The Surface - Is it a rival to the iPad?

[foxpaws]

Island - from what the scuttlebut is on the surface - the stripped down version will be 1.4 lbs (sans keyboard) exactly what an iPad weighs...

And if you want to talk case - magnesium- really - wait till that first battery catches fire...

Again - it will be months before we see one on the shelf - or who knows it might be vaporware once Microsoft's hardware partners start pounding on them.

And you should try the prime - it really was an interesting machine.

[Joe Bob]

Microsoft Surface prices to be above $599, rumor claims » Unwired View

[stealthn]

You guys crack me up, which one is the fanboy?

Arguing on the Internet is like having a peeing and non-peeing sides of the pool.

[Joe Bob]

Which one is faster to the porn sites and doesn't screw up my net flixs?

[TimT]

Are they using "apps" as a new term for programs? I have apps on my droid, they can perform little tasks...

Yet I see MS Office will be available...

Am I going to be able to load Race-studio,Halwin, and some other specialized programs on the surface?

[Joe Bob]

I just want stuff to work and be in the locations they used to be. WTF do you have to move functions?

[island911]

Originally Posted by stealthn

You guys crack me up, which one is the fanboy?
....

I'm going to go with the one who comes onto a thread about a new PC to talk up Apple products.

And actually, I enjoy hearing other peoples feature priorities. ...no matter how strained they are toward fanbouyGirlness.

[enzo1]

[jyl]

Mixed and muted messages from MSFT on Surface sales. Microsoft Surface Sales “Starting Modestly”, Says Ballmer; Won’t Give Exact Sales Figures (Updated) | TechCrunch

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by jyl

Mixed and muted messages from MSFT on Surface sales. Microsoft Surface Sales “Starting Modestly”, Says Ballmer; Won’t Give Exact Sales Figures (Updated) | TechCrunch

The problem is that the RT operating system based Surface doesn't have much more capability than the iPad. It will be easier to store file and to edit them with the built in Microsoft office.

I guess if you are in a corporate group and want a mini, inexpensive laptop for e-mail and full blown Office, plus VPN, then this could work. And the ability to move files on and off the computer is simple (some sort of SD card).

What I described above isn't much more capable than an Andoid tablet. So I think the market for Surface RT should be coporate people like my sister. For me I'll keep my Andoid Tablet for now. When the Surface Pro comes out, I will probably be in line.

[epbrown]

Originally Posted by jyl

Mixed and muted messages from MSFT on Surface sales. Microsoft Surface Sales “Starting Modestly”, Says Ballmer; Won’t Give Exact Sales Figures (Updated) | TechCrunch

Holy crap, I hadn't even realized they released it!

[intakexhaust]

Has anyone tried or seen the new Asus Taichi? From what I've only seen online, makes the most sense and best of both a tablet or PC. Odd that big box stores carrying the brand never stock them or let alone really know of them.

More of a full blown PC with dual screens. As a laptop, close the cover, err screen... top... and the second screen appears on the backside or cover. No detaching of a keyboard or adding, no rotate of screen (like the slate, tab. hybrid's).

Has some proc. power too with Intel Ivy Bridge i7, expansion port's, SSD, 13"+ or 11" models both having 1920 x 1080 res. weight approx. 2 3/4 lbs.

[MysticLlama]

I think that it's just not going to catch on in a big consumer wave like the iPad.

I've been messing with mine for a few weeks now, and there are a few huge bonuses that make me more likely to buy them for office staff than iPads.

Multiple users, so they can be checked out and taken to meetings or on trips but not bound to one user

Output for a projector that doesn't work just with some apps

Prints successfully to all of our office printers (We have a few AirPrint printers for the iPads, but the big old ones don't work)

Runs Remote Desktop AND TSRemoteApp, so you can get to any desktop app on it if it's running on the server.

Connects to file shares on the network out of the box

Can be used with a mouse or the built in touchpoint, which makes Win32/64 apps on RDP actually useful

So yeah, it's a rival, just not in the ways most people are thinking.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by MysticLlama

I think that it's just not going to catch on in a big consumer wave like the iPad.

I've been messing with mine for a few weeks now, and there are a few huge bonuses that make me more likely to buy them for office staff than iPads.

Multiple users, so they can be checked out and taken to meetings or on trips but not bound to one user

Output for a projector that doesn't work just with some apps

Prints successfully to all of our office printers (We have a few AirPrint printers for the iPads, but the big old ones don't work)

Runs Remote Desktop AND TSRemoteApp, so you can get to any desktop app on it if it's running on the server.

Connects to file shares on the network out of the box

Can be used with a mouse or the built in touchpoint, which makes Win32/64 apps on RDP actually useful

So yeah, it's a rival, just not in the ways most people are thinking.

Yep, this seems to be the purpose. I think this is a good move on MSFT's part. Going head to head with the iPad to start is tough!!!

[Halm]

I agree with what Rod said. Another way of saying it is that it is a productivity tool, not an entertainment vehicle.

[intakexhaust]

Originally Posted by foxpaws

Island - from what the scuttlebut is on the surface - the stripped down version will be 1.4 lbs (sans keyboard) exactly what an iPad weighs...

And if you want to talk case - magnesium- really - wait till that first battery catches fire...
.

Doubtful as magnesium in this usage would only ignite from a spark.

Interesting though about heat build-up in tabs. Guessing that's the top handicap restricting more powerful processor's for them vs. the size.

My old HP tablet / PC with a dual core sometimes measured a ridiculous 140 degrees near the fan. Eventually the onboard graphics chip couldn't handle it. Went through a few mobo's like clockwork. However I was surprised to find it had precision cast magnesium bottom housing and enclosure covers (all vented).

[RWebb]

some of my feature priorities are a decent keyboard and fast USB ports

this looks better than an iPad for those; not as good as a laptop

solid Mg will not ignite from a spark - only powdered Mg

[Halm]

First set of updates aches went out today. Takes about 20 minutes and a soft reset (reboot). Things seem a bit smoother, but that could be me just projecting expected results onto the product.

[MysticLlama]

Here is another interesting business case about the Surface. (or any WinRT tab)

We run PCs at our store locations, we have lots of business software that requires them, as do most places. They are mostly Win7 boxes (and a couple Win8s)

Over the past 6 months or so, as I've been rotating some out, I've been adding monitors with built-in speakers, mics, and webcams, simply because I knew the video conferencing thing would come up as we got more spread out.

Well, it came up, the boss wants video conferencing starting next week. He has an iPad. He said, keep it simple, buy a couple managers iPads, we'll Facetime because it's easy.

Had a little discussion about the PCs being ready for it, the iPads being able to run Skype, his Windows phone also being able to run Skype, etc.

So, on Monday, we're buying a couple of Surfaces, since they run Skype integrated in the background, just like an iPad or iPhone runs Facetime, thus keeping it simple. It also will run on the iPads we have around, the PCs we have around, etc. The multi-user thing is also a huge bonus since these will be assigned to locations vs. people.

The device itself didn't do it, but mine has worked great, and Skype being available cross-platform and Facetime not made the difference.

If Facetime was available as a Windows app, we probably would have bought it and a few iPads.

Oh, Skype being available on smart TVs is a nice bonus, non-OS dependent at all, we'll be picking up a couple of those.

[stealthn]

Rob you should have looked at Clearsea from Lifesize....