Microsoft Launches Site to Lure MacBook Switchers to Surface Pro 3

[gotluck]

I see it otherwise, especially if you're technical it pisses you off even more. I have an IT job, and when I get home I really don't want to keep on working, I just want to turn on my Mac an/or iPad and call it a day... enjoy and entertain myself, without analyzing problems of my home systems...

With Continuity it's even more convenient now!
I start reading something on my Mac, too tired to sit, so I swipe up the Safari icon on my iPad and continue there. A video is too small on my iPad and sound could be better, AirPlay that to my big TV screen. Music always streams wirelessly in my home to my Hi-Fi speakers.

Friends say I live in the future, well I'd say my friends just live with Microsoft+Android. Poor things.

That's fine and dandy but you can do those things on Microsoft and android too, without going all in on one ecosystem

Chrome tab sync, pushbullet, Chromecast or any miracast device

 

[S.B.G]

I like the Surface Pro 3 and if I had some extra cash, I'd get one. Not as a replacement for my Mac, but an addition to my tech lineup.

 

[ryanasimov]

The Surface can only compete as a notebook alternative when you use it on a table; try using the Surface with a keyboard on your lap.

 

[ParanoidDroid]

I like the Surface Pro 3 and if I had some extra cash, I'd get one. Not as a replacement for my Mac, but an addition to my tech lineup.

The only use case I can imagine for Surface Pro is running Photoshop and Illustrator on it with a stylus.

 

[GeneralChang]

Not to the extent of iPad to Surface (or any Windows tablets) switchers.

Um... I think that price will most often limit that particular switch. There are probably a few people switching from the most expensive iPads to the least expensive Surfaces. But I would submit that that number is vanishingly small.

 

[Edsel]

I've been using a Surface 2 for the last 1.5 years. It's a great device. Easy to use on your lap. Thin lighted keyboard that acts as a cover. The iCloud app works really well on my other Lenovo notebook running Windows 8.1 Pro.

Microsoft will produce a much better OS with the upcoming Windows 10 next year. I use all three major OS' on various platforms. Android and Windows are nipping at Apple's heels.

 

[ParanoidDroid]

That's fine and dandy but you can do those things on Microsoft and android too, without going all in on one ecosystem

Chrome tab sync, pushbullet, Chromecast or any miracast device

But you have to agree, that it's not as convenient as on Apple devices. It always feels like a workaround to me. With Apple's seamless software & hardware integration it just feels more natural, it blends in and you totally forget the technology behind it. It's a very subjective/subtile experience.

 

[cppguy]

Microsoft has a proper full-featured desktop operating system on their tablets, which is very much appreciated. That means you can run Photoshop, Illustrator, Office, Visual C++, the real thing. For some people that's an advantage. And the stylus enables professional photo retouching and other illustrations. It's not for the average consumer, but I was always a huge fan of the WACOM Tablet PCs running real desktop Windows.

 

[xDKP]

I still like the fact that it seems even Microsoft doesn't know why I need the damn stylus - all they do in all the ads are circling random stuff on the screen...

 

[AppleScruff1]

LOL what a joke.

I have a friend that works at a very large electronic store, umm lets just say they fry things, anyway the most returned item is the Surface Pro 3! LOL

Why are they returned?

Most of the Surface Pros are broken out of the box and the rest are returned, because they suck. Literally, customers do not like the product. Regardless of wether the customers are Win or Mac people, most of the Surface Pros are returned.

Also, employees would rather sell a different product.

Cool story. I'm sure that most of them are broken out of the box and that Fry's sells so many of them that it is the most returned item they sell. Any more stories like this? I'm all ears.

 

[Steve121178]

Who in their right mind would fork out nearly $2k for this?

12" Screen
Surface Pro 3 - 8GB RAM: 512GB / Intel i7 - 1.7Ghz
Resolution: 2160 x 1440 • Aspect Ratio: 3:2
$1,849.00 [after $100 sale price cut]

Seriously?

MacBook Pro 13"
Retina display: 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560-by-1600 resolution at 227 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
8GB 1600MHz DDR3L SDRAM
3.0GHz dual-core Intel Core i7
512GB PCIe-based Flash Storage
$1,999.00


There is a reason they run advertising against the baseline Macbook Air. It is asinine to compare any Surface Pro above it with any Macbook product above that baseline $899 Macbook Air.

Hate to break it to you, but practically all businesses are a Windows environment, so they won't even look at Macs. So it's businesses that will fork out $2k on a Windows device. Silly question.

 

[AppleScruff1]

Who in their right mind would fork out nearly $2k for this?

12" Screen
Surface Pro 3 - 8GB RAM: 512GB / Intel i7 - 1.7Ghz
Resolution: 2160 x 1440 • Aspect Ratio: 3:2
$1,849.00 [after $100 sale price cut]

Seriously?

MacBook Pro 13"
Retina display: 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560-by-1600 resolution at 227 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
8GB 1600MHz DDR3L SDRAM
3.0GHz dual-core Intel Core i7
512GB PCIe-based Flash Storage
$1,999.00


There is a reason they run advertising against the baseline Macbook Air. It is asinine to compare any Surface Pro above it with any Macbook product above that baseline $899 Macbook Air.

Why would anyone buy the Mac when you could buy a Windows machine for less?

 

[M5RahuL]

I love my Surface Pro 3.

This is coning from someone who has owned numerous MBPs in the past. When I saw the SP3, I knew I was getting this over any MBP or Air. I have not regretted that decision.

Me too! I got the i5/8/256 version from BB for $900 [ student coupon + movers coupon + BB RCs ] a few months back and it.is.amazing!

Love my MBP, but the SP3 is a great machine nonetheless! The N-trig pen is impressively accurate [ I have a Wacom based tablet too ] and palm rejection is almost God sent!

Running Virtual Machines [ Oracle, MS Server, and Siebel Thin Client ] on the go is very convenient even without the attached type cover [ Honestly, I really prefer a BT keyboard + mouse over the type cover ] attached.

Like most comments online, MS should've included the damn type cover with the SP3 as a package in the same price point, or even slightly less!

 

[Steve121178]

Me too! I got the i5/8/256 version from BB for $900 [ student coupon + movers coupon + BB RCs ] a few months back and it.is.amazing!

Love my MBP, but the SP3 is a great machine nonetheless! The N-trig pen is impressively accurate [ I have a Wacom based tablet too ] and palm rejection is almost God sent!

Like most comments online, MS should've included the damn type cover with the SP3 as a package in the same price point, or even slightly less!

I love the SP3, but the keyboard is horrible. Even so, a keyboard should be included as standard as you rightly say.

 

[S.B.G]

The only use case I can imagine for Surface Pro is running Photoshop and Illustrator on it with a stylus.

For me, as a network administrator, at work, managing a Windows network, I could make good use of it.

 

[Nordichund]

Hope it is a success for MS. Really! The better the competition the better Apple will work to improve their range.

I switched over to OS in 2006 after they started to use Intel. I have to use Windows now and again on assignment. The difference for me is that 99% of the time is a pleasure to turn on my Mac. Windows however still frustrates the hell out of me, even though it is a lot better than it was.

 

[M5RahuL]

The Surface can only compete as a notebook alternative when you use it on a table; try using the Surface with a keyboard on your lap.

I have to agree somewhat... The lap-ability with the type cover is a bit awkward, but one does used to it. When traveling, I prefer to use it as a true laptop w/o the attached keyboard unless I absolutely must.

At work, or while remotely logged in from home, it's docked in with a BT KB and Mouse + external monitor [ Samsung 28" 4K ] so it serves as a desktop replacement, for the most part.

Thermal, design, and connectivity shortcomings should be addressed in the SP4, and I would really like to see a LTE version with the next iteration.

 

[FPCPRO]

Given the huge disparity between the number of Mac users and PC users I don't think Microsoft's slight edge over Apple's YouTube ad views is anything to write home about.

The surface Pro 3 is an interesting device. I must admit that I find tempting. However, Microsoft skips over an important fact. If you want to use applications such as Adobe Photoshop you need to buy the $1800 core i7 model. I find this to be very misleading, and I think will blow up in Microsoft's face.

I've played with the base model at the Microsoft store and found it to be a bit sluggish. I think a more accurate comparison of the MacBook Air is between the the surface Pro3 core i5 and i7 of which are more expensive than hey comparable MacBook air.

All that being said, if Apple doesn't get in gear soon, Microsoft will close the price and performance gap and that could spell trouble for Apple's much beloved MacBook air.

 

[Am3r1ca16]

No thanks. Maybe if I was a macbook air user this might have been a option but I cant go from using a rmbp to this. Just not for me

 

[ParanoidDroid]

Hate to break it to you, but practically all businesses are a Windows environment, so they won't even look at Macs. So it's businesses that will fork out $2k on a Windows device. Silly question.

Yes, it's a sad thing. But what do businesses do mostly with their PCs? Run MS Office... duh.. and browse the web with the worst browser ever made; InternetExplorer! It's that terrible MS Office inertia that keeps Windows so dominant in the business world. Talk to any network administrator and they'll happily agree that they'd rather manage a UNIX environment than Windows.

The inhomogeneous Windows environment in any company is a nightmare for the IT folks. Windows XP, Win7, Win 8... Server 2000 and so on... then servers running Apache, Linux FreeBSD etc. Office XP, 2003, 2010... 365... gahhh. IE 7/8/9/11/12 with outdated Flash plug-in and old Java VMs...

Lot's of work keeping that house of cards protected and running.

 

[Prof.]

My friend has a maxed out surface pro 3 and I love it. After playing around with hers for a while, I was definitely left wanting one. They're perfect for University students who commute. If I had an extra $2,000 lying around, I'd buy one.

 

[samcraig]

Cool story. I'm sure that most of them are broken out of the box and that Fry's sells so many of them that it is the most returned item they sell. Any more stories like this? I'm all ears.

Sounds more like his friend's store might be up to shady practices if they keep selling defective units. What are the odds?

 

[Steve121178]

Yes, it's a sad thing. But what do businesses do mostly with their PCs? Run MS Office... duh.. and browse the web with the worst browser ever made InternetExplorer! It's that terrible MS Office inertia that keeps Windows so dominant in the business world. Talk to any network administrator and they'll happily agree that they'd rather manage a UNIX environment that Windows.

The inhomogeneous Windows environment in any company is a nightmare for the IT folks. Windows XP, Win7, Win 8... Server 2000 and so on... then servers running Apache, Linux FreeBSD etc. Office XP, 2003, 2010... 365... gahhh. IE 7/8/9/11/12 with outdated Flash plug-in and old Java VMs...

Lot's of work keeping that house of cards protected and running.

Any medium/large business will have everything fully automated regarding updates/patches & security solutions. As an example, at my place of work I have over 70,000 workstations & over 5,000 servers that takes me about 5 mins per month to manage the Windows updates. It's literally a case of creating the deployment package and choosing the time & day I want them to deploy. How is that hard or difficult?

Internet Explorer is a decent browser and has been excellent since IE9. I hated pretty much every version prior to that, but it's been fine for years. As you are obviously not aware, you can install another browser on your PC. Take your pick from 100's of options. Most people tend to favour Chrome & Firefox as excellent IE alternatives.

 

[gotluck]

But you have to agree, that it's not as convenient as on Apple devices. It always feels like a workaround to me. With Apple's seamless software & hardware integration it just feels more natural, it blends in and you totally forget the technology behind it. It's a very subjective/subtile experience.

Not as convenient no

But Apple offers no continuity for those of us with windows pcs at work, the place I want continuity most

I'll take less convenient over no support at all

 

[ParanoidDroid]

Any medium/large business will have everything fully automated regarding updates/patches & security solutions. As an example, at my place of work I have over 70,000 workstations & over 5,000 servers that takes me about 5 mins per month to manage the Windows updates. It's literally a case of creating the deployment package and choosing the time & day I want them to deploy. How is that hard or difficult?

Internet Explorer is a decent browser and has been excellent since IE9. I hated pretty much every version prior to that, but it's been fine for years. As you are obviously not aware, you can install another browser on your PC. Take your pick from 100's of options. Most people tend to favour Chrome & Firefox as excellent IE alternatives.

Yes we have automated deployment as well, but some machines still have to run XP...

You can't be serious about IE, we still have to implement fallbacks for IE when developing web-based solutions. Most companies I know won't allow you to install 3rd party browsers, IE is your only option.