The lag in Word is more likely caused by an option that makes Office use accelerated graphics. I don't know why this option even exists - I've yet to see someone liking how typing in Office applications works with it being on...
Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT
51–60 of 290 posts
Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT
#52"The diagonally-oriented camera is strange. In the one orientation it’s optimized for, it’s slightly annoying. In any other orientation, it’s almost intolerable. " "The built-in front-facing camera for Skype is angled so that it’ll work great when the kickstand is open, but again, only for Danny DeVito, or maybe for people who want to show off their chests in Skype." ------ "The Touch Cover is one of the Surface’s bi…
The problem with Windows "apps" is that they are made inefficient and un-optimized by default, because they were targeted at much more powerful processors, and as processors became even more powerful, they didn't care about increasing the performance or at least keeping it at the previous level (and not slower).
Developers never really cared about netbooks, and these devices, either with ARM processors or with Atom, are only at that level. So most Windows apps will struggle on these machines, while most apps on iOS or Android will be a lot faster on the same processors, because their low-end target was something like a 600 Mhz ARM11 CPU.
Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT
#53I want a video of people using these as lap tops. That's my biggest fear about springing for something like these. Even RT could be tolerable with the right apps as a remote machine with that keyboard, similar to what people do with Android+Transformer. I can program on it, work on remote machines. That having been said, assuming it's somewhat usable on a lap, I'll wait for the Pro too, I have several things that nee…
Why not, ya know, use a laptop? There's a reason different form factors exist.
Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT
#54In the email video he could be seen typing his password. Even though you cannot see the actual keys the reflection gives some idea about what is being pressed. Do you think you could guess his password from that?
Brent the author here. I use Google's app-specific passwords and I've already disabled my Surface RT passwords when I boxed it back up this morning. I salute you though!
Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT
#55I want a video of people using these as lap tops. That's my biggest fear about springing for something like these. Even RT could be tolerable with the right apps as a remote machine with that keyboard, similar to what people do with Android+Transformer. I can program on it, work on remote machines. That having been said, assuming it's somewhat usable on a lap, I'll wait for the Pro too, I have several things that nee…
Why not, ya know, use a laptop? There's a reason different form factors exist.
I think you mistook my question as criticism. To me this is the most interesting new possible form factor, but I revel in the ability to get my MBA out and set it on my knee and use it if I have to. I know I can use the Surface without the keyboard which is an interesting proposition but I want to know just how useful the keyboard is in all types of situations.
Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT
#56You'll probably return that one, too, after you see the poor battery life on it. Also, you may get some tablet usability with Metro on it (not many apps to choose from, though), but after using Windows 8 on a PC, I can say Windows 8 is worse in usability than Windows 7, so you will be definitely taking a step back when you'll be using the desktop mode. After using Windows 8 I just see no good reason for anyone to use…
" Windows 8 on a PC, I can say Windows 8 is worse in usability than Windows 7" This is false. I have used both extensively and Windows 8 is better by a good margin.Actually my old POS HP laptop runs better with Windows 8 because of the driver, kernel and display improvements. No blogger can take away the fact that Windows 8 is very good however its funny to see them try.
I installed Windows 8 on one of the first netbooks to appear (eee pc 1000h). The performance difference is not perceivable. If even at that level it's not, it will be even less on higher-end hardware. Even benchmarks show a 5% improvement at most in performance.
What Windows 8 does do, though, is trick you into thinking it's running faster, or "smoother". It uses animations to make those 0.5-1-second delays a lot more bearable. But the underlying performance is virtually the same.
Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT
#57You'll probably return that one, too, after you see the poor battery life on it. Also, you may get some tablet usability with Metro on it (not many apps to choose from, though), but after using Windows 8 on a PC, I can say Windows 8 is worse in usability than Windows 7, so you will be definitely taking a step back when you'll be using the desktop mode. After using Windows 8 I just see no good reason for anyone to use…
That's what everyone said about windows 7 and XP and NT ... People always are afraid of change until they get used to it. Metro is really just a replacement start button, if you give it some time so it's familiar you'll be fine. Everyone hated the start button back when too.
I don't have an opinion either way, but this stands out to me:
> That's what everyone said about windows 7
Did people say that about Windows 7? I remember Vista was awful and nobody liked it and people were (naturally) apprehensive about Windows 7 prior to release but from what I recall -- granted my memory could be poor -- Windows 7 was well received at release and I don't know of anyone off hand that had problems with it but I can name quite a few that complained about Vista. Although I guess it could be argued that Windows 7 wasn't anything new, it was just Vista but how Vista should have been...
Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT
#58I've had mine since 10AM yesterday; and I'm actually fairly pleased, at least for effectively being a new platform. Thoughts, in no particular order: - Love the build. Very solid overall. - 16:9 means it's one long tablet. Oddly, it's actually fairly usable in portrait; can't say the same for my old 16:10 Transformer (maybe just better balanced?) - The touch cover is, like most say, surprisingly usable. Desperately n…
Are the speakers really that bad as the reviews say?
I've read that the covers can be on the back of the tablet, while holding it like a magazine. Are the input keys disabled if you do that?
Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT
#59"The diagonally-oriented camera is strange. In the one orientation it’s optimized for, it’s slightly annoying. In any other orientation, it’s almost intolerable. " "The built-in front-facing camera for Skype is angled so that it’ll work great when the kickstand is open, but again, only for Danny DeVito, or maybe for people who want to show off their chests in Skype." ------ "The Touch Cover is one of the Surface’s bi…
The problem with Windows "apps" is that they are made inefficient and un-optimized by default , because they were targeted at much more powerful processors, and as processors became even more powerful, they didn't care about increasing the performance or at least keeping it at the previous level (and not slower). Developers never really cared about netbooks, and these devices, either with ARM processors or with Atom,…
>> The problem with Windows "apps" is that they are made inefficient and un-optimized by default
Very knowledgeable opinion sir. This is indeed true. Us as windows developers are required to add a sleep statement every few lines of code so as it not make it appear responsive.
Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT
#60"The diagonally-oriented camera is strange. In the one orientation it’s optimized for, it’s slightly annoying. In any other orientation, it’s almost intolerable. " "The built-in front-facing camera for Skype is angled so that it’ll work great when the kickstand is open, but again, only for Danny DeVito, or maybe for people who want to show off their chests in Skype." ------ "The Touch Cover is one of the Surface’s bi…
Recently, HN is quick to yell "fanboy" at anything critical of a direct competitor to an Apple product. But from the multiple Surface reviews posted here over the past few days, it seems like the consensus (even among those that aren't labeled "fanboys") is that the surface has considerable drawbacks while costing more than an iPad.
>> while costing more than an iPad
and where did you get that from?