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Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

ozar.me

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Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#151

Post by stcredzero »

From the comments:

> I admit, I fully expected a tablet version of my laptop. I wanted it to do everything my laptop could do, but with the added bonus of the touch screen, so I can play my games that make my phone freeze up while I’m sitting at my kids dance or karate classes.

If you're technically savvy enough to understand and follow focus of GUI elements, and don't mind a stylus, then there are a number of existing tablets that will fit this bill. In fact, they've been around since ~2000.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#152

Post by kyberias »

grecy wrote: post #35
moistgorilla wrote: post #9

This is the risk you take by being an early adopter.

... of hardware and software that is not ready for prime time. How disappointed were buyers of the iPhone or iPad 1 ? Not, I think.

I for one was very disappointed in iPad 1. Your point?

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#153

Post by eburley »

alpb wrote: post #100

Are all the HN upvoters are retarded? This is not Surface RT. RT does not have a classic Windows Desktop environment. It only has metro. This is a Surface Pro, which has not been released yet. Slowness is totally understandable because that guy installed an OS X on an iPad, which is the same thing as using Win8 full desktop environment on Surface RT hardware.

I have it in front of me and confirm that the RT does have a desktop environment with office, and if you hit window+r some other programs, like cmd, and powershell.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#154

Post by BrentOzar »

powertower wrote: post #128
BrentOzar wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Do you think it's possible to mod the plastic peace that is the back-stand by shortning it? Is it removable or replacable itself? Could be a good kickstarter idea... "Surface RT stand for tall people."

It's made out of a very solid-feeling metal (VaporMG), and it feels like it'd be quite difficult to shorten. I do really like the idea of replacing it with a shorter piece though.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#155

Post by BrentOzar »

mistermann wrote: post #137
BrentOzar wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hi. Brent here, the post author. Thanks for making the point. I had hoped that by recording videos of the problems, I wouldn't get attacked as just making off the cuff observations. Readers can see the problems for themselves. Still getting attacked by the fanbois, though, and that's a little disappointing.

Brent, could you comment on the performance of the browser, specifically, how it behaves when, from a fairly hefty page, clicking through to another fairly hefty page, and then clicking back to your original page . I read a lot of forums on my iPad 3, and oone thing that drives me up the wall is when clicking back, the 5 second pause for the original page to reload from the server (rather than cached memory) and jump…

Unfortunately, I already returned it. Your best bet is to get one of the folks who really love their Surfaces to record videos similar to mine. I've heard a lot of anecdotal stories about "It works fine on mine" but I haven't seen anyone post similar videos demoing that it works. I'd want to see it working myself if I was you - I wouldn't take anyone's word at this point.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#157

Post by grecy »

kyberias wrote: post #152
grecy wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

... of hardware and software that is not ready for prime time. How disappointed were buyers of the iPhone or iPad 1 ? Not, I think.

I for one was very disappointed in iPad 1. Your point?

What specifically about the iPad was disappointed you?

Was it a) because it was not quite ready for prime time, and subsequent updates fixed it, or was it b) because it simply didn't (and still doesn't) have features you wanted?

When the answer is a), that shows a product was rushed and not ready i.e. the Surface RT from the sounds of this review.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#158

Post by BrentOzar »

mladenkovacevic wrote: post #64

Bugginess and software weirdness aside, the thing that struck me as most awkward is the keyboard/touch interface paradigm. It required him floating his entire arm to reach out and touch specific dialogues. This seems like a huge sacrifice of touch precision and a strain on your arm. I predict that most people get a Bluetooth mouse for it and use it in either laptop mode or tablet mode - not a combination of both.

I've heard that complaint (gorilla arm) as a big detractor for touch-based user interfaces, but it didn't bother me much when I was using it. The biggest change was that I had to adapt - I'm so used to using the touchpad, but the touchpad on the Surface RT keyboards is just too small. It's easier to point and touch the screen, and it wasn't too uncomfortable. I'm already used to using tablets, though, so I might not be the best person to answer that.

My bigger concern was the very tiny touch points on the dialogs, especially in Office. I repeatedly touched the wrong spots, wrong options, opened the wrong folders in Explorer, etc.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#159

Post by RyJones »

BrentOzar wrote: post #76
masklinn wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I want a video of people using these as laptops. Isn't it exactly what he's doing in the videos? edit: the second videos (saving a document in word) also makes many tap target seem laughably small compared to... the guy's fingers to start with. Am I dreaming?

Brent the author here. Yes, the Office tap targets are indeed laughably small. I recorded a few versions of these videos trying to get the taps right. I didn't want to upload those because it would look like I'm purposely trying to tap in the wrong places, and then I'd get flamed for that - when in reality, the targets are just too small.

I've been using Windows RT and the Office preview for months, and I still have to try to hit the click targets very carefully. I usually end up using my pinky, which is still not 100%
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