Microsoft Launches New Anti-iPad Surface 2 Ad Highlighting Kickstand and Multiple Accounts

[Winni]

It's a shame people really don't care about that sort of thing.

These are true statements.

But Microsoft just doesn't have the "cool" factor that Apple does.

True, the last time I remember when Microsoft was cool was back in 1995 when Gates showed off the Doom 95 port...

But let's be honest here: Apple is no longer cool either, and at least in Europe/Germany the teens are already more interested in other brands and products. Trends and hypes wear out after a while, that's the natural course of things.

 

[coolfactor]

I do have to agree. It was cheap or maybe just greedy on Apple's part not to offer expendable storage. A micro SD slot would have been easy to add to the iPad and then a user could pop in a 32GB card if more storage were needed.

It wasn't about being cheap or greedy. It was about keeping things super simple. To achieve that requires a laser-sharp focus and some compromises. You can't please everyone.

 

[Glideslope]

Myself and my partner have decided not to have children until multiple logins become a feature on iOS.

Wow, your easy. Not waiting for Tracking the little one , eh? You can just leave them alone with the iPad for days as child care. Then just pull up the graph and look in the mirror.

 

[sbb155]

I have owned every generation of ipad and mini.
I recently bought a surface pro 2. It is an amazing device. The ipad beats it for simplicity and ease of use. But the surface pro 2 is awesome for work productivity - MS word, outlook, powerpoint. The compatibility is seamless.
I do all of my WORK on a surface pro2. I do everything else on the ipad. Both are interesting.

 

[scottsjack]

It was about keeping things super simple.

Yes, but too simple is not good. It has kept me from buying an iMac and from replacing my way-too-slow lat 2009 mini. Lack of function = lack of interest from my POV.

 

[Michael Goff]

I was thinking that too while I was making the comment about not making a comment.

Just figured I'd point that out.

True, the last time I remember when Microsoft was cool was back in 1995 when Gates showed off the Doom 95 port...

But let's be honest here: Apple is no longer cool either, and at least in Europe/Germany the teens are already more interested in other brands and products. Trends and hypes wear out after a while, that's the natural course of things.

Compared to Microsoft, Apple is still cool.

 

[ActionableMango]

I love my iPads (including new Air), but I have to say, the lack of multiple user logins are my #1 complaint about iPads (iOS, but you usually have your own phone), and has been since they came out in 2010.

It's a huge PITA in my family because we have 2 iPads that my wife and I both use, but a lot of the time you have to grab the "wrong" one when you can't find "yours" or one of the batteries is dead or whatever, and then it won't have your email, or Safari bookmarks, or iMessages/FaceTime, it won't be logged into your Game Center account, etc.

I can't imagine how bad it would be if we had kids involved as well. There you might have even bigger issues, like if your kid accidentally deletes your work email, or whatever. And, if you want to use parental restrictions, that then means everyone who uses that iPad has to live with those restrictions, which is not fun.

Apple needs to get on this, it's bad enough they have dragged their feet so long, but now this is a real, significant point of differentiation for MS and Android (I don't know if multi-user logins are built into base Android, but I know some Samsung tablets have it).

Hopefully TouchID sensors in iPads will make this easy for them to implement, and easy for us to use, but I hope they are working hard on that so when the hardware is ready, the software will be too.

You still have iPads and did not switch to Surfaces, so apparently Apple doesn't really have a big problem at all.

 

[inhalexhale1]

Even the woman in the voice over sounds bored.

Haha, so true. The generic music and voiceover is a really odd choice.

 

[portishead]

Who cares.

 

[mixel]

Multiple user accounts would be great when you want to let the kid/s use your ipad temporarily. :/

I have a nook HD as well, and thats multi-user system works nicely. I wonder if Apple will ever introduce something like it?

 

[Fairchild]

I think ipads are great but here's a perfect example of why a surface 2 can be equally as good or better:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG1b0yBJHLM

If you can take the time to watch ads, take the time to see what you can really do with this device before wasting your time throwing out useless comments.

 

[Yamcha]

You can't fault them for trying, but I don't think these ads are particularly effective.

But hey multiple user accounts is a good thing, and since Android 4.3 & Windows 8 both have the feature, I don't see why iOS for the iPad shouldn't.

I know I might get hate for saying it, but I feel like Apple has fallen behind in the mobile/tablet market, at least in terms of a full featured experience. I know they'll still sell like hot cakes, but It would be nice to see something new.

 

[Poisonivy326]

Moving along here ... anyone see the Nexus 7 ads? Whatever you want to think of the Nexus, top-notch ad:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLrfSLm9lPU

As for multiple users, they have it on OSX, why not iOS?

 

[nagromme]

Multiple accounts: good!

Kickstand: not so good.

Logitech and others have used a variety of mechanisms to make keyboard covers before MS ever did, and I think their bracing solutions were better--and more lap-friendly.

 

[LeoFio]

At least these ads are much more professional and compare legitimate feature differences. They should have started with these kinds of ads out of the gate.

 

[69650]

Given how many people are using tablets as laptop replacements I'm surprised Apple hasn't shipped their own case with clip on keyboard.

 

[arvacker]

iPod I might be able to see.

You don't share your GameBoy or PSP? What kind of greedy person are you?

It's not that I'm not willing to share, the fact that it is mobile means it moves with us. Meaning I could be at my grandparents with the GameBoy, and consequently, my brother and sister wouldn't be able to use it because they were, for example, sleeping over at a friends house... We might have been spoiled, but we each got one mobile gaming device of our choosing.

 

[Michael Scrip]

Aren't the car analogies getting a little old by now? They never made much sense before, and they don't make sense now. All they do is scratch that "I like to own nice German luxury cars" itch because some people think it makes them look cooler while they swirl their snifter of grape juice in front of the TV with the fake fireplace DVD on loop.

Let me tell you right now. There's no such thing as a BMW tablet. They're all Hondas. Every single last one. You can convince yourself you're buying a Benz, but you're buying a Honda. Apple tablets are expensive Hondas, MS tablets are midline-expensive, and lower end Android tablets are Civics.

The Honda Civic is a pretty nice car for the money.

But I would not consider a $79 white-box Chinese Android tablet a nice tablet for the money.

 

[oldhifi]

but I would not consider a $79 white-box Chinese Android tablet a nice tablet for the money.

they are all made in China..

 

[Rogifan]

Regarding user accounts on the iPad...the two people who prevented that from happening are a) dead and b) no longer work for Apple. I think the odds of getting this in future iPads is quite likely. We got control center in iOS 7 and I'm sure there were plenty of people who thought Apple would never implement that.

 

[shiseiryu1]

Surface Sucks

I'm sorry, the Surface is a ugly, blocky piece of junk. I saw one at Staples today and it said, "Use Office on MS Surface...Don't forget to Buy Office". What a rip off. Just buy an iPad and get a whole suite of programs for free. Plus you'll have a tablet that's light, sleek, powerful, and with more programs and accessories available than any other platform.

I agree with people that say that the iPad needs multiple accounts. I do have a prediction though, next year Apple will release TouchID for the iPad and you'll be able to login to your account by clicking on the home button. Talk about simple and secure.

 

[Quu]

Has some nice features like multiple accounts and multitasking. But you still have to get a surface. I'm just not prepared to put my family through that.

 

[dannyyankou]

So this means apple will incorporate hands free PrimeSense technology in the 12.9 inch iPad pro, right?

Also, about the multiple accounts thing- it drives me crazy that Microsoft is combining PCs and tablets. You should either get a PC, a tablet, or both. A tablet should be an extension to your PC, and the 2-in-1 model doesn't work.

 

[mrjr101]

I agree that multi-user would be great.

Although, I don't think it's "simple" but it's certainly not outside of their wheel house. iOS is very single-user based though, how would push notifications work with multi-user? And notification center on the home screen. Is there a sense of logging out? Are notifications and the notification center just not present when the last user has logged out? Are all apps installed for all users? What about media? What happens when you open Control Center from the lock screen and take a picture? What camera roll does it save to? Whose Clock app is opened? Is DND a device setting or user setting?

There are likely hundreds of little nuances like this that need to be considered. And the whole login/logout concept is very desktop oriented. iOS devices are meant to be switched on and ready to go with all of your latest updates waiting for you, or notifying you that something you're interested in has happened. This all becomes very muddled when you introduce multiple users.

Good observations. But all that needs to be done is the inevitable enhancements of icloud and touch ID and boom there you have the ability of multiple user experience from one environment. And you're right, I don't think Apple will make iPad users logout.

 

[AppleScruff1]

I'm sorry, the Surface is a ugly, blocky piece of junk. I saw one at Staples today and it said, "Use Office on MS Surface...Don't forget to Buy Office". What a rip off. Just buy an iPad and get a whole suite of programs for free. Plus you'll have a tablet that's light, sleek, powerful, and with more programs and accessories available than any other platform.

I agree with people that say that the iPad needs multiple accounts. I do have a prediction though, next year Apple will release TouchID for the iPad and you'll be able to login to your account by clicking on the home button. Talk about simple and secure.

How long have you been using a Surface, or could you tell it "sucked" just by walking past the display? How does Excel run on the iPad?