Surface Devices

[LeeW]

i brought the 2019 13" MacBook Pro that was updated. So far it's not been a bad machine, no issues anyway.

That is the one I have. Most of the time it is in Clamshell mode, but the 3rd Gen keyboard appears fine. I was considering going back to a Mac Mini but resisted, going to keep this device until I either switch entirely to Windows or there is something that really makes me want to keep buying Apple which could be the 14 inch MBP.

 

[Dave245]

That is the one I have. Most of the time it is in Clamshell mode, but the 3rd Gen keyboard appears fine. I was considering going back to a Mac Mini but resisted, going to keep this device until I either switch entirely to Windows or there is something that really makes me want to keep buying Apple which could be the 14 inch MBP.

sounds like you are like me in that we are both in the Apple ecosystem, however we are looking outside of it. Personally I’m looking at the next Note phone, but also keeping my 11 Pro Max. More of an experiment to see if I like it. I’m thinking of doing the same when the Surface Neo comes out (next year now) Along side my iPad Pro and then decide.

 

[LeeW]

sounds like you are like me in that we are both in the Apple ecosystem, however we are looking outside of it.

Indeed, as always, I challenge Apple to keep me as I don't want to leave, but I will, they have had my loyalty for 20 years, they don't deserve it currently.

 

[Dave245]

Indeed, as always, I challenge Apple to keep me as I don't want to leave, but I will, they have had my loyalty for 20 years, they don't deserve it currently.

Completely agree, I hope Apple does pull it back but I fear that now they are a bigger company, that they just don’t care anymore.

 

[grmlin]

Completely agree, I hope Apple does pull it back but I fear that now they are a bigger company, that they just don’t care anymore.

I used an old 2009 or 2010 (don't remember) MBP for some years. That was such a great machine. The 2014 MBPr I got after that (after a stopover in Windows land), felt like the future of Computers (the 2012 Retina)

For me, it all went down the drain with I think High Sierra. The version that got rid of Nvidia drivers. It was nothing but terrible performance, bugs and bad software from that point on. Well, Sierra didn't even run without crashing and freezing. Terrible. Last summer my colleague convinced me to get another MBP 15", everything will be fine, he said. Yeah, no. Nothing but issues, again. Worst Mac I ever used. Got the logic board replaced and now have a machine with coil whine and a noisy fan that wobbles on a flat surface. The shop refused to repair it again, everything is fine with it they said, and here I am.

Well, I used my personal PC with Linux in all the downtime (is was out for repair for weeks now), and I have seen the light. I'm done, now all I want is a new Thinkpad or Precision once a new version is released.


sorry, not really Surface related, but just wanted to tell.

 

[Dave245]

I used an old 2009 or 2010 (don't remember) MBP for some years. That was such a great machine. The 2014 MBPr I got after that (after a stopover in Windows land), felt like the future of Computers (the 2012 Retina)

For me, it all went down the drain with I think High Sierra. The version that got rid of Nvidia drivers. It was nothing but, bugs and bad software from that point on. Last summer my colleague convinced me to get another MBP 15", everything will be fine, he said. Yeah, no. Nothing but issues, again. Worst Mac I ever used. Got the logic board replaced and now have a machine with coil whine and a noisy fan that wobbles on a flat surface. The shop refused to repair it again, everything is fine with it they said, and here I am.

Well, I used my personal PC with Linux in all the downtime (is was out for repair for weeks now), and I have seen the light. I'm done, now all I want is a new Thinkpad or Precision once a new version is released.


sorry, not really Surface related, but just wanted to tell.

It seems that many people are having issues, not just related to the Mac. I had my iPad Pro 2017 replaced after around 15 months, that required jumping through hoops in order to get a free replacement. Now I’ve noticed that the replacement iPad is starting to have the same issue (sometimes doesn’t respond to touch for a few seconds). It’s not as bad (yet) as it was on my original 2017 iPad Pro, which eventually died.

The latest issue I had was with my Airpods Pro, which also got replaced. It just seems that Apples quality, attention to detail and customer service, just isn’t as good as it use to be.

 

[keeper]

i have to wonder though when will Microsoft catch up and produce a consumer O/S to match Apple functionality?
I'm not really talking the O/S technical design though, I looked at getting a surface book to supplement my iPad Pro after deciding I wasn’t getting ripped off with a magic keyboard.
Price wise at base spec for a lap machine for basic web and file access the same.
Then I got to, Windows photos, cant actually put them in the right timeline, we’ll known issues on the web, no iMessage, Outlook, not linked to a mapping app, not expected or travel time, no estimated traffic or an update on traffic.

So all things considered Apple won the prise simply because Microsoft can’t to these things.

 

[LeeW]

I was considering going back to a Mac Mini but resisted, going to keep this device until I either switch entirely to Windows or there is something that really makes me want to keep buying Apple which could be the 14 inch MBP.

Ok, so I lied, the deal on the UK Apple store was too good, £919 for a i5 with 8GB ram and 512GB SSD, I can upgrade the ram to 16/32gb for not a lot. Going to sell the MBP though.

 

[keeper]

Plus at the moment it’s also 24 months intrest free, can’t get that from MS

 

[LeeW]

Plus at the moment it’s also 24 months intrest free, can’t get that from MS

Was it? never even noticed.

 

[LeeW]

And just to get back up on my soapbox, I paid £919 for the Mac Mini, just ordered 32gb of ram from Crucial at £130, so the total cost is £1,050. £600 cheaper than paying for a new one.

Still £500 cheaper than the same spec on the refurb store in the UK today.

This is just a swap for me due to the unusually good deal on the Refurb, I will sell the MBP so it's not really costing me anything.

 

[maflynn]

i have to wonder though when will Microsoft catch up and produce a consumer O/S to match Apple functionality?

The same argument can be made about apple and producing a business OS that can match Microsoft's. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Microsoft has designed a series of products that are aimed at the professional and while consumers and students can and do use them, its not their main focus.

MS has done some fantastic things with the surface pro and surface products, for instance. I mean if it wasn't for the Surface Pro, we'd not see apple roll out a iPad pro with stylus support. Now in 2020, Apple added the mouse/touchpad support.

There's another difference between the two, Apple has a number of apps like photos, time machine, etc, because back in the day there was not a lot of developers (as compared to MS), and so Apple made the decision to provide the apps needed themselves, where as with MS there's third party apps, Adobe Photoshop Elements is an app that's been around since forever, there's tons of backup solutions. I'm not saying MS couldn't or shouldn't add more features into windows, but rather point out for consumers there's tons of tools, apps and services.

 

[LeeW]

The same argument can be made about apple and producing a business OS that can match Microsoft's.

Well to be fair, his comment was valid and you veered away from it by introducing something different and not really relevant to his point.

I agree that MS has done some good things, on the hardware side, but for the general consumer, Apple does offer more on the software side.

That aside I don't think you can use the same argument about Apple producing a business OS to Match Microsoft.

The important question is whether Apple is even trying to produce a business OS in the same or similar way Microsoft does with their Pro and more specifically Enterprise software? I don't think they are even trying to compete in that segment which is why I doubt the same argument can be made.

 

[derekamoss]

Hey guys! So those of you who have Windows 10 and an Android phone, i'm sure you are for the most part aware of the Your Phone companion app for windows that lets you text, see notifications, make calls etc. Well for those who don't know MS and samsung got together and added additional functionality to Samsung phones via a Link to windows phone service that is added on top of just the your phone app. It allows for Phone screen mirroring and manipulation within the your phone app and also is a lot more reliable and quicker when it comes to refreshing messages etc. Well the link to Windows service is only installed on newer released android phones, it is able to actually run on any samsung phone 9.0 or higher. Here is the process I did it. Also the website hosting the APK package needed is a third party site but I have used it for years and never had a problem and mentioned in well known Android websites. So here it is, I posted it on reddit earlier this week so there might be a little more help over there but here it is. Enjoy!

https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows10/comments/g6gwi7

All you have to do is search and download the "link to Windows service APK" from https://www.apkmirror.com/and side install it on your Phone. I suggest deleting the your phone app from both the PC and phone and unlink it from my devices on the microsoft account website. Then redownload to phone and pc and now in the quick notification center on your android you should be able to add a new quick service called link to windows, long press on that to get to the settings page and you are good to go. FYI the your phone app will no longer be displayed in your app browser but it still needs to be installed for the service to work. Now have screen view and it's almost instantaneous refresh now instead of having too wait. It sucks they decided this should only work on high end phones since during beta my phone did screen preview and once they announced tighter integration they removed it to only high end Galaxy phones.

 

[Dave245]

It seems the Surface Book 3 and Surface Go 2, could be released very soon. The Book 3 has allegedly passed through the FCC. It's also rumoured to have WiFi 6, not sure if that is a big upgrade or not, to most people at least.

https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/m...y-passes-through-the-fcc-with-wi-fi-6-support


Anyone looking forward to seeing what the Book 3 will have up it's sleeve? will there be some surprises that we don't know about 😬

 

[c0ppo]

Still nothing about TB3 in SB3?
Without TB3, it will be DOA for many folks, myself included.

But besides that, this looks really promising, especially with 1660Ti. Remember, CPU and GPU are separated completely, so despite somewhat beefy GPU, I still expect this device to be silent and to remain cooled despite that.

 

[Dave245]

Still nothing about TB3 in SB3?
Without TB3, it will be DOA for many folks, myself included.

But besides that, this looks really promising, especially with 1660Ti. Remember, CPU and GPU are separated completely, so despite somewhat beefy GPU, I still expect this device to be silent and to remain cooled despite that.

It will be interesting to see if they keep the price the same, those higher specs would be nice for the same price point. Also do we think there will be any tweaks to the design? The Surface Book 2 got hinge teaks. Also will there be an online event. None of that information has been officially announced yet.

 

[Spinning Fan]

It seems the Surface Book 3 and Surface Go 2, could be released very soon. The Book 3 has allegedly passed through the FCC. It's also rumoured to have WiFi 6, not sure if that is a big upgrade or not, to most people at least.

https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/m...y-passes-through-the-fcc-with-wi-fi-6-support


Anyone looking forward to seeing what the Book 3 will have up it's sleeve? will there be some surprises that we don't know about 😬

I own both the SB2 and the Go.
Purchased them 1 year apart, while I was going through my "I am not buying anything Apple until they figure out the keyboards.." period. My work place at the time being completely windows helped too..

I am actually typing this on SB2 and, for me, the SB2 is still very much a daily use machine that does not need upgrading yet. The Go was purchased as a mobile machine and it serves its purpose greatly still, but as I had a 2015 MBA 11 inch together with it (I need a Mac environment for my home which is very Eco-System bound..), I will not be looking to upgrade it during this time. The Go will likely be kept due to its size, but gradually phased out in my use by the 2020 MBA that I just upgraded my 2015 to.

With all that said, I was recently thinking about whether I would purchase a MBP 16 if/when it came time to upgrade from the SB2.. and my answer was .. I don't know. For anything that can be stationary, a 15 or 16 inch screen is absolutely better than a 13 (or 11 or 10) inch screen, so I will likely go with that size again, but the Surface experience is almost the same as an Apple experience in the way that it is much better optimized than many of the Windows laptops out there.. as long as the choice of OS is not an absolute, the SB2 feels very similar to MBP 15 use (for me personally).

Things like TB3 that would future proof the SB3 (and Go2) would be a really great progression .. I think they are both really great models, niche as they may be.

 

[drinkingtea]

Cross-posted from the MacBook forum. I bought the Surface Laptop 3 yesterday; it's my first Microsoft product ever. I'm enjoying the laptop (especially the keyboard), but Windows is definitely more clunky than MacOS, though it's not "rotten to the core," as one user described it to be. The OS does feel half-polished in comparison as well. But I got this laptop for $300 off, so I'm not complaining too much. I'll give it two weeks and go from there.

 

[lcseds]

Windows has a lot of robust features (right click anything and look for example). Like Mac OS, there are pluses and minuses. Most people hate the early Windows experience when they try it because they resist change. A normal human reaction. But when you take the time to really try and learn it and give it more than two days before declaring it crap, you will find some really great features.

 

[Dave245]

Windows has a lot of robust features (right click anything and look for example). Like Mac OS, there are pluses and minuses. Most people hate the early Windows experience when they try it because they resist change. A normal human reaction. But when you take the time to really try and learn it and give it more than two days before declaring it crap, you will find some really great features.

Hasn‘t Windows 10 been given a new look? I’m sure I saw a new looking version. The icons for example look different, just like the icons on the new Microsoft 365.

I would definitely second what you have said tho, I tried the Surface Pro 6 last year (got it on sale with John Lewis) And after a couple of months I gave up (Sold it).
It’s weird because I do miss it in a weird way (even tho I went back to an iPad). I’m now waiting for the Surface Book 3, if that’s not a buy for me then I will look at the Surface Pro X, or wait until the Surface Pro update around October (my current iPad Pro is still working so I can hold out until then If needed.

 

[drinkingtea]

Update:

I'm surprisingly enjoying my Surface Laptop. The OS is more clunky than MacOS, but there's nothing inherently awful about it, despite what many MacOS users would like you to believe. There a few features that I prefer in comparison to MacBooks that I've owned: the keyboard is marvelous (such a silky typing experience); the even bezels (though they are a tad too thick); the Taskbar and Start menu (very convenient); the touch screen (I'm surprised by how often I use it); the magnetic charger (*why* did Apple switch to a non-magnetic charger??); and I like the Face ID-like login (as soon as I open the lid, the face scanning takes just seconds, and I'm automatically in). For $1000, I'm quite happy, though it's only been two days.

Even if Apple releases the 14-inch in a week or two (doubtful, knowing Apple), I might just stick with the SL. There's just touches to Windows 10 that I'm getting used to that I would miss if I switched back. Crazy.

Also, I was a little worried about the touchpad, but it's great. I have no problems with it and feels just like a MacBook touchpad. The entire hardware just feels so well made.

 

[SteveJUAE]

Hasn‘t Windows 10 been given a new look? I’m sure I saw a new looking version. The icons for example look different, just like the icons on the new Microsoft 365.

That's a new rumored start menu that was leaked

 

[kazmac]

Am curious about the SB3. Thunderbolt 3 is must.

 

[maflynn]

Hasn‘t Windows 10 been given a new look?

version 2004 is being prepped for release. Its available as a developer preview and I have it installed. Most of the updates seem to be surrounding Cortana (which I don't use). I've not noticed any differences in the start menu