Microsoft Introduces Thinner Surface Pro 3 with 12" Display Starting at $799

[hrMACnstuff]

microsoft just doesn't get it

MS products appeal to the dumb masses like the woman who bet the farm on her shop commercial and the guy in the barber chair who's life is "crazy after the big game".
25yrs of being promised "safer, faster, more secure" when it wasn't just wore their welcome out and smarter people have moved on. if a product is cheaper, you got what you paid for. nothing more.
google's coming for ya MS. hang on, the rides gonna be bumpy.

 

[haruhiko]

Nice laptop - True
Nice tablet? I'm not sure.

 

[tdale]

The rehash sounds more like Microsoft. I think they have also been playing catch up in tablets and several other categories from the Steve Ballmer era.

I think its fine. 3rd revision seems to be a winner, and its a new product, not a tablet or a phone or a laptop. You would expect a new hybrid product to need to evolve.

They appear to have done well. Microsoft may be to go to company for a hybrid, as Apple doesnt do one, nor will it in the medium term.

To succeed whats the price of the hybrid compared to tbhe same class of the two seperate products?

Is the laptop mode good as compared to the laptop, and is the tablet mode good, compared to a tablet?

My first impression is that 12" is too big for a tablet. And if they made the SP3 8", its then just right, but too small for a laptop

----------

And it's usually the same ones time after time. If it had an Apple logo on it the discussion would be different.

Very much so. +2

Do we yell and scream and poke fingers at other cars than our own model?

IT tech is a funny place

 

[linuxcooldude]

Wow, you really hate. There is no device that is a laptop or tablet in one. SP3 is. Take Apple Down??? Is there a problem with competing with Apple? Everyone competes with everyone, whether it be IT, cameras, or corn flakes

Tablet PC's go all the way to 2001 with it running Windows XP. Right before the Surface Pro came out we still had i5 Tablets running Windows 7.

Its just nobody seemed to notice Tablet PC's until the Surface Pro came out.

 

[spinedoc77]

Very much so. +2

Do we yell and scream and poke fingers at other cars than our own model?

IT tech is a funny place

Lol, you just made some people look mighty stupid. Toyota suxorz, why did Honda do that commercial putting down Audi?

 

[Dmunjal]

I think its fine. 3rd revision seems to be a winner, and its a new product, not a tablet or a phone or a laptop. You would expect a new hybrid product to need to evolve.

They appear to have done well. Microsoft may be to go to company for a hybrid, as Apple doesnt do one, nor will it in the medium term.

To succeed whats the price of the hybrid compared to tbhe same class of the two seperate products?

Is the laptop mode good as compared to the laptop, and is the tablet mode good, compared to a tablet?

My first impression is that 12" is too big for a tablet. And if they made the SP3 8", its then just right, but too small for a laptop

It looks like everyone is responding to Apple. Apple owned the 3.5-4 inch smartphone market so Samsung had to go to 5 inches to differentiate themselves. Apple owns the 8 and 10 inch tablet market and the 11 and 13 inch high end ultrabook market so Microsoft had to go 12 inches with a unique twist on a tablet hybrid. This is competition at its best. Apple will have to release a larger iPhone and a iPad Pro to compete.

I don't understand why there are so many people upset with this development. I probably won't by the S3 but I'm really considering why I need three devices anymore. This is good for the industry and for consumers.

 

[tdale]

Tablet PC's go all the way to 2001 with it running Windows XP. Right before the Surface Pro came out we still had i5 Tablets running Windows 7.

Its just nobody seemed to notice Tablet PC's until the Surface Pro came out.

Yes, correct. that is EXACTLY how it is for tablets.
Its just nobody seemed to notice Tablets until the iPad came out

This is why I expect Microsoft to make a bit of headway as this is their innovation, their product.

 

[AppleScruff1]

----------


Very much so. +2

Do we yell and scream and poke fingers at other cars than our own model?

IT tech is a funny place

If I drive a BMW or Audi, I like to see what Mercedes has up it's sleeve. All three are nice cars. If I drive a Honda, I want to see what Toyota has on the market. Maybe they'll have something that I like better than my car so I'll check it out next time. Both make good products. Of course that is being rational, and that doesn't go over too well here most of the time.

 

[tdale]

It looks like everyone is responding to Apple. Apple owned the 3.5-4 inch smartphone market so Samsung had to go to 5 inches to differentiate themselves. Apple owns the 8 and 10 inch tablet market and the 11 and 13 inch high end ultrabook market so Microsoft had to go 12 inches with a unique twist on a tablet hybrid. This is competition at its best. Apple will have to release a larger iPhone and a iPad Pro to compete.

I don't understand why there are so many people upset with this development. I probably won't by the S3 but I'm really considering why I need three devices anymore. This is good for the industry and for consumers.

I need these devices but I feel they are not ideal for a hybrid. My rMBP is 15", says its 13, even 11, then the tablet mode is a big tablet, too big. But for those that like a 11 or 12" tablet, a hybrid is great. But it needs to support a desktop OS and a tablet OS, or a desktop OS with proper touch capability

Say Apple made a 11" hybrid which is essentially a screenless MBA 11" with an iPad for a screen, or maybe the iPad held OSX? How close can these ideas imitate a dedicated laptop and a dedicated tablet? And they have to be a reasonable price, less then the two seperate devices

 

[Dmunjal]

I need these devices but I feel they are not ideal for a hybrid. My rMBP is 15", says its 13, even 11, then the tablet mode is a big tablet, too big. But for those that like a 11 or 12" tablet, a hybrid is great. But it needs to support a desktop OS and a tablet OS, or a desktop OS with proper touch capability

Say Apple made a 11" hybrid which is essentially a screenless MBA 11" with an iPad for a screen, or maybe the iPad held OSX? How close can these ideas imitate a dedicated laptop and a dedicated tablet? And they have to be a reasonable price, less then the two seperate devices

The technology exists today. Could Apple release an A8-powered 12 inch touchscreen hybrid that runs full OSX with iOS apps in a window? I don't see why they couldn't. But will they be willing to cannibalize their existing products? This is the Innovator's Dilemma.

Microsoft was desperate. Desperation typically leads to the best innovation.

 

[tdale]

The technology exists today. Could Apple release an A8-powered 12 inch touchscreen hybrid that runs full OSX with iOS apps in a window? I don't see why they couldn't. But will they be willing to cannibalize their existing products? This is the Innovator's Dilemma.

Microsoft was desperate. Desperation typically leads to the best innovation.

I dont see desperate. Easier to innovate a new product type than jump in late with long established products like in this case smartphones and tablets. To innovate a product based on somebody elses existing products is an efficient idea, nothing to invent, they are just melding them. I think they are really after the app market, again, late to the party

 

[AppleScruff1]

I dont see desperate. Easier to innovate a new product type than jump in late with long established products like in this case smartphones and tablets. To innovate a product based on somebody elses existing products is an efficient idea, nothing to invent, they are just melding them. I think they are really after the app market, again, late to the party

Microsoft is quite late to the party, maybe even too late? Time will tell. They need to do something a bit different than Apple and Google, and the Surface Pro is different. But I don't see how the sales will be anything more than a niche market. What do they have to do to make billions in sales with this and the phone market? A tough nut to crack.

 

[linuxcooldude]

Microsoft was desperate. Desperation typically leads to the best innovation.

It can certainly backfire if not done correctly. We seen that with putting Metro interface on desktop computers alienating their customers. Desperation is not the best way to innovation by that time its too late like tdale explains:

I dont see desperate. Easier to innovate a new product type than jump in late with long established products like in this case smartphones and tablets. To innovate a product based on somebody elses existing products is an efficient idea, nothing to invent, they are just melding them. I think they are really after the app market, again, late to the party

Desperation also tends to rush things to market without proper development.

 

[Dmunjal]

It can certainly backfire if not done correctly. We seen that with putting Metro interface on desktop computers alienating their customers. Desperation is not the best way to innovation by that time its too late like tdale explains:

Agreed. I guess a better way to say this is desperation leads to greater risk taking which may or may not succeed. Apple is being too conservative and needs to take a bit more risks.

 

[tdale]

Microsoft is quite late to the party, maybe even too late? Time will tell. They need to do something a bit different than Apple and Google, and the Surface Pro is different. But I don't see how the sales will be anything more than a niche market. What do they have to do to make billions in sales with this and the phone market? A tough nut to crack.

I think the key is apps, and yes they are way late. The key with apps is to get users locking themslves to your platform, a hybrid device will do just that

----------

It can certainly backfire if not done correctly. We seen that with putting Metro interface on desktop computers alienating their customers. Desperation is not the best way to innovation by that time its too late like tdale explains:



Desperation also tends to rush things to market without proper development.

yes, that possibly explains Surface 1 and 2, 3 is a lot more capable and finished it appears

----------

Agreed. I guess a better way to say this is desperation leads to greater risk taking which may or may not succeed. Apple is being too conservative and needs to take a bit more risks.

perhaps taking advantage of the long loyal customers accepting what Apple gives us?

 

[trip1ex]

And it's usually the same ones time after time. If it had an Apple logo on it the discussion would be different.

I don't think you read the comments when new revisions of Macs come out.

 

[tdale]

I don't think you read the comments when new revisions of Macs come out.

His inference is that if its Microsoft it sux, if its Apple its great. With a new product type, its worse.

These days all updated products are underwhelming, which I assume is what you are meaning when new Macs come out?

 

[trip1ex]

I don't see anything here to change the fortunes of the Surface.

And I think MS needs to change its software more than anything. Dump the Windows baggage.

 

[tdale]

I don't see anything here to change the fortunes of the Surface.

And I think MS needs to change its software more than anything. Dump the Windows baggage.

I agree. Win 8 is full of legacy, they need to rewrite the OS like Apple did, and have a new desktop OS, and support the old one, and support Metro. Apple also needs to bring its tablet/phone OS up to date

 

[Technarchy]

I doubt Apple is going to do anything dramatic for this years iPad Mini update.

Camera, CPU, TouchID is what I expect.

I've purchased a new iPad every year for 3 years, but this year I think I might just hold onto my RMini another year and use my update money for a Surface Pro i5 for $999, minus whatever incentive I can scrounge up for students or military.

I like what MSFT has done with the design and think it will actually be able to replace my MBA and iPad for my type of usage.

But yes I will wait and see what Apple has brewing first before making a move.

 

[Marc-SP]

I just noticed... Why would they put the microsoft logo there on a landscape device? It seems to me they're just making it look more like an iPad from a glance...

They had to move it because the touch-cover can cover that part of the Surface in some configurations.
And, yeah, the iconic Windows logo is totally the same as a round button. Sneaky Microsoft...!! They should put the capacitive button without any sign or mark on it!
Well, it seems Apple paranoia is finally getting to their customers...

Also, Surface Pro 3 is not a "landscape product". It seems that it can be used very well in portrait thanks to the new screen ratio (1.50:1, o 3:2).

 

[Marc-SP]

But it is immensely better than an iPad as a laptop, and it wipes the floor with the MBA as a tablet.

----------




OK, so how much to get OSX and a Wacom on the iPad, then?

Do not forget a bigger screen, a full USB port (=millions of peripherals), storage expansion (up to 128GB MicroSD), 4 times more RAM (or more), several times more CPU power, a kickstand without heavy cases and stereo speakers (at both sides of the screen).

"But, but the iPad is cheaper! SP3 is doomed"

Still, including so many more things:
-Ipad 64GB 700$
-Surface Pro 3 64GB: 800$

"But, but the 64 GB iPad has more user free space. Windows is bloated"

Well, Windows is a full featured OS, but ok.

-Ipad 64GB 700$
-Surface Pro 3 64GB + 64GB (just to make sure ) microSD class10: 800 + 40 = 840$

So, for 140$ you get: A full OS, an active digitizer with pen, a bigger screen, a full USB port (=millions of peripherals), about 60% more available storage space, 4 times more RAM, several times more CPU power, a kickstand without heavy cases and stereo speakers (at both sides of the screen).

Really a rip-off

Only a medium size USB digitizer tablet with touch (e.g.Wacom intuos, bamboo) costs far more than 100$, and cannot provide the experience of really inking a surface (no pun intended), because you paint on the digitizer, but the image apperars on a separate screen. Not very natural.

 

[ImperialX]

Using your own arbitrary tech specs as a way of deciding if the product will be successful is entirely missing the point. The market will decide what is important, not you or me.

And I think the market will agree with me. Sales for this device will show it in a few months time.

 

[tdale]

The same thing was said about the 1st and 2nd, and just like then people who question it is called out. I guess the 4th revision will be it?

I think the 3rd is it

 

[HenryDJP]

Damn shame people can not appreciate a new tech product

Oh is that a requirement now? We have to appreciate the Surface Pro 3 just cuz it's new tech? You do realize you're on Apple enthusiast board right? Do you honestly think that Microsoft enthusiasts boards are shaking the pom-poms on Apple releases?