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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

#181

Post by emp_ »

ephermata wrote: post #111
dangrossman wrote: post #14

I'm excited about the prospect of a Windows 8 tablet. I'm willing to spend as much as it costs to get one. Unfortunately, nobody wants my money. Yesterday was the big retail launch. I was on a mission to check out what my local stores had and, if they had anything that could do the job for me, buy it. I've always wanted a tablet, but only if it could be as useful as a laptop when paired with a keyboard. The new Windo…

(Disclosure: Microsoft employee writing this on a Surface with Touch Cover) Check out the Samsung Series 7 slate. 128GB SSD, 4GB RAM, core i5. 11.6 inches and a little less than 2 lbs. Unfortunately I don't know where you could find one in person to play with. I've been using it with Win8 for a bit and quite liked it -- with the dock and a keyboard you can run Visual Studio just fine. This link suggests Samsung just…

Looking at the Series 7 right now at Amazon [1], the Surface Pro version of this with a similar spec would be nice for the Type Cover, and note that this has similar tech specs as my 2011 Macbook Air, indeed a very promising replacement for Air+iPad, I'll keep watching but will skip this iteration simply for having purchased the iPad 3 recently. (.NET Developer here)

[1]: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Series-XE700T1A-A02US-11-6-Inc...

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#182

Post by rbanffy »

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.

A high-end i7 machine with 16 GB of RAM and an SSD is not rare between Windows developers.

OTOH, I do a lot of Linux development on an Atom netbook.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#184

Post by mbreese »

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.

> Everyone hated the start button back when too

I don't know about that. I remember playing with Windows 95 the day it came out, and I thought that the start button was awesome. Of course, this is compared to Windows 3.1(.1).

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#185

Post by sliverstorm »

cgcardona wrote: post #80
ConstantineXVI wrote: post #28

I'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…

More than once I was showing a workmate some code and absentmindedly touched the screen which highlighted the code and rearranged the order or cut it to the clipboard.

Why would you touch the screen when pointing? Non-touchscreen monitors generally shouldn't have your fingers all over them, so at least for me I've developed the habit of never touching the monitor when pointing.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#186

Post by sliverstorm »

stcredzero wrote: post #151

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 existi…

Yes, laptop tablets have a touch screen, but they are really just not the same thing. Have you used one much? Unless they've made huge progress in the last few years, a laptop tablet is like a laptop, upon whose screen you can WRITE with a stylus. They are not touch devices like we think of today.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#187

Post by nazgulnarsil »

ConstantineXVI wrote: post #28

I'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…

what are you referencing with the "snapping" comment?

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#188

Post by powertower »

rbanffy wrote: post #180
powertower wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are showing what it can be (in the minds of potential buyers), not what it is 90% of the time, nor what 90% of the market will use it as. Do you really think it's going to make you dance? It's marketing. That's how it works. Given the specifics on Windows RT, low power ARM based CPUs, etc ... it's not a desktop replacement device, though you can certainly hook up a keyboard to it.

> They are showing what it can be (in the minds of potential buyers), not what it is If that's true, they are showing what it isn't. > It's marketing. That's how it works. I believe the technical term would be "deceptive marketing" > Given the specifics on Windows RT, low power ARM based CPUs, etc ... it's not a desktop replacement device. At least not while it's running Windows RT. Too bad it can't run anything else…

> I believe the technical term would be "deceptive marketing"

Deceptive about what? They are competing with the iPad more or less. No one is saying this thing is meant for serious production of content, it's meant for consumption of content.

> they are showing what it isn't

You can still place it on a table and expect good results as long as you're not 6'3"; or have a higher table then the author's. You can still hook it up to a keyboard.

You can even run Office on it, it's just that you'll need to update the "preview" version of it to fix a couple of bugs.

> Let's wait for Windows 9 and hope current devices can be upgraded

"Surface for Windows 8 Pro" and other OEM like devices are coming out. I think that will be the real test to see if consumers adapt a Windows 8 tablet device. Give it 6 months.

Re: Why I'm returning my Microsoft Surface RT

#190

Post by ConstantineXVI »

nazgulnarsil wrote: post #187
ConstantineXVI wrote: post #28

I'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…

what are you referencing with the "snapping" comment?

You can drag an app out of the app switcher and run it on the edge of the screen alongside your current app.
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