Surface Pro shows what Macbook could have been, what new Macs need?

[t0mat0]

Watching the Microsoft announcements - It looks like Microsoft's put themselves into the laptop and tablet hardware game, and finally renewed the Lumia a bit.

Microsoft's out with a really interesting hardware and software answer to dockable tablets to make a laptop too - the hinge looks good, and Skylake's ability to use external GPU is being used too.

Looks like they may be turning around, and ahead of Apple in several ways - what do you think?

 

[The Phazer]

The Surface Book crushed anything Apple has put out recently. It was rather depressing to be honest.

 

[calganelle]

I love ALL of my Apple devices but the Surface Book, and even the SP4 are amazing.. and I think I'd end up recommending both of them to the people around me who are in the market for a laptop.

 

[PDFierro]

No way. Touch screens and convertible mode have no place in OS X. And Apple knows that. Many of us wouldn't have bought the MacBook if it had those things.

 

[Queen6]

The Surface Book crushed anything Apple has put out recently. It was rather depressing to be honest.

Completely agree, the Retina MacBook is by far the best thing Apple has released in several years, however fundamentally its`s the same in a smaller albeit better package. Personally I don't care for the way Windows functions or it`s UX, equally it`s difficult to deny that the direction they are going with the Surface Book/Pro 4 is wrong. Microsoft also appear to be very much listening to their customers and reviewers as with each generation the Surface Pro not only gets better, they address the concerns.

Am very much hoping that Apple will use Skylake as the starting point of something exciting for OS X & the Mac, equally I rather expect more of the same. The iPad Pro would have been spectacular had it run both IOS & OS X, sharing documents, mail, messages, bookmarks etc. as it stands it`s just a bigger IOS device...

In many respects Apple has lost it`s imagination "Here’s to the crazy ones. The rebels. The troublemakers. The ones who see things differently. While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."

Q-6

 

[toddzrx]

Watching the Microsoft announcements - It looks like Microsoft's put themselves into the laptop and tablet hardware game, and finally renewed the Lumia a bit.

Microsoft's out with a really interesting hardware and software answer to dockable tablets to make a laptop too - the hinge looks good, and Skylake's ability to use external GPU is being used too.

Looks like they may be turning around, and ahead of Apple in several ways - what do you think?

Not sure why you posted in this forum. It appears the Surface Book is intended to be more of a competitor to the Macbook Pro than the Macbook, given the specs and size. Or are you referring to the new Surface Pro 4?

One thing I think Microsoft was dumb on: they should have included at least one USB C port on both the Surface 4 and Surface Book. As it stands now, these are not future-proofed.

 

[KPOM]

The Display Dock is interesting (albeit limited to USB 2.0 peripherals). It's almost what Apple's MacBook Dock should have been.

I wonder if the iPhone 7 will have a USB-C port instead of Lightning. USB-C brings some interesting possibilities.

 

[SteveJUAE]

No way. Touch screens and convertible mode have no place in OS X. And Apple knows that. Many of us wouldn't have bought the MacBook if it had those things.

So if Apple had an Ipad Pro that docked as a screen when attached to Macbook base that would not be cool ?

A big thumbs up to Microsoft IMO these 2 devices are tempting enough to ditch my rMB even if slightly larger, spec options look extensive but I wonder why no 1T SDD on the Surface Book on pre order

 

[BenTrovato]

I don't know why after all this time people are surprised Apple isn't first on the scene. Apple was never going to do this product first. The hardware they showed today looks great but nobody has used it so we don't know what the user experience will be like. This is why people make fun of Apple fanboys. Apple releases a product and people have to buy it. Microsoft releases a product and already people think it's awesome. Maybe it is, maybe it's not. As for Apple, if the Surface Book is any good, they'll somehow copy it with some tweaks and release their own. It always goes that way.

 

[cbautis2]

The Surface Book crushed anything Apple has put out recently. It was rather depressing to be honest.

Are you kidding me? It's running Windoze 10 which if full of glitches, BSOD crashes and Spyware. rMB simply provides unparalleled experience compared to that Surface POS.

 

[PDFierro]

So if Apple had an Ipad Pro that docked as a screen when attached to Macbook base that would not be cool ?

A big thumbs up to Microsoft IMO these 2 devices are tempting enough to ditch my rMB even if slightly larger, spec options look extensive but I wonder why no 1T SDD on the Surface Book on pre order

I wouldn't be a buyer. No touch screen and no detachable screen are positives.

 

[xPad]

Surface Pro shows what Macbook could have been, what new Macs need?

No. The only real differences are the hybrid OS, (now) a GPU keyboard thing and a touchscreen on PCs.

There's really no need for any of that from Apple. Touch screen OS X is a dud, hybrid OS is one valid way of solving the tablet/PC issue, but so is having two separate but powerful OS's, designed for each type of device.

The GPU in the keyboard one is a non-difference. All devices in question have a GPU. Where it's located is irrelevant, but if you are going to make a hybrid device, splitting the silicon out like that makes more sense than if you are making notebooks (MacBooks) and tablets (iPads) as distinct devices.

 

[KPOM]

No. The only real differences are the hybrid OS, (now) a GPU keyboard thing and a touchscreen on PCs.

There's really no need for any of that from Apple. Touch screen OS X is a dud, hybrid OS is one valid way of solving the tablet/PC issue, but so is having two separate but powerful OS's, designed for each type of device.

The GPU in the keyboard one is a non-difference. All devices in question have a GPU. Where it's located is irrelevant, but if you are going to make a hybrid device, splitting the silicon out like that makes more sense than if you are making notebooks (MacBooks) and tablets (iPads) as distinct devices.

Price is one significant advantage, though. This essentially combines with the iPad Pro and the MacBook Pro in a device comparably priced to the MacBook Pro alone (it's actually about $200 more than the MacBook Pro based on the storage and RAM size). The Skylake MBP should catch up in terms of performance, but considering that the iPad Pro itself will run an additional $799-$1347 depending on configuration and whether you get the Pencil and Keyboard), businesses might be reluctant to purchase the iPad Pro.

Remember, Apple missed out on 2 years of "phablet" sales, and it's entirely conceivable Microsoft's "converged" vision for PCs and tablets (and phones, for that matter) will be successful. If Core M or Atom become efficient enough to use on phones, then Microsoft's vision could be easily realized. Apple has doubled down on ARM for mobile, but still has a desktop OS running on Intel, which makes convergence a bit more difficult.

 

[Mal67]

The Surface Book appears to be a genuinely impressive piece of kit. Pity its W10 though. Hopefully this will spur Apple to get a bit more creative and a bit more practical with its next lot of notebooks especially the rMacbook.

 

[cbautis2]

Any innovative laptop equipped with Windoze 10 will suck. It won't suck if it's loaded with Linux however.

 

[Adamantoise]

Any innovative laptop equipped with Windoze 10 will suck. It won't suck if it's loaded with Linux however.

Says people who have never used Windows 10.

Windows 10 is a better OS than anything that has come after Snow Leopard. Not sure what you think OS X does so well.

 

[cbautis2]

Says people who have never used Windows 10.

Windows 10 is a better OS than anything that has come after Snow Leopard. Not sure what you think OS X does so well.

Haha LOLz. Imagine you just working on a project then all of a sudden BSOD: http://news.softpedia.com/news/micr...hdog-violation-bsod-promises-fix-493754.shtml

That **** is universal for people running Windoze. It's a POS OS like any Windoze version.

And only masochists like Windoze users love to tinker their OS every minute just to make it work right

 

[boltjames]

Any innovative laptop equipped with Windoze 10 will suck. It won't suck if it's loaded with Linux however.

I run Windows 10 exclusively on my RMB and it is fantastic, in fact from what I read about OSX issues with the machine it looks like Windows 10 may be superior. It's incredibly stable, very fast, the MacBook is the best Windows machine I've ever owned and I've owned dozens.

Try not falling for old wives tales. You know, like "a watched pot never boils". Spoiler; it does.

BJ

 

[cbautis2]

It's so funny that Windoze runs better on a Mac than any Windoze laptops, even on M$ Surface 3/Pro 3. So many returns of SP3/S3 due to so many glitches which is why I only use OS X and anything Windoze sucks while it's only acceptable running on a Mac.

 

[tom vilsack]

Apple fan's should stand and cheer this great laptop from Microsoft. This will force Apple's hand to give us even better products. Competition is always good!

 

[Ka Tec]

It's also so funny windows 10 runs better on my MacBook than OSX. I use both environments extensively and have to say Windows 10 wins. Apple has come catching up

 

[Kpjoslee]

Hope this prompts Apple to bring some innovation to MB-MBP line.

It's so funny that Windoze runs better on a Mac than any Windoze laptops, even on M$ Surface 3/Pro 3. So many returns of SP3/S3 due to so many glitches which is why I only use OS X and anything Windoze sucks while it's only acceptable running on a Mac.

I love the forum's ignore feature for this kind of garbage.

 

[soulreaver99]

Are you kidding me? It's running Windoze 10 which if full of glitches, BSOD crashes and Spyware. rMB simply provides unparalleled experience compared to that Surface POS.

Oh god just stop already. And learn to spell Windows while you're at it.

 

[xmichaelp]

I still have zero interest in tablets, touch screen laptops, or hybrids. A retina MacBook is still my dream portable device.

 

[robertopod1968]

Apple is nowhere near being able to do this stuff. OS X isn't close to being touch worthy. So they just keep bringing out bigger tablets which are really just bigger iPhones. You can have the iPhone 6, the 6+,the 6++(iPad mini),the 6+++(iPad Air), or 6++++(iPad pro). They really are all the same. Or you get a computer. Kinda hasn't changed in years. Just bigger or smaller and faster processors. A little better display. Blah blah. Nothingness