Microsoft Surface Studio Reviews: Apple Fans Might Be 'Tempted to Switch Camps', Despite High Price

[HobeSoundDarryl]

I'd like to see Apple offering some kind of custom 5K Touchscreen with Apple Pencil for creative professionnals to use with their MacBook Pros

I can smell the smoke coming off the Barclay card (long-term financing) already.

 

[pat500000]

Looks cool if you're a graphic artist. I like the idea of a touch screen computer. I called my brother out on it today when he was testing the new mbp's with touch bar. Even he was like why you don't need to touch the screen, whats the first thing he did, try to touch the screen!

Don't forget video editing.

 

[WalterNeff]

Do Precogs come with it?

 

[JGIGS]

That's not a high price. I think the same machine with the Apple logo would have been $4,500, not $3,000.

Any of those prices apple or not are expensive for the casual user though.

 

[Jeaz]

I'm not sure about the touch screen on a desktop computer. For graphic artists or others working with drawing, sure. But for anyone else I don't see the benefit. Maybe I'm just getting old.

 

[docdawning]

Unix is in my blood. I'd happily lose my mind if the Surface Studio was supported by macOS. Apple's been pushing me away, while Microsoft feels like they're trying. The Studio doesn't look especially upgradable which concerns me - being able to upgrade memory, storage and GPU rank very highly in my priorities. I suspect the Studio actually would run OSX86 reasonably easily thanks to the choice in GPU. Though I'd rather see a better GPU in it, what MS chose could actually work. I'm sure someone will try it soon.

 

[Dethklok]

Apart from the price, the the only thing holding me back from moving to a windows surface system is ..... Windows.

I use a Mac 6 hours a day at work and a Windows 6 hours at home. There's no reason to be afraid of either. They've both evolved to the point that there are only minor differences.

 

[slicktor]

It's nice and all... But is there a scrolly bar of emojis???

 

[superberg]

As a creative, I just don't get the hype. I tested one out at the Microsoft store and found it nice but lackluster for actual creative work when compared to Wacom Cintiqs (which is what Microsoft is really competing against at this price point). The biggest issue I had was the lack of customizable buttons on the bezel. Those are immensely useful for streaming workflow and the puck thing is no replacement as, at least at this point, it cannot be user customized (and it is nowhere near as easy to use as simply pressing a button). I also missed the matte screen that my cintiq has, which cut down the inevitable reflections that will show when you've got the screen pointed towards the ceiling while drawing. The pen wasn't as sensitive at Wacom's either, though it was nice enough to use.

Probably one of the most significant issues that the Studio has that most creatives would complain about is the inability to mount the thing on an adjustable arm. If Microsoft had put the computer internals in the display like Apple does with the iMac, the problem would be solved. Maybe they'll fix this on the Studio 2.0.

Oh, and the price is kinda absurd. It makes far more sense to buy a $2,800 Cintiq display and build a $1,400 computer than buy the fully loaded Studio at $4,200. That computer would run circles around the Studio performance-wise and is fully upgradable.

All in all, the Studio is nice. I just wish people would quit saying it's for creatives. Maybe hobbyists who don't do their research would buy it, but I guarantee actual pros would largely balk at the idea of buying one over a much more flexible Cintiq.

I think putting the internals on the back of the display would make the adjustable hinge significantly more expensive and possibly less flexible. You'd still need a heavy base, but it would have to be even bigger/heavier to offset the weight of the hardware now mounted in the display.

The Wacom/N-trig debate is interesting, because N-trig is arguably better for handwriting, while Wacom's solutions are far more flexible (tilt sensitivity, for example, which I think the N-trig lacks.) As someone who used a Surface Pro 3 for about eight months, it was nice to have a stylus that actually hit the exact pixels I wanted, rather than having to use a cursor that was often offset from the tip.

Apple has done a really good job of getting the best of both worlds with the Pencil, but it's limited to two iOS devices, so it's a non-starter for most professionals.

A Cintiq+desktop setup still has the greatest flexibility, but the hardware in the Surface Studio is probably good enough for many users. The price is competitive-ish and being all-in-one has its advantages(less messy, less work to set up).

I don't think the Surface Studio will be quite the hit the Surface Pro is, but its certainly proof Microsoft is trying harder than Apple these days. (He said, from a TouchBar 15)

 

[Strozzascotte]

It's a kid's room where everything have been shoved under the bed. Looks clean, but good luck when you are looking for something.

I used Windows 10 for the past few months too and I have a teenage child. I completely agree on your analogy.

 

[maflynn]

Start menu is still a huge mess to manage, control panel is still a huge huge mess where you need to remember weird path to get to the actual controls you want.

Not for nothing, but I don't even use the Start menu. I either use Cortana to start an app, or I just do from the run window.

 

[JGIGS]

It's beautiful but the price and size kind of target a specific end user. But I'm definitely keeping an eye on Microsoft surface or thin laptop for my next purchase. We shall see but since I'm a casual user I'll probably hang one to my current RMBP till it dies or becomes unbearably slow to current technology.

 

[BootsWalking]

The screen height isn't really adjustable if I remember correctly. If you try to lower it, the screen starts to point towards the ceiling.

I believe by vertical he meant the density of pixels in the vertical axis vs horizontal (ie, aspect ratio), not the vertical height/position of the monitor itself.

 

[Nunyabinez]

If this thing can be hackingtoshed.....what an option!!!!

I'm quite sure that I could hackintosh this, but that wouldn't make sense. What makes this cool is the touch interface and MacOS doesn't have that, so you would in fact be wasting a good proportion of the cost since the touch screen would be a useless feature.

 

[pat500000]

I test drove one the other day at the Microsoft Store - have to say it wasn't bad. I was shocked at how much Microsoft is innovating compared to Apple these days. For creatives that often need to draw on-screen I could see it being very appealing.

Not sure it has much appeal to video editors like myself however.

It does. This should be great for video editing. Using that dial to quickly adjust timeline and etc.

 

[mkeeley]

Great computer but it still runs windows, I can't stand windows.

That's the thing. Just can't see me going back to Windows.

 

[stevet]

That monitor is really thin...Jony Ive must be dying inside right now!

Hopefully Apple has been letting their iMac line stagnate so long because they have a surprise up their sleeve. I'm sure even Apple designers use Wacom tables and Cintiqs...they have got to be thinking, "why do I have to use this Wacom thing when Apple has a pencil and a loyal creative-user following?"

Yeah, and chuckling at the ugly base that contains all the internals. Lol

 

[Since1987]

Is that an Apple Keyboard...?

no, it's FULL size. Apple hates full size keyboards and those who need them.

 

[stu.h]

I'll stick with my 2015MBP and 4k Acer monitor.
Still don't get touch screen on anything other than an iPhone/iPad, but that's just me.
I can see this being useful for an artist etc, but then I'd use my iPad Pro for that.

 

[BootsWalking]

I ran exclusively Windows for the last 4 months (waited for the 2016 MBP).

Windows 10 look nice on the surface (pun unintended), but it's still the same messy OS as it ever was, even more so than before since now you have new "touch friendly" settings and all the old system panels that sometimes goes back to Windows 95 days.

Start menu is still a huge mess to manage, control panel is still a huge huge mess where you need to remember weird path to get to the actual controls you want.

It's a kid's room where everything have been shoved under the bed. Looks clean, but good luck when you are looking for something.

Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows XP, same mess.

(Yes I use my windows computer everyday, cause I have to)

For the control panel you can find most settings by typing their name in the search bar rather than having to remember the path to get to them.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

It's not really a product in Microsoft's pipeline either. They've already said they're only going to produce an extremely limited quantity this year. IMO, this is mainly intended as a tech press macguffin, not something that MS is really putting much stock in.

OK, but at least they are making something that seems innovative in a form factor other than a phone. That seems a bit Applesque (of old). Whether they sell 3 or 300K of these, the uncomfortableness within this thread- IMO- seems to be revolving around "Where's Apple on advances like this?" and not "I bet Apple sells more rMBP units than this thing."

In other words- I think- we're hungry for some real ooooh and ahhhhs whiz-bang FROM APPLE... but we seem to be increasingly seeing such stuff from the other guys. The usual pooh-poohing on anything not made by Apple is not working as well as it used to when... we could roll with somebody's seeming big innovation knowing something comparable and probably better would be coming from Apple soon. Now- I think- many of even the most faithful are wondering if much more of anything comparable (meaning Macs) is coming from Apple soon.

We want to be wowed. We want Apple to do the wowing. But the wowing seems to increasingly come from Apple competitors. As Apple's answers to such stuff seem increasingly minimal, it's scary that our favorite tech company seems to be falling more and more behind.

Bunch of personal opinions & speculation from someone who makes their living with Apple hardware of all types.

 

[SoyCapitanSoyCapitan]

Complaining about Windows 10 is the same as saying you don't know anything about computers.

It has the Dock, but better and with a different name
It has Exposé, but better and with a different name
It has Spaces, but better and with a different name
It has Notification Center, but better and with a different name
It has Siri with a different name
It has up to date APIs, better drivers and better performance

Everything you think is better in Sierra is religious mental conditioning.

 

[mkeeley]

At the end of the day, I think most professional artists are still going to prefer a solution that is:

• separate from the desktop computer hardware itself
• more flexible in terms of mounts/positioning/rotation

Apart from it running Windows that's the downside for me, would be a downgrade on the processor, graphics and disk with it only being a hybrid drive.

 

[mildocjr]

When I start thinking about the price, I think about the past 10 years with my personally owned Macs.

In the past 10 years and 1 month I have:
Never had to troubleshoot my Mac with a Windows computer
Never had to worry about drivers
Never had an issue with my Mac that I didn't create through unconventional use
Never had any performance issues that forced me to buy a new Mac
Never had to restore a system from a time machine backup except for my latest iMac (late-2012) when I switched from music production to development
Never had any regrets about the Mac I purchased

In this same time frame, I have gone through 4 different Windows computers but not from a problem caused by my own hand.

2 computers were set up for web browsing and small games (kids played minecraft on them) (lasted 2 years)
1 computer was a dev box for Windows and Linux (which boosted performance on the laptop) (lasted 3 years)
1 is a more recent gaming desktop that I purchased last year.

In the most recent gaming computer that I've owned for approximately 11 months I have:
Had to troubleshoot drivers
Performed 3 system restores
Had to troubleshoot RAM
Had to troubleshoot networking (many times)
Still troubleshooting why my mouse is not getting recognized until I unplug it and plug it back in about 6 times in different ports.
Had to troubleshoot display issues. (MSI 980Ti Seahawk)
Had to troubleshoot .net redists.
had to troubleshoot older software designed for Windows 7 (currently Windows 10)
Had to troubleshoot the motherboard.

What I haven't had to troubleshoot using my PC was my Mac. Microsoft can keep their crap, their bloatware preinstalls, and their $200 subsidized operating system and subscription based Office models. I'll hang on to my one time purchase with everything else given free.

 

[jimbobb24]

Is there any point in a review by anyone who is NOT an illustrator or using the stylus. The rest is completely pointless. This is a very specific use device. It has little utility worth the cost. So asking one freelance illustrator to take a look is barely scratching the surface. I want a review of someone working as an illustrator on the thing for 10 hours a day for a week. This surface studio is very cool, but outside the specific use case of stylus is not interesting to very many. So that is who needs to review it. And the little they did review they claimed some problems that are worth noting.