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

Technarchy said:
You buy it and tell us how great it is.

Stands suck for lap typing. Even worse with an unsupported keyboard.

Been there, not going back.

Also, look how space there is between the screen and keyboard. No wonder it has a trackpad.
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Thanks! I should have checked with you first!. I wish I could look at a picture and know what the user experience would be. Amazing.
 
ibjoshua said:
It looks sweet, but I'm a mac guy. They'd have to integrate it well with OS X and promise me big time that I was getting 100% metro - no legacy Windows OS.
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I agree with you that Metro looks like a nice step forward. Windows 8 isn't that, though. Under the hood it has a lot of the same problems (e.g. the Registry still exists). And at the moment a lot of the control panels are only accessible using the old control panel interface. While it has a lot of the kludge feel of the Classic OS to OS X transition with the mixing of UIs Metro isn't nearly separated enough from the old.

(Been using the Windows 8 previews and it frustrates me because I see what it could be but they're holding back.)

ZBoater said:
You mean revert to this morning?

The Apple hype about the PC era is just that, hype. Sure, the iPad has pushed the envelope considerably on what you can do with a tablet, but PCs (MacBooks and iMacs included) reign supreme. And as much success as Apple is experiencing, it's still a David vs. Goliath thing with Microsoft. And in these type of scenarios David doesn't always win...
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Cute. I mean, eras are totally defined by the predominate technology just disappearing completely. Just like how we no longer use bronze! Oh wait.

Post PC era ≠ Sans PC era. Thought we covered this years ago.
 
jca666us said:
Lol - if anything, Microsoft's dog and pony show did two things:

1. Demonstrated that Apple was correct in their vertical integration approach and their presentation style was very reminiscent of Apple's - imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

2. Likely pushed OEM's away from Windows 8 and towards Android for tablet devices.

I don't doubt that windows 8 will be a good tablet OS. I'm thrilled that Microsoft will push Apple to compete and further innovate. Unfortunately surface is a poorly designed device - integrated kickstand?

Microsoft does not understand tablet form factor or use cases, and seems keen on making a tablet a kind of laptop. These will sell the way netbooks did - people thinking they'll get a cheap laptop.

As we learned from netbooks - there is no free lunch.
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Yea, Android has done well on tablets. The tablet that is like a laptop will be the laptop replacement in the near future. That will be Apple's next move.
 
KnightWRX said:
I have no bias. I'm saying both companies failed in their respective endeavours as far as Ping and the Zune hardware goes. What bias are you claiming I have in all of this ?



Speak for yourself unless you have evidence backing up your "majority" of people. Don't present your opinion as fact. You just seem to want Apple to not have failed as hard as Microsoft for some reason. Why is this ?
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Everyone has bias.

Yes, both companies failed. The failure is not equivalent.

I don't care if apple didn't fail as hard as Microsoft did. But if you claim I do, it makes it easier for your to use a convenient argument against me.

The original argument is that apple has not had a failure in the current tech market of the magnitude of Zune. It's a qualitative statement, so spin it however you want.
 
KnightWRX said:
And the audience it caters to is not the close-minded "Apple does no wrong" crowd. If you are part of that crowd, you're probably in a minority on Macrumors and you'll meet a lot of resistance here. If you want to discuss things with people who never critic Apple and never praise Apple's competition, you should consider visiting one of the sites I listed. Those cater much more to the "hardcore, let's ignore anything wrong with Apple" crowd.
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Nobody said it was the apple does no wrong crowd.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man
 
sikkinixx said:
depending on price (I'm still saying $899 for the low end Pro, plus $99 for the keyboard) could be really awesome.


But yeah... no price, no battery life, no date? really? REALLY?
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It's really poor that they didn't mention a release date or prices and makes this product look like vapourware, despite that it looks neat in some ways.

I wonder what the MS partners like Samsung, Dell and HP are thinking right now.... "So, Microsoft is going to complete with us? ". This could be really good for MS, or potential suicide to go up against its partners directly like this.
 
mcsenerd said:
Of course...I believe that feeling is mutual for MS fans... Who's pushing who here anyway?

I mean seriously...without emotion...who in their right mind could even slightly make the case that MS hasn't been riding on the Apple Envy train for years now... If anything this is almost to zenith of submission to the fact that the "Apple way" is winning for them, and for that...if I was Apple I'd be very flattered.
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Microsoft has primarily been a software company. We'll see how this entry into the hardware field goes. Lots of hot air in this thread from both sides with very little posted with any kind of substance.
 
KnightWRX said:
And the audience it caters to is not the close-minded "Apple does no wrong" crowd. If you are part of that crowd, you're probably in a minority on Macrumors and you'll meet a lot of resistance here. If you want to discuss things with people who never critic Apple and never praise Apple's competition, you should consider visiting one of the sites I listed. Those cater much more to the "hardcore, let's ignore anything wrong with Apple" crowd.
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You used crowd three times. Try these

http://thesaurus.com/browse/crowd?s=t
 
rturner2 said:
This form factor (ie. one tablet computer used for ALL computing) is the future for the next 10-20 years. No need for a laptop. No need for a desktop.

Plug this surface into an external hub (perhaps with built in graphics card) for a keyboard, large monitor and mouse when in the office.

It might have a slow start but as time goes on it will be the form factor standard.

That's my prediction. Windows 8 all the way.
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Yup. It definitively looks like MS will make this happen before Apple.
 
AppleScruff1 said:
Yea, Android has done well on tablets. The tablet that is like a laptop will be the laptop replacement in the near future. That will be Apple's next move.
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Eh, I doubt Apple will do that. So far their playbook seems to be make all computers as insanely thin as possible while maintaining or improving performance (SSDs, no optical drives, integrated batteries, etc...). They then expect you to buy an iOS device if you want a tablet or smaller device.

The key to this whole plan is iCloud. And iCloud is basically at the same stage as iTunes when the first iPod came out. It can sync your music and that is about it. Expect Siri and iCloud to start talking to each other in the future at the very least.

Essentially, Apple is probably building a computer presence that isn't limited by a physical device that would require a laptop tablet. Yeah, they're not there yet and this does give the competitors time (iCloud is still pretty rough when it comes to anything beyond basic sync).
 
NAG said:
Eh, I doubt Apple will do that. So far their playbook seems to be make all computers as insanely thin as possible while maintaining or improving performance (SSDs, no optical drives, integrated batteries, etc...). They then expect you to buy an iOS device if you want a tablet or smaller device.

The key to this whole plan is iCloud. And iCloud is basically at the same stage as iTunes when the first iPod came out. It can sync your music and that is about it. Expect Siri and iCloud to start talking to each other in the future at the very least.

Essentially, Apple is probably building a computer presence that isn't limited by a physical device that would require a laptop tablet. Yeah, they're not there yet and this does give the competitors time (iCloud is still pretty rough when it comes to anything beyond basic sync).
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They're almost there. They have the MBA. All it needs is a touchscreen that can be removed from the keyboard and used separately. New processors and advances in battery tech etc will make these as powerful as today's notebooks. It will be an iPad on steroids.

----------
foodle said:
Perhaps you've heard of a little thing called Xbox?
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Perhaps you missed the word primary?
 
AppleScruff1 said:
Microsoft has primarily been a software company. We'll see how this entry into the hardware field goes. Lots of hot air in this thread from both sides with very little posted with any kind of substance.
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um...Xbox??? I think they've proved they can jump into a market and be successful.
 
I feel it could gain some traction in the corporate arena but consumers won't much care. My thoughts:

Landscape only? Is this true? Boggle.

Release date: No release date has me thinking this isn't ready and was just to slow down the news of the Google tablet and whatever Apple announces next.

Not showing the pro/not letting the press actually use the devices: See above.

No pricing: Again... I don't think it's ready.
 
Apple's Response

lapeno said:
Waiting for apple response...
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Tim Cook and Co should take out a full page ad in every major US Newspaper (so the Microsoft people will actually see it) that simply states....

Microsoft...welcome to the party.
Too bad there's no beer left.
 
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