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Introducing Surface Laptop

blogs.windows.com

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Re: Introducing Surface Laptop

#401

Post by devopsproject »

pawadu wrote: post #30
dangrossman wrote: post #27

They're now demoing the Surface Laptop. Thinner than a MacBook Air. Faster than a MacBook Pro. Longer battery life than either. The downside? "Windows 10 S", which only runs apps from the Windows Store. The upside over Windows RT from the Windows 8 era? You can port Win32 apps to the Store today, don't think you could back then. Edit: You can upgrade Windows 10 S to ordinary Windows 10 Pro for $50. Laptops that run W…

Given the target market (schools) I think not being able to install downloaded software is only a good thing. Also, did you see the performance demo? 10s was significantly faster than 10 Pro. Not sure about the $999 for the cheapest model however. Does it include an Office 365 subscription?

> Given the target market (schools)

The target market is students, not schools. They want kids to get a windows computer instead of a mac before they head off to college

Re: Introducing Surface Laptop

#403

Post by jasikpark »

BatFastard wrote: post #247
opportune wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you're missing the point. Children don't need to worry about breaking AdSense rules and getting their accounts blocked, especially if they have accounts dedicated for school. Children also will have internet at school.

Exactly, these are single purpose laptops for education. And I do believe that google docs has an offline mode now. So they can work offline for a limited period (at least). And how does this 1000 USD compete with 250 USD boxes?

It doesn't. The $139 windows laptop Microsoft is coming out with later this year will.

Re: Introducing Surface Laptop

#404

Post by devopsproject »

TheRealDunkirk wrote: post #144
oceanswave wrote: post #96

A fabric covered keyboard... wondering how that's going to look in a year of use. 1 USB 3.0 port and a proprietary Surface Connect port... So more surface-only dongles if you want to connect to a VGA/DVI/HDMI display. Is the Surface Connect port completely proprietary or is a rebranded Thunderbolt? Starts at $999 for a 13.5" i5/4GB/128GB SSD, and then you have to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro for $49 if you want to use S…

The pricing is one thing I don't understand. If you're asking a customer to pay the same price as a MacBook air, which comes with productivity apps and a basic cloud service for free, why don't you let them use O365 for free, in perpetuity, at least on that machine? The other thing I don't understand is the overarching message. The line we've been fed from Microsoft's marketing team is that the "convertibility" of th…

> they're back to a plain, old laptop configuration?

why not both?

surface book if you want tablet\convertable

surface laptop if you want a traditional laptop

Re: Introducing Surface Laptop

#405

Post by TazeTSchnitzel »

kbenson wrote: post #240
majewsky wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Linux was brought up because grand-grandparent says it can only run stuff from the Windows Store, so I'm pretty sure that WSL is out of the question.

Sibling comments note that it says you can upgrade to to Windows 10 Pro for $50, or for free until 2018. The free upgrade seems to be possibly linked to this deal (it's referenced in the store page), but the details take you to the Windows S page which notes that upgrading from Windows 10 S to Windows 10 Pro is a normal feature of Windows 10 S (although it notes "affordably", so there is usually a cost).

Microsoft has let you easily change Windows edition for some years now. It was called Windows Anytime Upgrade in 7, it dates back to Vista.

Unusual that the Windows RT-alike supports it, though, but perhaps that's because Windows 8 and Windows RT were mutually exclusive in their hardware support (x86 vs ARM), and this isn't.

Re: Introducing Surface Laptop

#406

Post by wklauss »

taternuts wrote: post #263
BinaryIdiot wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> a common problem with surface pro keyboards Hmm, I thought the fabric was a nice touch. I've had my surface pro for a few years now and have never even come close to staining the keyboard. I wonder how common this issue really is.

It probably depends on the person and how much they sweat; I'd imagine I sweat more than the average person and I'd be nervous about staining this.

And, more important, how much they type. I'd say that for a machine aimed at teenagers this might not be a good idea. Time will tell.

Re: Introducing Surface Laptop

#407

Post by temp246810 »

chokolad wrote: post #292
simonebrunozzi wrote: post #165

Only one question for Microsoft: touchpad. I have a Macbook and touchpads are just vastly superior to anything else in the market. If they nailed this, they have a new customer.

If it's similar to Surface Book's one (and I suspect it is) - then it comes very close to Macbooks. I was spoiled by MacBook Pro's touchpad and felt that even "premium" Windows laptops have shitty ones but Surface Book touchpad is very good. It has slightly smaller amount of gestures, but the basics are there.

This is not true - have to disagree.

The touchpad on a mac is not mechanical - you get a uniform "click" no matter where you press.

For PC laptops, the touchpads are still mechanical and work almost as if on a hinge. The hinge is at the top of the pad so clicking near there sometimes is impossible.

Re: Introducing Surface Laptop

#408

Post by jodrellblank »

zht wrote: post #379
cptskippy wrote: post #373

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Chromebooks are instant on, and your profile/data is 100% cloud based. You can grab any Chromebook from the rack in the back of the classroom, open it up, log in and immediately get to work on your report or whatever. First of of all that's not entirely true. Nothing is instant. It wakes up fast, but not instantly. Login is fast, but not instant. First time login is fastish but not fast or instant. Windows has had…

isn't this just being pedantic? for most people "fast enough" equates to instant. if you asked most people if anything was "instant", they'd say yes and point to a number of things that feel "instant" to them. It doesn't feel useful to nit on use of the word instant by using a definition that differs from most people.

if the claim is that Chromebooks are instant and Windows is slow, and the counterclaim is that Windows 10 S is down to 20s which is "Chromebook speeds" because they're not actually instant, then it seems very useful to point out.

(I haven't used either)

Re: Introducing Surface Laptop

#409

Post by nxpnsv »

my123 wrote: post #261
uranian wrote: post #257

The bad news is they're targeting students. Who wants to see his children being locked into MS Windows software by school? Besides, we just found out Windows 10 has almost complete control over your system and calls home, now sending your kids private data as a bonus! I would never accept my kids using a device like this on school. Schools are just ignorant and stupid if they make a deal for these laptops with MS. Sc…

You talk as if Chromebooks with Google Apps for Education don't send everything, including browser history, to the mothership.

I do not think that was advocating chromebooks as an alternative.

Re: Introducing Surface Laptop

#410

Post by vel0city »

oceanswave wrote: post #127
snarfy wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It looks like $49.99 unties it.

Is this the first instance of an in-OS purchase we've seen, or have there been others?

Windows has had the option to upgrade editions from within the OS for many years, without requiring an OS reinstall. The first version I recall having it was Windows Vista, but it may have existed with Windows XP as well. Within a few minutes and a reboot you could go from having the Basic version of Windows Vista to Ultimate.
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