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Microsoft Surface Pro to Be Released February 9 with $899 Price Tag
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Why is MR putting this chart up with the Surface Pro along side a iPad?
A Surface is a workstation, tablet, notebook crossbreed that will be very good for business. As a I.T. Manager this device will replace my thin clients, Workstations, notebooks, ultra books and the 100+ iPads. It is the perfect device for companies that do alot of admin work, accounting and telemarketing. Its going to save my a truck load out of the budget to spend on infrastructure upgrades and the like.
And to have a go at the operating system when it will do everything our IT department throw at it. The nightmares we have had trying to get iOS to be anything other than useless for productivity with in a large corporate network infrastructure has be laughable.
Back to my first question. Please don't put a iPad with it closed down Eco system striped of all choices to make it easy to use, against a product that will bring so much benefit to the business sector and push companies to make products similar or even better.
The Surface Pro will suit business a lot better than home use. Leave that to Apple and Android.
A Surface is a workstation, tablet, notebook crossbreed that will be very good for business. As a I.T. Manager this device will replace my thin clients, Workstations, notebooks, ultra books and the 100+ iPads. It is the perfect device for companies that do alot of admin work, accounting and telemarketing. Its going to save my a truck load out of the budget to spend on infrastructure upgrades and the like.
And to have a go at the operating system when it will do everything our IT department throw at it. The nightmares we have had trying to get iOS to be anything other than useless for productivity with in a large corporate network infrastructure has be laughable.
Back to my first question. Please don't put a iPad with it closed down Eco system striped of all choices to make it easy to use, against a product that will bring so much benefit to the business sector and push companies to make products similar or even better.
The Surface Pro will suit business a lot better than home use. Leave that to Apple and Android.
Only if you're poor and fly economy class
For the record, I've used a Surface (albeit an RT model) on an economy table and it fit fine. And this was on one of those tiny single class regional jets.
Hugely, they use ALOOMINUM!!! Should be priced at $999 for the 16GB, I mean I pay for style son!!!!
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Yeah, provided you don't try to choke it out by running Photoshop with 500 20 megapixel pictures open in it or something.
Really, Windows system requirements as per the box have stayed exactly the same since Vista, and the OSes themselves have been tweaked to run thinner and lighter where ever possible. Windows 8 in general usually consumes a good 15-25% less memory than 7 does...and I've run 7 on a machine with 2GB without any hiccups or problems before.
While I'm no fan of Windows 8, I do like the fact that it is available with 128GB, perhaps this will spur Apple etc to increase the storage on the iPad and iPhones.
A better way to do this would be to go feature by feature instead of compare markets
IE is the Surface Pro better for note taking?
With the 600 ppi Wacom digitizer/stylus + inking, I'd say yeah
etc
It's the other way around. Apple devalues software to sell hardware. They barely make squat off the app store. If that 30% actually mean something to them, they wouldn't have let iOS turn into a cheap mess of $1 and Freemium ware. They'd be trying to maximize app pricepoints on mobile.
Amazon uses hardware to sell retail goods and books. They're different.
I wonder why so many people are going for the iPad mini over the full size? I foolishly thought it was due to it's lower price.
I think $899 is a fair price for an ultrabook replacement. The Surface pro is much more like the MacBook Air than an iPad. It's just build to allow possible tablet function. Don't know if it'll come with a touch cover, but it should. An additional $100 for their more traditional type cover would be reasonable. I tried out their touch cover and it works fine for me, and I didn't need to adjust to it significantly. Overall, $999 is a competitive price for an ultrabook, and high enough to force their OEMs to price their products lower.
I look at the Surface as Microsoft's attempt to show what Windows 8 can do, and to attempt to take advantage of all the possible features. It's similar to how Google developed the Nexus One as a benchmark for other OEMs. Not all the features are necessary for one device, or one device type, however the OEMs can pick and choose to apply what they like to their own tablet conversions. For example, the Yoga or the Taichi.
I look at the Surface as Microsoft's attempt to show what Windows 8 can do, and to attempt to take advantage of all the possible features. It's similar to how Google developed the Nexus One as a benchmark for other OEMs. Not all the features are necessary for one device, or one device type, however the OEMs can pick and choose to apply what they like to their own tablet conversions. For example, the Yoga or the Taichi.
Let me admit my bias up front: I don't have any Microsoft software on any machine I own. I don't like Microsoft very much.
But I predict they'll sell almost as many Surface Pros as they did Zunes. The exact same people will buy them ... well, those who aren't dead or haven't switched to an OS that actually allows them to get something done.
In two or three years, the various Surface iterations will be another bad memory for Microsoft lovers ... like the Zune! I cannot wait to see the lack of lines at my local Microsoft mall kiosk on 9 February.
But I predict they'll sell almost as many Surface Pros as they did Zunes. The exact same people will buy them ... well, those who aren't dead or haven't switched to an OS that actually allows them to get something done.
In two or three years, the various Surface iterations will be another bad memory for Microsoft lovers ... like the Zune! I cannot wait to see the lack of lines at my local Microsoft mall kiosk on 9 February.
No offence but with that thinking we'd never progress. If you remember, we were also doing just fine with horse and carriage, muskets etc...
Eh those are those cheap bastards that don't deserve to buy anything. It's gross frankly. Sick of these poor bastards ruining Apple's good name. I bet they don't even drive a Bentley, gross.
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Funny that the world runs on Windows. Even Apple's iCloud uses Microsoft software.
Frankly, it's the ergonomy of tablets I dislike. I have yet to even find a comfortable positions in which to use them for more than 2 consecutive minutes.
And laptops are as good for all the tasks you list.
The pricing isn't bad, but it isn't great either. I doubt that at 2lbs, it will get much actual "tablet" usage. With the Type Cover, it winds up costing more than a comparable MacBook Air or Asus Zenbook. Granted, it has the touchscreen, but it lacks the MacBook Air's superior connectivity (Thunderbolt, 2 USB 3.0 ports), and isn't as easy to use on a lap or tray table.
That is exactly the problem I see with this tablet. I might be a good (as a tablet) but there is no way it is worth the cost.
I'm not sure what this product would replace.
Heavier, less resolution, Windows 8, (probably) less battery life, same price...
I'm not sensing the love, here. In fact, after 3 years and a lot of vaporware, MS is losing their minds.
I'm not sensing the love, here. In fact, after 3 years and a lot of vaporware, MS is losing their minds.
They don't realize that they are hurting Apple's bottom line by purchasing the entry level product. For some reason they are putting their needs ahead of Apple's.
I was just going to post the same.
64GB is lame and 128GBs with Apples purchasing power should be near to being affordable., with more and more players wanting these.
In that analogy, Microsoft has barely even managed to get on base, much less hit a home run. They do the whole 'point to the outfield bleachers' thing before every pitch, and keep swinging at *every* pitch that comes across the plate, but the best they've managed in the mobile space has been a walk, and stealing first due to errors on the part of the 'other team' (Palm).
Apple didn't dance around, they practiced hard in private, and came prepared for the game. It's not much of a surprise they ended up with a home run considering the teams they were up against.
And ironically, it's not entirely Microsoft's fault that their primary audience is hooked on cheap. After all, Microsoft-branded hardware has *seldom* been at the cheap end. Its the (abusive) relationships they built with OEMs, and the ensuing 'race to the bottom' in the '80s and '90s that bought them that end result.
this may work
Ah, now, what this is, is the wet dream tablet for IT Administrators around the globe. You know, the folks who just can't stand the fact that Apple's had the most usable (only real tablet ) on the market for the PAST 3 YEARS!
The Surface Pro may be perfectly fine, and would probably have been wildly successful in a computing landscape of a decade ago, but times have changed. Apple understood that a cross between a hand held and a laptop just doesn't work, and so the iPad rightfully doesn't try to be a MacBook with "touch".
Doesn't matter though - the IT crowd is going to look at this as their opportunity to perpetuate the Windows-only house of cards they know and love. Because the Pro will run existing full desktop apps (and Office!) IT won't have to adapt or learn any new technology. You watch, despite the drawbacks of a hybrid device, poor (relatively) battery life, and the UI awkwardness (oh yes, I've used Win 8 - eww), this thing will proliferate throughout corp. IT departments...
Or I could be completely wrong and it will flop... But I see no middle ground here - this thing will show up at companies everywhere (and be as despised by users as the PC is) by the millions, or it will be soundly rejected and cease to exist in a year or two. Get out the popcorn, this is going to be interesting to watch.
Ah, now, what this is, is the wet dream tablet for IT Administrators around the globe. You know, the folks who just can't stand the fact that Apple's had the most usable (only real tablet
) on the market for the PAST 3 YEARS!The Surface Pro may be perfectly fine, and would probably have been wildly successful in a computing landscape of a decade ago, but times have changed. Apple understood that a cross between a hand held and a laptop just doesn't work, and so the iPad rightfully doesn't try to be a MacBook with "touch".
Doesn't matter though - the IT crowd is going to look at this as their opportunity to perpetuate the Windows-only house of cards they know and love. Because the Pro will run existing full desktop apps (and Office!) IT won't have to adapt or learn any new technology. You watch, despite the drawbacks of a hybrid device, poor (relatively) battery life, and the UI awkwardness (oh yes, I've used Win 8 - eww), this thing will proliferate throughout corp. IT departments...
Or I could be completely wrong and it will flop... But I see no middle ground here - this thing will show up at companies everywhere (and be as despised by users as the PC is) by the millions, or it will be soundly rejected and cease to exist in a year or two. Get out the popcorn, this is going to be interesting to watch.
I'm not sure what part of the world you're in, friend, but my part of the world is decidedly not Windows-based!
Go into any Starbucks in London or New York, where working people are socializing whilst getting real work done. Mac laptops proliferate like legal addictive stimulants.
By the way, please change your avatar. I just got spit in my eye!
They emphasize hardware for retail sales, but I disagree when it comes to their profit on the apps. They still make money off of free apps. There's plenty of advertisements they get from them. 30% off of 99 cents is not much, or even 30% off of $1.99 is not much. However, we are seeing more in app purchases, and more apps that cost more. Even apps like Pandora who links to iTunes will add to Apple's profits. It's a slow but steady cash flow.