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Microsoft Forced to Slash Surface RT Prices Despite Vigorous Anti-iPad Ad Campaign

I predict that in the next 5-10 years Microsoft will not exist unless:
A. They get rid of Steve Blamer
B. They stop Copying what everyone else does and actually create something original.

They even totally messed up the XBox One launch before its even released?!
 
donutbagel said:
That is, if there was some version of Linux like Android as a PC OS. I'm surprised Ubuntu and LinuxMint were the most "consumer" versions of Linux. Yeahhh, consumers love choosing between ZFS and HFS and HFS+ and FAT and...

Anyway, I wish that had happened because I like Linux a lot more than Windows. It would be nice for there to be Mac and Linux only, Linux as the OS you can install on anything. It would also be convenient for everyone for DirectX and freakin' Windows Media Player to be out of the picture.
Click to expand...

Yes. I like throwing together powerful cheap commodity PC hardware. But to run mainstream productivity apps I have to either make do with good-but-not-good-enough free software run Windows or try Hackintoshing.

Desktop Linux has been 'almost here' since, what, the late 90s?

Linux on the Desktop failed because a) Linux was always great as a server or hacker OS and b) whenever anyone tries to make the 'Mac OS X' of Linux like Ubuntu they are attacked by the 'community.'

Linux should have killed Microsoft as it's dropped the ball repeatedly by releasing lemons every other version.
 
Lightyear2000 said:
I predict that in the next 5-10 years Microsoft will not exist unless:
A. They get rid of Steve Blamer
B. They stop Copying what everyone else does and actually create something original.

They even totally messed up the XBox One launch before its even released?!
Click to expand...

Is microsoft not doing pretty well financially?
 
$349.99 for the base model is still too much. They need to do a fire sale like HP, then they might sell some. No one is going to buy a Windows RT tablet for anything over $100, RT is crap.
 
i think the surface is a great tablet.. really.. exept the win 8 ;)

but the whole system looks solid and nice to handle. so sad that i`m a apple fanboy... so im not allowed to buy this :D
 
TBH it's not microsofts fault, it's a huge lumbering thing of a company that isn't structured to offer those breakthrough products or even copies of them. but it is capable of compromise products that are decent but nothing to write home about.

MS's biggest issue is with their reputation ie they have a poor one. They should have taken the surface and made it a totally new product and built a rep around it for beautiful design elegance and usability but for cheap and sold at a loss, they came into the market late and should have been making hardware from way back. If they had been consistent they could easily have been up there.

Apple has 99% of all high spending customers who want a pretty box, it helps that the software lives up to the hype. It's the uncertainty of a full family of products all made by microsoft that means there is no consumer confidence.
 
StoneJack said:
The thing is that Apple is big in fastest growing sectors such as mobile and tablets where MS is very weak, while MS is mostly where growth has stalled or negative such as desktops. We'll in some time (I guess second quarter numbers) how did both fare. MS is nor dead neither will be soon but may be a niche player - just like Apple has been in desktops.
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Yeah, MS is in a much more precarious situation than Apple is in the long term, but you can't say they're hurting right now. Far from it.

It's hard to say that any company who makes more than 2 billion dollars a year in profit is doing badly. Once you reach that point, there aren't winners or losers anymore so much as companies experiencing various degrees of success.
 
$349!! Not bad! I might pick one up! Wait, what's that? It's running Windows?

Oh, never mind.
 
Let me understand this.

Lack luster sales? CHECK!
Price drop on current models? CHECK!

Lets make a newer model? WTF??? So they are going to throw more money at an already sinking ship? Come again? Have they not learned anything? ZUNE?
 
furi0usbee said:
Folks, if you want a tablet, just get an iPad mini. I've had both full size and mini, and boy do I love the mini. What a joy. I can't wait for retina!!!!!
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I'll never buy a mini, to small for me. I also dislike Apple to produce a larger phone as rumors go. Once Apple had a big mouth (godthanks for that) stating they made only products what "they" thought would be good for the consumer. No larger iPhone simply because a phone is a *beep*-phone that "can" do smart things, nothing else.

The iPad is good for reading and, sometimes, for watching movies all-though nothing can beat my HD beamer but that aside...

Apple did understand very well where it was about when looking at good products, especially Steve Jobs. Now Apple goes with the flow, because of lacking sales and loosing ground dramatically with it's market share when looking at OS market share and therefore they probably going to make both a lager iPhone and a cheap iPhone as well made from plastic. All this in an attempt to gain some extra marketshare which they are loosing to Android OS and devices from Samsung.

I rather had Apple stay focused on making only the best products and not aiming on wanting to be the "biggest" which they will loose anyway at some point.

Last, I've several friends who are using the Microsoft tablet and are very very content with it. I've been able to play along with it and I was impressed. It's fast and has lot's more user-friendly possibilities when it comes to connecting third part hardware when compared to the iPad. But I like iOS much much better all tough I hope Apple will make LOTS of changes in iOS7 because it's poorly designed.

Time will tell, but I'm not going along with this silly and above all childish PC versus Apple or visa versa polemic discussions. Been there when I was a kid, now I simply understand that they both make good machines. It's just a matter of taste. For me, I stay with Apple, mainly because of the OS. But I'll be doomed the day I'll become an Apple fanboy or fanboy of any brand to be precise.

Machines and different branches serves me at the end, not the other way around. This is what I told my young friends when I bought a 7100 Macintosh at the time where everyone else was laughing stating: buy a PC instead, Mac = Junk. The rest is history.
 
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Lightyear2000 said:
I predict that in the next 5-10 years Microsoft will not exist unless:
Click to expand...

This could be the case, indeed.

A. They get rid of Steve Blamer
Click to expand...

Agree, the men has no vision at all.

B. They stop Copying what everyone else does and actually create something original.
Click to expand...

Don't agree, nothing wrong with copying as long you're able to improve it a little bit, that's called progression, Apple does the same.
 
After trying out the surface at a local store, it just didn't seem like the right device for me. I want a tablet that has long battery life and a UI optimized for touch. Also, I want apps optimized for touch, and I am willing to give up a few things (like true multitasking) for a smooth touch experience.

Try using the Microsoft ribbon whilst in touch mode.....it's horrible.

I agree that you lose some functionality with the iPad, such as true multitasking. But, when I need that functionality, I prefer to use a computer with a full desktop operating system, keyboard, and mouse, so the operating system is matched to the task.

I don't really see the value proportion in the surface. I can buy an iPad plus a PC laptop for the price of a surface pro. With cloud integration, there really isn't much value in trying to force these together into one device. For me, it is better to use the proper tool and operating system for the job.

By the way, I wholeheartedly disagree that an iPad can not be used for real work. I use it every day at work. I do agree it has limitation, so here again, one needs to switch to the proper tool when needed.
 
AbSoluTc said:
Let me understand this.

Lack luster sales? CHECK!
Price drop on current models? CHECK!

Lets make a newer model? WTF??? So they are going to throw more money at an already sinking ship? Come again? Have they not learned anything? ZUNE?
Click to expand...

The real problem is the limited availability of Surface RT & Surface Pro. People can't walk in to a store and buy one! The only place you can get them is a very few select 'partners' and the Microsoft Store.
 
Lightyear2000 said:
I predict that in the next 5-10 years Microsoft will not exist unless:
A. They get rid of Steve Blamer
B. They stop Copying what everyone else does and actually create something original.

They even totally messed up the XBox One launch before its even released?!
Click to expand...

Bold comment - but interesting, my thoughts......

I was "with" MS and Dell for years, a lot of PC's, laptops, workstations and mobile workstations. But since my Apple rebirth, I look upon MS products as time consuming aggro.


Until MS change my view of an annoying time sink, the hardware is inconsequential........doesnt matter what it offers.

Caveat - if MS products ever come with a gimp, to save me the time - Ill go back. :rolleyes:

PS - Apple, you guys would have sold me another ipad mini (but for me) this week, if I could have played 1080p on it. (straight from itunes)
 
swingerofbirch said:
I'm surprised the Pro outsold the RT by that much. I would have expected the opposite numbers. I guess consumers really want the full Windows desktop experience. I've never used Windows 8, but I find it intriguing. The iPad is less intriguing in that I've used it and know what it is. It's one of those things where I am sure I would use it if I had one, but since I have a computer, I don't need one. Don't really need a Surface either. If I had to upgrade my laptop, I might be curious to test out a hybrid, though. I find myself wanting to touch my MBP's screen lately.
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Had Microsoft kept that tiled interface just for the RT, and left windows 8 with the classic start menu, classic desktop, and just had tiles as an "RT" compatible mode then perhaps the RT would have been seen as an iPad competitor (with RT being to windows what iOS is to Mac OS)
 
Mainsail said:
By the way, I wholeheartedly disagree that an iPad can not be used for real work. I use it every day at work. I do agree it has limitation, so here again, one needs to switch to the proper tool when needed.
Click to expand...

I'd wait and see what iOS7 brinks in regards to multi-tasking.
 
Im really loving mine, the build quality is heads and shoulders above everyone elses. I wish I could afford the pro though but the RT is still awesome.
 
Bottom line

If someone is not buying and iPad, it does that because he's looking for cheaper device or he's a greek. None of the them is going to spent money on a tablet from MS or HP, they will go and buy something from the chineses with twice the specs and half the price.
 
jamswirl said:
I know people that run companies with thousands of employees from an iPad...
So maybe not good enough for what you do?
Click to expand...

I would honestly love to know how many companies with "Thousands of Employee's" run with only iPads.

In the offices, doing the accounts/finances, documents to people, creating their company websites, and not a PC or iMac in these companies

I would genuinely be interested to know which companies these are and how they manage to cope with thousands of employees and only use iPad's for everything.
 
keysofanxiety said:
PowerMac G5s in general -- but IMHO they're possibly the exception to the rule.
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to be fair I got at least 5 years out of G5, and it wasn't actually rendered useless at the end (I sold it for a nice stack) PPC support carried on for ages, so I don't think that counts really - its not a product that was a year old a massive failure, reduced to sell and then discontinued because it didn't make the company any money!
 
Lancer said:
I'd wait and see what iOS7 brinks in regards to multi-tasking.
Click to expand...

I agree, and like the improvements that ios7 will offer to multitasking. Of course, it will still be different than traditional multitasking found on a desktop, which is ok, since we are talking about a completely different UI.

Nevertheless, tablets with touch UI really operate better for one app at a time computing. Desktop computers are better suited to working with multiple windows and multiple applications at one time.

I don't really understand it, but there is something about computing tools that make folks expect that they can be all things to all users. (Maybe cost raises expectations). However, if we were talking about tools in our garage, no one would advocate that there is only one type of screwdriver for all uses. Yet, somehow, folks expect a computing tool to be simultaneously great at both touch and desktop applications.
 
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