Microsoft Surface 'Good' For PC Ecosystem

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According to Microsoft's CFO Peter Klein, the Surface is good for the PC ecosystem. He must be talking about the Surface Pro, not the RT.

"There are always things we can do like the Surface that's good for the ecosystem, good for customers," he said, responding to a question about vertical integration. The "ecosystem" is essentially code for the PC industry, while "vertical integration" implies doing both the software and the hardware -- which Apple has been very successful at.
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I think the Surface Pro definitely is ... Tablets are the sexy new form factor in computing and the SP seems to be a reasonable contender in that arena ... I doubt it will help much on the consumer front but it could be highly desirable on the Enterprise front
 
The biggest problem is the same one that ultrabooks have sorta a hand in doing. Instead of making portable computers less expensive, it sets a pricing bar sort of high which might discourage cost sensitive people from making a computer purchase if the industry follows the trend. I've been sorta noticing that computers are marked at higher prices on store shelves with fewer models competing on cost. That might be a bad thing.
 
kbrickley said:
I think the Surface Pro definitely is ... Tablets are the sexy new form factor in computing and the SP seems to be a reasonable contender in that arena ... I doubt it will help much on the consumer front but it could be highly desirable on the Enterprise front
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That presents a problem since Metro was engineered and tailored 100% toward the consumer and enterprise be damned.

If they think enterprise is going to pick SurfacePro's up they're in for a rude awakening.
 
odditory said:
That presents a problem since Metro was engineered and tailored 100% toward the consumer and enterprise be damned.

If they think enterprise is going to pick SurfacePro's up they're in for a rude awakening.
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I work in an Enterprise environment and we're looking at Surface Pro. Why not? Not understanding all the hate.
 
odditory said:
That presents a problem since Metro was engineered and tailored 100% toward the consumer and enterprise be damned.
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So what about enterprises picking up iPads? Arbitrary distinctions between consumer and business technology are sometimes made when they are often one in the same.
 
bpmurrGT said:
I work in an Enterprise environment and we're looking at Surface Pro. Why not? Not understanding all the hate.
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When a decision maker actually places an order for a quantity beyond a tester unit or two then your statement will mean something.
 
I would say Microsoft Surface Pro IS a PC. I would say Windows 8/Metro is a step sideways that makes no sense. I would say Surface RT was a disaster anyone with 10 brain cells would have predicted.
I would also say Ballmer is bad for Microsoft.
 
SkribbelKat said:
The biggest problem is the same one that ultrabooks have sorta a hand in doing. Instead of making portable computers less expensive, it sets a pricing bar sort of high which might discourage cost sensitive people from making a computer purchase if the industry follows the trend. I've been sorta noticing that computers are marked at higher prices on store shelves with fewer models competing on cost. That might be a bad thing.
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I was just in a Micro Center and many people shopping on laptop shelves were... not savvy. But they wanted to be guided through the process, touch things and judge on looks, etc.

And they were definitely game for paying $50-150 for antivirus, even with Windows Defender pre-installed. D'oh!

But some of the normal notebooks are really inexpensive, e.g. very fast compared to what that same price bought in 2010. Maybe they are subsidized. I picked one up for $350.
 
odditory said:
When a decision maker actually places an order for a quantity beyond a tester unit or two then your statement will mean something.
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Well considering I'm on of those decision makers I'll let you know what we decide. So far it's looking up for Surface Pro.
 
bpmurrGT said:
Well considering I'm on of those decision makers I'll let you know what we decide. So far it's looking up for Surface Pro.
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The purchase is where the rubber meets the road, and once your CIO gets a whiff of the new UI designed by honey boo boo, you'll have a harder time vaulting him over the fascination threshhold.
 
odditory said:
The purchase is where the rubber meets the road, and once your CIO gets a whiff of the new UI designed by honey boo boo, you'll have a harder time vaulting him over the fascination threshhold.
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Lol.

I love my Surface Pro. Metro is a great UI for touch screens. Easy to use and a decent clean look. When I'm ready to seriously use the tablet as a PC I can push a simple button and boom I'm on the desktop with Steam, the full Office suite and any application I want.

The price is a bit high I will agree and with all the wireless connections up and running and the CPU going full tilt battery life is a bit challenged. But if your off a network and turn off wireless connections and just working on a spreadsheet the battery life is quite acceptable.

I don't understand all of the hate against the device. RT is a consumption device and fairly good at it. The desktop on that device is dump and the marketing was crappy. The Pro is a great PC. What does apple offer for enterprise users? An OS from a phone and issues getting certain applications to sync up with it which work find on the PC's everyone uses at work.

the only real UI change your griping about is the start menu. Boo Hoo, if it is a huge deal it can be converted to look like a normal windows start screen from the past. If the iPad can get through with its phone OS I think Windows 8 Professional is acceptable.

The iPad is a great consumption device and with all of its apps can create some good things. However the Surface Pro allows you to pick up where you left off on your PC and just keep going seamlessly. No device is perfect but I am very pleased with the Pro.
 
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