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Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

microsoft.com

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Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#101

Post by [deleted] »

bjg wrote: post #94
kjhughes wrote: post #76

After 5 minutes of scanning their site, I still cannot find the display resolution of their offering, but I have found: "Coming Soon." "Images are design renderings and not photographs." "1, 2 Actual size and weight of the device may vary due to configuration and manufacturing process" Anyone find a better spec sheet than this one? http://www.microsoft.com/global/surface/en/us/renderingasset... Why can't Microsoft pr…

On the about page: http://www.microsoft.com/global/surface/en/us/renderingasset...

[deleted]

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#102

Post by mattiask »

alaskamiller wrote: post #86
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 thi…

Thats what made it so funny. I can see the Microsoft meeting:

-Hey so everyone talking about this Retina thing how are we going to compete? -Let's make up our own word! Do we have anything lying around we can use? -Developer: Well, we have this ClearType thing but it's really more about software... -Marketing Guy: Software Hardware, what's the difference. ClearType Display it is! -Developer: I quit

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#105

Post by dredmorbius »

kjhughes wrote: post #76

After 5 minutes of scanning their site, I still cannot find the display resolution of their offering, but I have found: "Coming Soon." "Images are design renderings and not photographs." "1, 2 Actual size and weight of the device may vary due to configuration and manufacturing process" Anyone find a better spec sheet than this one? http://www.microsoft.com/global/surface/en/us/renderingasset... Why can't Microsoft pr…

Vaporware.

They're trying to pre-empt anyone for capturing the tablet/mobile space by rushing their design concept out before anyone else has a chance to produce product, and force everyone to ape Microsoft's claimed, rather than actual, featureset.

Oh, wait, that was NT, 1992. Scratch all of that.

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#106

Post by Animus7 »

kjhughes wrote: post #76

After 5 minutes of scanning their site, I still cannot find the display resolution of their offering, but I have found: "Coming Soon." "Images are design renderings and not photographs." "1, 2 Actual size and weight of the device may vary due to configuration and manufacturing process" Anyone find a better spec sheet than this one? http://www.microsoft.com/global/surface/en/us/renderingasset... Why can't Microsoft pr…

I think we can assume that either:

a) they haven't figured out the details,

b) the details are underwhelming, or

c) they just don't want us to know yet.

Retina-like resolution on something like this would be a powerful marketing play. I don't think this is a matter of omission.

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#107

Post by planetguy »

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…

I watched it and it did tell me one thing: it's a bit like an iPad but it comes with a cover that's also a keyboard.

And that's probably going to be the big selling point. "It's a bit like an iPad, but it comes with a cover that's also a keyboard".

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#109

Post by msbarnett »

aswanson wrote: post #61

Microsoft had the touch-surface interface back like a year before the iphone came out. But they rolled it out as a $10000 restuarant/menu interface instead of a computing/consumer device one. Classic good tech/bad customer targeting failure. http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2007/may07/05-29ms...

That Surface, the table thing, was based on multiple IR cameras tracking finger interactions. It was never miniaturizable to a portable device.

Not good tech, wrong market -- totally different tech, niche market.

(also it debuted 5 months after the original iPhone, for whatever that's worth)

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#110

Post by dekz »

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.'

I hope the tablet is more usable than the image gallery (http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en/us/gallery.aspx). Maybe I'm just used to slide shows, but I cannot see a case where navigating to the jpg file and then back to the page creates a better user experience.
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