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

[KanosWRX]

Here's the thing, my wife and I have a iPad 2 and iPad 3. She actually got excited when she saw this, she loves the idea of the snap case with a keyboard, she has been wanting something like that forever (yes I know third party companies make some keyboards for the ipad but nothing like this). Then she saw she could run lightroom on it and that's what really got her excited (Not to mention Office!). I think that is going to be the key point. Sure apple has a ton of apps you can run on their iOS. But thats what they all are, just little apps, almost like toy's. It's great for quick fixes and browsing the web or watching videos but you can't really do that much work on it. Enter the MS Surface, finally a tablet that does everything, companies are going to eat this up, salesmen and workers who travel a lot will replace their laptops with this. It has built in usb and hdmi! I love my iPad, but you have to see the benefits of running a full OS on a tablet, you can just do so much more with it. Who knows, maybe apple will end up putting OSX on the iPad 5 Competition is great, I can't wait to see where this drives tablet makers.

Key things for me though are, I hate 16:9 aspect ratio's on tablets. I love reading in portrait mode and 16:9 displays suck for that.

Resolution, again I love my iPad 3, its so crisp. If this thing isn't 1080p at least then its already behind the times.

Cost, it has to start no more the 499.. simple as that or it failed.

Battery life, it has to last at least 8 hours. ultrabooks last 6-8, this has to beat it.

 

[kiljoy616]

I expect to see Windows ARM binaries for open-source apps like Apache, MySQL, PHP, Netbeans, Gimp, Cygwin and so on. This will be the end of easy-development, toy-apps, currently made for tablets.

To bad your not making any money off those toy apps kid.

 

[linux2mac]

going to be a failure. zune the sequel

You are not alone in your thinking. This is a comment from The Verge's article. LOL!

"I had this exact thought when I purchased the first Zune. Then the Zune 80 a few years later.
Where is Zune today?"

http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/18/3094157/new-microsoft-surface-windows-tablet

 

[AustinIllini]

Screen resolution? Or have they not announced that yet?

Interesting device, it has some potential but too soon to judge before all the details are out. Including pricing.

I suspect to really compete they'll need to take a loss on the hardware.

It supports 1080p, but it's not as high as the iPad

 

[UKBeast]

This explains why ms is making w8 a bit like a tablet os and a bit like a desktop os.

I do not give a chance to this device as it is nothing more than a next generation netbook to my eyes. We want to use different OS and different type of applications on a tablet computer.

Probably this will not be be as powerful enough to run high cpu demanding applications, it will have a lesser battery life with keyboard installed, with usb devices.

This device can replace ultra slim notebooks with its lightweight factor, size and a touch screen but definitally it is not something really new now. They are thinking wrong, they are not understanding it..

 

[brdeveloper]

XP was the benchmark of an operating system. It was so great, it lasted like 9 years. It was so great, it sunk Windows Vista.

Also, Finder for Snow Leopard looks like a Midnight Commander when comparing it to XP's Windows Explorer. I'm still looking for a decent Finder replacement/add-on. Now I'm using the good, but not awesome, TotalFinder.

 

[KanosWRX]

Except the BSOD is not a thing of the past.

I've had my mac crash on me more then windows 7. bsod is a thing of the past, at least how most people remember it. every os will crash iOS has crashed on me. MS OS's have come a long way and they are very solid now.

 

[Geckotek]

Except the BSOD is not a thing of the past.

I work in IT and I haven't seen one in years (unless it's some sort of old kiosk PC somewhere that hasn't been updated.) Perhaps you are just surrounded with old junk?

 

[DougB541]

This explains why ms is making w8 a bit like a tablet os and a bit like a desktop os.

I do not give a chance to this device as it is nothing more than a next generation netbook to my eyes. We want to use different OS and different type of applications on a tablet computer.

This device can replace ultra slim notebooks with its lightweight factor, size and a touch screen but definitally it is not something really now.

I find it troubling people don't seem to understand that the ARM version of the tablet will be 98% within the Metro interface which is designed for touch. The current apps in the market are clearly designed for touch and look beautiful.


Actually i should say, you can be in metro as much as you want...or if you want a more traditional experience, you can be in the desktop. Its up to the user.

 

[kiljoy616]

Here's the thing, my wife and I have a iPad 2 and iPad 3. She actually got excited when she saw this, she loves the idea of the snap case with a keyboard, she has been wanting something like that forever (yes I know third party companies make some keyboards for the ipad but nothing like this). Then she saw she could run lightroom on it and that's what really got her excited (Not to mention Office!). I think that is going to be the key point. Sure apple has a ton of apps you can run on their iOS. But thats what they all are, just little apps, almost like toy's. It's great for quick fixes and browsing the web or watching videos but you can't really do that much work on it. Enter the MS Surface, finally a tablet that does everything, companies are going to eat this up, salesmen and workers who travel a lot will replace their laptops with this. It has built in usb and hdmi! I love my iPad, but you have to see the benefits of running a full OS on a tablet, you can just do so much more with it. Who knows, maybe apple will end up putting OSX on the iPad 5 Competition is great, I can't wait to see where this drives tablet makers.

Sound like your wife never really wanted an iPad but more of an Air? If she is typing that much and needs a mouse then tablet paradigm is silly.

I do not see the need to run a full OS but I do see people who should be using a Laptop but decided on something else. No OS X on iPad ever, but iPad like function on OS X sure I can see that. Still your hopes of OS X on iPad tells me your a MS Windows user at heart and probably don't own an iPad at all. Oh the Behavior of people is so funny.

Apple has done so well because they know their clients and its not Bloatware bug infected Corp. IT which I work with all the time. MS on the other hand knows their clients also and its not consumers.

Great article on why MS even got into the gaming business.
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/426004/why-microsoft-embraced-gaming/

 

[NAG]

But its the first time they gave the finger to their partners.

PlaysForSure?

 

[crs.one]

But its the first time they gave the finger to their partners.

Good point.

It was a pretty bold move, but necessary I think. None of their partners were coming up with anything nearly as compelling and nobody was willing to throw down and try something different.

 

[AustinIllini]

I work in IT and I haven't seen one in years (unless it's some sort of old kiosk PC somewhere that hasn't been updated.) Perhaps you are just surrounded with old junk?

Yes, because VMware on HP blade servers is "old junk"

 

[Geckotek]

Yes, because VMware on HP blade servers is "old junk"

So VMware is giving you a BSOD??? Perhaps you need a better admin.

 

[crs.one]

I do really like what windows 8 is looking like, and I was really impressed by this product.

But the thought just crossed my mind. Is the most innovative thing about their tablet an accessory?

 

[G5isAlive]

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.

Okay this was funny! And as interesting as all the speculation is, Windows 8 running Word on a tablet is only attractive if it runs it well, if the hardware is up to it. I have seen netbooks choke due to lack of hardware specs. Hard to imagine it will work here, but I am waiting for people to actually have one in their hands.

 

[NAG]

Also, Finder for Snow Leopard looks like a Midnight Commander when comparing it to XP's Windows Explorer. I'm still looking for a decent Finder replacement/add-on. Now I'm using the good, but not awesome, TotalFinder.

Don't hold your breath. Apple is going to kill the Finder some day (probably not soon but they're not going to put much effort in fixing it in the mean time).

 

[locust76]

I expect to see Windows ARM binaries for open-source apps like Apache, MySQL, PHP, Netbeans, Gimp, Cygwin and so on. This will be the end of easy-development, toy-apps, currently made for tablets.

For what, all the server admins who plan on running Webservers with PHP scripts and MySQL database backends on tablets via WiFi?

 

[fertilized-egg]

Screen resolution? Or have they not announced that yet?

Interesting device, it has some potential but too soon to judge before all the details are out. Including pricing.

I suspect to really compete they'll need to take a loss on the hardware.

The resolution is probably 1366x768. The chip is a Tegra. Thus it's a pretty standard tablet, and hardware feature-wise, there's little to distinguish this tablet from other Windows 8 tablets other than the kickstand. It's all about the kickstand and the keyboard. But then again, we already do have the Asus Transformer so it'll be interesting to see how they fare against each other.

 

[kiljoy616]

PlaysForSure?

Certified for Windows Vista? Last time I herd of that title.

No what I meant was this time around MS is taking a page out of Apple playbook and would seem that they are not going to really put a lot off effort on 3rd party hardware caring this forward. They really don't want this to fail because it opens a lot of doors for Apple in the IT departments of large companies. This is all about Corp. IT and has nothing at all to do with consumers which MS for the most part could care less.

Follow the money and you know who has the executives ears.

 

[UKBeast]

I find it troubling people don't seem to understand that the ARM version of the tablet will be 98% within the Metro interface which is designed for touch. The current apps in the market are clearly designed for touch and look beautiful.


Actually i should say, you can be in metro as much as you want...or if you want a more traditional experience, you can be in the desktop. Its up to the user.

Then, why is w8 looks like a tablet os then ?

 

[3282868]

Now running Windows 8 "Metro-bright" edition

 

[brdeveloper]

Are you trying to discredit yourself?

I know there's a lot of good apps for tablets like DJ-ones, e-book reading or the ones that provide some level of video editing/productivity. But the great majority are apps that easily could run in a browser which supported Adobe Flash (or perhaps not even that).

 

[DougB541]

Okay this was funny! And as interesting as all the speculation is, Windows 8 running Word on a tablet is only attractive if it runs it well, if the hardware is up to it. I have seen netbooks choke due to lack of hardware specs. Hard to imagine it will work here, but I am waiting for people to actually have one in their hands.

One is running ARM processors.
The other is running Ivy-Bridge.

Netbooks used piece of crap Atom processors. There is a reason those were never used in phones.

 

[NAG]

For what, all the server admins who plan on running Webservers with PHP scripts and MySQL database backends on tablets via WiFi?

Not to mention I suggest anyone who does that stuff pay attention to Diet Coda. Panic is going to make that app great (pretty good so far but it is a 1.0).