Microsoft Launches New Surface RT vs. iPad Ad Highlighting iPad Shortcomings

[digibdallas]

Apple needs to take another leap for sure, but

The Apple version of this video could be summed up with one 3 second comparison.

Apple logo appears on left, Microsoft logo appears on left. Nuff said.



An alternate version with equal if not a much bigger impact would be created as follows:

iOS logo appears on left, Windows appears on right. Who the hell wants a freakin windows machine inside a small box? Not me.

 

[shandyman]

And don't call me silly again. At least I can think for myself, not letting advertising do that for me. According to you, that makes me less silly than 99%.

Just point out about the 'integrated' keyboard they imply comes with the surface and that the 32Gb iPad comes with more free space than the 32Gb Surface and he'll ignore you totally as he can't comeback against those points. lol

 

[inkswamp]

Why didn't they compare the number of available apps?

Funny how the tables have turned. In the 90s, Macs were technically superior in just about every way to Windows boxes (especially before Windows 95) but there just wasn't enough Mac software and compatible hardware out there compared to PCs, so Apple was constantly fighting--and losing--an uphill battle.

Surface RT, like the mid-90s Mac, may be technically superior to the market leader in every way but iOS has the apps so the fight is over.

 

[Demigod Mac]

"Don't think of an elephant."

 

[Michael Goff]

The sales show it's no real threat to the iPad

And once again you go back to sales.

But notice I said compete, not than it was a threat. It was meant to compete with it.

Sigh

Yes, it "competes" with the iPad for our time. So does TV, bowling, and long walks on the beach. But I am saying it loses so utterly to the iPad on everything that consumers have been proven to use a tablet for that it has become pointless. It has failed to truly provide competition on any sort of useful level.

Why on earth would the CPU architecture matter to this discussion about usage?

And don't call me silly again. At least I can think for myself, not letting advertising do that for me. According to you, that makes me less silly than 99%.

Think for yourself means you shoehorn a tool into a purpose that it wasn't meant for? RT was never meant to take on a fill laptop OS. That is why it is weaker, why it doesn't have full multitasking, and so forth.

Don't forget the other 2/3 of apps on the iPad are fart apps.

I wouldn't go that far, really, but there should be the distinction between all of the iOS apps and the ones that compete with tablet apps.

Just point out about the 'integrated' keyboard they imply comes with the surface and that the 32Gb iPad comes with more free space than the 32Gb Surface and he'll ignore you totally as he can't comeback against those points. lol

Then you didn't read my post. My retort was that... yes, the iPad 32 gb has more space than the Surface RT 32gb, and you only pay 250$ more for the honor of having an iPad with more space than the Surface. I also pointed out that I didn't like the tactic of making the keyboard seem as though it was free, then speculated that it might be a future tactic than they're setting up for with the touch cover.

 

[rfahey]

Every time Microsoft posts one of these videos they show the physical keyboard like it comes with the device when in fact you need to purchase it seperately or buy the more expensive "kit"; so why not show the ipad's smart cover and how you can stand the ipad upright or prop it up for easy on-screen keyboard typing?

 

[JAT]

Think for yourself means you shoehorn a tool into a purpose that it wasn't meant for? RT was never meant to take on a fill laptop OS. That is why it is weaker, why it doesn't have full multitasking, and so forth.

Not shoehorn. Recognize.

No more from me. Waste of time.

 

[Rafterman]

No it isn't IMHO.

1. The PC/Mac adds had 'JOKE' written over them in capitals, and were never about mispresentation of facts. If not for a good sense of humor, professional users would all be on PC by now, right? Since Macs were pictured as merely toys to have light weight fun with.
2. The key word in your reply is 'DID'. Apple moved along since then, and so did I. MS clearly didn't, neither did Samsung, neither did Nokia.

Either way, nothing in this add convinced me of even considering to take a look at a MS tablet. YMMV

Apple absolutely misrepresented facts in what a PC could (or in that case, couldn't) do. For example, "implying" that you couldn't import photos on a PC from a camera. Don't get me wrong, I actually prefer Mac (I'm using one right now). But this whole PC is garbage, Mac is great thing is just dumb. They are both good OS's in their own ways.

But my favorite is this jpg I attached about who would you hire.

 

[fourthtunz]

uh oh....

Heh, just like Microsloth to bring a knife to a gunfight!

----------

Apple absolutely misrepresented facts in what a PC could (or in that case, couldn't) do. For example, "implying" that you couldn't import photos on a PC from a camera. Don't get me wrong, I actually prefer Mac (I'm using one right now). But this whole PC is garbage, Mac is great thing is just dumb. They are both good OS's in their own ways.

But my favorite is this jpg I attached about who would you hire.

It might be but you sound like most pc people.
The Mac is about the OS and IT's hardware, they just work and work well together.
Anyone who has ever owned both knows the amount of extra you will have to put into maintenance if you have a pc.
That's why IT guys love the PC, job security!

 

[skinned66]

I want it, I'm just not in a position to purchase one and I'd wait for the 2nd or 3rd gen anyways.

I think you're smart to wait. Who knows, you might be able to skip RT altogether and go Pro by that time. The Surface Pro is a slightly different beast and one I'd consider...just not in it's current iteration at its current price.

It's not that it's too expensive - I have an iPad 4th gen that I paid good money for - and it does everything I want. I won't be in the market for another tablet for a while. They'll have the opportunity to take my money then.

Even if I didn't have the iPad today and had to choose tomorrow I'd take the iPad over the current Surface Pro. I wouldn't even consider the RT. Seeing how quick MSFT was to all but completely abandon Windows Phone 7 support and updates I don't want anything that needs them so firmly in control of what I can install.

 

[GerritV]

Apple absolutely misrepresented facts in what a PC could (or in that case, couldn't) do. For example, "implying" that you couldn't import photos on a PC from a camera. Don't get me wrong, I actually prefer Mac (I'm using one right now). But this whole PC is garbage, Mac is great thing is just dumb. They are both good OS's in their own ways.

But my favorite is this jpg I attached about who would you hire.

From what I recall, the PC in the adds could do it all, but with a lot more effort and a lesser result (I gladly remember Gisele B in the iMovie theme hehe).

And about the jpg, I would definitely go for the PC guy. The Mac guy would probably spend his working days on Facebook and Twitter, liking and tweeting along on my expense

 

[Rafterman]

Heh, just like Microsloth to bring a knife to a gunfight!

----------



It might be but you sound like most pc people.
The Mac is about the OS and IT's hardware, they just work and work well together.
Anyone who has ever owned both knows the amount of extra you will have to put into maintenance if you have a pc.
That's why IT guys love the PC, job security!

As an IT guy who works with both Macs and PC's, I can assure you that Macs don't always "just work".

 

[Vinamra]

I fixed it for you.

Lol, yeah. That reads better

 

[MrClam]

Notice that they dont mention the resolution (much lower than the ipad 4), performance, weight, the fact that it runs windows, the fact that the 32gb model isnt - and if we're to be fair we should be comparing USABLE space - so the price of the 32gb surface against the 16gb ipad 4, etc etc etc.

 

[skinned66]

Every time Microsoft posts one of these videos they show the physical keyboard like it comes with the device when in fact you need to purchase it seperately or buy the more expensive "kit"; so why not show the ipad's smart cover and how you can stand the ipad upright or prop it up for easy on-screen keyboard typing?

My guess is it's the same reason they don't show that bluetooth snap-on keyboard/case from eBay is only $30 & $45 for the iPad & Surface respectively while their cover offering is $120. They want to soak you like they're Apple

 

[aristotle]

The Surface RT ships with 15GB free (this can be made bigger if you remove the recovery data) whereas the flash chips on the iPad 16GB come to about 14.2 before the OS is factored in.

So how does the iPad have more space?

How is it that you brain is not comprehending that we are comparing the 32GB Surface RT versus the 16GB iPad? Then we have to consider the fragmentation problems with NTFS. Grant that fragmentation on flash storage does not really cause as much of a performance hit as it does for disks but it can lead to more unnecessary writes as the contents of files change causing premature failure of the flash chips.

The reality is that NTFS is probably going to use up the existing space faster.

How about we compare the free space on a 32GB iPad to a 32GB Surface RT?

 

[skinned66]

Until you try watching movies of any sort?

A lot of movies aren't 16:9 unless they're made for television. But there are definitely a lot more recent ones than 4:3.

In any case it's a personal preference. I prefer 16:10 monitors over 16:9 since I do more work and research on my computer than I do movies.

At least my Gatchaman episodes are full screen on my iPad

 

[shandyman]

Then you didn't read my post. My retort was that... yes, the iPad 32 gb has more space than the Surface RT 32gb, and you only pay 250$ more for the honor of having an iPad with more space than the Surface. I also pointed out that I didn't like the tactic of making the keyboard seem as though it was free, then speculated that it might be a future tactic than they're setting up for with the touch cover.

Well to level the playing field, the iPad 2, which is not retina, therefore making for more of a level playing field display-wise, is $100 cheaper than the retina one. Additionally since they pick the low end surface for the ad, we should also pick the low end iPad....

 

[aristotle]

Apple absolutely misrepresented facts in what a PC could (or in that case, couldn't) do. For example, "implying" that you couldn't import photos on a PC from a camera. Don't get me wrong, I actually prefer Mac (I'm using one right now). But this whole PC is garbage, Mac is great thing is just dumb. They are both good OS's in their own ways.

But my favorite is this jpg I attached about who would you hire.

Which one would I hire? Neither because they are actors and we have no need for actors. If their characters where "real" people, hiring would depend on what position was advertized and what their qualifications were.

A developer is not expected to wear a suit so the mac guy might be a better fit for the teams here if he had the right developer skills.

BTW. The successful applicant for a software developer position would be expected to work with .NET on the windows platform which is what I do.

 

[Liquorpuki]

Because 4:3 is a much more useful size for a tablet. Widescreen is totally useless in portrait mode.

If you're multitasking via W8 snap view, that extra length is pretty useful

 

[Michael Goff]

Well to level the playing field, the iPad 2, which is not retina, therefore making for more of a level playing field display-wise, is $100 cheaper than the retina one. Additionally since they pick the low end surface for the ad, we should also pick the low end iPad....

Now those are points we an agree on.

Advertisements have always been loathed by people who enjoy... honesty.

 

[aristotle]

If you're multitasking via W8 snap view, that extra length is pretty useful

I hate to break it to you but nobody can actually multitask. At best, you can be distracted by something blinking at the corner of your eye but you cannot actually physically interact with two at the same time.

There are actually very few use cases were you would want to see two windows open on the same screen on a tablet. Multi-window apps work fine on a desktop/laptop but even there the utility is limited unless if the applications can do drag and drop which windows is really poor at doing.

 

[Liquorpuki]

I hate to break it to you but nobody can actually multitask. At best, you can be distracted by something blinking at the corner of your eye but you cannot actually physically interact with two at the same time.

There are actually very few use cases were you would want to see two windows open on the same screen on a tablet. Multi-window apps work fine on a desktop/laptop but even there the utility is limited unless if the applications can do drag and drop which windows is really poor at doing.

We're not talking about brain physiology, we're talking about separate applications where data needs to be shared to perform a function more efficiently

Looking at Etrade or stock charts in a browser, calculator app open on the right side so I can calculate a trailing stop
Skyping with my girlfriend while I'm proofreading her paper so I can tell her exactly what she needs to fix
Map open in snap view, getting addresses and checking out spots in the browser while I'm planning a trip

If I had to do this in iOS, I have to app switch back and forth and it's a pain in the ass. IE I have to go look at the stock chart, memorize or copy the market value, app switch to the calculator, input the number from memory and run the calculation, memorize or copy the answer, app switch back to my trading app, stick it in the trade. Having two apps open side by side is more efficient

 

[APlotdevice]

Until you try watching movies of any sort?

If you're multitasking via W8 snap view, that extra length is pretty useful

You guys need to re-read the post you're quoting. Those are landscape uses. He's talking about portrait, which is what the iPad was primarily designed for.

 

[notjustjay]

There are actually very few use cases were you would want to see two windows open on the same screen on a tablet. Multi-window apps work fine on a desktop/laptop but even there the utility is limited unless if the applications can do drag and drop which windows is really poor at doing.

Well I can think of lots of times when I wish I could hold two apps open side by side.

Simple example: someone sends you their mailing address and phone number in a Facebook message (or posts it as a message) and you want to add a new contact. Sure you can try copy/paste, but if there's more than one field worth of data...

Or the simple fact that, apparently due to app bloat, my iPhone 4 is nigh-on unusable for switching between apps... I chat with someone on Facebook, then switch out to Safari to check something, then try to switch back to Facebook, and the app crashes. Although, admittedly, this is not a typical use case. Or maybe it is. The Facebook app sucks.