I'm just personally very happy to see tablet makers are finally seeing the light and ditching 16:9/16:10 aspect ratio. Apple got this right from the get go and I would never buy a tablet that uses 16:9 or 16:10. Now there are rumors the next Nexus tablet will change to a 4:3 aspect ratio. Samsung can't be far behind with a Galaxy Note Infinity +1 tablet using a brand new invented and patented by Samsung 4.1:2.9 aspect ratio.
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All iPads Where is Apple's rebuttal to Microsoft Surface?
- Thread starter NotAdvisable
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I wouldn't consider it unless i needed the pen and digitizer. I would never replace a MBP with an ulltra book, much less the surface.
I use my iPad mini as a paper replacement, using Notability and a cheap stylus off of eBay. I tried the Jot Pro and didn't have any luck with it. It scratched my screen protector (not badly; the scratches are minor and can only be seen at an angle), which would have been acceptable were it not for the fact that the "skipping" issue hit me. Basically, if you try drawing a straight line then you'll notice many breaks in the line, even if you never lifted the stylus from the screen. It made writing notes impossible. I tried the fixes of adding a conductor like Arctic Silver and placing a piece of aluminum between the pen and the disc, but they didn't help. Adonit's customer service was wonderful, sending me replacement parts and then exchanging the entire stylus for another one, but the issues persisted. It was really disappointing, because the first hour or so with the stylus (when it was working as expected) was really nice, and far nicer than using the fat-tipped styluses.
I'm still with the iPad and those fat-tipped styluses, but if Microsoft releases the "Surface Pro Mini" with a digitizer and pen then I'll be very tempted to change my setup.
The Dell Venue 8 Pro is a decent 8" Windows tablet running full Windows 8.1 and supports an active digitizer. They are often on sale for $200 new.
Thanks for that recommendation, I wasn't aware that there was something like this available! Checked on Amazon and the description claims 10 hours of battery life (same as the iPad mini), and the weight is only slightly heavier than the mini, too. It uses the Intel Atom processor line, so it supports x86 (not that I was against ARM and Windows RT, if that's what it came down to). That could definitely work for me, I will look into it more closely.
Edit: Looks like the Venue 8 Pro has issues with the pen input, but Dell might be working on a firmware fix for it.
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I suggest doing additional research on the DV8P before giving up. This forum would be a good place.
Battery life has improved with system updates, and pen input has been greatly improved with the 2nd gen pen. If it weren't for the lack of quality of Modern UI apps, I would've picked one up. I too am looking for an 8" tablet with active digitizer for notetaking. This one is at the top of my list.
Another one that I came across while looking was the Asus VivoTab Note. From what saw, the pen input has pretty good reviews.
Microsoft are now offering you up to $650 off a Surface Pro 3 if you trade in your MacBook Air to them:
Trade up to the Surface Pro 3
Get up to $650 in store credit when you trade in select MacBook Air models and purchase a Surface Pro 3.
Get the best of a laptop and the best of a tablet now. Hurry in to your local Microsoft retail store and save up to $650 on the Surface Pro 3.
Barely tipping the scales at 1.76 pounds, the new 12-inch Surface Pro 3 has all the power and performance of a premium laptop in a thin and lightweight design. It also comes with the all-new Surface Pen which delivers a natural writing and drawing experience.
Larger Screen, lighter form
Featuring a gorgeous 12-inch display encased in a sleek magnesium frame, Surface Pro 3 is the thinnest and lightest in our Pro family. Refined to its essential elements, Surface Pro 3 is as beautiful as it is functional so you can stay productive from anywhere. Just slip it into your bag or backpack and go.
Run your favorite programs and apps
Pre-loaded with Windows 8.1 Pro, you can install your favorite desktop software, including the full Microsoft Office Suite (sold separately) and thousands of programs created for the Windows platform. Surface Pro 3 also has a 4th generation Intel Core processor which delivers blazing-fast performance.
Not combinable with any other offer
See store associate for more details
http://content.microsoftstore.com/en-us/offers/pioneerplace#offer-surface-pro-3-trade-in
Very interesting if you had an Air? I like the Pro 3, but I don't have the cash for one, but as a Windows computer to keep lying around I would surely be tempted. I wouldn't replace OSX with it though.
Trade up to the Surface Pro 3
Get up to $650 in store credit when you trade in select MacBook Air models and purchase a Surface Pro 3.
Get the best of a laptop and the best of a tablet now. Hurry in to your local Microsoft retail store and save up to $650 on the Surface Pro 3.
Barely tipping the scales at 1.76 pounds, the new 12-inch Surface Pro 3 has all the power and performance of a premium laptop in a thin and lightweight design. It also comes with the all-new Surface Pen which delivers a natural writing and drawing experience.
Larger Screen, lighter form
Featuring a gorgeous 12-inch display encased in a sleek magnesium frame, Surface Pro 3 is the thinnest and lightest in our Pro family. Refined to its essential elements, Surface Pro 3 is as beautiful as it is functional so you can stay productive from anywhere. Just slip it into your bag or backpack and go.
Run your favorite programs and apps
Pre-loaded with Windows 8.1 Pro, you can install your favorite desktop software, including the full Microsoft Office Suite (sold separately) and thousands of programs created for the Windows platform. Surface Pro 3 also has a 4th generation Intel Core processor which delivers blazing-fast performance.
Not combinable with any other offer
See store associate for more details
http://content.microsoftstore.com/en-us/offers/pioneerplace#offer-surface-pro-3-trade-in
Very interesting if you had an Air? I like the Pro 3, but I don't have the cash for one, but as a Windows computer to keep lying around I would surely be tempted. I wouldn't replace OSX with it though.
I saw that. The keywords up to 650 and a secondly, couldn't you get more $$ by selling it yourself?
From what I've read they had this offer when the SP2 came out, so its really nothing new, but still if you want to make the switch it's definitely sweetening the deal.
Yeah I thought it was a bit low too, plus yeap, the 'up to' bit is what you take notice off.
Not for me. I would get way less than I could sell my MBA for on eBay or Craigslist, and still have to shell out $300 for a device with less storage, a slower processor, and a flimsy keyboard.
OS X is DEFINITELY not designed for touch input. Gestures yes, but touch input on OS X is not a very fun experience.
It wouldn't be just like touch on the desktop side of Windows 8 is not that great. I think that Apple would be very capable of putting a touch UI on top of Mac OSX and it would be 10 times better than what Microsoft did as far as being user friendly. (keep in mind the only Windows 8 experience I have is going into Lightroom and Photoshop. I never played around with it or did anything outside of that. I'm just basing this off of people griping about things and the fact that I had to google how to shut the computer down)
I finally checked out the SP3 in person today at Best Buy. At first I wasn't impressed while it was plugged into the keyboard. Once I freed it from the keyboard it really shined. The hardware felt nice and solid. It didn't feel heavy at all but the size was a bit awkward to hold. The screen was bright and very sharp. I did notice the screen flexing under my finger. It didn't improve my negative feelings about Windows 8 and I'm a big fan of Windows in general. It couldn't have a less intuitive UI. Surfing the web was mostly a positive experience. It was fast and the touch controls worked well. I thought the rendering of web pages was a little off. Some text and pictures didn't look quite right. In conclusion if I was made of money I would have bought it on the spot. Since I'm not made of money I'm going to wait it out for a bit and see what comes up.
Yes, an ipad with a real file finder, usb 3 port, runs x86 software, and comes with an excellent pen and digitizer. Maybe like an ipad pro.
everyone needs to get over touch on the desktop. it works fine, but the I never use the desktop with touch. I always use a wedge mouse, or the pen. Its a hybrid device: the fact it can work like a pc or tablet is a plus, not a minus. think different
Because it runs an OS designed for hybrid devices.
iOS nor OS X are designed for such utilization.
Apple would either have to heavily skin their own OS (no) or merge/update their current OSes to accept both forms of input (no).
Apple's been triumphing Windows's Single unified OS experience for a specific reason - The tablet version is just as capable as the desktop version but it's specifically designed for that form of input.
The iPad has no need to run the same apps as say, the Air because the interface is not designed for such.
Sure, Apple could take an iPad and put an Air inside, but that just defeats the purpose of both the iPad and the Air. It's an un-needed frankenstein. There's a specific reason why Windows tablets are dead last. These "hybrids" still aren't selling as well as their full laptop counterparts anyways.
Creating a hybrid device would just destabilize the market. Why buy an iPad? Why buy an Air? They'd be killing two very strong product lines for one mediocre compromising product.
Well--I need it and I am thankful for the surface. Tim Cook aside--anyone really think there will not be a touch screen mac in the next 5 years?
It wouldn't be called a Mac, it'd be called an iPad, or Apple wll come up with a new name for it.
There is no indication of a touch-screen Mac. OS X Yosemite keeps the strong UI distinction between desktop and touch. We have merging on aesthetic level and also more merging on software design level, but the input and certain UI specifics remain clearly separated. If Apple would be playing with the idea of a touch desktop OS, I think we would have seen the indications of this in the API already...
Actually, separating tablets from PCs was Apple thinking different. Before that, Microsoft had been cramming the PC into a tablet form factor and calling it a day.
You're right it is a hybrid device and so far many of the reviewers have been rather harsh on it, because it doesn't do the Tablet stuff too well and it doesn't do the laptop stuff too well..
Don't get me wrong, I love the SP3 and was so tempted to buy one. In fact I had one on pre-order and cancelled it less then a week from the release date.
Apple is extremely successful with the iPad line and the Mac line, merging the two wouldn't be a smart move imo. The iPad does what it does extremely well, and the laptops are great.
What I do see apple doing is extending the power of iOS and the iPads, to further leverage their popularity.
Thank you!
There seems to be so few around who lived through those days (sounds like decades ago
) and remembers them, or didn't but read about them.The Surface is nothing more than a tech-refresh of that original idea. Using a desktop interface on a touch device was a bad idea then (but interesting because it was new) and it's a bad idea now (but is interesting for those who didn't see it the first time around).
No. As soon as I can set up a web server with Railo and a MySql database on my iPad, then we'll be talking. I want something that I can have locally so I don't always have to be connected to work.