it'll be sporting an i7, 1080p IPS panel with 3 sizes- 12, 13, and 14, and HD4000 with some undisclosed Nvidia GPU.

It looks very nice but it was announced all the way back in June and the latest discussions that I can find are only revolving around whether or not this device will actually come into existence. Some are speculating Asus may have discarded the line altogether and are going with their VIVO series instead, which only contains a basic RT device and an Atom convertible. I certainty hope not but we will have to wait until the 23rd for any news.

But if it does indeed goes into production I doubt we'll see it within these few months now that I think of it. Asus devices are usually up for preorder at least a month before the actual sale date.
 
Yeah that was my though as well when I could not find any info at all. Crossing my fingers for something with this ASUS announcement.
 
ekuest said:
i want a surface pro right now, but like any intelligent person i will be waiting til i have a chance to really see how it performs and of course compare it to a few alternatives. if theres another 2 or 3 solid competitors to the surface pro by christmas then i will probably try to grab something black friday/cyber monday. the samsung definitely looks nice too.
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This is where I am at. Something to replace an aging laptop, full program functionality and the added bonus of being able to sketch on the touch screen.

I dont think we will see good/any competition for the pro until beginning of the year though. It will we interesting to see the state of MS after windows 8 has landed full force on the market.
 
probably going to get the acer w510 unless something better pops up that runs win8 for $500.
 
OldPueblo said:
Yeah but honestly, you think small businesses have ever really followed the rules? :p
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Those who don't like being sued by MS and the Business Software Alliance do. They offer rewards to unsatisfied employees to turn in their bosses.
 
After playing with a W8 RT tablet in the store yesterday, I have to say I'm definitely planning on getting a Windows 8 tablet. It is incredibly slick. Unfortunately, I'm still playing the waiting game, because I want an x86 tablet so I can run everything. I'm also planning on getting a Lenovo Yoga 13 (or something similar). I'm not worried at all about the Metro interface on start-up. Unlike others, I won't blow an artery over change. I've adopted every Windows version on release day since Windows 98 (with the exception of Win Me), and Windows 8 isn't going to break that streak.

Heck, if the HTC 8x or Lumia 920 impress me enough, I may just jump ship from Android and go all Windows 8.

I can see Microsoft's vision, and they really have thought long-term on the whole "one ecosystem across all computing devices". Sure, Metro interface (or whatever the hell they're calling it) is a miniscule inconvenience on a desktop, but I can see the forest through the trees.

The only thing they're doing wrong is even bothering at all with ARM on the tablet. As long as Clover Trail performs as advertised, there is zero need for ARM on a tablet (and, subsequently, zero need for Windows 8 RT), and it just confuses the average consumer.
 
prtzlboy said:
I can see Microsoft's vision, and they really have thought long-term on the whole "one ecosystem across all computing devices". Sure, Metro interface (or whatever the hell they're calling it) is a miniscule inconvenience on a desktop, but I can see the forest through the trees.
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I think the biggest inconveniences are related the differences in the new UI after almost 20 years of the same basic UI design and Moderns UI's lack of multi-monitor support.

prtzlboy said:
The only thing they're doing wrong is even bothering at all with ARM on the tablet. As long as Clover Trail performs as advertised, there is zero need for ARM on a tablet (and, subsequently, zero need for Windows 8 RT), and it just confuses the average consumer.
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ARM is a hedge to get Windows on lighter, cheaper and more power efficient hardware though at this point cheap doesn't seem to part of the equation. In time though it might every well be that
x86 obviates the need for ARM, we shall see.
 
Newegg seems to be pushing back all their tablet release dates to 11/6

Wonder whats up.
 
The problem with Windows tablets: there's a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't dichotomy going on.

Pick a Windows RT tablet like the Surface RT and you get the price plus battery life you want... but not many apps outside of a slightly stripped down version of Office. And you're still usually dealing with both a Tegra 3 near its end of life and a 1,366 x 768 display, right when peers either cost less for similar hardware or have higher-resolution displays at the same price.

If you want the full Windows app range, you still face something of a dilemma. Going semi-cheap, you have to go with an Atom and resign yourself to never running intensive games or other demanding apps. And if you want full performance, it'll both cost you as well as reflect in the weight and battery life.

That's why I'm probably not in line for a Windows RT or Windows 8 tablet anytime soon. It doesn't help that I already have a third-gen iPad, but even if I didn't, I'd be taking a big risk on a fairly thin ecosystem for truly tablet-native Windows apps or paying through the nose for an experience that isn't as ideal. Microsoft should be glad that its Surface RT pre-orders are partly sold out, though -- that means there's demand that could lead to more of the apps we want to use.
 
prtzlboy said:
After playing with a W8 RT tablet in the store yesterday, I have to say I'm definitely planning on getting a Windows 8 tablet. It is incredibly slick. Unfortunately, I'm still playing the waiting game, because I want an x86 tablet so I can run everything. I'm also planning on getting a Lenovo Yoga 13 (or something similar). I'm not worried at all about the Metro interface on start-up. Unlike others, I won't blow an artery over change. I've adopted every Windows version on release day since Windows 98 (with the exception of Win Me), and Windows 8 isn't going to break that streak.

Heck, if the HTC 8x or Lumia 920 impress me enough, I may just jump ship from Android and go all Windows 8.

I can see Microsoft's vision, and they really have thought long-term on the whole "one ecosystem across all computing devices". Sure, Metro interface (or whatever the hell they're calling it) is a miniscule inconvenience on a desktop, but I can see the forest through the trees.

The only thing they're doing wrong is even bothering at all with ARM on the tablet. As long as Clover Trail performs as advertised, there is zero need for ARM on a tablet (and, subsequently, zero need for Windows 8 RT), and it just confuses the average consumer.
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I am feeling the same. I will be up for renewal on my phone early next year and I will be looking to leave Sprint and see what my options are. I'm seriously considering a switch from Android to Windows for my phone.

For tablets I am probably going to buy my wife a Surface RT or similar tablet as she only wants to do mostly office document editing and media consumption. I'll probably wait a bit until either after christmas or mid next year to see what the next generation of Win8 tablets bring to the game as far as battery life and GPU power go.
 
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If the Manta (Nexus 10 tablet) comes out at a price point that's as competitive as the Nexus 7, it's game over for Surface RT. Win 8 is a nice OS, its not nearly nice enough to make up for the price premium or the lack of apps. Same story as WP7/8, really.
 
MrCrispy said:
If the Manta (Nexus 10 tablet) comes out at a price point that's as competitive as the Nexus 7, it's game over for Surface RT. Win 8 is a nice OS, its not nearly nice enough to make up for the price premium or the lack of apps. Same story as WP7/8, really.
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Windows 8 isn't Windows RT. And I don't think that Windows 8/RT is going to have a hard time attracting apps considering that it's all but certain that there are going to hundreds of millions of Windows 8/RT machines out there when you count desktops, laptops and tablets.

I do think that the prices of Windows 8/RT devices is a problem but at the same time I think the hardware is definitely going to be better on average than Android devices. Android should do well on cheaper devices. But we'll have to see how the pricing on Windows 8/RT does and how the apps come along. As Windows 8/RT devices become cheaper they will sell better.
 
heatlesssun said:
Windows 8 isn't Windows RT. And I don't think that Windows 8/RT is going to have a hard time attracting apps considering that it's all but certain that there are going to hundreds of millions of Windows 8/RT machines out there when you count desktops, laptops and tablets.

I do think that the prices of Windows 8/RT devices is a problem but at the same time I think the hardware is definitely going to be better on average than Android devices. Android should do well on cheaper devices. But we'll have to see how the pricing on Windows 8/RT does and how the apps come along. As Windows 8/RT devices become cheaper they will sell better.
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Exactly. The RT devices shouldn't be lacking much after there has been enough time to develop the apps.
 
xBanzai89 said:
Exactly. The RT devices shouldn't be lacking much after there has been enough time to develop the apps.
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But there are no apps? Well there weren't that many for the iPad either BEFORE it was released. The Windows App Store will be the fastest growing app store ever.
 
heatlesssun said:
Windows 8 isn't Windows RT. And I don't think that Windows 8/RT is going to have a hard time attracting apps considering that it's all but certain that there are going to hundreds of millions of Windows 8/RT machines out there when you count desktops, laptops and tablets.

I do think that the prices of Windows 8/RT devices is a problem but at the same time I think the hardware is definitely going to be better on average than Android devices. Android should do well on cheaper devices. But we'll have to see how the pricing on Windows 8/RT does and how the apps come along. As Windows 8/RT devices become cheaper they will sell better.
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I know Win 8 isn't RT, but when you talk about apps (i.e. WinRT/ModernUI apps) they are the same.

And the apps will go where the sales are. I don't think we can assume there will be a ton of high quality apps in the next few months given the fact that app developers have had the sdk for a really long time and we hardly have any major apps in the store yet. In fact I'm very surprised Microsoft is launching both Windows 8 and Surface in a few days with hardly any apps.
 
MrCrispy said:
I know Win 8 isn't RT, but when you talk about apps (i.e. WinRT/ModernUI apps) they are the same.

And the apps will go where the sales are. I don't think we can assume there will be a ton of high quality apps in the next few months given the fact that app developers have had the sdk for a really long time and we hardly have any major apps in the store yet. In fact I'm very surprised Microsoft is launching both Windows 8 and Surface in a few days with hardly any apps.
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Microsoft hasn't been releasing everything as soon as it was available, I don't know why everyone things that Windows 8 has been released already. And the APIs and tools have changed quite a bit over this last year.

I just did a count, 4420 apps (roughly 200 desktop apps in the listing) in the store BEFORE launch, it'll be at 5000+ on Friday with top tier stuff, Hulu Plus and Sykpe are going to be there, though some. Really, there's just going to be too many Windows 8/RT machines to ignore. If Microsoft could get 100,000 apps for Windows Phones in 18 months, how fast do you think Windows 8/RT Store will reach that mark, something that almost literally will sell 100 times faster?
 
I get that the Verge is trying to be unbiased and even, but I'm sorry they're just missing the purpose behind the surface. I want to punch everyone that thinks having a desktop mode on the tablet is dumb because they are completely missing the reason behind it. Anandtech and Engadget get it. It's not supposed to be another iPad or Android tablet, it exists on three different levels and has strengths all it's own. It's not better or worse, it's different and it's exactly what I've been waiting for. A properly powerful tablet that can do more than consume.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6385/microsoft-surface-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.
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http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/23/microsoft-surface-rt-review/

If, however, you're looking for an impeccably engineered tablet upon which you can do some serious work, a device that doesn't look, feel or act like a toy, then you should get yourself a Surface with Windows RT.
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OldPueblo said:
I get that the Verge is trying to be unbiased and even, but I'm sorry they're just missing the purpose behind the surface. I want to punch everyone that thinks having a desktop mode on the tablet is dumb because they are completely missing the reason behind it. Anandtech and Engadget get it. It's not supposed to be another iPad or Android tablet, it exists on three different levels and has strengths all it's own. It's not better or worse, it's different and it's exactly what I've been waiting for. A properly powerful tablet that can do more than consume.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6385/microsoft-surface-review



http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/23/microsoft-surface-rt-review/
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Agreed.
Here's what sells it for me.
It really is lovely to plug in a USB drive and start dragging and dropping files. Or, feel free to connect that comfortable keyboard you've been using for a decade, or that old tank of an HP LaserJet that's still doing the business after all these years. These are the sorts of luxuries you might take for granted but will appreciate more as you start comparing the Surface to other tablets. In short, that USB connection isn't just a spec or a talking point: it means you can use this Windows tablet like a PC, whenever it's convenient for you.
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Such basic functionally has been missing in the tablet market. It's about damn time.
 
I am really interested in the RT Surface tablet. I think it strikes the right balance between tablet and productivity. I would like to see a Atom version, but for most VDI's and RDP needs, the Tegra 3 should work perfectly. The USB port plus SDxd is a big plus as well. I am very very tempted.... but not sure I can pull the trigger yet.
 
So it seems that Staples will be selling the ativ 500T for $50 off, but no news about if they will stock the keyboard dock as well...can't imagine they won't tho.

Any ideas what retailers in California will be carrying the ativ smart pc pro (the 700T)? Frys, microcenter, etc don't seem to show it on their windows 8 pages, and best buy doesnt seem to have any windows 8 tablets listed at all.
 
I just sold my ipad 3 and am looking for a new tablet. I'm a little concerned that the RT version of the tablet is going to get left behind due to it's ARM architecture compared to the Pro model which would have more in common with the desktop. Will there be a strong developer community based around the arm windows tablets or will they skip over it for the pro tablet and win8 desktop?

I'm also waiting to see if google unveils a nexus 10 tablet next week before making my decision.
 
Gabik123 said:
So it seems that Staples will be selling the ativ 500T for $50 off, but no news about if they will stock the keyboard dock as well...can't imagine they won't tho.

Any ideas what retailers in California will be carrying the ativ smart pc pro (the 700T)? Frys, microcenter, etc don't seem to show it on their windows 8 pages, and best buy doesnt seem to have any windows 8 tablets listed at all.
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For frys the 700T is located in their notebook page. Heres the link. I will be going to frys friday during lunch time to check the tablets. I really hope they have them in their store.
 
Archer75 said:
I just sold my ipad 3 and am looking for a new tablet. I'm a little concerned that the RT version of the tablet is going to get left behind due to it's ARM architecture compared to the Pro model which would have more in common with the desktop. Will there be a strong developer community based around the arm windows tablets or will they skip over it for the pro tablet and win8 desktop?

I'm also waiting to see if google unveils a nexus 10 tablet next week before making my decision.
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Even if you decide you want some kind of Windows RT tablet, ARM is evolving much faster than x86 right now. We will probably see ARM Krait/A15 designs doubling (+100%) the performance of the Tegra 3 in the next 6 months. It takes about 5 years to see that kind of performance jump in x86.

I would avoid Tegra 3 RT devices and wait for Krait/A15.
 
For anyone who pre-ordered a win8 tablet.

What did you order? And from what online store? Have you been charged yet?

I ask because I pre-ordered a samsung ativ pro from newegg and they are showing 11/7 release date? Amazon shows 10/26.

Did Newegg screw themselves on making sales? or is the amazon release date wrong.
 
I ordered the same device, the Ativ Pro back on the 12th from Amazon and you are correct, it's showing a ship date of Friday the 26th, no charge yet. I've heard rumors that a lot of devices will start shipping tomorrow to be on doorsteps by Friday with overnight shipping.

As soon as I'm charged, I'll let you know.
 
heatlesssun said:
I ordered the same device, the Ativ Pro back on the 12th from Amazon and you are correct, it's showing a ship date of Friday the 26th, no charge yet. I've heard rumors that a lot of devices will start shipping tomorrow to be on doorsteps by Friday with overnight shipping.

As soon as I'm charged, I'll let you know.
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please do :) If you get charged tonight I may eat the tax and order from amazon
 
We should all post our experiences on friday when we get them. I am curious about how everyone's experience will go with W8 and the tablet hybrids. Hopefully they will be all that they are hyped to be. I can't believe I am saying this though, I hope I walk out of frys on friday at least $1200 less in my pockets with a tablet in my arms lol.
 
///AMG said:
We should all post our experiences on friday when we get them. I am curious about how everyone's experience will go with W8 and the tablet hybrids. Hopefully they will be all that they are hyped to be. I can't believe I am saying this though, I hope I walk out of frys on friday at least $1200 less in my pockets with a tablet in my arms lol.
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Yeah, I was tempted to cancel my Amazon order and order from Fry's because their site says they're shipping today, but with my luck it'll be slower than the Amazon order, would love to have the weekend to play with it and wish there were a Fry's nearby to pick one up.

I think that x86 hybrids will be generally well regarded by buyers, but the IT media will get on them for their cost and battery life probably. Might be wrong, but it's tough for even good Windows hardware to get rave reviews in the world of Apple. That said, I think some IT folks my see these devices as sexier than say MacBook Airs.
 
Shadohh said:
please do :) If you get charged tonight I may eat the tax and order from amazon
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Yeah, update your status as well. I do wonder what the supply will be like. Even with Windows 7 tablets, they tended to be hard to get the first few weeks because of the low numbers, but I have to figure that these Windows 8 devices were made in a bit higher quantity for launch, at least I would hope.
 
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