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Microsoft Releases Pricing on Surface Tablet, Ships October 26th
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If you take the Surface at face value, as a standalone product, you're right. It's a decent tablet, but eh...it hasn't exactly cause my brain to leak out of my ear or anything. It's good enough, and good enough really won't cut it when it's going against the quality of the iDevices, or the huge numbers Android has behind it.
But if you look at the bigger picture, take the Surface as their consumer level device for grand, absolutely huge ecosystem built around Windows 8, you'll see it as an interesting first step into the market. Everything MS is releasing, Windows Phone, Xbox360, the Surface RT and Pro, laptops, PCs, are all knit together very tightly. Everything works together, plays well together, and is easy to jump between. It's basically what Apple is trying to do with iCloud and AppleTV, cept MS already has millions of Xboxes in homes already, millions of PCs out there, and much wider support than the iDevice/Mac specific ecosystem.
Apple might've beat MS to the mobile market, but it looks like MS is about to trump them on the ecosystem front. Once again, I can't say this will be a guaranteed victory for them, but it's a helluva lot more interesting than you're claiming.
this puzzles me, why M$s strategy is so "unusual" who that sh** head makes decisions.
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as a consumer, i am looking forward too, but can't guaranty to buy one (any tablets)
Cool Ad
I might be the minority, but that ad is probably one of the best ads Microsoft ever had! 'phone beta test' and 'to the cloud' ads were horrible to say the least!
It actually made me take note, and it was very well directed.
I still won't buy a surface though lol
I might be the minority, but that ad is probably one of the best ads Microsoft ever had! 'phone beta test' and 'to the cloud' ads were horrible to say the least!
It actually made me take note, and it was very well directed.
I still won't buy a surface though lol
Apple actually licensed their patents to Microsoft for the Surface, including their patent on embedding the keyboard into the tablet cover.
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/techflash/2012/08/microsoft-surface-will-license-apple.html
Kind of makes me wonder, with the cross-licensing of the keyboard cover patents, if we can expect to see one soon for the iPad, as well.
I, for one, think that with its increased storage compared to a comparably priced iPad, and with its improved interoperability with Office products, the Surface will push Apple to be more competitive with its tablet offerings, and I look forward to the rivalry between products and ecosystems. After all, there is no reason why Apple can't offer a single 64 GB model for the same price as the current 16 GB model; the lower model simply exists to satisfy Apple's desired starting price point and to make the higher models look like they offer more for the money.
The real question will be whether Android can continue to be competitive in the tablet market when MS and Apple bring out the big guns. I suspect that the iPad Mini will be fairly competitive comparable 7" Android tablets, and will likely have a severe impact on Android tablet sales. It remains to be seen whether Samsung and others will decide that there is still a buck to be made on the Android tablet market, or whether they will switch over to Metro instead. It will be interesting to see whether this will end up being a two horse race or a three horse race, as far as tablet operating systems go.
The surface runs Windows 8? Also, if you'd like to get technical, it's Windows OS 8 and Windows OS 7.
Used Windows 8, hated it. I would rather get an iPad for that price, refurbished models are $549. $50 more for a much better screen, and the whole app ecosystem.
So your willing to pay more for a giant phone? Imo.
WIndows 8 blows away iOS
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Yep!
Say goodbye to desktop and laptop computers that are more capable, more productive, and more powerful, and longer lasting than tablets.
A) no it was not intended to distract
B) MS rarely copies and no more than any other company when they have. Certainly less than Samsung. MS is one of the best innovators of the past 30 years. Not every innovation was a raging success, but saying they never innovate reveals your prejudiced argument and makes it difficult to believe you think with a clear mind.
Edit: odd how a few posts later you admit MS innovates. Like so many on here your hatred for a company causes you to contradict yourself just to prove a negative point.
And I never said Apple doesn't innovate. In fact, they do. I said a product doesn't need to be innovative to be a raging success.
I have read most of the heavily up-voted cynicism. It may have been said by others already but this machine does have one very significant advantage over the iPad. Microsoft office. Most business users have some use for that to allow across system synchronisation. And Windows 7 is really a decent platform these days, assuming 8 is not a complete dud, I can see some decent (10-15%) share taken up by this
Dying Market? Sales have slowed, because new consoles are right around the corner ( everyone knows it, Console people tend to follow this stuff pretty closely ).
But over 100 Million Wiis Sold? 70ish Million XBOX 360s? 70 millionish PS3s? That's well over the number of iPads Apple has sold.
I'd hardly call it a dead market
The next Battle is in the living room, where Microsoft already has standing, and Apple has nothing.
Apple TV atm is a Joke, the XBOX 360 can do everything a Apple TV can do, and also play games.
The next XBOX will be a living room Media powerhouse, even more than the 360 already is.
For real Gaming, you need a console, or a high end PC to really enjoy games. ****** iOS games can't hold a candle to real games.
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Interesting and rather geek-centric article about Studio B, the hardware division behind the Surface. What I find particularly interesting is that they've been working on it for three years now, which would mean it's been at least in the planning stages since shortly before the iPad was first unveiled.
Though I won't be buying a Surface anytime soon, I am keeping a close eye on it to see how it fares over the next year or so. It's best positioned to be the happy medium between the high quality, but far too tightly controlled iDevices, and the spotty quality, but much more freeform Android phones and tablets.
Though I won't be buying a Surface anytime soon, I am keeping a close eye on it to see how it fares over the next year or so. It's best positioned to be the happy medium between the high quality, but far too tightly controlled iDevices, and the spotty quality, but much more freeform Android phones and tablets.
So? Now every tablet probably is a bite ass well, if they capture part of themarket they loose less then they do now.
This is how Microsoft always advertises their products, all smoke and mirrors and no substance.
This will do well in enterprise - we're crying out for USABLE Windows tablets which don't suck like the current crop - but consumers? I don't think so. Why would you?
You're all bashing MS like they're fooling us with indirect advertising. It's not like Apple releases bare basics down to the nuts and bolts commercials that tell you everthing you need to know about the product they're selling. Like I have yet to see an iPad ad that shows you exactly how to use the thing, and what it consists of. It's just a bunch of people smiling out in fields full of flowers, occasionally jabbing their fingers and the screen and smiling even more as the voiceover talks about how they changed everything again.
...and then a kid blows some bubbles, and a mom claps her hands as she takes a picture of it with her new iPhone. Yeah. I can see how that's so much more informative than a super fancy dance routine. Maybe a little less abstract, but...hell. It's advertising.
...and then a kid blows some bubbles, and a mom claps her hands as she takes a picture of it with her new iPhone. Yeah. I can see how that's so much more informative than a super fancy dance routine. Maybe a little less abstract, but...hell. It's advertising.
Really, kinda like how Apple advertises the iPod with abstract colors? The purpose of that specific ads was to be up-beat and high energy. They will then slowly dwell into the features-focused ads like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0m6tq8vK7E
"Microsoft - yes, the one who made your dad's PC."
I'm not sure what mindshare they are going to get, Microsoft are simply not relevant to an ever growing number of people for whom "tablet" = "iPad".
Apple also made your dad's Mac. Microsoft also made your brother's Xbox, the one all his college friends are playing NBA2k13 on.
Computers aren't like clothes, man. If a new device comes out that looks nice, offers a ton of cool features, and lets you do what you want to do, then it's likely going to sell.
I was told by someone from this forums some time ago that having two apps at the same time is a "gimmick" and that it's not possible for me to view two things at the same time. Imagine video Skyping while playing a game against the other person on your tablet. Or maybe text chatting with a friend while browsing the web? I would say that's pretty darn useful.