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Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

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Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#161

Post by BrentOzar »

kyberias wrote: post #146

It's as if the author really hurried to return the device so that he can write the blog article. Insane.

Brent the author here. I'm heading out on a two week road trip to speak at a few conferences. I hurried to get the device usable before I fly out to Vegas on Sunday for DevConnections, and I started putting it through its paces right away. I wanted to feel confident that I'd be able to rely on it as a backup presentation device and leave my iPad at home. After the 2-week road trip, I'm home for a few days, then out of the country for vacation. I wouldn't be able to return the Surface easily over the next month, so that's why I made the decision to bail.

Plus, I gotta be honest - I don't think there's going to be a resale value for these, so I didn't want to take a $200-$300 bath by selling it on eBay in a couple of months.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#162

Post by shoota »

X-Istence wrote: post #90
option_greek wrote: post #47

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.

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…

I was just at a Microsoft store this morning and I did not find the above experience to be true at all. In fact when I stopped by the Apple store the staff was much more intrusive.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#163

Post by CountSessine »

powertower wrote: post #104
nextstep wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

> But from the multiple Surface reviews posted here over the past few days You mean all those negative reviews that get upvoted to the front-page. Thats what happens here, the positive reviews usually get ignored, get flagged, or die quickly. Unless it's an Apple product. "Surface RT" is not "Surface for Windows 8 Pro". Windows RT is a stripped down version of Windows designed for lower power CPUs. It's also designed…

"Surface RT" is not "Surface for Windows 8 Pro". Windows RT is a stripped down version of Windows designed for lower power CPUs. It's also designed to be 100% Metro based. You can't install non-metro apps on it, you can't even buy Windows RT, it has to be pre-installed on each device. "Surface RT" is a touch-based device for holding in your hands while surfing the net and using the typical social apps.

That you even had to clarify that, on a tech site like Hacker News, speaks to what a marketing and product-segmentation disaster Surface is. So tell me - which one do I buy to get Office? That I can run office means I can run Windows 8 applications, right? It has an x86 chip in it, right? Or is it ARM? There IS one that is x86-based, right?

I predict brisk sales, and even brisker returns.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#164

Post by CountSessine »

tensor wrote: post #126
nextstep wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I think part of the issue with tablets is that there are people who really want something like the windows 8 tablet to work. Speaking for myself, hearing people chime in "but iPad!" in discussions of new tablets I might be interested in is maddening. It's maddening because I don't want an iPad. An iPad doesn't fit my requirements, one of which is side loading. It can't share data between apps easily either. Android h…

The Windows world has had this for years with windows tablet PCs. Buy one of those.

Too big? Too bad - that's a laptop. Not enough battery life? Too bad - that's a laptop.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#165

Post by macspoofing »

Anechoic wrote: post #23

"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…

I played around with the Surface for a few hours and I had almost the exact same experience as the author. I like the iPad but I also really wanted to like the Surface. I just can't.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#166

Post by CountSessine »

Mythbusters wrote: post #59
mtgx wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

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.

A sleep() statement?! Novice! That won't even busy-wait! I like to loop around for a few thousand times writing nonsense to dummy variables. I earned those time slices - no way am I going to just give them back to the OS scheduler.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#167

Post by kooshball »

mmind wrote: post #139
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.

The issue is that your post is written with the idea of creating controversy (look at the title). Everybody is entitled to their own opinions, but IMHO one day is not enough to properly judge any piece of complex technology. I am writing this on my RT and I am very surprised with your post, specially when the word preview issues are easily fixed with a simple SW update that is coming soon, as Office is already RTM. A…

Do you see the same issues with mail and word slowness and saving issues?

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#168

Post by macspoofing »

powertower wrote: post #104
nextstep wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

> But from the multiple Surface reviews posted here over the past few days You mean all those negative reviews that get upvoted to the front-page. Thats what happens here, the positive reviews usually get ignored, get flagged, or die quickly. Unless it's an Apple product. "Surface RT" is not "Surface for Windows 8 Pro". Windows RT is a stripped down version of Windows designed for lower power CPUs. It's also designed…

>It's also designed to be 100% Metro based

I thought that but you do end up on the (severely restricted) desktop more often than you think.

>Surface RT" is a touch-based device for holding in your hands while surfing the net

Is this why every single marketing and promotional material shows it sitting on a desk with the connected keyboard? Is this why Microsoft made such a huge deal of the keyboard/screen workflow? (e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mSckyoAMHg#!)

>The use-case of an attached keyboard and the fully fledged Office app suite is not what this device is primarly for.

Again, tell that to Microsoft.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#169

Post by Moto7451 »

tensor wrote: post #126
nextstep wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I think part of the issue with tablets is that there are people who really want something like the windows 8 tablet to work. Speaking for myself, hearing people chime in "but iPad!" in discussions of new tablets I might be interested in is maddening. It's maddening because I don't want an iPad. An iPad doesn't fit my requirements, one of which is side loading. It can't share data between apps easily either. Android h…

You could try a ModBook:

http://www.modbook.com/modbookpro

They're a bit pricy but I've gotten the chance to see the pre-housing crisis models (the company/management group was insolvent for a time) were very solid. The Wacom digitizer is really good for artists too. if they came out with an Air version I think they'd have a rather hot product..

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#170

Post by cargo8 »

what_ever wrote: post #30
cargo8 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He mentions that this again is only for short people, aka he would have liked for it to tilt back further (see comments about the camera angle)

But usually taller people will have longer hands as well. That would increase the distance of the keyboard from the user's body and so the angle should still work.

Also I think people complained about this because on airplanes you probably won't have the room to do this :-\
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