Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet • Hacker News Board

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#471

Post by slurgfest » Tue, Jun 19, 2012, 6:14 AM UTC

heyitsnick wrote: post #134

sho_hn wrote: post #83

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…

It strikes me as an entirely natural development and something that will appeal to many consumers. I get the feeling Apple have always wanted iPad to be an extra - an extension to the desktop experience. But the divisions between phone, tablet, "ultralight laptop" and "main laptop" are arbitrary and increasingly opaque. Many people are starting to see tablets and real possible replacements: for light users, it handle…

There is no disappearing division between devices, there is rather a stronger division between mobile platforms (including tablet and phone) and PC platforms. And that division is only going to get stronger.

Maemo and Meego are dead. Chromebooks are not likely to blow up. If small ARM machines get popular it will be by running some weird mobile-type OS. Native apps seem to be much more commercially attractive than pure HTML5 apps. On the other hand, I don't see evidence that iOS and Android are going to become plausible PC platforms. Netbook sales have slowed way down. All the buzz is about expensive mobile devices like tablets, and expensive laptops, and these two categories are not converging. It only appears that a convergence is coming because mobile platforms are cannibalizing the casual uses for PCs and netbooks.

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#472

Post by polycom » Tue, Jun 19, 2012, 6:16 AM UTC

kenjackson wrote: post #396

zacharycohn wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had an Archos before the iPod came out. A tiny bit bigger than the iPod would be, but a 30gb hard drive, usb 2.0, and a much better way to find music than a wheel.

Archos killed the iPod. The iPod was one of the first times I distinctly recall thinking that actual fashion (like Vogue magazine) could trump pragmatics and technology in the tech sector. A lot of people try to compete against Apple in design. Wrong. Apple isn't doing design, as much as they're doing fashion.

If they were doing fashion, they would change to a new look every year. Remember the disappointment when the iPhone 4S kept the iPhone 4 design? Apple doesn't care about fashion, they care about good design.

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#473

Post by EternalFury » Tue, Jun 19, 2012, 6:17 AM UTC

The problem is that you never know how long Microsoft will stand behind any of their hardware products. They held firm with Xbox, they surrendered with everything else. Last year, they canned their tablet plans. This year, they come back with a new tablet plan. Etc.

Hysterical or desperate? I do not know.

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#474

Post by iNate2000 » Tue, Jun 19, 2012, 6:17 AM UTC

srkiranraj wrote: post #358

kulkarnic wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pen+touch+type seems like a great idea. It is something no other manufacturer has tried to do. I think the devil will be in the details, but this sure is interesting, because Apple's strategy is "people should buy multiple devices-- iPad, Macbook Air, Mac Pro...". MSFT wants one device that is a lot more versatile.

I dont see any reference to pen input in surface. Is it true that Surface has pen input too ?

The "Pro" version - with the Ivy Bridge processor - will have a pen...

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

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Post by wvenable » Tue, Jun 19, 2012, 6:20 AM UTC

runako wrote: post #430

stcredzero wrote: post #406

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They would still have a chance in the business market.

That's what RIM thought. It's not clear that there's a "business tablet" market separate from the "consumer tablet" market. Similarly, there was at one point a vibrant "business mobile phone" market as distinct from the "consumer mobile phone" market. That distinction has been erased, killing RIM in the process. The jury is out as to whether there will be a viable business tablet market. My money says no, that at a s…

The distinction still exists in theory it's just that "business mobile phone" started to seriously lag behind "consumer mobile phone". But Apple is not setup for (nor do they seem to care about) the business market.

The business market seems like it would be a huge opportunity for Microsoft to bring Apple-like technology to the business side. However, they seem far more interested in chasing Apple and Google in the consumer market.

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#476

Post by polycom » Tue, Jun 19, 2012, 6:21 AM UTC

saurik wrote: post #190

ja27 wrote: post #55

I just flashed back to Ballmer mocking the MacBook Air 4 years ago. I guess he did want one after all. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYcxvEfUikg

As someone who considers the current MacBook Air to be "the computer", enough to have made it my primary and only machine, the MacBook Air from four years ago was horrible: I laughed at my friends that got it, and I laughed all the harder when they didn't use it for months and then got a usable laptop. The 2010 Air is honestly barely the same device as the one from 2008. My point: pulling statements from four years a…

How was it horrible? Compared to other ultraportables at the time it was exceptionally good (I bought a FSC Q2010 just before the iPad came out.)

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#477

Post by noamsml » Tue, Jun 19, 2012, 6:22 AM UTC

senthilnayagam wrote: post #218

Have seen a pre-production device in Bangalore manufactured by Samsung. I expect Pricing and distribution would be announced by Samsung in a seperate event . The tablet app I saw looked good but it had touch responsiveness issue, and internet access was slow, saw the app crash and restart , but not sure if that was hardware related as it was a beta app.

Are you sure you're not thinking of the BUILD tablet, running the Developer Preview (roughly akin to an alpha)? Unless I'm mistaken, the Surface is a Microsoft Hardware product, distributed by Microsoft under the Microsoft brand.

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#478

Post by Gustomaximus » Tue, Jun 19, 2012, 6:33 AM UTC

jpxxx wrote: post #469

Shit website, shit marketing, and shit video aside, I'm seriously intrigued. Microsoft has five cards to play here: - REAL Windows (TM) and Massive Microsoft Developer Mindshare - Ports, ports, ports! - REAL Microsoft Office (TM) INCLUDED FREE on the low-end model - PEN AND KEYBOARD! - Billions of dollars in cash to burn making this happen And they have three huge challenges in front of them: - Windows 8 critical rec…

> Shit website, shit marketing, and shit video aside, I'm seriously intrigued

Given the last statement, it appears the marketing has done something right. It is a 'coming soon' product. All it is a tab running windows 8 so making someone seriously intrigued is a marketing win. At this point they don't want to give you all the facts to make your purchase decision. They want to build interest and excitement.

Personally I think they will have messed up if this is not for sale very soon as interest and excitement are quickly lost.

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#479

Post by nickgeiger » Tue, Jun 19, 2012, 6:35 AM UTC

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.

6 hours later still getting "unexpected error occurred"... wish I could've seen this

Re: Microsoft Introduces New "Surface" Tablet

#480

Post by Mythbusters » Tue, Jun 19, 2012, 6:37 AM UTC

mtgx wrote: post #457

lotharbot wrote: post #436

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My biggest takeaway from the announcement was that this was a very Microsoft-like approach to the tablet market, and I mean that in a good way. When I think of an iPad, I think of something that's a natural progression from the iPod and iPhone, running bigger and better versions of the apps you can get from the Apple walled garden. It's a fantastic piece of hardware and a tight ecosystem. Microsoft isn't just trying…

The Ivy Bridge won't offer anywhere near the battery life of an ARM tablet, though. At best it will be half of that.

What it will offer though is a full compatibility to existing windows application. People might be ready to lose a few hours of battery life for that.