This is off topic but, compare this review to the one written by Marco Arment and you will know the difference between constructive criticism and fanboy-ism.
the majority of Marco's post was about the experience of the Microsoft Store
Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT
81–90 of 290 posts
Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT
#82Ahh, so they made Word behave like it does on OS X. Standardization.
A funny response (truly), but Office on OS X (which I use extensively) never lags like that for me, even on older Mac hardware (Core Duo from 2006 or so).
True. But, anecdotally, I never leave Office programs running, because they seem to chew thru my battery. I like Entourage better than Mail.app, but use Mail.app because it sips battery.
Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT
#83Earlier quoted context omitted.
Brent the author here. I'd be really curious to hear which portions of my experience are edge cases - typing in Word, using the camera, and checking my email don't seem out of the mainstream to me on a tablet whose main market purports to be workers.
The reality of the current market is that slates are media consumption devices, not laptop replacements - in so far as one uses their laptop for productivity. A person who types frequently enough, fast enough, and in sufficient quantity to experience a bottle neck with Windows RT's version of Word as a critical purchase feature, is an edge case...or rather not part of the targeted market segment at this time. This is…
I completely disagree.
MS bundled and highly touted the existence of the keyboard on the Surface as proof that its a "no compromise" tablet. Typing (a very very basic activity) in Word (perhaps the most established piece of software ever) should JUST WORK, no matter what.
Even if you're right about that Surface/Win RT's target is the iPad, have you ever seen an iPad lag on typing from an external keyboard? I haven't.
Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT
#84Earlier quoted context omitted.
He encountered problems typing at a reasonable speed, saving a Word document, videoconferencing, and opening the mail client. They sound like issues that can be corrected with a software update, but I don't think they're specific to his workflow.
Compare these activities to the way in which the Surface's competition handles them...e.g typing, creating documents, video conferencing, and configuring email on an iPad. The author's expectations were that the Surface would be as productive as a Windows laptop. Nobody expects an iPad to be as productive as a MacBook.
> Compare these activities to the way in which the Surface's competition handles them...e.g typing, creating documents, video conferencing, and configuring email on an iPad.
I just tried making a Word document on an iPad. Astonishingly, it did _not_ lag in that hilarious manner. I haven't done it in a while, but I seem to remember that configuring email was also easy an intuitive. Certainly, tablets will tend to be less capable than desktops, but not to this extent.
Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT
#85I don't think his post and reason are highly analytic. Rather its result of working so hard to find out even smallest issue with Microsoft's new product No product are perfect in that regard. Remember first iPhone ? first Android ? first iPad ?
Camera viewpoint doesn't cover your face when you put tablet on kickstand mode? put it little away. what's wrong. Other leading tablets in market doesn't even have one. Its been stated design wonder along with cover with keyboard. Should appreciate instead.
All issues noted in this article are exaggeration except the live sign-in bug while saving office doc.
Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT
#86I am extremely happy with the surface RT and more specifically IE10. Finally a desktop class browser on a tablet.
Is safari on the iPad not desktop class?
I'm a little confused by this, yes. If anything, mobile Safari and Chrome for Android are more desktop-like than IE10 on WinRT; they have tab bars, and so forth.
Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT
#87I'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…
Nice review. I've spent the last 6 weeks working on a Windows 8 app. I've been using a dell box and samsung tablet with visual studio and a wired mouse/wireless keyboard so I can speak first hand about what it's like to use the 'desktop' part of Windows 8 for serious work. Disclaimer: I've been a web developer for 4 years and have used a Mac during that whole time. Before that the only experience I had with windows w…
I actually prefer the Metro IE; simply because I'm using this more from the tablet angle than a desktop. My primary machine is a 13" MBA; I've got Win8 running in a VM there and I essentially see it as Win7 with a faster Start Search. I'm in the process of developing a small hobby app right now; but in C#/XAML (out of familiarity more than anything else). I've done WP7 development once and it was frankly amazing to work with, definitely compared to the Android stack. So far, my experience with WinRT is pretty close.
PS: app is pretty sharp!
Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT
#88Surface with Windows RT is supposed to be a stripped down version of Windows, that runs 99% in Metro-mode, not Desktop-mode. Right now there are two exceptions to this: Office (preview version - buggy) and a Desktop-mode version of IE. Everything else is 100% Metro. And I don't think you can even install anything yourself on it except via it's App Store. Hence it's Desktop-mode is not really there for the benefit of…
Brent the author here. I'm 6'3".
I can move the Surface RT away from me to the point where I'm fully in the camera, but then I can't reach the keyboard. That doesn't quite work.
Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT
#89I don't think his post and reason are highly analytic. Rather its result of working so hard to find out even smallest issue with Microsoft's new product No product are perfect in that regard. Remember first iPhone ? first Android ? first iPad ? Camera viewpoint doesn't cover your face when you put tablet on kickstand mode? put it little away. what's wrong. Other leading tablets in market doesn't even have one. Its be…
Brent the author here. "Even the smallest issue" - errr, if the big selling point of the tablet is the keyboard, and Word can't keep up with me typing, that's not a small issue for me. I can understand how it would be a small issue for most folks, because most folks don't use tablets for Office. I wanted this tablet because it was specifically marketed as the work-friendly tablet.
If I move the tablet far enough away that I'm in the picture, then I can't touch the keyboard. That's a problem.
Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT
#90This is off topic but, compare this review to the one written by Marco Arment and you will know the difference between constructive criticism and fanboy-ism.
Marco Arment was more showcasing the differences between the Apple store and the Microsoft store. At the Apple store I can be left alone by simply walking up to a display and playing with a device. Maybe a sales person will come up to me and ask me if they can help me, let them know that I am just checking things out and they leave.
At the Microsoft store you can't get a single moment of privacy with a device to play with it. The sales person will continue to talk, they will take over from whatever you are trying to do/play with, they want to discuss specs, they want to showcase very specific pieces of technology, they never leave you alone, even if you end up straight up asking.
Granted, Marco's post was slanted in that he is an developer for the Apple eco-system, but that doesn't mean that his post didn't contain the truth. I myself have experienced exactly that at the Microsoft stores. They try to hard to copy the Apple stores, but fall hard.