In closed state, the surface book has a giant gap between screen and keyboard (https://goo.gl/n5B7Te). I think, it can easily happen that things in your backpack slip between screen and keyboard and damage the screen. That is why the old Thinkpads used to have a "click" mechanism.
New Windows 10 Devices From Microsoft
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Re: New Windows 10 Devices From Microsoft
#32How about the Band 2? Unaware of this event, yesterday morning I ordered the first MS Band for a little more than 1/2 the list price of the Band 2. I'd been shopping for fitness trackers for a long time, and settled on the Band as the only tracker meeting my needs that can also act as an Android trusted bluetooth device & keep my phone unlocked. From what I can tell, the Band 2 adds: - softer, more flexible strap (so…
The first one is uncomfortable to wear, which makes the Band 2 worth the price. No way I'd purchase something for daily use that isn't comfortable.
Re: New Windows 10 Devices From Microsoft
#33Earlier quoted context omitted.
Linux does not support hybrid graphics properly. (I've got a Zbook G2, dockable, Nvidia + Intel. I'm developing for Linux, so it'd be great to run Linux on it, but it's not practical at all.)
At this point, it definitely works, but it depends on the distro and how much tweaking you're willing to do. I've got hybrid graphics working on a Dell XPS 15 with no real problems. Bumblebee works like a charm when set up correctly. The battery life isn't perfect, but it's still much better than just running the nvidia chip.
It works on a per-program basis if you set it up nicely, but (afaik) it's not possible to get the docking station work nicely. The problem is that to drive external displays, you need the discrete GPU (esp. for UHD displays). Therefore whenever you dock it in, it should start driving the external display with dGPU, etc.
I've not seen a single successful attempt on getting this working (this = hybrid graphics + docking).
Re: New Windows 10 Devices From Microsoft
#34I think the Surface Book is finally something that can give the MacBook Pro line a run for its money, this should be interesting.
Hybrids have a very different audience compared to regular laptops (ultrabooks), as they're structurally very different (that is, they are a compromise by definition), so I wouldn't compare them directly.
Don't get me wrong, I have one instead of a regular laptop, but I can see how people used to the latter would feel uncomfortable with them, unless they have a strong motivation to move to the hybrid form factor.
Re: New Windows 10 Devices From Microsoft
#35Funny how both fruity and glassy company "inspire" each other - first fruit's version of surface, now glass' version of a "book" :-D
Even funnier is how Apple used to be mostly for creators, now most of its profits come from iPhone and iPad - devices mostly for consuming. And Microsoft markets their Surfaces quite aggressively to creators.
Re: New Windows 10 Devices From Microsoft
#36I think the Surface Book is finally something that can give the MacBook Pro line a run for its money, this should be interesting.
Absolutely. Lovely to see some innovation from Microsoft that's made it out of labs (the hinge alone looks fantastic). I'd be concerned about duplication of components between the screen and the keyboard though? I can't quite figure out from their website, but it looks like the keyboard part has the dedicated graphics and battery, and the rest (and more battery) is in the screen?
I completely understand why Apple doesn't put touch-sensitive screens in their laptops, but it's such a shame. I'd love to be able to use a pen with a MacBook like this. The iPad Pro would be ideal except it lacks a proper Unix terminal, so that's pretty much out of the question for me (ssh doesn't count).
Re: New Windows 10 Devices From Microsoft
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
I was really excited about the Surface Book even before they showed that the keyboard is detachable, then I about lost my mind. Holy wow.
How do they prevent the Surface Book from toppling over, given that all internals must be in the screen part? It seems this would either double the system weight (due to counterweights) or require an extra stand in the back.
If it's anything like other convertibles I've used that stand upright, the hinge is usually stiff enough to keep everything standing.
Re: New Windows 10 Devices From Microsoft
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
My thoughts exactly. To me, OS/X's quality has been slipping, but I haven't found any non-Apple hardware that's comparable. If they get the trackpad and keyboard right on it, this will open a lot of interesting doors.
I can't believe how few laptops get the trackpad right. It's the first and primary interaction anyone has with the laptop, how are all of them so terrible! I'd love to get a non-macbook, but the list of laptops with powerful hardware that plays nice with a Unix based OS and has a trackpad that isn't unbearable is shockingly short.
Anyone except trackpoint users!
But yeah, it's mindboggling. The internal hardware is largely the same anyway, why are companies throwing away a chance to get ahead of the competition and use the same shoddy keyboards/touchpads everyone hates?
Re: New Windows 10 Devices From Microsoft
#39I think the Surface Book is finally something that can give the MacBook Pro line a run for its money, this should be interesting.
If they are able to optimize the Oculus for this hardware, it could be a winning combination.
Re: New Windows 10 Devices From Microsoft
#40I think the Surface Book is finally something that can give the MacBook Pro line a run for its money, this should be interesting.
Hybrids have a very different audience compared to regular laptops (ultrabooks), as they're structurally very different (that is, they are a compromise by definition), so I wouldn't compare them directly. Don't get me wrong, I have one instead of a regular laptop, but I can see how people used to the latter would feel uncomfortable with them, unless they have a strong motivation to move to the hybrid form factor.
I'm not sure you could call the Surface Book a hybrid form factor. It just looks like a laptop until you lop the screen off.