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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

#131

Post by macspoofing »

hnriot wrote: post #22
mtgx wrote: post #6

You'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.

>That's what everyone said about windows 7 and XP and NT

Nobody said that about Windows 7.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#132

Post by macspoofing »

powertower wrote: post #25

Surface 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…

>Desktop-mode version of IE.

I don't get the point of a desktop-mode version of IE in Windows RT. Under Windows 8 proper, desktop IE gives you flash and other plugins (i.e. traditional browser experience). Under WinRT, desktop IE has the same restrictions as Metro IE.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#133

Post by madoublet »

mtgx wrote: post #6

You'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…

Been using 8 for a couple months now, and I see no difference between the desktop mode between 7 and 8 other than 8 being a little more visually appealing.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#134

Post by macspoofing »

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.

>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.

Either they are all 'retarded' and you are the one in the right, or vice-versa. Which do you think is more likely?

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#135

Post by konstruktor »

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."

According to the initial surface presentation, the piece isn't plastic but metal.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#136

Post by uxp »

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.

He addressed that issue here: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4706767

He is tall, 6'3", but moving the surface away form him enough results in it being too far away to type.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#137

Post by mistermann »

BrentOzar wrote: post #32
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…

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 you back down to where you were. This is one of the main annoyances that I was hoping would be better on the surface, so hopefully you can comment on it.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#139

Post by mmind »

BrentOzar wrote: post #32
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…

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 technologist would not ditch this beauty after a couple of hours playing with it, my $0.02.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#140

Post by paul9290 »

I was thinking of making this my next PC purchase, but after watching a video in this blog post I see i would be forced to use the touchscreen as there is not a built in trackpad on that cover/keyboard thing.

Overall the design looked cool, as I am interested in tablet with an attached keyboard with a trackpad. Though I want a tablet/PC type of device that allows me to use it as a tablet or a PC laptop. I guess the Surface is not what I imagined.

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