Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet • Hacker News Board

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#81

Post by photon137 » Tue, Jun 19, 2012, 12:07 AM UTC

mattiask wrote: post #33

I'm actually a Windows user (although I own an iPad), but you have to be a bit humored by all this. As usual where Apple has used a feather Microsoft have used the whole chicken with keyboards, screws, different versions, the whole enchilada. I'm only surprised there's no stickers. "ClearType display"? really, you felt you had to brand it just to compete with "Retina display". Despite all this the tablet might actual…

All-in-all, it's a big, big play on Windows 8/RT. A kernel that can perform optimally on ARM/Intel on mobile devices and also support PC devices is a huge achievement - the entire thread-library would have to be one super-cool piece of software engineering. That and elsewhere within the OS, is where the innovation lies, in my opinion.

And now you can see why JavaScript was made a first-class language for the WinRT (not Windows RT) API - content-consumption via touch is now going to be a big feature for Win 8 and nothing serves this better than HTML5/JavaScript.

I'm kinda sad though, in a way, I always considered MS an engineering company - now it's gone the Apple way (which for all its merits is technologically ok-ish if not boring).

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#82

Post by SpikeDad » Tue, Jun 19, 2012, 12:07 AM UTC

Using the Surface name is a total sleazy Microsoft move. The table has nothing whatsoever to do with the "Surface" technology they developed unless the screen can magically detect the specially coded or shaped components that a Surface table can detect.

And if Apple released a new product with the joke of a website and spec sheet that MS just did they'd be scorn of anyone that knows how to type.

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#83

Post by sho_hn » Tue, Jun 19, 2012, 12:07 AM UTC

So they're not just going after the iPad, they're also going after the MacBook Air: The Intel version + Touch Cover was repeatedly shown with the regular desktop and apps on it, and generally spun as a sort of light laptop.

Ambitious, and finally makes sense of their Metro/desktop combo OS strategy to a degree. The hardware to go along with it was a missing puzzle piece, and I guess shows just how important it can be.

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#84

Post by edwinnathaniel » Tue, Jun 19, 2012, 12:07 AM UTC

richardlblair wrote: post #42

cmcewen wrote: post #28

I don't see a sticker telling me what kind of processor is in inside, nor do I see a sticker telling me which version of Windows this is. I'm a bit confused.

Windows 8, Ivy Bridge i5. They are just doing the conference now so that may be why the details aren't up yet.

Someone doesn't get the joke... :D

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#85

Post by mgkimsal » Tue, Jun 19, 2012, 12:07 AM UTC

dm8 wrote: post #71

ashbrahma wrote: post #67

Microsoft has a big event, announces new hardware and doesn’t announce price or availability?

I was surprised. Did they forget to mention about price and availability? Poor PR from MSFT.

From what I can recall, that's how many tech product launches go. Sometimes you get "3rd quarter" estimates, but I don't recall too many vendors outside of Apple giving exact shipping dates.

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#86

Post by alaskamiller » Tue, Jun 19, 2012, 12:07 AM UTC

mattiask wrote: post #33

I'm actually a Windows user (although I own an iPad), but you have to be a bit humored by all this. As usual where Apple has used a feather Microsoft have used the whole chicken with keyboards, screws, different versions, the whole enchilada. I'm only surprised there's no stickers. "ClearType display"? really, you felt you had to brand it just to compete with "Retina display". Despite all this the tablet might actual…

If it makes you feel better, ClearType was a brand Microsoft has used since the late 90's/early 00's. I know it as some weird pixel display thing designed to make text look sharper in WinXP. But, it was a hidden option that required third-party software to reveal to me.

In Microsoft's world, they assume themselves to be the sun and thereby everything revolves around them and their cheesy need to synergize jargony things. Too bad momentum isn't in Microsoft's favor these days.

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#87

Post by prezjordan » Tue, Jun 19, 2012, 12:07 AM UTC

evo_9 wrote: post #66

This is seriously one of the most heavy handed, almost laughable attempts at being hip and cool I've ever seen. I thought it was a parody for a second. Honestly could they scream any louder 'We are absolutely terrified of Apple. Please love us again.'

The fields on their specs page are killer.

‎"OS, Light, Thin, Clear, Energized, Connected, Productive, Practical, Configurable" Fire your marketing department. All of it.

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#88

Post by mattiask » Tue, Jun 19, 2012, 12:08 AM UTC

ashbrahma wrote: post #67

Microsoft has a big event, announces new hardware and doesn’t announce price or availability?

I'd be very surprised if Microsoft sold these under their own brand. Perhaps they're more like the Intel proof of concepts and "the real thing" will be announced by Nokia?

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#89

Post by UnFleshedOne » Tue, Jun 19, 2012, 12:08 AM UTC

WrkInProgress wrote: post #58

MrFoof wrote: post #7

They have a video on the main page. The video is a minute long. They have asked for my attention for a minute. In that minute, they have not told me anything about what the Surface can do for me, and why I should care about it. I'm absolutely baffled by that. Yes, I might know what it is, and have some idea about what it can do, but if this was a television commercial, I'd bet money that such a campaign would be a qu…

Maybe this is just a teaser video. It certainly seems that way. They are revealing the product right now ..... Look at the video they have for the consumer preview of Windows 8 ... it's more in the vein of what you are talking about. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM5pFkNQ7no&feature=plcp

Definitely a teaser. I keep replaying it just for the music and I actually want one now, even though I don't have a use for a tablet. If anything can move me to buy a gadget I don't need it is a video like that. (especially if they guarantee kickstart on the back making that metallic sound :D)

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#90

Post by aganek » Tue, Jun 19, 2012, 12:09 AM UTC

I think the case is what is most interesting. Keyboard + trackpad.

Good bet by Microsoft. They are trying to shift the tablet market away from "a bigger smartphone" and back into their bread & butter desktop environment. They hope to leverage their ecosystem of apps on Windows and couldn't really do that with just a touch interface.

I'm excited to see what it feels like when it is released. I'll be honest, I'm not convinced that I'll be able to deal with the context switching between traditional and metro UI's (+ touch and trackpad input methods), but I'll certainly give it shot. Best of both worlds if Microsoft pulls it off.