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Microsoft Announces "Surface" Tablet (1 Viewer)
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Maelstrom
Footballguy
I read the entire article. Extremely biased against Microsoft period. There was some valid criticisms, but overall, I was not impressed by the quality of the analysis.'[icon] said:
My boss got one for our QA lab, and I took it home last weekend. I used it while watching football, to read a little, even watched a little Netflix. I found the screen to be very good (I'm sure side by side with a Retina you can tell the difference, but otherwise people will be perfectly happy as it is a nice quality screen.) I really liked the angle of the kickstand, and didn't have an issue that "it is only one position" that the reviewer linked had, that position worked well. The touch keyboard worked well, but I agreed with the above reviewer about the Shift key being the hardest to get used to using (I wanted to use it like a tablet shift, where you tap it then hit the key, rather than holding it down like a regular keyboard.)Hardware was pretty great, IMO. Feels nice and solid, but might feel a tad heavier than the iPad if held on the short edge due to the longer width. The plug was magnetic and worked decent, although I did not like the power end of it - this plug would impact 2 maybe 3 positions on a power strip, and I hate plugs that do that. But it would be fine on a standard wall plug.
Software was fine for me. I didn't have any of the weird issues reported in the above article. The store app worked fine, I was able to install every app I found. I expected the store to be a bit light on apps right now. To complain about Twitter and Facebook not having apps was kind of ridiculous, IMO, as their websites both work perfectly fine on either version of IE10. Speaking of IE10, it is probably the best browser Microsoft has ever produced (I know...obligatory "that's not saying much...") It was fast, rendered websites correctly (I checked a number of the larger sites I work on as I am very familiar with them and where they would break down in IE, and they all looked very good.) The only thing I don't like about the browser is that if you set a different browser as default, you can't use the Metro version of IE10 (only one browser can be the default in the Metro state.)
Windows 8 works well on touch. Swiping in from the edge becomes second nature very quickly, and I see the appeal of the Charms bar (the right side bar that includes search, share, windows key and settings.) It centralized some common actions so you will always know where to go to do those things. Desktop mode can be a bit more tricky, but not nearly as bad as the reviewer made it out to be. That being said, on an RT tablet, I would generally prefer Apps over Desktop programs whenever I can.
In the end, personally I wouldn't buy one. But not because it isn't decent. I haven't (and won't) spend $500+ on an iPad either, or another Android tablet. I have determined for myself, that is too much to pay for the amount that I use it, as I really would rather have the power of a laptop (like Ultrabook) for just a little bit more. I would be seriously tempted by the Pro version if it was in the same price range, but the rumored price range moves it closer to Ultrabook prices, and again, in the end I'd rather have the full Ultrabook rather than a tablet if I am paying close to $1000 (no, I don't know what the Pro prices will be.)
BoltBacker
Footballguy
Wait, wait, slow down. You're saying mg siegler has a dim view of iAnything-Else? Next you'll be telling us walt mossberg detects a marked "lack of synergy" as well.I can't think of either of those tech "journalists" without chuckling at this youtube clip...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuoXGcr9XKE'[icon] said:
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Insoxicated
Statcruncher
Footballguy
'[icon] said:
This guy must be super important if a Microsoft executive has handed down orders to keep the surface out his hands.
[icon]
Insoxicated
Oh I think MS knew damn well this wasn't going to be a favorable review, so why give the guy one.'[icon] said:This guy must be super important if a Microsoft executive has handed down orders to keep the surface out his hands.
goonsquad
Think different.
It also is exactly like every review of the Surface RT, even from "impartial" sources. Funny how you guys are rushing to discredit Siegler's entire review even though his points are consistent with 99% of reviews out there. Attack the messenger when you can't attack the message, I suppose."Strange, buggy and clunky"...exactly like every review of a Windows product by a Mac user in the history of computers.'[icon] said:
Too bad.. there's some valid assertions in there.
Complaining that you can't use Excel very well with the touchscreen is idiotic - any normal person is going to use a mouse.
Statcruncher
Footballguy
Maybe you and Icon can go outside your bookmarks and post an impartial review then. No one has a problem with a negative review, but when it's clearly biased and linked by someone with an agenda of course the messenger is going to get shot. Don't be shocked as it will (and should) happen every time.
goonsquad
Think different.
Statcruncher
Footballguy
See? That wasn't so hard was it?
Rayderr
Footballguy
Of course, being the iHUCKS that he is, he picked out the negatives and didn't bother to post the positives.
Statcruncher
Footballguy
I never expected him to do anything else. We all tend to highlight the things that reinforce our views and minimize facts that invalidate our positions. I have no problem with him providing his slant on a fair review.
goonsquad
Think different.
Showing that impartial reviews shared the exact same criticisms that you dismissed from Siegler's review was the point, genius.
Norman Einstein
Footballguy
i hear you can make some pretty good music by closing the cover...at least that's what the commercials keep showing us? No real "uses" just cover clicks...nice
Thunderlips
Footballguy
at the nerd fight...
Mario Kart
Footballguy
It's a tablet. It weighs a few grams more than something else. It might seem bulkier but it does more. My 60" tv is bulkier compared to my 59" tv. So what? Buy it, use it, allow others to choose. Bad mouthing something is childish and, sadly, on par with some.
SacramentoBob
Footballguy
I didn't get why the reviewer thought comparing it to the Nexus 7 in terms of bulkiness made sense. Of course it's bulkier.
It's just a myth that Apple products are not buggy.The guy #####ed about not knowing when the non-WinRT version will be out. Like Apple ever told him when anything was coming out.BTW.. the buggiest app I have on all of my Windows machines is iTunes. Detects my iPod about 60% of the time when I plug it in, crashes, and thinks my iPod is corrupt every once in a while too. I don't dare try managing my music library with it - I only use it for getting podcasts."Strange, buggy and clunky"...exactly like every review of a Windows product by a Mac user in the history of computers.Complaining that you can't use Excel very well with the touchscreen is idiotic - any normal person is going to use a mouse.'[icon] said:
[icon]
Insoxicated
Ordinarily I would dispute this but iOS6 has been a disappointment in that regard thus far. Definitely a step backwards in stability of user experienceIt's just a myth that Apple products are not buggy.The guy #####ed about not knowing when the non-WinRT version will be out. Like Apple ever told him when anything was coming out.BTW.. the buggiest app I have on all of my Windows machines is iTunes. Detects my iPod about 60% of the time when I plug it in, crashes, and thinks my iPod is corrupt every once in a while too. I don't dare try managing my music library with it - I only use it for getting podcasts."Strange, buggy and clunky"...exactly like every review of a Windows product by a Mac user in the history of computers.Complaining that you can't use Excel very well with the touchscreen is idiotic - any normal person is going to use a mouse.'[icon] said:
I guess I'm not really sure what Windows RT is.
Will it run all the programs that run on, e.g., Windows 7? If so, I don't understand the criticism regarding the lack of apps. Windows as zillions of "apps" — MS Office, VLC Media Player, Adobe Photoshop, Paint, iTunes, etc. — and your choice of browsers for stuff like Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, Google Maps, and so on.
(If Windows RT won't run normal Windows software, then yeah, I can understand how there might not be very much it can do right now.)
Also, I'm assuming that it has normal tablet-like keyboard input options if a person doesn't want to use that little, flat, detachable keyboard? It should simply be a tablet if people want it to be — for when they are on the bus, or in a bar, etc., and don't want to deal with setting up the kickstand & keyboard (or don't have a surface to use it on).
If it can act just like a tablet when you want it to, but will also act more like a laptop when you have a flat surface to set it up on, and if it runs all the normal Windows programs — it seems pretty cool.
I doubt I'll get one. I'm perfectly happy with using an Android tablet when I'm on the go, and a Windows machine (with a full keyboard) when I'm at my workspace. I don't really need a single device to fit both situations. But I'm sure there are some people for whom the Surface can replace both a tablet and a laptop, assuming that it really can act like either one.
Will it run all the programs that run on, e.g., Windows 7? If so, I don't understand the criticism regarding the lack of apps. Windows as zillions of "apps" — MS Office, VLC Media Player, Adobe Photoshop, Paint, iTunes, etc. — and your choice of browsers for stuff like Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, Google Maps, and so on.
(If Windows RT won't run normal Windows software, then yeah, I can understand how there might not be very much it can do right now.)
Also, I'm assuming that it has normal tablet-like keyboard input options if a person doesn't want to use that little, flat, detachable keyboard? It should simply be a tablet if people want it to be — for when they are on the bus, or in a bar, etc., and don't want to deal with setting up the kickstand & keyboard (or don't have a surface to use it on).
If it can act just like a tablet when you want it to, but will also act more like a laptop when you have a flat surface to set it up on, and if it runs all the normal Windows programs — it seems pretty cool.
I doubt I'll get one. I'm perfectly happy with using an Android tablet when I'm on the go, and a Windows machine (with a full keyboard) when I'm at my workspace. I don't really need a single device to fit both situations. But I'm sure there are some people for whom the Surface can replace both a tablet and a laptop, assuming that it really can act like either one.
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17seconds
root of all aliai
Of course.I've had several OSX Macs and I don't find them to be any less buggy than a Linux distribution. The Apple layer on top of Linux that makes it OSX isn't anything special.IMO, Apple designs and manufactures great hardware but they've done little in software for a company its size. Certainly less than Microsoft.'zDragon said:It's just a myth that Apple products are not buggy.The guy #####ed about not knowing when the non-WinRT version will be out. Like Apple ever told him when anything was coming out.BTW.. the buggiest app I have on all of my Windows machines is iTunes. Detects my iPod about 60% of the time when I plug it in, crashes, and thinks my iPod is corrupt every once in a while too. I don't dare try managing my music library with it - I only use it for getting podcasts."Strange, buggy and clunky"...exactly like every review of a Windows product by a Mac user in the history of computers.Complaining that you can't use Excel very well with the touchscreen is idiotic - any normal person is going to use a mouse.'[icon] said:
17seconds
root of all aliai
It's Windows that runs on an ARM processor instead of an Intel x86/x64 processor. Totally new applications needed.It's a mobile processor. Just about every mobile phone uses an ARM processor in its core. All the Qualcomm chips are ARM-based.
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Leeroy Jenkins
Footballguy
BoltBacker
Footballguy
I also don't understand the criticism that the kickstand isn't adjustable. How many tablets have a kickstand? How many of them have been adjustable? Of all the tablets on the market how often have they been criticized for having a non-adjustable kickstand or worse yet none at all?Sometimes the weakness of the criticisms speak to the strength of the product.'SacramentoBob said:
Eephus
Footballguy
That's a huge challenge for Microsoft. Apple was able to find and exploit the market niche between smartphones and laptops. Surface is in turn trying to find a footing in the smaller area between tablets and laptops. It's an interesting product but based on the majority of reviews, also a compromised one. It's also competing in a premium price range with a limited launch lineup of apps.I wonder if it would have been smarter for Microsoft to compete at the lower end of the tablet market, build up the ecosystem and then launch the tablet-laptop bridge once they had some market share and (more importantly) higher performance mobile chips to run desktop software. I understand the tie to Windows 8 but other than the Metro/Modern UI, there's not a lot of overlap from Windows Phone to Surface to Windows 8.I hear that they're counting on enterprise customers but there's no interest at all from my IT department.and questions.
Miscellaneous
Footballguy
To answer the questions about RT:
RT is the lightweight version of Win8, the one that's modeled after iOS in some ways, and that uses brand-new Win8 RT apps, not Win7 apps.
The full version of Win8 IS coming to Surface tablets in the near future, and that will basically be a convertible laptop - run Win7 apps with a full keyboard and mouse if you want, run it like an iPad with Win8 apps if you want.
RT is the lightweight version of Win8, the one that's modeled after iOS in some ways, and that uses brand-new Win8 RT apps, not Win7 apps.
The full version of Win8 IS coming to Surface tablets in the near future, and that will basically be a convertible laptop - run Win7 apps with a full keyboard and mouse if you want, run it like an iPad with Win8 apps if you want.
SacramentoBob
Footballguy
I think it'd have been smarter to release the Windows 8 Pro version first. They already have a lot of built-in customers in the enterprise market who want to be able to use their MS centric management tools and software. Instead you get something that is as foreign to Windows (from an integration standpoint) as Android and iOS are, and you don't even have the apps to back it up. We'd be interested in a Surface, but our content filtering agent doesn't have anything for Windows RT yet. And you can't join them to AD and apply group policy. Sure you can't do that with iOS or Android either, but at least our vendors are already making software that supports that platform. And I imagine the programming required to update your software from 7 to 8 Pro is a lot simpler than going from 7 to RT. And with a lot of companies going the wait and see approach, why invest the time to make an RT app?OTOH, I guess they didn't want to step on their hardware partner's shoes too strongly with this either.That's a huge challenge for Microsoft. Apple was able to find and exploit the market niche between smartphones and laptops. Surface is in turn trying to find a footing in the smaller area between tablets and laptops. It's an interesting product but based on the majority of reviews, also a compromised one. It's also competing in a premium price range with a limited launch lineup of apps.I wonder if it would have been smarter for Microsoft to compete at the lower end of the tablet market, build up the ecosystem and then launch the tablet-laptop bridge once they had some market share and (more importantly) higher performance mobile chips to run desktop software. I understand the tie to Windows 8 but other than the Metro/Modern UI, there's not a lot of overlap from Windows Phone to Surface to Windows 8.I hear that they're counting on enterprise customers but there's no interest at all from my IT department.
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17seconds
root of all aliai
That would be incredibly foolish. Are they really?There's still a lot of enterprises just making it to Win7 and Win7 is a fantastic OS for enterprises that IT depts won't want to let go of for many more years.
I think what everyone needs to realize is they will be bashed by Apple guys regardless of how good a product it is. Not sure why they can't look at it with an open mind. Take some of these top 10 items from one reviewer that had nothing bad to say about the iPad in his review.
1. Apps can only be purchased through the Windows Store - He goes on to state you can't walk into Wal-mart and buy an app for it. Really? What other tablet can you buy apps for in Wal-mart?
2. Not enough apps - I hate this point about all of the os's. Who cares how many there are. I don't need 1,000 fart apps along with 1,000 copy cat games, along with 1,000 clones of a popular app. Give me the quality apps that I use. Microsoft office, Check. Evernote, Check. RemoteDesktop, Check. Skitch, Check. SmartGlass, check. Angry Birds Star Wars, Check. Irritated Pigs, Who cares. Just give me the good stuff please. Keep the crap out.
3. The number of Windows RT devices is pretty limited - Interesting complaint. How limited is the iPad/iOS devices? Guess he's looking at all the crappy android devices here. Android would be better off getting rid of all the terrible devices an only the top tier companies make them.
4. Window RT vs Windows 8 is confusing - Funny he did not get confused between iOS and Mac OS? He did not have the concern consumers would be confused. One is a desktop OS on is a Tablet OS. Apple Does it what's wrong with Microsoft doing it?
5. Traditional Windows programs won't work with RT - Blah....tired of typing.
I have yet to try one but will be open minded when I do.
1. Apps can only be purchased through the Windows Store - He goes on to state you can't walk into Wal-mart and buy an app for it. Really? What other tablet can you buy apps for in Wal-mart?
2. Not enough apps - I hate this point about all of the os's. Who cares how many there are. I don't need 1,000 fart apps along with 1,000 copy cat games, along with 1,000 clones of a popular app. Give me the quality apps that I use. Microsoft office, Check. Evernote, Check. RemoteDesktop, Check. Skitch, Check. SmartGlass, check. Angry Birds Star Wars, Check. Irritated Pigs, Who cares. Just give me the good stuff please. Keep the crap out.
3. The number of Windows RT devices is pretty limited - Interesting complaint. How limited is the iPad/iOS devices? Guess he's looking at all the crappy android devices here. Android would be better off getting rid of all the terrible devices an only the top tier companies make them.
4. Window RT vs Windows 8 is confusing - Funny he did not get confused between iOS and Mac OS? He did not have the concern consumers would be confused. One is a desktop OS on is a Tablet OS. Apple Does it what's wrong with Microsoft doing it?
5. Traditional Windows programs won't work with RT - Blah....tired of typing.
I have yet to try one but will be open minded when I do.
17seconds
root of all aliai
One thing I will say about Microsoft though is clearly they are copying Apple's business model.
- make your own high-end hardware device
- create and control a closed app store
- make a closed mobile OS (WinRT)
They are creating a wing of the company that copies Apple's model. It's a smart thing to do. How else can they possibly gain true brand loyalty like Apple? If they don't do this they will always be the OS vendor within a complex ecosystem of PC OEMs, devices makers, and software developers. They've been doing it that way for 20 years and have no real love of their brand.
- make your own high-end hardware device
- create and control a closed app store
- make a closed mobile OS (WinRT)
They are creating a wing of the company that copies Apple's model. It's a smart thing to do. How else can they possibly gain true brand loyalty like Apple? If they don't do this they will always be the OS vendor within a complex ecosystem of PC OEMs, devices makers, and software developers. They've been doing it that way for 20 years and have no real love of their brand.
cstu
Footballguy
Freaking
cstu
Footballguy
That's the reason they released the RT version first, it's the hard sell. The Pro is going to sell just fine but it's very difficult to break a new tablet OS into iOS/Android.
cstu
Footballguy
The price is the deal-breaker for a lot of people, including myself. For not much more money I can get a much better product. However, the Type Cover is the big selling point since it allows it to be more functional than a regular tablet and it's easier to go between tablet and a laptop than normal convertibles. One of the problems I have with my Transformer Prime is that it's hassle (albeit a relatively minor one) to attach/detach the tablet from the keyboard dock. With the Type Cover it's easy to remove and attach. Personally, I can see myself paying $629 for it with a Type Cover but I'm sure there are many people who this sort of product is worth it for them. Type vs. Touch CoverThat's a huge challenge for Microsoft. Apple was able to find and exploit the market niche between smartphones and laptops. Surface is in turn trying to find a footing in the smaller area between tablets and laptops. It's an interesting product but based on the majority of reviews, also a compromised one. It's also competing in a premium price range with a limited launch lineup of apps.I wonder if it would have been smarter for Microsoft to compete at the lower end of the tablet market, build up the ecosystem and then launch the tablet-laptop bridge once they had some market share and (more importantly) higher performance mobile chips to run desktop software. I understand the tie to Windows 8 but other than the Metro/Modern UI, there's not a lot of overlap from Windows Phone to Surface to Windows 8.
I hear that they're counting on enterprise customers but there's no interest at all from my IT department.
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BoltBacker
Footballguy
2. I agree that is a silly one, how many times did we read android phones will never catch on because there were no apps for it, BUT it's absolutely vital that every mobile OS have a great twitter app. At the time the first RT tablets shipped was there a twitter app ready to go? Some popular apps like dropbox have a direct rival service with MS like skydrive but MS has no answer for twitter. There have been rumbling they want to fold a similar service into skype so people would use skype for all their communications but for now it's a twitter world and RT is just living in it. So while I agree 99% of apps are useless crap, there are at least a top 10-20 that every mobile OS needs to even be in the game.4. I don't think that's the confusion, the confusion is naming two completely different devices "surface". Had they named the tablet version(RT) the "surface" and the full win8 version the "Flex" or something because it's essentially a windows 8 ultrabook with a touch screen and detachable keyboard. Both have Surface and Windows in the title and "RT" doesn't mean anything to most people. I think they are just asking for a ton of returns from people that read that the surface would run windows applications and didn't realize they were purchasing the wrong surface. MT is a bright guy, for him not to know the difference tells me at least 80% of the casual consumers will have no idea what the RT means when ordering one. Ipad, ipad min, iphone, macbook air, macbook pro..... it makes sense which devices are running ios mobile os and which are running the full blown OS just by their naming conventions. They aren't simply adding a couple of random letter at the end of the name. I doubt goonsquad would count me as one of his minions but even I can see the naming convention is much clearer.
17seconds
root of all aliai
...and this morning my iPod Nano died. Lasted 5 years. 3rd genEDIT: the new one doesn't have wifi and requires a lighting adapter? jesus. may be looking elsewhereOf course.I've had several OSX Macs and I don't find them to be any less buggy than a Linux distribution. The Apple layer on top of Linux that makes it OSX isn't anything special.IMO, Apple designs and manufactures great hardware but they've done little in software for a company its size. Certainly less than Microsoft.'zDragon said:It's just a myth that Apple products are not buggy.The guy #####ed about not knowing when the non-WinRT version will be out. Like Apple ever told him when anything was coming out.BTW.. the buggiest app I have on all of my Windows machines is iTunes. Detects my iPod about 60% of the time when I plug it in, crashes, and thinks my iPod is corrupt every once in a while too. I don't dare try managing my music library with it - I only use it for getting podcasts."Strange, buggy and clunky"...exactly like every review of a Windows product by a Mac user in the history of computers.Complaining that you can't use Excel very well with the touchscreen is idiotic - any normal person is going to use a mouse.'[icon] said:
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[icon]
Insoxicated
I agree here. For the record in case it wasn't clear initially, me posting MG's negative review was trolling you guys. I figured it would be obvious but apparently some folks still don't realize it so I'm spelling it out here. I'd like to try a Surface tablet... I'm not a fan of Windows (preference thing, prefer OSX, haven't owned a windoze box in a decade) but the live tile interface is certainly intriguing.
4. So your telling me Apple using iPad Mini and iPad (or new Ipad vs ipad 3) is less confusing? The Surface just like the iPad is a tablet device. The difference is the operating system they are using. Which is explained pretty clearly. One runs RT (iOS) and the other runs Windows 8 Pro (OSX). Now I deal with all the OS's and devices daily so maybe I just don't see it the way you do but it seems pretty obvious. Now if I wanted to be silly I would point out that iMac runs OSX and not IOS yet it is named using the i<name> convention. Going a little deeper since the iPad Mini is an iPad but smaller should I consider the iPod Nano the smaller iPod Touch? Basically all the same features correct? iPod Shuffle should....oh wait not even close to the same functionality as an iPod Touch....hmmm. Same name for three totally different devices running three totally different OS's. Now back to the iPod Touch. This device really doesn't even live in the same world as the iPods and really should be an iPad Nano in my opinion. That would make it clear where it sits in the iOS world. I could also ask is it confusing in determine which Mac Pro to get. Would the most powerful be the 12-core or Server? Should I assume the MacBook Pro 13 and MacBook Pro 13 w/Retina are the same except the display? Nope they are different outside of the display yet the name is identical. The same can be said for the MacBook Air 11-inch vs MacBook Air 13-inch.So a lot of things CAN be confusing if you do not look at the actual specs and do just the smallest bit of research on what you are buying.
BoltBacker
Footballguy
In terms of what OS is running on the device and types of apps you need, yes that is what I'm telling you. If someone purchases an Apple iPad tablet they understand the OS and apps for the device. If someone purchases a Microsoft Surface tablet, not so much.
Eephus
Footballguy
Some of that is familiarity, some is marketing. Commercials that show people clicking keyboards and kickstands don't explain much of anything.
So the iPod touch runs different software than the iPad? The iPod Nano runs the same software as the iPod Touch? The iMac runs the same software as the iPad? The only way people know what OS is on an Apple device is looking at the specs and even then it might say what the OS is. How would a consumer going into an Apple store determine which OS is running on a device by the naming conventions apple uses? If I go in the Apple store and Purchase the Ipad 2 I'm getting the latest and greatest. The iPad was the orginal, then the 2, then the 4? Correct?Surface RT is clearly different than the Surface Windows 8 Pro. It's obvious by the name and if it's not then the same minimal research you would have to do on a Apple device applies to the Microsoft device.Point is both companies have used poor naming conventions if you just walk into the store and grab something. Your focusing on one product and have totally ignored the whole product line apple offers.
BoltBacker
Footballguy
I thought this was thread focused on tablets, so I have focused on tablets. Yes.
goonsquad
Think different.
Good lord, this isn't rocket surgery. People know what OS is running on an Apple product because iOS and OSX look different from each other. Microsoft made Windows RT look exactly like Win8, even allowing the traditional Windows file view. There is no visual distinction which tells the user one is different from the other. That can cause confusion for non-tech users.
SacramentoBob
Footballguy
I absolutely hate that commercial. It's an Apple style commercial and I hate all commercials like it. Show me some features other than a ####### kickstand.
[icon]
Insoxicated
To me it is Pretty simple... If it has a keyboard/mouse it runs OSX .... If it doesn't it runs the touch based iOS.
IOS is for touch input mobile devices. OSX is for point and click input computers.
Microsoft has blurred that line a bit and offered different OSs on what is essentially the same device. I can see how there could be some confusion in the marketplace with Joe Sixpack. That said... I'm not sure it will be that big of a deal.
IOS is for touch input mobile devices. OSX is for point and click input computers.
Microsoft has blurred that line a bit and offered different OSs on what is essentially the same device. I can see how there could be some confusion in the marketplace with Joe Sixpack. That said... I'm not sure it will be that big of a deal.
cstu
Footballguy
Your typical tablet buyer isn't very sophisticated and that commercial works, just as it does for Apple.
BoltBacker
Footballguy
While I agree with you, the commercials aren't meant for you, or me, or anyone reading this thread. We'll all seek out every last spec on our own and they know it. By "they" I'm sneering at marketing folks. I wouldn't expect people to be influenced in making a car buying decision based on the commercials I see... but they are.'SacramentoBob said:
SacramentoBob
Footballguy
My Windows 8 laptop got here Tuesday. Been playing with it a few days and this is an impromptu review.
I originally ordered a Lenovo Ideapad U300S based on the good reviews and the instant $600 rebate on the website. The shipping date got pushed back a week. Then a week later I came home to a voicemail message asking to call Lenovo to complete my order. Then check my email and found that the order had been canceled per my request.
So ended up getting the HP Spectre XT, which was my 2nd choice. My original plan had been to get a Win 7 laptop and just put Linux on it, but I figured I might as well go with Win 8 and give it a shot. Mrs. SB has a Macbook that she's been using for the last 6 months or so and she tested it out really quick to compare. She said the touchpad on it was great and so was the keyboard, just like her MB. The original reason she went with the MB was because of the bad reviews other laptops were getting at the time in regards to touchpads and keyboards. If something like this had been out at the time, she may have gone that way instead. Also did a quick boot and shutdown test side by side and the HP is way faster than the MB at both. Anyway, this is about the OS, not the hardware.
To summarize my initial impressions, I think this OS would be fantastic on a tablet or laptop with a touch screen. It's definitely designed to be used that way in "app" mode. I'm not very good with using modern touchpads, so there's a learning curve. I think I'm getting the hang of it, and how Windows 8 flows. Nothing about it seems any less intuitive than an Android tablet. It comes with Security Essentials by default, so no need for any additional AV, but this came with Norton anyway which I promptly uninstalled. If you use a lot of Google apps like Chrome, Drive or Reader, they are in the App Store. The Google reader app is terrible. The reviews on it are almost universally negative. Everything else I had to download and install by hand. No issues in getting any of them to run so far. No crashes, slowness or bugs so far. Using it in desktop mode is similar to Windows 7 minus the start menu. Based on the last 2 days, I don't think I'd be in the market for a Surface. I need apps to get "real work" done, and most of the ones I use on a day to day basis aren't in the app store. I guess I could find similar replacements, but I want to use what I'm used to using.
I bought a USB docking station to go with it and my plan is to use this at work as a replacement for the desktop I have now. If it holds up, I'll likely recommend to my director that we don't upgrade any workstations/laptops to Win8, but go forward with Win8 on any tablets/convertibles that we purchase. I don't see any use for Windows 8 RT in the enterprise.
I originally ordered a Lenovo Ideapad U300S based on the good reviews and the instant $600 rebate on the website. The shipping date got pushed back a week. Then a week later I came home to a voicemail message asking to call Lenovo to complete my order. Then check my email and found that the order had been canceled per my request.
So ended up getting the HP Spectre XT, which was my 2nd choice. My original plan had been to get a Win 7 laptop and just put Linux on it, but I figured I might as well go with Win 8 and give it a shot. Mrs. SB has a Macbook that she's been using for the last 6 months or so and she tested it out really quick to compare. She said the touchpad on it was great and so was the keyboard, just like her MB. The original reason she went with the MB was because of the bad reviews other laptops were getting at the time in regards to touchpads and keyboards. If something like this had been out at the time, she may have gone that way instead. Also did a quick boot and shutdown test side by side and the HP is way faster than the MB at both. Anyway, this is about the OS, not the hardware.To summarize my initial impressions, I think this OS would be fantastic on a tablet or laptop with a touch screen. It's definitely designed to be used that way in "app" mode. I'm not very good with using modern touchpads, so there's a learning curve. I think I'm getting the hang of it, and how Windows 8 flows. Nothing about it seems any less intuitive than an Android tablet. It comes with Security Essentials by default, so no need for any additional AV, but this came with Norton anyway which I promptly uninstalled. If you use a lot of Google apps like Chrome, Drive or Reader, they are in the App Store. The Google reader app is terrible. The reviews on it are almost universally negative. Everything else I had to download and install by hand. No issues in getting any of them to run so far. No crashes, slowness or bugs so far. Using it in desktop mode is similar to Windows 7 minus the start menu. Based on the last 2 days, I don't think I'd be in the market for a Surface. I need apps to get "real work" done, and most of the ones I use on a day to day basis aren't in the app store. I guess I could find similar replacements, but I want to use what I'm used to using.
I bought a USB docking station to go with it and my plan is to use this at work as a replacement for the desktop I have now. If it holds up, I'll likely recommend to my director that we don't upgrade any workstations/laptops to Win8, but go forward with Win8 on any tablets/convertibles that we purchase. I don't see any use for Windows 8 RT in the enterprise.
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