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This will never succeed.

I got on the Windows RT bandwagon when it first dropped just to try it out, and it was really incredible at how less efficient (and thus productive) I was when using my Surface vs a regular laptop. The expensive keyboards were terrible, the kickstand is at a weird angle, can't sit on any surface that isn't hard like a table, windows 8 was very sluggish, no essential apps, syncing issues, bad UI. Just yuck. Needless to say I brought it right back to the store after trying to use it for a good 2 weeks.

I highly do not recommend any Windows 8 devices.

thats because Windows RT isn't ment to be a substitute for normal "desktop windows", it belongs into the same class as iPad. Yes, it has office on it in a desktop mode but that is more of a bonus, just because they can add it.
 
I worked full time at the IT help desk over winter break for my company and we're just starting to use Win 8. What a mess. Win 7 was the best Microsoft OS yet but they threw that formula in the blender.

An easy task on a Win 8 laptop now requires 2-3 more clicks. A step back for sure.
 
Skip win 8, it's pretty much a usability nightmare.

If you really want windows 7 interface just install start8, boots you straight to the desktop with a start menu.
Windows 8 is so much faster and secure than 7, lots of useful new features, its a no brainer of an upgrade at the current price of £24 UK (and you get the pro version, with free media centre). Download the iso and do a clean install runs fantastic, boots to windows in around 7 secs.
 
And ironically, it's not entirely Microsoft's fault that their primary audience is hooked on cheap. After all, Microsoft-branded hardware has *seldom* been at the cheap end. Its the (abusive) relationships they built with OEMs, and the ensuing 'race to the bottom' in the '80s and '90s that bought them that end result.

Blame whomever you like, but the entire DOS/Windows model was/is based on commodity hardware, and it isn't like Microsoft ever made an effort to alter the basic model. Microsoft's relationship with the OEMs was symbiotic at first, and only abusive later on, when Microsoft angled the OEMs every which way including illegal to keep them from straying from the reservation. Yet they were never trying to change the premise of the deal, which is that the OEMs compete on price for hardware and Microsoft gets the same big per-unit margins no matter what the hardware costs or who sells it. This arrangement could never lead anywhere else but where it did.
 
Brilliant Marketing!

Brilliant Marketing!

MS-Guy #1: It's not selling. What should we do?

MS-Guy #2: Let's increase the price!

MS-Guy #1: Great idea. At least that way we'll make more money!
 
Steve was wrong. I'm using a PC right now, and so are my friends. Unless he meant that we're in a post only-using-PC era? Or if he meant "Windows" when he said "PC"? I'm pretty sure he didn't mean that.

I was under the impression that he meant personal computer period, Windows or Mac based. We are in the mobile computing age where tablets and smartphones will be dominate. Tablets will take the place of laptops for a large number of users. That is the way I took it. So Microsoft is first out of the gate with a high power tablet.
 
Not at all, I use Windows 8 every day, it works great. Not a huge fan of the modern apps right now, but the start screen is actually pretty well done, the built in search on that page is awesome, and you never have to see it if you don't want to.

People who complain about Windows 8 usability have no idea what they are talking about IMO.

Windows 8 is nothing short of brilliant. I have never used an OS which performs so well. So smooth and fast puts OS X to shame.
 
I was under the impression that he meant personal computer period, Windows or Mac based. We are in the mobile computing age where tablets and smartphones will be dominate. Tablets will take the place of laptops for a large number of users. That is the way I took it. So Microsoft is first out of the gate with a high power tablet.

"will"
We're not IN the post-PC era. And even when most consumers use devices other than PCs, there will still be some people using PCs. Microsoft's high-powered tablet is hardly a tablet and misses the whole point of a tablet.

I think Apple could make the perfect tablet if they gave the iPad an SD card slot for expandable memory and let you do a bit more file management than you can currently do in iOS. I have to use Dropbox for most of that.
 
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Got to agree, maybe by Windows 9 they will have a more seamless integration between desktop and touch interfaces but at the moment it is a pain to use.

Disagree! I found Win 8 on my bootcamp partition excellent -- fast, stable and easy to use -- but I used it with a 3rd party Start program (cost $6). I went back to Win7 only because i prefer to wait for a full set of Apple Bootcamp Windows 8 drivers.
 
I agree with you for the most part, except that the Modern apps are registered as the default views for a lot of file types. I installed Windows 8 on my old netbook mainly for the improvement in boot time, and it will not run Modern apps due to the resolution being below 1024x768. I knew that going in.

After using it for a few months I've hit a couple annoying snags when trying to listen to voicemail messages emailed as WAV files, viewing PDF documents, and a few other types. There are a number of actions which seem very sensable in Desktop mode that immediately try to throw you Modern mode (but then fail on a netbook). Similar things can happen when trying to change settings.

Yup. I addressed the default metro apps thing in another post. It's one of the more annoying bits about the whole setup, but it's fairly easily addressed. Would be nice if MS included the option to set file association to more desktop centric apps or Metro when you first install it.

For the most part you can ignore the Modern apps, but they do have a tendency to try to switching context on you every once and a while. On a normal machine it wouldn't bother me too much, but the resolution error is annoying and frequent enough I'll probably go back to Windows 7 at some point.

Yeah, I could see that being kind of annoying...which is tragic, because 8 is set up to be a much better netbook OS than 7 is.

Though have you thought about trying one of the Start Menu replacers? Supposedly they can allow you to get around in 8 without ever having to hit up a single Metro screen.
 
We're not quite there yet -- but we're getting close. Again I mention the Lenovo Yoga 11S and Thinkpad Helix as two examples of great-looking ultraportables that can do double-duty as tablets. In both cases I would say "yes" to "is it a better laptop" and "not really" to "is it a better tablet". But that might well be good enough for all kinds of people.

You nailed my point exactly. The OEM's like Lenovo have done more thinking about convertibles than Microsoft has. The Surface can only be used on a.... wait for it.... "surface". It is not a laptop because of the design. If you are buying a full-blown laptop that just happens to do double-duty as a tablet, then you are not losing out on anything and you are getting some upside. If MacBook Air had a detachable screen that became an iPad, I would not complain because it would still be a MacBook Air. But Surface is not well designed because it is a compromised and clumsy "non-laptop" and the tablet experience is also clumsy because the software you want to use (even MS Office) is not optimized for touch.

If Surface could justify itself as "at least as good as MacBook Air" when used as a laptop but still offering a tablet experience (even if that experience is compromised) then it is still a win. The Lenovo models you mentioned are the exact reason why I think Surface Pro is a failure from the start.
 
Why is MR putting this chart up with the Surface Pro along side a iPad?

A Surface is a workstation, tablet, notebook crossbreed that will be very good for business. As a I.T. Manager this device will replace my thin clients, Workstations, notebooks, ultra books and the 100+ iPads. It is the perfect device for companies that do alot of admin work, accounting and telemarketing. Its going to save my a truck load out of the budget to spend on infrastructure upgrades and the like.

And to have a go at the operating system when it will do everything our IT department throw at it. The nightmares we have had trying to get iOS to be anything other than useless for productivity with in a large corporate network infrastructure has be laughable.

Back to my first question. Please don't put a iPad with it closed down Eco system striped of all choices to make it easy to use, against a product that will bring so much benefit to the business sector and push companies to make products similar or even better.

The Surface Pro will suit business a lot better than home use. Leave that to Apple and Android.

Agree with you, Surface Pro will probably be the best tablet choice for business, but I highly doubt businesses are looking to adopt tablets? Maybe I'm wrong, but the cost of learning a new interface, paying the premium for a Surface Pro, investing on the better keyboard attachment, seems like the business would not benefit from the upgrade. Laptops are still super cheap and adequately fast for most businesses, they also have much better keyboards, and If you need portability there are Ultrabooks.

And since when do businesses need touch screen's?

I actually like Windows 8, even more on a Tablet, but I think the sales are going to be poor, just as they have been for Surface RT. It's an awesome tablet in my opinion, but for the $499 I'm going to predict most people will choose either iOS devices or Android..
 
That price is too steep. Might be a nice tablet, but I just can't justify the cost.

This is a full computer (Core i5) that can run Photoshop, Illustrator, OneNote without a sweat. It has a Wacom digitizer, which is 10,000 times more accurate than your finger, pressure sensitive, and you can actually rest your palm while writing without being detected as a touch. The Samsung ATIV 700T costs exactly as much, $1,100 with 128GB SSD and a dock. $1000 + $100 for the cover with Microsoft. If you want an Apple equivalent, the ModBook costs $3500, which is 3.5 times the Microsoft or Samsung. Yes, Apple is all glass and metal, but at that price point it doesn't matter.

I can understand that most people don't need a Wacom tablet running a full desktop OS. But if you do need that, for sketching, drawing, painting, charting, engineering, or art, then it is not expensive at all. A 12" Wacom Cintiq costs the same, and it's pretty outdated (you need a bunch of thick wires, the display is low resolution and uses old tech, and it needs an additional computer).
 
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Kudos to Microsoft for building a subnotebook that can't be used on a standard airplane tray table, unless to take the keyboard off.

I was on a flight from Houston to LA and the Surface sat extended on the tray with no problems whatsoever. I used it the entire flight with its keyboard and kickstand out. (Outside of the no electronics periods)
 
God, you're right. I've been on MacRumors for years and they've NEVER run stories about products from companies that compete with Apple products. Never, I tell ya. This is such a startling 180 for this site.

:rolleyes:

very true. "you are not young enough to know everything" i guess.
 
Brilliant Marketing!

MS-Guy #1: It's not selling. What should we do?

MS-Guy #2: Let's increase the price!

MS-Guy #1: Great idea. At least that way we'll make more money!

Ummm... what?

They didn't increase the price. There's the Surface RT for 499$-699$.

There's the Surface PRO for 899$ and so forth.

They're two DIFFERENT products.
 
Let me get this straight...

Microsoft thinks we all want this hybrid tablet/laptop. They make it standard in the power department, charge extra for the keyboard, give it an unproven OS, and they want to charge more than a full-blown Apple MacBook Air?

What a ********* joke.

I want one for software reasons. I don't need a tablet ecosystem with a million flashlight apps

They emphasize hardware for retail sales, but I disagree when it comes to their profit on the apps. They still make money off of free apps. There's plenty of advertisements they get from them. 30% off of 99 cents is not much, or even 30% off of $1.99 is not much. However, we are seeing more in app purchases, and more apps that cost more. Even apps like Pandora who links to iTunes will add to Apple's profits. It's a slow but steady cash flow.

They pull money off anything they distribute whether its IAP, one time purchase, or subs. They need to, to cover the cost of distribution and maintaining the app store. But this isn't the same as being vested in software.

If sw profits were really important to them, they'd be maintaining sw pricepoints like they do their computer pricepoints - notice how they only pricedrop Macs/iPads/iPhones when the next generation comes out. Meanwhile they sell their OS for dirt cheap, and flagship software suites like Logic they had no problem dropping to $200 even though it used to be $800 which was already cheap since it was competing with Protools which was $2000.

MS is the exact opposite. They don't care about hardware as long as you pay a Premium for their software. That's why they let OEM's put Windows on cheap pieces of plastic and take a loss on the XBox as long as you buy Halo
 
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