Microsoft Details Surface Pro Pricing Amidst Reports of Poor Sales of RT Version

[throAU]

I think the point with the battery life comparison is this:

Tablets are intended to be used away from a desk and away from an AC point.

If you can only use one for 4 hours like that, it is not really a usable device for people intending to work like that all day no matter how mobile it is.

The iPad can do that. A laptop can do that.

 

[AppleScruff1]

What do you want me to do, compare specs? They're about the same except that the Surface has a better screen and battery while the Air has more ports and the ability to run any OS.

I meant the looks nice and runs a good OS and doesn't have Pro in it's name. That's subjective.

 

[haruhiko]

Apples (pardon the pun) and oranges my dear lad.

iPad total sales are over 100 million now.

----------

Thanks for help in reinforcing my view point.

That's what I wanted to do.

 

[Renzatic]

Most netbooks have an Atom processor which is substantially underpowered compared to the Core 2 Duo in the Macbok Air.

Without an SSD drive while we are at it.

A more fair comparison would be with an Ultrabook.

Which is pretty much what the Pro is. If you want a truly fair comparison, you should compare it to a Macbook Air rather than an iPad. They're the same price, have the same hardware inside, an SSD, similarly price, and roughly the same battery life.

 

[haruhiko]

What do you want me to do, compare specs? They're about the same except that the Surface has a better screen and battery while the Air has more ports and the ability to run any OS. I'd consider the Surface a better deal for the hardware, but it's still a bad deal, and it's supposed to be "Pro". The Air is clearly not for someone who cares about specs.

The Surface has a 1366 x 768 screen. How is it a better screen than the iPad's 2048 x 1536? It's not even better than the MacBook Air 1440 x 900

 

[Renzatic]

The Surface has a 1366 x 768 screen. How is it a better screen than the iPad's 2048 x 1536? It's not even better than the MacBook Air 1440 x 900

He might be talking about the Pro, which falls a bit short of the iPad, but is much higher than the 1440x900 screen on the Air.

 

[AppleScruff1]

As always, the people who claim to be objective and preach that we should criticize apple because it is the objective thing to do, somehow always lose their sense of objectivity and facts when it's something that favors Apple (Really? Calling an i5/i7 equipped computer a "Netbook"?)

You're absolutely correct about the current 11"MBA. It is far from a netbook. I posted that due to the first version of the 11" MBA being called an overpriced netbook by many here a year or so ago.

 

[Yamcha]

Surface RT has approximately 10 hours of battery life. Surface Pro will have much less because of the hardware.. Frankly there is no way a Desktop level processor or GPU today can sustain 10 hours of battery life.

Especially considering the form-factor, so I think 4-5hours on an Ivy-Bridge processor is to be expected..

 

[AppleScruff1]

He might be talking about the Pro, which falls a bit short of the iPad, but is much higher than the 1440x900 screen on the Air.

I think this is what he was talking about.

 

[linuxcooldude]

Which is pretty much what the Pro is. If you want a truly fair comparison, you should compare it to a Macbook Air rather than an iPad. They're the same price, have the same hardware inside, an SSD, similarly price, and roughly the same battery life.

Actually that comparison might not be that far off, but without a touch screen interface on the Air, I don't think its quite the same.

 

[jreuschl]

I'll say this:

RT is a joke. MS could have made a low end Atom 8 Pro tablet that is more affordable and forgot about RT.
Given specs, I don't think the Pro is that overpriced. Maybe including the keyboard would be appropriate.
Those saying how overpriced it is, how much would a touch MacBook Air cost?

 

[Abazigal]

I just don't see why they used a Core i5 over the newest Atoms.

What real work besides watching videos, typing up documents, browsing the web, listening to music would the Surface Pro tablet do? The Atom accomplishes all these tasks.

An Atom would do all those tasks just fine, and increase the battery life, and lower the cost. Fail on Microsoft on that part.

Besides that, I like Windows 8 and I can't wait for next year's better models. I'll consider a thinkpad convertible if the price is right.

You would be able to run resource-intensive apps like lightroom and photoshop on a surface pro, as well as theoretically play PC games (right?). Whether they work properly on a touch interface is another matter though. And with such usage, good luck with the battery lasting more than 2 hours...

 

[Renzatic]

I think this is what he was talking about.

Yeah, it's kinda obvious.

I don't get all the hate on this. I mean comeon. We all love Macbook Airs here, right? They're apparently the greatest portable computer ever and all that.

...then MS releases a machine that's almost identical hardware wise with a higher res touch enabled screen and a pen digitizer, and suddenly it's...holy crap...the worst thing ever.

 

[ldominguez1986]

I remember the days when my friends would tell me to bail on apple, they could never be as big or as successful as microsoft. oh how the tides change.

I really wouldn't say OSX is successful though. All of Apple's money comes from IOS not OSX. I would wager the reason why PC sales have dropped is because of the iPad and hardly because of any macs. I love my macbook pro because it just does what I need it to do very well. Windows is also a great OS. I built my own PC for my office and love it, but I will admit that windows 8 is terrible.

 

[AppleScruff1]

Yeah, it's kinda obvious.

I don't get all the hate on this. I mean comeon. We all love Macbook Airs here, right? They're apparently the greatest portable computer ever and all that.

...then MS releases a machine that's almost identical hardware wise with a higher res touch enabled screen and a pen digitizer, and suddenly it's...holy crap...the worst thing ever.

Agreed. The Air is very nice machine. But most can't give MS it's just due.

 

[Renzatic]

Actually that comparison might not be that far off, but without a touch screen interface on the Air, I don't think its quite the same.

Not quite the same, but close enough. I dunno if I can say it's better than the MBA for doing traditionally laptop style computer tasks, but it's potentially more versatile.

If it can keep a 3-5 hour charge while running Photoshop, I'm sure tons of artists would eat it up.

 

[NAG]

Agreed. The Air is very nice machine. But most can't give MS it's just due.

You failed to mention the downside of how you cannot use the Surface on your lap (and you have to use the trackpad to use the classic Windows interface because they have not sufficiently optimized it for touch). Microsoft is at least going in the right direction with the don't-call-it-Metro interface but they have a lot more catching up to do.

 

[Mr. Gates]

I'm done with this crap.

Last words, I find it to be HILARIOUS how threatened all the Apple Nazis are by this option.

I'm a fan of technology, I understand that options are good and competition is good.

I don't hate Android, MS, Apple or Linux.

I like them all .

I would love to have all of them.

What I don't like is all the Frothing at the mouth

 

[linuxcooldude]

I really wouldn't say OSX is successful though. All of Apple's money comes from IOS not OSX. I would wager the reason why PC sales have dropped is because of the iPad and hardly because of any macs. I love my macbook pro because it just does what I need it to do very well. Windows is also a great OS. I built my own PC for my office and love it, but I will admit that windows 8 is terrible.

OS X, while not wildly popular as iOS, is still successful. While PC desktops sale dropped sharply, Mac Desktops have slowly gone up. Still need development support for iOS on OS X desktops, laptops.

I'm done with this crap.

Last words, I find it to be HILARIOUS how threatened all the Apple Nazis are by this option.

I'm a fan of technology, I understand that options are good and competition is good.

I don't hate Android, MS, Apple or Linux.

I like them all .

I would love to have all of them.

What I don't like is all the Frothing at the mouth

Um, yeah...you don't seem to have a problem going on other threads putting your two cents in when problems crop up with Apple. But when its issues with Microsoft now you seem to love em all...lol. At least be consistant.

I like the idea behind Surface tablets, not so much windows 8.

 

[IGregory]

900 dollars for a tablet? LOL what a joke.

Its more than a tablet - its a table OS. Furthermore, surface also suffers from lack Apps. This is a two to three year project for Microsoft. Lets see what happens when the Apps improve.

I tested the Surface RT. I found it to be very smooth, no lag. The concept is good. Its just the IPAD has a four year head start.

 

[fertilized-egg]

Yeah, it's kinda obvious.

I don't get all the hate on this. I mean comeon. We all love Macbook Airs here, right? They're apparently the greatest portable computer ever and all that.

...then MS releases a machine that's almost identical hardware wise with a higher res touch enabled screen and a pen digitizer, and suddenly it's...holy crap...the worst thing ever.

Because Surface Pro shares little in common with Macbook Air other than the internal components. People love Macbook Air not mainly for its innards but for its trackpad, (for a ultrathin) long battery life, excellent trackpad and keyboard, rigid aluminum build quality, OSX, etc. Basically Surface Pro is Macbook Air without all of its the strengths but instead a touch screen and a stylus built-in on a better screen.

I'm done with this crap.

Last words, I find it to be HILARIOUS how threatened all the Apple Nazis are by this option.

I'm a fan of technology, I understand that options are good and competition is good.

Here's a refreshing idea. Microsoft could've stopped with all the "no compromise" BS and make a really good laptop OS/hardware and a concentrated tablet. Right now they have a product that's neither here nor there. Competition is only good when they actually make something competitive.

I don't hate Android, MS, Apple or Linux.

I like them all .

I would love to have all of them.

What I don't like is all the Frothing at the mouth

I do find it fascinating that nearly every single Macrumors poster who openly espouse a neutral position and objectivity do little else but to criticize Apple and take the side against Apple almost all the time. Somehow it's hard to believe the MO isn't to be a contrarian for the sake of being a contrarian.

 

[Vetvito]

I don't get what the problem is, it's not a tablet. It's a full PC and the tablet stuff is just a bonus.

The only problems I have is the 64gb, and lack of included keyboard.

 

[jmgregory1]

Where's spinedoc with his reasons why this pricing news is actually good for MS and it's a game changer for thinking about tablets...I mean small screened laptops with a detachable keyboard (if you pay extra for it).

I feel bad for MS. They really seem to be falling further and further behind the times.

 

[AppleScruff1]

Because Surface Pro shares little in common with Macbook Air other than the internal components. People love Macbook Air not mainly for its innards but for its trackpad, (for a ultrathin) long battery life, excellent trackpad and keyboard, OSX, etc. Basically Surface Pro is Macbook Air without all of its the strengths but instead a touch screen and a stylus built-in on a better screen.

Apple has the best trackpad in the business.

 

[kas23]

All I can think of is this: I'd HATE to be the guy at a Microsoft store having to sell people a four hour battery life product with a straight face. I just couldn't do it. Glad I don't work at a Microsoft store.

My 2012 MacBook Air gets 3 hours tops.