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Microsoft Releases Windows 8 Tablet Ad Highlighting iPad's Flaws, High Price [Updated]

robeddie said:
This ad makes that point, and well.
Click to expand...

I disagree about the well part. They played unfair games picking things they knew simply aren't in the iPad like PowerPoint which is their own fault cause they haven't made it. but there is software to serve the same end and they ignored this.

Not to mention using Apple's IP which could get them into trouble. Both legally and simply cause some folks might decide to check out the comparisons for themselves and realize how false it is. Any ad that mentions the competition is already a fail.

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teknikal90 said:
eventually, people will want to do two things at a time on a tablet.
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Yes eventually people might want these things. And when the hardware is there to support it they might get it.

From what I have seen and heard this 'real' multitasking on windows 8 sucks. It's not ready for prime time. Which is likely why Apple hasn't done it yet.
 
Great - the W8 laplets run full W8 OS - so you can run any Windows program, which 99% have been designed to be controlled via mouse and keyboard...using at least a laptop sized screen. What, you say? You can increase the scale of the program so you can actually see where the cursor is when you're trying to select a cell in Excel? That's awesome. So what MS did in fact, was simply make a new netbook form factor where you need to buy the keyboard and mouse - because they don't come standard, since they're all touchscreen tablet style and everything - except you do need to use a mouse and keyboard, but that's not the point...
 
Amazing Iceman said:
Would you agree with me that the iPad's biggest flaw is not being able to run your favorite virus?
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I think its biggest flaw is being tied to the ARM software ecosystem, which Apple and Google have turned into a budget market of $1 flashlight apps and freemium farming games

Bluetooth pairing needs to be done only ONCE, and it's the easiest thing in the world, so for you to say the above, you may be happier with a typewriter.
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Bluetooth keyboards solve only one half of the input problem. The other half is pointer input, which Apple totally eliminated from iOS. All conventional productivity software UI's are built off both these inputs - keyboard and mouse/trackpad.

Since iOS took away your mouse input, you now have to pick up your finger and poke the screen every 10 seconds to do things like highlight text, position your cursor, cut and paste, etc and it's a pain in the ass. This is not a form factor issue, this is a user interface issue and Apple has no easy fix for this.

And you wonder why people don't consider the iPad a productivity device
 
It makes me laugh though, how many companies want to be Apple. I've seen about 4 different manufactures all make identical looking products the the MacBook Air, HP have made like 2 different models that both look like the previous generation Pro and yes there were tablets before the iPad, but things only really kicked off in "tablet land" when the iPad was released. The reason Microsoft are making fun of Apple's products is becauae they wish their Surface was an iPad, they know there will be half as many sales f Surfaces than there will be iPads this year.
 
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Renzatic said:
edit: Welcome to the future, people...

Image
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That photo reminds me of a convo I had with friends about how we wish Apple would make a table version of the iPad. Like the former MS Surface. And a wall one. We would love to have the ability to have a table version, perhaps with the means in the table to raise up one side to an angle for drawing etc and even link it to the wall one for controlling, mirroring, doing those iffy tricks like from the James Bond film where they picked files and opened them on the wall. Heck with he right apps that wall model (which could be the same as the one in the table just wall mounted) could be our Apple TV.

With some pressure control and palm rest I would totally out a 20 inch iPad on an angle mount as a drawing tablet. Well if the price was right.
 
robeddie said:
great ad, great points.

The biggest blind spot in Apples iOS approach is that its all about simple consumption and limits the true productive flexibility of legacy computers.
This ad makes that point, and well.
Click to expand...

guess i didnt get that memo -- it's an essential part of my business day. email, ERP app, Numbers, and product demos.
 
jmgregory1 said:
Great - the W8 laplets run full W8 OS - so you can run any Windows program, which 99% have been designed to be controlled via mouse and keyboard...using at least a laptop sized screen. What, you say? You can increase the scale of the program so you can actually see where the cursor is when you're trying to select a cell in Excel? That's awesome. So what MS did in fact, was simply make a new netbook form factor where you need to buy the keyboard and mouse - because they don't come standard, since they're all touchscreen tablet style and everything - except you do need to use a mouse and keyboard, but that's not the point...
Click to expand...

I don't know why you would complain about increased capability. It's not like you cant run only Windows 8 native apps if you want.
 
Liquorpuki said:
Bluetooth keyboards solve only one half of the input problem. The other half is pointer input, which Apple totally eliminated from iOS. All conventional productivity software UI's are built off both these inputs - keyboard and mouse/trackpad.

Since iOS took away your mouse input, you now have to pick up your finger and poke the screen every 10 seconds to do things like highlight text, position your cursor, cut and paste, etc and it's a pain in the ass. This is not a form factor issue, this is a user interface issue and Apple has no easy fix for this.
Click to expand...

I think that is exactly Apple's point. An iPad isn't a laptop. If you are sitting at a desk, it is more efficient to use a pointing device. Apple's "fix" is straightforward. Use a Mac. Sync with iCloud.

An iPad is not meant to replace all the functions of a laptop or desktop, though some people can use it as their primary or even only device.

And you wonder why people don't consider the iPad a productivity device
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I don't wonder. It's because they are using an extremely limited definition of productivity. :D
 
lewismayell said:
That is a third part keyboard, it doesn't even turn the iPad into a hybrid, it is for added ease of typing, for example, if you're working on a pages document on your mac and you need to carry on else where, you pull out your keyboard for you iPad
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That's a keyboard dock that sits stationary on a desk and turns the iPad into a laptop analog. It's basically Apple's sorry attempt to duplicate a detachable form factor

This is what's funny to me. When a Win8 tablet incorporates a keyboard, people call it a compromised experience. When an iPad incorporates a keyboard, people say it's for added ease of typing and insist Apple only makes pure devices

Makes no sense
 
Liquorpuki said:
That's a keyboard dock that sits stationary on a desk and turns the iPad into a laptop analog. It's basically Apple's sorry attempt to duplicate a detachable form factor

This is what's funny to me. When a Win8 tablet incorporates a keyboard, people call it a compromised experience. When an iPad incorporates a keyboard, people say it's for added ease of typing and insist Apple only makes pure devices

Makes no sense
Click to expand...

That's because you are creating a false equivalence. Apple creates a tablet that is "pure" (your word). The experience when sitting at a desk and using a keyboard is what is compromised.

With a Win8 tablet, it's the tablet experience that is compromised. Some things are optimized for touch, some things are optimized for pointers. These goals don't always overlap.
 
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sbailey4 said:
they are comparing like devices. 64mb versions. and yeah pretty funny
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Comparing hardware specs - yes, but an iPad isn't just the hardware is it. MS simply made a new netbook with touchscreen capabilities, but is woefully behind in actually making their software programs touch capable. That's where they and anyone who says, "but I can run any Windows program on it" are just fooling themselves. Sure, it will run any program, but functionally, you're forced to add keyboard and mouse, making the tablet nothing more than just a small form factor laptop screen that requires an extra keyboard and mouse.

It's not advancing technology, but rather going backwards. MS, because they want, or have to, keep legacy users happy, is stuck in a horrible position of having to make products that a just so full of compromises, the MS employees must pull their hair out developing this stuff.

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gotluck said:
I don't know why you would complain about increased capability. It's not like you cant run only Windows 8 native apps if you want.
Click to expand...

How is it increased capability? It's a dang laptop screen that requires a keyboard and mouse to use any of the legacy Windows programs. In other words, a new form factor netbook. They're selling it as being two things, laptop alternative and tablet, but it's not great at either, because they're trying to make it both without putting any effort into optimizing it for either.

Tablets are what they are. Made to be touched and operated with your fingers. For those companies making apps designed specifically for tablet use, it's a natural way of inputing and working with the tablet. When you take a program made for desktop or laptop use and think you can easily just have it work on a tablet, you find out pretty quickly, it doesn't work that way - hence MS pushing and marketing the use of a keyboard and mouse with the Surface.
 
BaldiMac said:
That's because you are creating a false equivalence. Apple creates a tablet that is "pure" (your word). The experience when using a keyboard is what is compromised.

With a Win8 tablet, it's the tablet experience that is compromised. Some things are optimized for touch, some things are not.
Click to expand...

That's not how I see it. On a Win8 tablet, you have a tablet optimized UI in Metro. If you bring up a productivity software, you switch over to conventional keyboard/mouse inputs and you're good

On an iPad, you have a tablet optimized UI in iOS. If you bring up productivity software, you have no choice but to do the best you can with the tablet UI and a BT keyboard
 
jmgregory1 said:
How is it increased capability? It's a dang laptop screen that requires a keyboard and mouse to use any of the legacy Windows programs. In other words, a new form factor netbook. They're selling it as being two things, laptop alternative and tablet, but it's not great at either, because they're trying to make it both without putting any effort into optimizing it for either.

Tablets are what they are. Made to be touched and operated with your fingers. For those companies making apps designed specifically for tablet use, it's a natural way of inputing and working with the tablet. When you take a program made for desktop or laptop use and think you can easily just have it work on a tablet, you find out pretty quickly, it doesn't work that way - hence MS pushing and marketing the use of a keyboard and mouse with the Surface.
Click to expand...

Having the ability to run x86 apps = increased capability...

If I can run teamviewer on my iphone and control my windows pc with no external attachments, I'm sure MS figured out a way to control x86 apps without mouse/KB. Sure it may be clunky, but the increased capability is there. I'll take it. Apple would say it's not polished enough, and I'm sure that is right - but I'd rather have the option to use it if needed in a pinch.
 
well, that thing is what? $1000 if you go for the cheap kinda keyboard-cover. for that price i could get a pretty nice MBA :| and we're not talking about the better "real" keyboard cover. plus, if not mistaken, they have a "pro" tablet which has an insane price tag. so yeah, a tablet is great, but if i'm going to do work on it, the price range will just force me to get a laptop. an ipad+keyboard is less than that, and add $20 for pages, and you got a nice on-the-go workstation. wanna make it variable? drop the price down.
 
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