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Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

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Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#321

Post by bane »

Bud wrote: post #243
jrockway wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the other hand, nearly ever doctor or professional I've seen using a tablet was using a Thinkpad with a pen rather than an iPad with their finger. Screwing around with iTunes and doing work are two completely separate use cases, and it seems that Microsoft is more interested in "the Enterprise" than Apple is. So with that in mind, they're trying to accommodate all use cases. (I did have one doctor that insisted on…

"Screwing around with iTunes"? You've either both not worked in any large companies lately AND never really used an iPad, or you are just blinded by platform bias. The fact is that iPads are being massively adopted in Fortune 500 companies. And I can assure you that those users are not "screwing around with iTunes". In fact, iTunes doesn't even exist on the iPad, so you don't really know what you are talking about, a…

That's amazing because of the 11 Fortune 100 companies I've personally done work with in the last few years (and 2 more in that size range that aren't publicly traded), I don't recall seeing a single iPad.

I mean, I didn't work with Apple or Google, so I can guess you'd see them there. Neither bank allowed them on-site, and none of the defense contractors would even entertain the idea. You can also probably rule out obvious ones like Microsoft and HP from being big users of iPads. I can't imagine that the cashiers at Walmart, Target or the Home Depot are spending lots of time swiping around and now I'm quickly running out of companies.

I even did a part-time contract job at a company with 123,000 employees last year and not only didn't see an iPad, but they were forbidden on the corporate network and in most of the corporate offices (as was anything with a camera frankly).

oh, and FYI, jrockway actually does work at #73 on the 2012 list.

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#322

Post by simplexion »

esolyt wrote: post #194
Samuel_Michon wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pen+touch+type seems like a great idea. It is something no other manufacturer has tried to do. Apple Newton MessagePad, 1993. It had a stylus, handwriting recognition, you could use it with just your fingertips, and you could connect an external keyboard. http://www.flickr.com/photos/atow/4314242537/ That was almost twenty years a go. Newton was a very expensive experiment for Apple, and they have learned the hard wa…

Stylus is optional on Microsoft's tablet though. You can use the tablet perfectly without a stylus. You may choose to provide some inputs by using a stylus.

Yes, Stylus is optional on my Galaxy Note. I thought I wouldn't use it, turns out I am constantly pulling it out. I think having the option to use a stylus is a fantastic idea.

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#323

Post by greedo »

pcwalton wrote: post #204
bicknergseng wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

HP went through 4 CEOs, bought and dismantled Palm for no reason and at great capital loss, announced and then rescinded their departure from the PC industry. It's well known HP doesn't know anything about anything. Agreed that OEMs should go away.

Why do you want them to go away? I think generally industry consolidation is a bad thing for consumers.

It's a narrow consolidation however, that's been ongoing for quite a while. Do you really miss Packard Bell, or any of the other interchangeable Windows OEMs? Sony, for all it's eclectic design decisions is the only memorable one out of the bunch and it typically delivers overpriced junk that has more lock in than anyone wants to remember.

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#324

Post by [deleted] »

runako wrote: post #62

"Unexpected error occurred." at http://www.microsoft.com/surface/ Not a good omen. (Edit: they fixed it.) Without having seen the product, I'd say that its fortunes will be based largely on its price point. They need to have a compelling offering in the $499 range, or this is going to be a blip on the iPad/Kindle Fire market.

[deleted]

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#325

Post by onetwothreefour »

IanDrake wrote: post #155

My client has started outfitting their sales reps with ipads complete with covers that double as a stand. After a few weeks, they wanted keyboards, after keyboards they wanted a stylus. Personally, I think MS nailed it. This could be just a tablet to some people, but it can be a whole lot more to the enterprise. Now to see the pricing...

Your client hasn't designed their software properly.

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#327

Post by [deleted] »

podperson wrote: post #318
lunchbox wrote: post #235

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Successful companies have learned that a (shockingly) large proportion of consumers form impressions and make decisions on a primarily emotional , rather than rational or practical, basis. That's what this video is designed for. It inaugurates the brand, piques the viewer's interest, and plants the seeds of desire. Trust me, there will be plenty of time in the coming months for in-depth product reviews, spec comparis…

Really, you think that the video succeeds on that level? I think there's about 10s worth of content there.

[deleted]

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#328

Post by steverb »

prezjordan wrote: post #264
steverb wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If that is actually true, then you do not have a high quality workstation.

See, I always get this response, but no one has yet to prove to me that VS can open and be ready to use in less than a minute. I'd like to see video, until then I'll keep believing VS users are incapable of keeping time.

Actually, I was responding to the bit about it crashing when you move the mouse wrong.

Complaining about how long VS takes to start up is about as useful as complaining about how long it takes the computer to boot. Neither are part of my daily work flow. I don't shutdown the computer, and I don't generally close VS 2010.

Anyway, I was curious and I timed it. I clocked about 12 seconds to completely start VS2010 on a computer with a spinning disk. And just for you, I made a video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oNOmA2OozQ

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#329

Post by mrdodge »

krashidov wrote: post #277
spiralpolitik wrote: post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the big takeaway from this. Microsoft knows that Windows 8 has to succeed. Clearly it does not trust Dell, HP, Lenovo et al to build machines that shows the OS in its best light to help it succeed. So long and thanks for all the fish OEMs. Right now Meg Whitman is probably regretting deep sixing WebOS.

"Clearly it does not trust Dell, HP, Lenovo et al to build machines that shows the OS in its best light to help it succeed." Who could blame them? Third party laptop vendors have been manufacturing crap for the last decade. The only exception is the thinkpad line(I own one), which mainstream consumers see as ugly. Hardware wise, every other laptop manufacturer has done little to impress or innovate, they're all about…

> Edit: For Some reason I forgot about Xbox and Kinect. So yes, they do have extensive manufacturing experience, but boy was the Original Xbox a disaster with the RROD.

There's manufacturing consumer electronics and then there's manufacturing consumer electronics profitably.

This is where Apple shines and Microsoft shows that they need to learn a thing or two.

Not only is Apple building far more iPad/iPhone/iPod/Mac than Microsoft is building Xbox, its hardware divisions are profit machines whereas Microsoft makes comparatively little profit on its hardware.

Actually, The entertainment/devices division had a loss of $225 million last quarter.

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#330

Post by stcredzero »

Compare and contrast the the top thread here with the one on reddit. Obviously two different perspectives.

http://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/v8yrl/microsoft_...

The questions are:

    - Is the keyboard any good?
    - Is the stylus any good?
    - Is the integration any good?
    - Is the experience any good?
If Microsoft can get to yes for all 4 of those in a timely fashion, then they will at least have a business niche machine. Price will be less of a factor for machines that come out of the company budget.

Even if the app ecosystem doesn't take off immediately, Microsoft could strategically pick the right dozen apps to hold things down until then.

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