Microsoft Releases New Anti-iPad Ad Highlighting Surface Accessories

[ValSalva]

Good ad actually. Here's the problem... Everyone knows it's cheaper, it has a USB port, etc, but why aren't they selling? Because they look good till you use them.

So true. And I think the public feels burned by Microsoft when it comes to computing. I don't think the vast majority of the public trusts Microsoft with new computing devices or software. Most just want their usual Windows on laptops and desktop. Don't change things too much like in Vista, the ribbon, and Windows 8. MS is stuck in a rut they created.

 

[mw360]

There's a few different scenarios when it comes to transferring pictures - these are the various methods:

1) iDevice <---> iDevice
a) Shared Photostream. Photos are uploaded as they are taken so any older ones will already there, any new photos will take a few seconds to upload from A and download to B
b) Via a computer. Plug A in, copy photos to computer, plug B in copy photos from computer to B
c) Airdrop (Coming in iOS 7) - drag and drop photos from A to B via peer to peer Wi-Fi (No network connection needed)



2) iDevice <---> Computer
a) Shared Photostream. See above but replace B with computer
b) Plug it in via USB and copy photos across
c) Airdrop will work from iDevice <---> iDevice <---> Mac


3) Computer <---> Computer
Basically any way you want. Flickr, iCloud, Facebook, direct network, USB etc etc.

Airdrop will be the most widely used method come iOS 7 in a few months. It's a huge, huge feature that has so far been overlooked - it's extremely easy and extremely fast.

I really think any of those methods is easier and even the slowest method is not that much slower than fiddling around with USB adapters, SD cards etc.

Exactly. Microsoft is trying to sell this approach...

Camera -> PC -> USB stick -> surface

...in 2013!

 

[scottw324]

Not sure if this was posted yet since there over 300 post but thought this was hilarious.

http://youtu.be/Jg5D9nW4v4U

A bit more realistic.

 

[scottw324]

this ad is awesome. funny, creative, and pokes the beast.

if microsoft wants to target apple, they should use the tag line "it doesnt take a genius to use our products"

anyways, good ad for a product which is finally in the right price tier.

While I understand where u r going with that comment, that is the nice thing about apple products, or at least the iPhone and iPad, it doesn't take a genius to use their products. Hence why I bought and iPad for my wife instead of replacing her laptop. No matter what she would find a way to mess up the laptop and then I would have to fix it. Never had a problem yet in the last 2 years and two iPads for her.

The laptops all ran Windows........ Just throwing that out there.

 

[Piggie]

There's a few different scenarios when it comes to transferring pictures - these are the various methods:

1) iDevice <---> iDevice
a) Shared Photostream. Photos are uploaded as they are taken so any older ones will already there, any new photos will take a few seconds to upload from A and download to B
b) Via a computer. Plug A in, copy photos to computer, plug B in copy photos from computer to B
c) Airdrop (Coming in iOS 7) - drag and drop photos from A to B via peer to peer Wi-Fi (No network connection needed)



2) iDevice <---> Computer
a) Shared Photostream. See above but replace B with computer
b) Plug it in via USB and copy photos across
c) Airdrop will work from iDevice <---> iDevice <---> Mac


3) Computer <---> Computer
Basically any way you want. Flickr, iCloud, Facebook, direct network, USB etc etc.

Airdrop will be the most widely used method come iOS 7 in a few months. It's a huge, huge feature that has so far been overlooked - it's extremely easy and extremely fast.

I really think any of those methods is easier and even the slowest method is not that much slower than fiddling around with USB adapters, SD cards etc.

That is all nice, but I'm talking about real world, the majority of which are various age PC's, not imaginary Apple world where everyone has the latest Apple devices and has iTunes/Apple accounts.

In the real world, I have a large file on my PC, so I can just put in a USB thumbdrive, copy over the 1GB, 5GB, 10GB+ file.
Go to work and hand anyone on a desktop computer my thumbdrive and they can read the data of fast.

That's real world use. I don't need to worry about what machine, what format, what account they have.

 

[jmgregory1]

Regardless of how poorly MS does with the surface and even with W8, they will continue to own the enterprise market for software and the crappy hardware used to run their software. The reason why? The entire tech industry built around supporting and fixing MS and PC specific shortcomings. Things will continue to be done the way it has been done for years because there is so much money and so many jobs tied to MS. Corporations using this system also have so much riding on it that switching, even if it's the smart thing to do, becomes a problem for them.

It's sad really, how MS is hamstrung from moving forward by the very systems they put in place years ago. It's the reason why as much as MS seems to be failing at the consumer level, they still make boatloads of money on licensing of the crap they built long ago.

I don't think they can just skate by forever, but they've got a few years left before enough of the 3rd party IT companies and techs figure out they indeed need to move forward and consider something more than an MS solution.

 

[spinedoc77]

Sorry I don't have time to read all 12 pages of posts but I have a simple question.

Does the Surface RT have its own version of Siri or Google Now? I didn't read about it in any reviews.

----------



Intel didn't screw anything up. They believed their partner, MS, would have the foresight to help Intel plan their chip strategy.

Intel is dependent on MS, and MS didn't have the vision. And maybe still doesn't.

Intel make 90+% of their money selling chips to customers using MS Windows. That codependency hurts Intel more than MS.

Intel did screw up IMO, but nowhere near as bad as MS. Intel rested on its laurels for a long time, the reason people shun the Atom CPU's like the plague is because they were so bad on netbooks. On windows tablets they are quite nice, but still not where they need to be, once again Intel's fault. Hopefully they correct this with Baytrail, which is supposed to be the first major revision of the Atom CPU in a long time. If you want proof just look at the very recent headlines where Intel is considering totally dropping the Atom name because it gives people such negativity.

The other arena where Intel failed, and continues to fail is in driver updates, they are horribly slow at this and it does affect performance, usability.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

Why are they using the Touch Cover as an advantage? Logitech have similar products for both the iPad and iPad Mini

 

[spinedoc77]

they chose the iOS4 stock image for the ipad's background, tweaked in black & white, on a white ipad.

this makes the surface look more vivid, and the travelling glare in the beginning more evident.

check it out

Thank God that McDonalds and Burger King food NEVER looks better on TV or on a menu than it does in real life, phew...

 

[spinedoc77]

While I understand where u r going with that comment, that is the nice thing about apple products, or at least the iPhone and iPad, it doesn't take a genius to use their products. Hence why I bought and iPad for my wife instead of replacing her laptop. No matter what she would find a way to mess up the laptop and then I would have to fix it. Never had a problem yet in the last 2 years and two iPads for her.

The laptops all ran Windows........ Just throwing that out there.

It still amazes me how much people short change their own intelligence, or that of their loved ones. The entire concept of Metro is to make windows easier to use, but at the same time MS did not want to throw out the usefulness of hundreds of thousands of legacy programs. But by trying to out ipad the ipad with Windows RT MS lost big time, it's not worth doing.

I've never felt that a windows tablet was too "hard" or "complex" for me to use if I wanted to stay within the Metro ecosystem. I understand the app market is not there yet, but it has tremendously grown in the past year and most of the big apps are there and eventually it will catch up.

For me, with a windows tablet, I have a "dumb" tablet similar to the ipad AND I have a full computer, I can run it as either or both, but don't have to limit myself to only having the dumb tablet. It's all about choices, but sometimes it's about NOT having to make that choice and having your cake and eating it too.

----------

That is all nice, but I'm talking about real world, the majority of which are various age PC's, not imaginary Apple world where everyone has the latest Apple devices and has iTunes/Apple accounts.

In the real world, I have a large file on my PC, so I can just put in a USB thumbdrive, copy over the 1GB, 5GB, 10GB+ file.
Go to work and hand anyone on a desktop computer my thumbdrive and they can read the data of fast.

That's real world use. I don't need to worry about what machine, what format, what account they have.

Don't forget the HIGH cost of data, do any of us truly have the luxury to move even a 1gb file onto our computer over cellular data? What about those times when we don't have data access/cell reception? Not all of us sit at home in our wifi umbrella, I don't have wifi at work or on the road when I travel.

Some may call things like a memory card or USB as archaic, but I find them INCREDIBLY useful from day to day. And I still have the cloud I can use in addition to those things. Why people consider hamstringing themselves progressing I'll never know.

 

[seveej]

you call that...

... a real keyboard?

MS, how low can you go ?

RGDS,

 

[charlituna]

Especially weak considering the iPad DOES have a stand.

But it's not free, or attached. And it doesn't go click when you open it

----------

That's funny. Microsoft is doing the best marketing job they can with the product that they have. Can't blame any company for doing that. At least they are showing actual differentiation that might matter to some people, and in a humorous way, which it not my recollection of their usual marketing.

I'm pretty sure seeing real life uses for the average person like travelers, students, homemakers rather than sports scouts etc would be a better job. Focusing on keyboards and kick stands and dubstep means little.

Even if the RT can't so much find a way to make what it can do look really big and amazing.

----------

Microsoft

THATS WEAK....
Siri is doing ALL the talking.... so you're making Apple more glorious coz I find Siri super funny here.

I envision a new ad. Starts off with the same iPad next to a Surface and Siri only this time it's showing things the iPad can do that the Surface can't. Apps that are only on iOS, AirPlay, whatever. And at the end Siri pops off a snarky 'how you like them Apples'

 

[sdietric]

Keyboard sold separately...

I wonder how many people realize that the keyboard is sold separately when they see this ad (it's in the fine print on the bottom)

 

[haravikk]

It's another pretty weak comparison; the iPad isn't a laptop so it doesn't really need USB, same a phone doesn't. Sure Micro-USB wouldn't be an unpleasant thing to have, but for a portable device you don't want things plugged into it except when you absolutely have to.

The dock connector is also perfectly capable of handling a keyboard add-on, but at least an iPad is then a tablet with a keyboard (i.e - still a tablet) rather than a weird fusion of not-quite-a-laptop and not-really-a-tablet.

 

[charlituna]

Kind of funny. I admit I love my iPad mini, but miss my expandable storage from my Android Tablet (Acer A500). I just had to uninstall several games and remove all my music to get SWKOTOR to install.

Commercials might not be working, but...they are kinda true. What is actually false about the commercial (technically speaking) ?

I will give you on that. I think the iPad could do with bumping up the storage a level. Make 32GB the standard, at the current 16gb price. Or really go nuts and figure out a way to go 64/128/256GB on the full size at least (do the other on the mini for now)

Then if they could reduce some bloat in iOS and the apps with moving some bits like language packs to DLC, splitting iPhone and iPad versions up a la the SD/HD video sets. Plug ins rather than built in even for things like the higher res media (if you have temple run Oz, like they did)

 

[HenryDJP]

they chose the iOS4 stock image for the ipad's background, tweaked in black & white, on a white ipad.

this makes the surface look more vivid, and the travelling glare in the beginning more evident.

check it out

True, but if you really think about it, it makes the iPad look better. I can vividly see the iOS icons whereas the Surface's UI looks cluttered and it's hard to make out the apps within that messy tile UI.

 

[Renzatic]

Why are they using the Touch Cover as an advantage? Logitech have similar products for both the iPad and iPad Mini

They're not quite the same. The Touch Cover is like a Smart Cover with a keyboard. It's relatively light, flexible, and doesn't affect the...er...tabletness of the machine all that much. If you don't want to use it, you just fold it behind the device. The Logitech equivalent is like a stiff dock you fit your iPad into, making it feel more like a laptop.

 

[charlituna]

Siri: Do you come with all the apps I have?
Surface:
Siri: Do you come with great customer service?
Surface:
Siri: Do you have a voice?
Surface:

The first two are debatable as many folks will gripe that most of the iOS apps are trash and apple stores suck if you have a issue

But the last is has to counter as it is a simple and emotionless fact. Although it would be more like

Siri: it was great talking with you
Surface

 

[scottw324]

It still amazes me how much people short change their own intelligence, or that of their loved ones. The entire concept of Metro is to make windows easier to use, but at the same time MS did not want to throw out the usefulness of hundreds of thousands of legacy programs. But by trying to out ipad the ipad with Windows RT MS lost big time, it's not worth doing.

I've never felt that a windows tablet was too "hard" or "complex" for me to use if I wanted to stay within the Metro ecosystem. I understand the app market is not there yet, but it has tremendously grown in the past year and most of the big apps are there and eventually it will catch up.

For me, with a windows tablet, I have a "dumb" tablet similar to the ipad AND I have a full computer, I can run it as either or both, but don't have to limit myself to only having the dumb tablet. It's all about choices, but sometimes it's about NOT having to make that choice and having your cake and eating it too.

----------



Don't forget the HIGH cost of data, do any of us truly have the luxury to move even a 1gb file onto our computer over cellular data? What about those times when we don't have data access/cell reception? Not all of us sit at home in our wifi umbrella, I don't have wifi at work or on the road when I travel.

Some may call things like a memory card or USB as archaic, but I find them INCREDIBLY useful from day to day. And I still have the cloud I can use in addition to those things. Why people consider hamstringing themselves progressing I'll never know.

I am a pretty knowledgable person when it comes to computers and what things they can do. Maybe not a so called expert but still pretty knowledgable and even I chose the iPad over any other tablet. I tried an android tablet and wasn't really impressed with it compared to my iPad and apple ecosystem. I have a laptop with win 8 on it and I really don't like it. I use mostly my Mac mini or my Lenovo Win7 laptop. Maybe on a tablet metro works better but I am not a fan of it on my desktop/laptop computer.

I like the concept of the surface pro but there are reasons i wouldn't buy it.
1. Battery life sucks compared to my iPad.
2. Runs hot like a laptop and requires fans.
3. Lack of apps.
4. I want to integrate it into my current ecosystem, not have to revamp everything when my current one just....works.
5. Stability. rarely if anything have I run into any issue with my iOS devices. Can MS give me the same performance promise with Surface? I don't want throwbacks to the blue screen of death era of MS Windows.

What MS did wrong with Win 8, and this is my personal opinion based on my usage of win8, is making too many changes to operation and UI too fast. Make more subtle changes and advance them over time as people adapt to them. Not provide them a whole new UI that they they are not familiar with because that is how you frustrate your customers. Once they are frustrated it is hard to get them back or to come over to your side.

I am one of them. I have essentially given up on win8. I will keep it on the laptop to help troubleshoot issues for my dad but that is about it. It is also my loaner laptop in case one of my troops or friends need one for school or something.

 

[HenryDJP]

I like these Ad's. They will not make me go out and buy a Surface, but still funny.

Not sure why everybody is getting so upset about them though..., it is just an Ad. Ad's never make me buy something.

Just my observation but I think you like these ads because of the comical vocals from Siri, there's really nothing in the ad enjoyable about the way MS advertises the Surface, IMO.

 

[Frobozz]

I've always laughed at anti-Apple ads pointing out useless advantages to other platforms, like expandability. I don't have a real keyboard? Yeah, because I don't need or want one. I don't have a USB port? Yeah, because I don't need one. I have cloud services and- wait for it- an expansion port. It's not USB, though! LOL. Sigh. The proof is in the sales.

 

[Renzatic]

I've always laughed at anti-Apple ads pointing out useless advantages to other platforms, like expandability. I don't have a real keyboard? Yeah, because I don't need or want one. I don't have a USB port? Yeah, because I don't need one. I have cloud services and- wait for it- an expansion port. It's not USB, though! LOL. Sigh. The proof is in the sales.

Because you don't need these things, it should be obvious that the iPad is perfect for everyone.

You know what one of the first things I bought for my iPad was? A keyboard. Why? Because typing on the screen for short bursts works fine, but if you want to write something up with a little more depth and breadth, you'll find it sucks pretty damn quickly.

And USB. Admittedly, this isn't 100% necessary, but it is a nice feature. Apple could alleviate the need for one even more if they supported a way to upload files from your computer to your iPad without leaning on an off site intermediary like iCloud. I can upload files far faster on Wifi than I can my internet connection.

Of course I could hook my iPad up to my computer and use iTunes, but...yeah. That's easy and convenient.

Things aren't terrible in iPad land. But they could be considerably better.

 

[mw360]

That is all nice, but I'm talking about real world, the majority of which are various age PC's, not imaginary Apple world where everyone has the latest Apple devices and has iTunes/Apple accounts.

In the real world, I have a large file on my PC, so I can just put in a USB thumbdrive, copy over the 1GB, 5GB, 10GB+ file.
Go to work and hand anyone on a desktop computer my thumbdrive and they can read the data of fast.

That's real world use. I don't need to worry about what machine, what format, what account they have.

Is that the world you want to live in? Slow crappy internet and 'various age' PCs, side loading word documents via USB?. Thats why everyone is laughing at Microsoft here because that's the dream they seem to be selling, and they're puzzled why nobody's buying.

 

[spinedoc77]

I am a pretty knowledgable person when it comes to computers and what things they can do. Maybe not a so called expert but still pretty knowledgable and even I chose the iPad over any other tablet. I tried an android tablet and wasn't really impressed with it compared to my iPad and apple ecosystem. I have a laptop with win 8 on it and I really don't like it. I use mostly my Mac mini or my Lenovo Win7 laptop. Maybe on a tablet metro works better but I am not a fan of it on my desktop/laptop computer.

I like the concept of the surface pro but there are reasons i wouldn't buy it.
1. Battery life sucks compared to my iPad.
2. Runs hot like a laptop and requires fans.
3. Lack of apps.
4. I want to integrate it into my current ecosystem, not have to revamp everything when my current one just....works.
5. Stability. rarely if anything have I run into any issue with my iOS devices. Can MS give me the same performance promise with Surface? I don't want throwbacks to the blue screen of death era of MS Windows.

What MS did wrong with Win 8, and this is my personal opinion based on my usage of win8, is making too many changes to operation and UI too fast. Make more subtle changes and advance them over time as people adapt to them. Not provide them a whole new UI that they they are not familiar with because that is how you frustrate your customers. Once they are frustrated it is hard to get them back or to come over to your side.

I am one of them. I have essentially given up on win8. I will keep it on the laptop to help troubleshoot issues for my dad but that is about it. It is also my loaner laptop in case one of my troops or friends need one for school or something.

I can't blame you for what you like, but that's more of a matter of preference than simplicity to some degree. I like windows much better than OSx but not because one is necessarily easier to use other than familiarity.

As for your surface Pro critique I agree completely, IMO the Pro is a niche product not yet ready for prime time. The only thing I would say is that blue screens are really a part of the past IMO, I have yet to see a blue screen on any windows 8 device I've used, and I can't say I remember every having a blue screen on windows 7 either. I would not hesitate in the least to say my windows tablet is just as reliable as an ipad.

As for the OS, MS really needed to make these changes. I hated Metro when I first used it, but the updates in 8.1 coupled with getting used to it and now I quite like it. There is no way around it, MS had to figure out a way to transition into a mobile OS. Unlike Apple, who split their OS, MS did not want to compromise (although RT still remains a mystery in this strategy IMO). I will never have to dream of having OSx on my ipad. I agree that the transition to Metro was extremely jarring, but in MS favor you could run windows without ever having to touch Metro (other than the awful decision to get rid of the start menu). MS really said look here is your old windows you are familiar with, but side by side we've also included our vision of the future, it's your choice which one to use, for now. I like Windows 8 a ton now, there is plenty I would change though don't get me wrong, but I just don't see what the big issue is or why someone would swear off of it.

 

[Renzatic]

Is that the world you want to live in? Slow crappy internet and 'various age' PCs, side loading word documents via USB?. Thats why everyone is laughing at Microsoft here because that's the dream they seem to be selling, and they're puzzled why nobody's buying.

Actually, MS already has a stable, well built cloud setup that all their Office applications hook smoothly into.

USB is a nice option.