Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Microsoft Announces New 'Surface' Tablet, New Hardware and Software Based on Windows 8

EbookReader said:
First ad for the Surface


Near the end, the release date is announced
10/26/2012

I wonder if Microsoft will sell this "at-cost" like Amazon, Google, Barnes & Noble.
Click to expand...
Their advertisement selection is even worse than their tech lag.

Microsoft should continue milking companies for Server and Office software - sticking some new tiles on ancient software and selling it as something entirely novel is just a typical Microsoft reaction.
 
http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/16/microsoft-puts-a-price-on-surface-starts-at-499/

mssurfacepricingrevealedjtjht.jpg
 
EbookReader said:
Why is it suicide to sell the device at cost?
Click to expand...


Because it will basically kill all the vendor who want to produce W8 tablet. Msft charge 15-30 a copy for W8. So if Msft just break even on the suface, everybody else (Samsung, Dell, Leveno etc. etc.) will loss money. So who would want to produce tablet if they are looking to loss money???
 
Zunerific prices. They think they can just slide right into Apple's price range on a market that they've utterly dominated for years. A $120 keyboard/cover? How they'd do that math? They took the price of an Apple SmartCover plus the price of an Apple wireless keyboard and added another 12 bucks?

Hell naw. This won't fly. And I don't say that as some brainwashed Apple fanboy, but as a Windows user since 1993.
 
EbookReader said:
Look like Microsoft is not selling it at cost

$499 for a 32GB
Amazon is selling their Kindle Fire 9" HD 32GB for $369.


Loook like it is up at the Canadian Store too (for $30 higher than the USA prices)
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msca/en_CA/pdp/productID.257918700
Click to expand...

Essentially it is $100 less than the comparable iPad ($499 for the 32GB Surface vs $599 for the 32GB iPad). Microsoft doesn't want to give this away, and they are banking on a slight discount plus the included MS Office to make it appealing. I think it's a good move. It differentiates the Surface from the cheap Android tablets. Microsoft's strength is in the enterprise anyway.

----------
Anuba said:
They think they can just slide right into Apple's price range on a market that they've utterly dominated for years. A $120 keyboard/cover? How they'd do that math? They took the price of an Apple SmartCover plus the price of an Apple wireless keyboard and added another 12 bucks?

Hell naw. This won't fly. And I don't say that as some brainwashed Apple fanboy, but as a Windows user since 1993.
Click to expand...

Including a mostly full version of Office and undercutting Apple by $100 might attract some enterprise business. Plus, if Microsoft is taking the same approach with Surface as Google does with its Nexus line, it isn't looking to replicate the iPad. It may just be looking to push the envelope so that Acer, HP, etc. don't just put out cheap iPad clones running Windows RT.

The pricing shouldn't be surprising since Ballmer himself said a few months ago that Apple (rather than Android OEMs) had the pricing right.
 
I'm really excited about the Surface, can't wait to try one. That cover is way too pricey though. I do like that the Surface has a USB port for a keyboard or mouse, however.
 
KPOM said:
Including a mostly full version of Office and undercutting Apple by $100 might attract some enterprise business. Plus, if Microsoft is taking the same approach with Surface as Google does with its Nexus line, it isn't looking to replicate the iPad. It may just be looking to push the envelope so that Acer, HP, etc. don't just put out cheap iPad clones running Windows RT.
Click to expand...
I'm sure that enterprises will be all over it, but consumers are unlikely to go ape. Microsoft is so goddamn slow with everything. The first Zune came out, what, 5 years after the first iPod? They managed to launch a Windows version that takes advantage of the GPU some 5 years after OS X was introduced? And now when Apple+Google own the smartphone market and Apple+Google+Amazon own the tablet market, they wanna do tablets and give Windows Phone another go? And once their alternative eventually does arrive, it's never a product that says "OK, the n00bs have had their fun, now let big daddy show you how it's done", it's just another "hey, can we join too?" product without any killer feature that sets it apart.
 
KPOM said:
Essentially it is $100 less than the comparable iPad ($499 for the 32GB Surface vs $599 for the 32GB iPad). Microsoft doesn't want to give this away, and they are banking on a slight discount plus the included MS Office to make it appealing. I think it's a good move. It differentiates the Surface from the cheap Android tablets. Microsoft's strength is in the enterprise anyway.
Click to expand...

Except that the screen resolution is much closer to the $399 iPad 2.
 
Anuba said:
I'm sure that enterprises will be all over it, but consumers are unlikely to go ape. Microsoft is so goddamn slow with everything. The first Zune came out, what, 5 years after the first iPod? They managed to launch a Windows version that takes advantage of the GPU some 5 years after OS X was introduced? And now when Apple+Google own the smartphone market and Apple+Google+Amazon own the tablet market, they wanna do tablets and give Windows Phone another go? And once their alternative eventually does arrive, it's never a product that says "OK, the n00bs have had their fun, now let big daddy show you how it's done", it's just another "hey, can we join too?" product without any killer feature that sets it apart.
Click to expand...

QFT. I myself cannot wait to read what Paul Turd has to say about it - that is basically the only joy I have when Microsoft releases some new product (which other have released years ago). You can read the total desperation in his winsupersite blog.
 
APlotdevice said:
Except that the screen resolution is much closer to the $399 iPad 2.
Click to expand...

But, that keyboard, a full version of office, and a full desktop OS, not a phone OS will be a bigging selling point for Enterprise, and a lot of consumers.

----------
Anuba said:
I'm sure that enterprises will be all over it
Click to expand...

That's probably where Microsoft is aiming this thing, Enterprise makes more money for Microsoft than consumers do as far as I understand.

They'll push it on Enterprise, and I think they might be able to carve out some consumer marketshare, while the PC OEMs make up the rest of them.

They managed to launch a Windows version that takes advantage of the GPU some 5 years after OS X was introduced?
Click to expand...

What are you talking about? Windows has always supported GPU's much more than OSX, as OSX only supports Mac versions of Cards.

any killer feature that sets it apart.
Click to expand...

Sure it does

1: Keyboard, if you buy it.
2: Full operating system, not a glorified Phone OS.
3: Office.
4: Built in kickstand.
5: USB Ports

Enterprise will eat these things up.
 
G51989 said:
But, that keyboard, a full version of office, and a full desktop OS, not a phone OS will be a bigging selling point for Enterprise, and a lot of consumers.
Click to expand...

It's not a full desktop OS though. Windows RT will not run legacy applications.... perhaps the biggest selling point Windows has ever had in the Enterprise market. Also it's locked done to an propriatary app store, similar to iOS.
 
Office is propping up that hardware but Anandtech's in depth insider scoop on the design shows that Microsoft means serious business.
 
APlotdevice said:
It's not a full desktop OS though. Windows RT will not run legacy applications.... perhaps the biggest selling point Windows has ever had in the Enterprise market. Also it's locked done to an propriatary app store, similar to iOS.
Click to expand...

Yes, but what I'm saying it has more features then iOS, and it is locked down an App store, but the point I'm making is that, its still not glorified phone OS like iOS or Android, and you get that trackpad and keyboard ( assuming you buy them ).

And a device like the surface RT won't be for running in house legacy stuff, the Surface pro will do that.
 
G51989 said:
Yes, but what I'm saying it has more features then iOS, and it is locked down an App store, but the point I'm making is that, its still not glorified phone OS like iOS or Android, and you get that trackpad and keyboard ( assuming you buy them ).

And a device like the surface RT won't be for running in house legacy stuff, the Surface pro will do that.
Click to expand...

Glorified phone OS? Android might qualify, but not iOS. iOS is built on top of the same Darwin core as OS X, with apps written in native code. More over if you look up the design history of iOS you will discover that Apple was originally going to produce a tablet first.
 
£479 32GB with the keyboard. Not that bad at all really, would definitely rather have one of these than an iPad for the same price.
 
APlotdevice said:
Glorified phone OS? Android might qualify, but not iOS. iOS is built on top of the same Darwin core as OS X, with apps written in native code. More over if you look up the design history of iOS you will discover that Apple was originally going to produce a tablet first.
Click to expand...

I know Apple was going to make a tablet first.

iOS is a glorfied phone OS because under the hood it might be better than Android, but front of the house, iOS is just the same as on an iPhone, you can't even access its filing system, and does it even support mice or trackpads?

Can iOS even do true multi tasking? No it can't
 
I'm really glad Microsoft decided on premium pricing. My disappointment is with the bare-bones website. Come on Microsoft, take a cue from Apple on how to make the web page beautiful.
 
Carouser said:
You heard it here first, 'built in kickstand' is a killer feature.
Click to expand...

Compared to the iPad? It won't kill the iPad, but with an iPad you have to buy a big bulky case with a kickstand. Otherwise its useless on a table

----------
smoledman said:
But only in landscape mode and only on a hard table. Even with kickstand I don't see how it works on your lap with the Touch cover.
Click to expand...

You pull the touch cover off and use the virtual keyboard.
 
I'm glad to see MS actually trying to take on a new form factor (and therefore paradigm shift). Rather than being an also ran like the other tablets out there, they've dreamed up a complete ecosystem. Looks like this could be a new fight for the future of mobile computing usage.

This is exciting.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back