Microsoft Surface Pro to Be Released February 9 with $899 Price Tag

KiwiAdventure · Jan 22, 2013

What an ugly heap of rubbish. Just shows how lost Microsoft is. Mac all the way.

I just had my 34 month old Macbook Pro 13" crash a drive. It was only a 160g drive. Apple replaced the drive with a 500g and my Time Capsule restored all my work with no loss what so ever. Apple Care is great.

locust76 · Jan 22, 2013

scrapple said:
STEAM, DROOL!!!

Just wish it had 8gb of ram... my steam games and my corded 360 joystick would love this on long flights.....

Ill wait for benchmarks...

Your steam games won't love the integrated Intel graphics.

ZZ Bottom · Jan 22, 2013

Darrin Bell said:
Not really. This is going to make me switch to PC. I've owned nothing but Macs since '95 and I love the OS; but I'm a digital artist and I'm tired of waiting for Apple to come out with something like this (and the Modbook is WAY too expensive). The Surface Pro can run Photoshop, Storyboard Pro, and it's got a Wacom pressure-sensitive digitizer. I never wanted to go back to a PC, but this just makes so much sense for artists (and I'm sure it'll make plenty of sense for PC users who just like the form factor).

------------------
DarrinBell.com

Checked out your website, your stuff is very impressive.

We can hope that products like these experience enough success that it convinces Apple to offer an "iPad Pro" version with an active digitizer. It won't be OS X, but there will certainly be enough iOS apps that allow as much creative abilities as Mac OS counterparts like Photoshop and Toonboom, with some obvious performance/project size limitations.

Also judging by the amount of negative posts in this thread that make zero acknowledgment of the wacom digitizer, you're not going to convince most of them who have no use for a computer in general aside from creating word docs and consuming media.

LachlanH · Jan 22, 2013

Darrin Bell said:
Not really. This is going to make me switch to PC. I've owned nothing but Macs since '95 and I love the OS; but I'm a digital artist and I'm tired of waiting for Apple to come out with something like this (and the Modbook is WAY too expensive). The Surface Pro can run Photoshop, Storyboard Pro, and it's got a Wacom pressure-sensitive digitizer. I never wanted to go back to a PC, but this just makes so much sense for artists (and I'm sure it'll make plenty of sense for PC users who just like the form factor).

------------------
DarrinBell.com

Photoshop on a 10" 1080p screen? I am very curious to know if that would actually end up being....enjoyable. Surely the UI elements would be simply too small to be practical or comfortable to use? I mean most 1080p screens that photoshop would be designed for would be 23" and above no?

Oh and also.. although the surface pro has an i5, it's not exactly a 35w desktop i5. How well does photoshop run on a base 11" MBA? If it's too slow on that then the surface isn't going to fair any better. Just something you might want to consider, not trying to talk you out of the Surface as such, I'm just curious to know if this sort of usage scenario is actually...viable.

Treq · Jan 22, 2013

locust76 said:
Your steam games won't love the integrated Intel graphics.

Actually, the HD4000 isn't that bad. I got the latest mac mini with it and Have played many steam games like crisis, crisis 2, Skyrim, Bioshock 2, and others, with no problems. Not at the ultra high settings for all of them, but acceptable medium to high settings. All at 1080p on my TV.

The real problem here is a 17w processor with a 42.0wh battery. That's like 2.5 hrs of use. You'd have a hard time watching a movie on a short flight, much less a game on a long flight.

Edit: I do have win7 64bit installed on a bootcamp partition for the games that haven't made it to osx yet. But I really hate using win7, way too clunky. It's like they made an operating system for humans to use, without ever meeting a human.

Mainsail · Jan 22, 2013

I like the idea of a hybrid device.....but in practice, I am not so sure. When in desktop mode, it is really hard to beat a mouse, since small excursions of the mouse covers significant area. When in tablet mode, desktop apps are terrible. I would hate to run windows programs, like office, on a tablet. Trying to hit those tiny icons in the ribbon would drive me nuts.

The problem is that the Surface will cost over $1,000, and Windows users can easily buy two devices for that price. They can get a ipad mini or Android Tablet for $200-$400. They can get a decent Laptop for $600-$800. With cloud computing, syncing email, contact, calendars, documents, etc across multiple devices is really pretty easy.....so, there is not much advantage to having one hybrid device.

Bantz · Jan 22, 2013

ZZ Bottom said:
I'm currently running it on two i7 PCs (3770k & 2600k). While performance is very satisfying, it seems as though Windows will always be far less thought out than OS X.

Exhibit A:
Compare "Control Panel" and "System Preferences"
- Control Panel is a cluster****. Windows continues to be the ONLY desktop OS that refuses to clean up rather then continue to clutter system controls. I've run 3 different Linux flavors, who all rival OS X for system cleanliness. And now with Windows 8 its even worse with "modern UI settings" thrown into the mix.

Exhibit B:
Lack of integrated Software/Utilities in Windows compared to OS X.
We can say that due to Mac OS's past as the underdog, they have had to support a vast array of file extensions out of the box (pdf, doc, iso, etc..). However, Microsoft is embarrassingly behind in support and ability compared to what is included with 10.8 out of the box. Microsoft has a history of forcing users to seek outside software for everything from burning discs, viewing and editing popular document formats, compressing/uncompressing files, supporting various mainstream codecs, etc... It has not improved enough from XP to Win8. It's disturbing that I can't even view a .doc file in Windows 8 without having it display as jibberish (in wordpad). As of now I still have a list of software (mostly opensource) that I install on every new Windows machine just to accommodate all the necessary circumstances which OS X covers straight out of the box.

Windows in my opinion will never be a superior OS (which it could) until they take interface design seriously. I'm not talking about customization; I'm talking about solving problems of clutter.

Most of the things you mention has been included in Windows for a long time such as burning disks, Windows 8 now comes with a pdf viewer , windows has been able to open and make zip files for a long time (I think since XP) and media player tries to download codecs for things you open. Its not as if Quick Time is any good.
Microsoft also get sued for including Applications with the os such as IE, Media Player and Msn Messanger

Very unfair

AppleScruff1 · Jan 22, 2013

LachlanH said:
Photoshop on a 10" 1080p screen? I am very curious to know if that would actually end up being....enjoyable. Surely the UI elements would be simply too small to be practical or comfortable to use? I mean most 1080p screens that photoshop would be designed for would be 23" and above no?

Oh and also.. although the surface pro has an i5, it's not exactly a 35w desktop i5. How well does photoshop run on a base 11" MBA? If it's too slow on that then the surface isn't going to fair any better. Just something you might want to consider, not trying to talk you out of the Surface as such, I'm just curious to know if this sort of usage scenario is actually...viable.

When they 11" Air first came out there were people on the MB forums claiming they were encoding 4K video with no problems.

MacDav · Jan 22, 2013

Yeah well it looks like my old 2004 IBM thinkpad only with a kick stand on the back. Sign me up not to get one.

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actionjunky said:
This is the typical specmanship games from Microsoft. I could care less about the specifications beyond storage capacity. Either it performs well, or it doesn't. The user experience is a combination of hardware and software working together.

Here we have an i5 processor, much more RAM and full operating system. I seriously doubt the battery life will be exceptional. Apple has been successful because they realize that different tools are needed for different jobs. If I need immediate access to information, I have the phone.

For heavier web-surfing, reading, and research, there is the iPad.

For graphic intensive applications and reporting, there is the laptop. The iPad 3 has never failed to respond almost instantaneously. Microsoft is trying to fix a problem that doesn't exist.

Hey, thanks now I don't need to update my vision prescription.

4D4M · Jan 23, 2013

Darrin Bell said:
This is going to make me switch to PC.

Bye. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

MRU · Jan 23, 2013

pearvsapple said:
Apple should convert Macbook Air into a hybrid tablet with x86 hardwares.

I can envision them releasing a MBA with Touch, running ARM architecture and instead of OSX it would run iOS 7. Pre-loaded with pages / numbers / keynote etc..

Released around $699-749 for 32GB ($100-150 over the 32GB ipad) it could find a place.

Would I want it? No.

But seeing as Apple has indeed become a 'me too' company of late it's certainly plausible.

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LachlanH said:
Photoshop on a 10" 1080p screen? I am very curious to know if that would actually end up being....enjoyable. Surely the UI elements would be simply too small to be practical or comfortable to use? I mean most 1080p screens that photoshop would be designed for would be 23" and above no?

Oh and also.. although the surface pro has an i5, it's not exactly a 35w desktop i5. How well does photoshop run on a base 11" MBA? If it's too slow on that then the surface isn't going to fair any better. Just something you might want to consider, not trying to talk you out of the Surface as such, I'm just curious to know if this sort of usage scenario is actually...viable.

Photoshop on a 11" MBA runs fantastically.

Even a base i5 or i7 is a lot more powerful than any of the core duo or core2duo machines people were running last few years past which all had no problems or people complaint about running photoshop so why would the current MacBook air be gimped somehow?

Oh and FYI you can increase the font in the GUI in photoshop if you think the resolution is too high on a small screen, but with the Wacom surface pen it wouldn't be a problem. Using the pen would be more accurate than a mouse any day,

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Darrin Bell said:
Not really. This is going to make me switch to PC. I've owned nothing but Macs since '95 and I love the OS; but I'm a digital artist and I'm tired of waiting for Apple to come out with something like this (and the Modbook is WAY too expensive). The Surface Pro can run Photoshop, Storyboard Pro, and it's got a Wacom pressure-sensitive digitizer. I never wanted to go back to a PC, but this just makes so much sense for artists (and I'm sure it'll make plenty of sense for PC users who just like the form factor).

------------------
DarrinBell.com

Its the 256 levels of pressure sensitivity that might stop me. I'm not convinced that's enough.

Otherwise I'm like you...

And like you I looked at the mod book pro but its just way too expensive. At $2500 if I imported paid VAT/Tax charges it would be closer to €3000 here. A surface pro at €899-999 is a third of that, and more justifiable,

Take the OS out of it and our design software looks and behaves exactly the same on PC as it does on Mac, so software wise I'm not bothered that its running windows 8, just that it will run my illustration programmes which it will.

Darrin Bell · Jan 23, 2013

ZZ Bottom said:
Checked out your website, your stuff is very impressive.

Thank you!

We can hope that products like these experience enough success that it convinces Apple to offer an "iPad Pro" version with an active digitizer. It won't be OS X, but there will certainly be enough iOS apps that allow as much creative abilities as Mac OS counterparts like Photoshop and Toonboom, with some obvious performance/project size limitations.

That's my hope as well. If a future iPad has an active digitizer and lets me run apps that approximate Photoshop (complete with layers, filters, actions, etc.) and ToonBoom, I'm sure I'll be back. I just feel like I've been holding my breath for them to do that for several years now.

Also judging by the amount of negative posts in this thread that make zero acknowledgment of the wacom digitizer, you're not going to convince most of them who have no use for a computer in general aside from creating word docs and consuming media.

True. I know the professional or student artist niche (while it numbers in the millions) is probably too small for Apple to prioritize. Hopefully the market will show that this sort of thing appeals to far more than just artists.

4D4M said:
Bye. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Seriously? Was that called for?

LachlanH said:
Photoshop on a 10" 1080p screen? I am very curious to know if that would actually end up being....enjoyable. Surely the UI elements would be simply too small to be practical or comfortable to use? I mean most 1080p screens that photoshop would be designed for would be 23" and above no?

I've been using the 12" Wacom Cintiq with my Macbook Pro for years now, and I find that it's enough screen real estate. I'm not sure whether cutting two more inches would make it unpleasant. If I could scroll the image around with my fingers, it'd probably be just fine. But you're right, it is a concern.

Oh and also.. although the surface pro has an i5, it's not exactly a 35w desktop i5. How well does photoshop run on a base 11" MBA? If it's too slow on that then the surface isn't going to fair any better. Just something you might want to consider, not trying to talk you out of the Surface as such, I'm just curious to know if this sort of usage scenario is actually...viable.

To be honest, it'd probably still be a step up for me, since I'm currently using a 2007 Core 2 Duo MBP. If I had a newer MBP I might think the Pro's i5 was unacceptable, but I'm use to Photoshop CS5 taking up to half a minute just to save a file, so even the Surface Pro would seem blazing fast to me.

MacRumorUser said:
Its the 256 levels of pressure sensitivity that might stop me. I'm not convinced that's enough.

Otherwise I'm like you...

And like you I looked at the mod book pro but its just way too expensive. At $2500 if I imported paid VAT/Tax charges it would be closer to €3000 here. A surface pro at €899-999 is a third of that, and more justifiable,

Take the OS out of it and our design software looks and behaves exactly the same on PC as it does on Mac, so software wise I'm not bothered that its running windows 8, just that it will run my illustration programmes which it will.

I agree, the software's more important than the hardware, and the programs I use are identical on the PC. I am concerned about the 256 levels of sensitivity, but I've never used any less than 1156, so I don't know what 256 would end up looking like.

------------------
DarrinBell.com

RolyPolyBird · Jan 23, 2013

Macrolido said:
Looks good but, why a non-Apple product appears on MR?

MacRumours has always featured stories like this and I am glad they do. It shows the context of the present Apple line up to the rest of the industry.

KnightWRX · Jan 23, 2013

AppleScruff1 said:
Why can't you put the tablet in your lap just like you do with your laptop? Other than size it should be pretty much the same to use. I would think that the the tablet would be easier to use while reading on the couch or in bed. I think it is more stable since it is one flat piece.

I've covered this before, because using the tablet on my lap, I either have to prop it up using my legs, bending my knees, which is uncomfortable for a long period, or bend down my neck, which is also uncomfortable for long periods of time.

Nothing is more stable than a laptop with an adjustable hinge btw.

Tablet ergonomics are just flat out horrible.

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AppleScruff1 said:
When they 11" Air first came out there were people on the MB forums claiming they were encoding 4K video with no problems.

I can encode 4K video on my 15 year old P2-333 PC. Why would it be a problem ?

The only difference is the time it will take. Do people really think that because a CPU is slower or has less core, that somehow it'll generate errors in the encoding process ? Of course not. It'll just take longer.

yakapo · Jan 23, 2013

Darrin Bell said:
Not really. This is going to make me switch to PC. I've owned nothing but Macs since '95 and I love the OS; but I'm a digital artist and I'm tired of waiting for Apple to come out with something like this (and the Modbook is WAY too expensive). The Surface Pro can run Photoshop, Storyboard Pro, and it's got a Wacom pressure-sensitive digitizer. I never wanted to go back to a PC, but this just makes so much sense for artists (and I'm sure it'll make plenty of sense for PC users who just like the form factor).

------------------
DarrinBell.com

If you can hold off, Haswell chips will be released this summer. Maybe they'll have a mid cycle refresh. Haswell should be a substantial improvement over the integrated graphics.

alexgowers · Jan 23, 2013

1. What is a MS product doing on an apple site. It clearly is an ad or put here as a joke.

2. MS is too proud to just make a tablet all in one ecosystem, their whole philosophy is flawed. You have to control all aspects from os to software available to give a great user experience. We are no longer living in a geek computer age, any retard could be using one now.

MS should go back to the drawing board and have a proper go! not this conglomeration of parts, it's the ugly Frankenstein device that no one will ever love.

jca666us · Jan 23, 2013

KdParker said:
Been using windows 8 for a while and I don't have any issues with usablity at all.

Good for you. I've used windows 8 for a month and its a piece of junk.

The modern interface has a few good points, but on a desktop is putrid.

The integration between the two interfaces is horribly done.

Perhaps by windows 9 or windows 10 they'll have worked out the kinks and figured out how to make the two interface work together better.

Grohowiak · Jan 23, 2013

jmoore5196 said:
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!

Starbucks??

...

Fine with me though

More apps will sell

Truth is professionals use whatever they need to get the job done.
I work on windows machines making iOS games. I only switch to mac when it's time to publish.
They are undeniably better for the price and they are super stable unless you go on watching porn sites and get infected...

adiosjefe · Jan 23, 2013

balamw said:
Isn't that always the case for Windows? The third release (Windows 8 Service Pack 2?) will resolve most of the issues.

I didn't even mind Vista terribly by the time Service Pack 1 came out, by SP2 it was finally a step up from XP.

B

And OSX or iOS runs perfectly from the start...right??? You cannot possibly be this blind the problems with Apple products. I'm still waiting for the Purchased link to work in App Store on my iPad.

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KiwiAdventure said:
What an ugly heap of rubbish. Just shows how lost Microsoft is. Mac all the way.

I just had my 34 month old Macbook Pro 13" crash a drive. It was only a 160g drive. Apple replaced the drive with a 500g and my Time Capsule restored all my work with no loss what so ever. Apple Care is great.

Something tells me if it had an Apple logo on it you would love it.

balamw · Jan 23, 2013

adiosjefe said:
And OSX or iOS runs perfectly from the start...right??? You cannot possibly be this blind the problems with Apple products. I'm still waiting for the Purchased link to work in App Store on my iPad.

I usually advocate waiting for X.Y.1 for similar reasons.

B

KnightWRX · Jan 23, 2013

alexgowers said:
1. What is a MS product doing on an apple site. It clearly is an ad or put here as a joke.

Or it's put there for the same reason every other story about Apple's competition is put there, because on MacRumors, we also like to know and discuss what the competition is doing and how it could potentially affect Apple's offerings in the future.

You must be new here, because ever since I started visiting this site, we've had stories about the competition which were neither Ads or Jokes.

adiosjefe · Jan 23, 2013

herbalizer said:
Only retards care about SPECS. I don't give a rats ass if the Surface has the best proc ever. I'm never going to voluntarily buy a MS product, let alone use one. They make garbage products for retards, period.

Then don't buy one. It's certainly not worth getting this worked up over. And seriously, "retards"...way to be a respectable person.

Wicked1 · Jan 23, 2013

I hate with a passion Windows 8 or anything to do with it, will not ever buy one of these, and I think they are not selling well.

It will be interesting to see what Microsoft does if it aquires Dell as it is in talks with Dell to buy it and take it private.

That being said if Dell is bought by MS, I think that will be a doomsday blow to all the other PC MFG's that use Windows, if it even clears the SEC to begin with, but then again Goodle/Android was able to buy Motorola, so we will see.

CausticPuppy · Jan 23, 2013

TheHateMachine said:
I was on a flight from Houston to LA and the Surface sat extended on the tray with no problems whatsoever. I used it the entire flight with its keyboard and kickstand out. (Outside of the no electronics periods)

Dammit, Leo Laporte lied to me....

Itpirate · Jan 23, 2013

Windows 8 is a mess at this time when using many 3rd party applications. We have tried it and demo'd it to see how it will work with all of the applications we use at work. It will be awhile before we ever push 8 to our corporate machines.

We are having a lot of problems with Infopath workflows. You would think two microsoft products would play nicely together.

That being said, I have used and played around with the surface a lot the past month and do think it is a step in the right direction. It may be able to find a nitch between the IPAD and MBA. That being said, I will not be replacing my MBA, iPad or my Lenovo laptops with a surface anytime soon.

Microsoft Surface Pro to Be Released February 9 with $899 Price Tag

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