Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

New Surface Pro

microsoft.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

151–160 of 606 posts

Re: New Surface Pro

#151

Post by dijit »

zghst wrote: post #120
Longhanks wrote: post #4

> The most versatile laptop. ...that doesn't ship with a keyboard (pen isn't included either). No USB-C. 16GB RAM maximum.

Will RAM capacity remain a true valid complaint until the end of time? How much power on one device do we really need in the age of cloud computing and multi-device ownership?

Developers use more memory because it's available.

Most developers seem to assume their program is the only program running on the system.

This is why my girlfriend can't have multiple browsers open. For a "demanding" workoad (IE; IntelliJ IDE, browser, mail client) windows can easily consume 15/16G already.

Personally I use a stripped down linux machine but I'm regularly over 8G, where's the future-proof option?

Re: New Surface Pro

#152

Post by zghst »

chrismorgan wrote: post #31
franciscop wrote: post #8

They are still using the SurfaceDock with the SurfaceConnect Cable: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/accessories/surface-... , which does basically the same as USB-C. In an era when even Apple is rumored (and even if false, still plausible) to be switching to USB-C for the iPhone, Microsoft still tries to force a proprietary connector. Didn't they learn anything from IE? Even if it's good for them for a while,…

From what I’ve seen, USB-C is a disaster . The ports and cables all have to support specific profiles, which are just getting more and more complicated, for specific features to work, and there is no visual indication at all of this. If you got a cheap cable (which people will do), you may suddenly find that maybe charging doesn’t work. Or maybe it melts. Or maybe it doesn’t transfer data. Or maybe using it for a vid…

It's a disaster until it isn't. Until Microsoft implements it while it's competitors will have had it for ages.

Re: New Surface Pro

#153

Post by TekMol »

hxegon wrote: post #124
TekMol wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use my laptop to do anything else then browsing the web. If a tablet would run Linux smoothly, I could see myself using it with an external keyboard. So I could put the tablet onto something so it's on eyelevel and put the keyboard on the desk. I guess that would work with a bluetooth keyboard? However, as far as I know the surface line does not support Linux well.

Windows has a linux subsystem now, so it depends on how you define "support"

What can one do with that "subsystem"?

I want to use all the software that is in the Debian repos. I don't want Microsoft to spy on me. And I don't want to be exposed to their security issues.

Re: New Surface Pro

#154

Post by dijit »

zghst wrote: post #135
dawnerd wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would considering it's a "pro" device. 16 should be minimum.

"pro", not "specialist" or "expert" device. It's still a consumer class device, just sits on the higher end of the chain.

Where is the "expert" class device for developers and SREs?

Re: New Surface Pro

#155

Post by j45 »

giancarlostoro wrote: post #75
drej wrote: post #58

I've been waiting for this for a while (despite being a Mac user for years and years). And it doesn't quite compute (ba dum tss). Two reasons really. 1. No USB-C. 2. If I want 16 gigs of RAM, I need to opt for an i7 and half a terabyte of SSD. I wish I could just go for an i5 with 256 gigs of storage and 16 gigs of RAM. That would be sweet (and not as expensive). Too bad, let's see what others come up with.

On the same boat, waiting for the sweet spot laptop, of a good enough processor, but still 16GB ram and enough hdd space. Whoever provides the better laptop will get me as their customer, whether Apple or Microsoft. Anyone else has to fight for it hard enough, I am considering Dell for Ubuntu though.

I've been told to check out Asus

Re: New Surface Pro

#156

Post by IanDrake »

ClassyJacket wrote: post #33
AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #11

Following the Apple school of numbering things up to a point the throwing a random self-titled reboot, I see. It won't work, Microsoft. It didn't work for Apple. Just ask anyone who owns an iPad, and count the amount of time it takes to figure out exactly which model iPad they own.

I have the The New iPad, which is the old iPad now.

I think the numbering system goes away when the innovation ends. Meaning, the only thing changing in the future is slight hardware upgrades, like the MB Air or Mini which are identified by date.

Re: New Surface Pro

#157

Post by rsynnott »

mmahemoff wrote: post #72
nilved wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you saying that 16 GB isn't enough?

Yes I'm saying it's not enough. It's the same RAM that was available 4 years ago on Macbook Pro (and still not available any higher on MBP either). It's common to run several types of server in production, these all need to be run on localhost for development purposes. Also virtual environments so server architecture can easily be scripted. 16GB works for me, but is far from ideal. I was hoping MS would one-up Apple…

To go over 16GB right now on Intel mobile chips you need to sacrifice battery life (going from LPDDR3 to plain ol' DDR3 or 4). This will be resolved with Cannon Lake/Coffee Lake, but until then don't expect to see many ultra-thin form factor computers with >16GB.

Re: New Surface Pro

#159

Post by intoverflow2 »

primis wrote: post #55

Honestly, $100 for the pen? That should honestly be included since the keyboard isn't.

Apple Pencil is $99 and NOT included in their tablet offering, also artificially gated to their higher end tablets not available to the whole lineup like Surface Pen is.

Seriously how is Microsoft even supposed to compete when they're held to completely different standards to their rival. I do feel for them.

Not to mention Surface Pen works with REAL Photoshop and REAL Illustrator.

Re: New Surface Pro

#160

Post by ashark »

melling wrote: post #141
intoverflow2 wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> No USB-C What would you even plug into it? It's not like USB-C accessories are readily stocked everywhere, I'm still carrying around dongles all day for my TouchBar MBP. If the laptop shipped with USB-C people would be whinging they need dongles, literally can't win.

What connector do you think you'll need in two years, five years, 10 years? The transition to USB-C has begun. For most of the life of the device, you'll probably want USB-C. I'm sure Microsoft will get to it in the next release.

> two years

USB-A.

> five years

Both—not having either will mean tons of dongles.

> 10 years?

USB-C.

[EDIT] actually the 10-year will probably be "some other stupid new connector, with USB-C dongles"

Post reply on HN