Surface?

A

AQ_OC

2[H]4U
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What? No comments or threads?

I'm concerned that the key travel will be too shallow.
 
I think it looks cool, at least on par with the iPad and maybe better.

Steve Jobs was a pro at inserting the price knife with a slow twist while saying, "All this for only $1299!" We'll see how the price plays out here for MS.
 
I'm totally in love with the Surface. I can't wait for a REAL computer in a tablet form, it's just what i've been waiting for.
 
Yep. Once i'm done with my master's...I wont be in need of a power horse PC anymore. This should fit my needs sufficiently.
 
for a business point of view , surface will be great. If i can run all the same programs on a surface and on my desktop, im DOWN.
 
AQ_OC said:
What? No comments or threads?

I'm concerned that the key travel will be too shallow.
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The keys have travel? It's like a membrane keyboard. I did notice however that some of the pictures seem to show individual keys like that of a slim type keyboard.

What i would be really interested tho is the possibility of extra functionalities in the keyboard like the auxillary ports and extra batteries in the asus transformer. A tablet could always use extra batteries and harddrive.

The #1 question tho would likely be "How much is it?"
 
Price is everything. If the Pro is priced close to an Ultrabook, it will have a hard time selling. I've no doubt we'll see many competing designs with a detatchable keyboard (like the Prime). After all, MS is delaying the Pro by 3 months to appease their hardware partners.
 
Wow, i'm very suprised at a lack of a huge thread regarding this as well. To me this is an iPad killer. A real x86 tablet /w keyboard and even mouse surface if needbe. Finally i'll be able to run real programs and not 'apps'. There are 2 flavors of the keyboard, one is a 'touchscreen' keyboard that apparently works better than a glass touchscreen can (we'll see) and another keyboard thats a bit thicker so you can acually feel the button being pressed.

I think that the RT (ARM) version will flop, and the (if priced under 899) x86 version will take off. To me what the x86 version means is i will never have to buy another traditional laptop again unless i want one specifically for gaming.

Them my 2 bits
 
microsoft-vs-neo-ipad.jpg
 
Sly said:
The keys have travel? It's like a membrane keyboard. I did notice however that some of the pictures seem to show individual keys like that of a slim type keyboard.
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There are two different keyboards. They are the "Touch Cover" and "Type Cover." The Touch Cover is the thinner of the two, and uses pressure sensitive technology. The Type Cover is a more conventional keyboard, that is 2mm's thicker, but has actual tactile keys.

Anyway, I think the Surface looks pretty cool, and I'll be curious to see some of the specs, including the battery life, and what the pricing will be. I've used the Windows 8 developer and consumer previews, but they've always been on my Netbook. This is the type of device I want to try Windows 8 on, as I think it'll definitely fit this type of device better then a plain old netbook/notebook, or desktop.
 
People say that Microsoft doesn't listen or understand. I think Surface proves that they actually do get it. There's going to be a lot of hate of Metro on desktops and rumors have it that internally Microsoft had this same debate. It looks like this device and Courier were simultaneous projects going on at Microsoft to determine what kind of tablet Microsoft was going to build and that Microsoft had decided to make a tablet even before the iPad was released.

Though many will see this as a copy of the iPad, this device really has much of it origins in the original Tablet PC from ten years ago. Indeed the Windows 8 Pro Surface even has a digital pen which was the key feature of the Tablet PC back then and it got a lot of play in the announcement yesterday. But there's no mistake that this is a response to the iPad and quite honestly I think it's a very good response from what I've seen thus far. There are going to be plenty of people that may hate Windows 8 on a conventional PC but will probably love it on a device like this. Hybrid device, hybrid OS, a perfect fit for the Frankenstein OS.
 
I hope MS makes the connector port a standard requirement so the keyboard will be compatible with other manufacturers and maybe get some third party keyboards that will emulate the transformer style keyboard if MS doesn't make those.
 
I'm buying the Pro version day 1, might even do the RT as well for around the house.
 
Sly said:
I hope MS makes the connector port a standard requirement so the keyboard will be compatible with other manufacturers and maybe get some third party keyboards that will emulate the transformer style keyboard if MS doesn't make those.
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I folding keyboard dock with an extra battery would put this thing over the top and with the amount of thought Microsoft put into this I'm sure they thought about that. However that's a hybrid design that several of their partners are already doing and I think Microsoft didn't want to directly step on it's OEM toes. But if Microsoft doesn't make one then hopefully third parties can and will be allowed to.
 
OldPueblo said:
I'm buying the Pro version day 1, might even do the RT as well for around the house.
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Yeah I'll get both if the RT runs no more than $600 for the top end and the Pro no more than $1200 for the 128 GB version. I wish the Pro was coming out at launch but my guess is that Microsoft is probably delaying its release past the Christmas rush as a favor to their OEM partners.
 
The Surface Pro seems like the device I really wanted when I my bought my Samsung UMPC back in the day, for $1100. Piece of junk, that (still works, though). So the Surface, in comparison, will rock! Hopefully, it will be much cheaper, too.
 
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KENNYB said:
16x9 probably killed having a larger trackpad. So fuck you 16x9.
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The width of 16x9 is also what probably allows a fairly good sized keyboard with decently sized keys and no shrunken shift keys or anything like that.
 
heatlesssun said:
I folding keyboard dock with an extra battery would put this thing over the top and with the amount of thought Microsoft put into this I'm sure they thought about that. However that's a hybrid design that several of their partners are already doing and I think Microsoft didn't want to directly step on it's OEM toes. But if Microsoft doesn't make one then hopefully third parties can and will be allowed to.
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I'm actually hoping for battery+harddrive in the dock. A harddrive would be overkill for an android tablet but we could always use more space for a productivity tablet. Even low performance ones like the ones they put in older netbooks will do.

btw, what's a MIMO antennae?
 
Sly said:
btw, what's a MIMO antennae?
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In the announcement yesterday Sinofsky made mention of it being the first use of this antennae technology in a tablet and it's supposed to allow for great WiFi.

A hard drive in the dock would be pretty cool.
 
teiresias said:
The width of 16x9 is also what probably allows a fairly good sized keyboard with decently sized keys and no shrunken shift keys or anything like that.
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Yeah, you're right. I just detest small trackpads and that thing is small.
 
Honestly, the most appealing thing to me is the kickstand.

If I wanted a high power x86 PC, I'd get an ultrabook. I'd feel more professional wipping one of those out at a meeting than that thing. (as silly as that sounds)

I think the RT will flop but that really depends on price. If they can make one for $200, perhaps not.
 
Pull out a Surface Pro, flip the cover around and start writing on it, pretty professional and it definitely makes an interesting impression on people.

And if Microsoft could sell a device with the quality, specs and size of the Surface RT with full versions of Office applications for $200 it would wipe out every tablet in the market including the iPad.
 
heatlesssun said:
Pull out a Surface Pro, flip the cover around and start writing on it, pretty professional and it definitely makes an interesting impression on people.

And if Microsoft could sell a device with the quality, specs and size of the Surface RT with full versions of Office applications for $200 it would wipe out every tablet in the market including the iPad.
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$200 is a pipe dream, never gonna happen! I'd be very happy with $250, and that coupled with aggressive marketing could really make a difference. We'll see what kind of reception Win 8 gets and how the app store looks, that's also key.

I'm not sure how committed MS is to this. They can quite easily sell the Pro to their enterprise customers and not care about the consumer market. They had a success with Xbox (after losing many billions on it for years), but Windows Phone has been a dismal failure by all accounts, and is arguably one of the best phones (hw+sw) out today.
 
Even at $250 the Surface RT would wipe out the current market competition and my guess all kinds of legal actions would be taken against Microsoft over anti-trust issues.

I'd say Microsoft is committed to this as far as it's partners are willing to allow. My guess is that Microsoft isn't particularly comfortable with competing with its customers but needed to do something extraordinary considering the controversial aid risky nature of Windows 8.
 
The purpose behind Surface is to show what Win8 can really do when offered with the right hardware. It's about the experience. It's not really meant to be like a Kindle Fire where they want millions to be sold and to just blanket everybody with it. If that were the case I think it would have been smaller, maybe a bit cheaper looking, you know what I mean. This is meant to hold up a standard that everything else can be compared to. I imagine many partners will rise to that standard and/or make cheaper versions to cover the low-end, like the existing Acer W500, etc. It's a budget type tablet and yet it runs Win8 really well.
 
AQ_OC said:
The Surface Pro seems like the device I really wanted with my bought my Samsung UMPC back in the day, for $1100. Piece of junk, that (still works, though). So the Surface, in comparison, will rock! Hopefully, it will be much cheaper, too.
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Surface with awesome keyboard. Agree?
 
This is a premium device to show what tablets can do (the bonded screen tech, vaperMG doesn't scream cheap). Saying that, it doesn't look like the RT version can even handle 1080p so I think they may have missed a trick there. Otherwise it would make a nice toy.

I'm trying to find an ultrabook with atleast 8gigs are RAM (for work) and proper HD, there must be one soon!

What is the release date on these?
 
Win8 RT will launch with Win8 whenever that happens (not far off), and Win8 Pro will launch three months later it looks like.
 
I'd imagine the RT version will cost at least $500 to compete with the iPad and the pro version will be going for the $800 range minimum, but I wouldn't be surprised if it went into the $1000~$1500 ranges since it'll compete with ultrabooks in terms of performance and usability.

As much as I'd like it to be around the $200 range - it ain't gonna happen.
 
Agenesis said:
I'd imagine the RT version will cost at least $500 to compete with the iPad and the pro version will be going for the $800 range minimum, but I wouldn't be surprised if it went into the $1000~$1500 ranges since it'll compete with ultrabooks in terms of performance and usability.

As much as I'd like it to be around the $200 range - it ain't gonna happen.
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What are the odds of MS getting sued if they were to sell Ultrabooks for $600?
 
Sly said:
What are the odds of MS getting sued if they were to sell Ultrabooks for $600?
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Probably high. But this is marketed as a tablet so it wouldn't be an issue. I'm sure people who wants a light laptop will still go after ultrabooks because at the end of the day constantly flipping the kickstand and having your keyboard flopping around will only be so fun.
 
Agenesis said:
Probably high. But this is marketed as a tablet so it wouldn't be an issue.
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But Microsoft's partners are also making devices like the Surface Pro so they can't undercut their partners like that.

I have no idea where these crazy prices are coming from. $200, $250 for the RT? Hell at that price Apple would sue Microsoft. Microsoft is probably making a hell of a lot of people nervous. Windows Store and now their own PCs? I bet there's a zillion eyes are on Microsoft right now and if they came out with Surface hardware at the prices some of you guys are saying do you think there's any doubt that there'd be lawsuits and injunctions galore thrown at them?
 
First off, I watched the entire press conference, and I was really excited about the surface pro. I have been buying and using mini windows based PC platforms with inking capabilities for several years now, and i have been holding out waiting for something that has ivy bridge, a keyboard, usb 3.0, etc... and the surface pro seems to be perfect. I think it looks like a well designed and thought out product that I actually plan on getting.


That said, I just noticed something disturbing... look closer at the keyboard....
Where the crap are the function keys? I use way to many development tools that rely on function key shortcuts..
please say they at least the volume / playback keys on the top row at least double as function keys despite not having F1, F2, F3, etc printed on them.... If I have to open up the on screen keyboard app in order to use function keys, so help me microsoft, I will convert to linux... :p (ok probably not, but still)
 
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