News - Microsoft announces Surface for Windows RT and Windows 8 Pro

[J3FFW1SH]

Looks like Microsoft could be onto a winner here but I'm with cheesemp on the Asus transformer point. wait and see I guess

[cameronlite]

I want it I want it I want it! I'd go for the arm version but the ability to have x86 applications on the Intel version just calls out to me.

As for the magnesium point - I though it 'set fire' when you added it to water? Do we have to treat it like a Mogwi?

[mikerr]

Will Metro apps run on Xbox, or do we have to wait for the next Xbox for that?

AIUI Microsoft want to bring some level of app compatibility across Desktop Windows 8 / Phone / Surface and Xbox.

[Boris]

I want it I want it I want it! I'd go for the arm version but the ability to have x86 applications on the Intel version just calls out to me.

As for the magnesium point - I though it 'set fire' when you added it to water? Do we have to treat it like a Mogwi?

It's the Group 1 Alkali metals that have a notable reaction to water. We'll have to wait until someone makes a case from lithium to see how it works in the rain. :-)

[Boris]

My laptop is magnesium. Sometimes it doesn't go into standby, I put it in my bag and then it gets so hot that the battery disconnects itself.

I still have all my skin and hair.

That made me laugh. I'm starting to lose some hair but I don't think I can blame that on my laptop. ;-)

[cameronlite]

I think mikerr has a good point.

I never even considered that at some point Metro apps might run on xbox. That gives quite a few platforms:
- Windows 8
- Windows 8 ARM
- WP7
- WP8
- XBOX 720

I'm starting to feel quite happy about developing apps for Windows Phone 7 now

[tickleonthetum]

Why don't they get it out before Xmas and take advantage of the shopping period. With the state of the economy people will take advantage of the Xmas holidays to treat themselves whereas the rest of the year they will be very frugal!

I know Windows 8 has to come first in MS's book but why not make these the first way to obtain Windows 8?

Oh and forgot to say... rubbish name! "iPad" sounds cool and iconic, Surface just sounds... meh. Mind you MS don't do well with naming things, I mean "Bing"?!? "Google" sounded fun, cool and easy to remember, but Bing? The noise things make when they're finished?!? As for "Windows" well...

The best names seem to be those that are made up, Google, iPad, Photoshop, words that aren't already in the dictionary!

I appreciate it must be hard to come up with a name though... Especially when they wan't to appeal to everyone from kids to old business men!

[neonplanet40]

I think they will both be out for xmas. I think the RT will come out September and the tablet just in time for xmas. Or at least I hope! Sounds like a good time frame though.

[cameronlite]

Why don't they get it out before Xmas and take advantage of the shopping period. With the state of the economy people will take advantage of the Xmas holidays to treat themselves whereas the rest of the year they will be very frugal!

I know Windows 8 has to come first in MS's book but why not make these the first way to obtain Windows 8?

The release cycle indicates an October release which would be easily in time for Christmas. I think for Windows 7 it was about the 20th.

[dangel]

"iPad" sounded like a tampon to many on announcement - people complained about it's name then too.

Wasn't W8 due in Oct and RT next year?

[Hicks12]

surface is fine, isnt the massive Microsoft table called surface? thats what i thought about when i first noticed surface in the title . It makes perfect sense for them todo this and im glad they finally have but then i also have a slight feeling in the back of my find that it will end up like WP7/Apple i.e you are getting software optimisation for a limited set of hardware so if we through high end chips at it we wont benefit (much like our GPUs at the minute with shoddy ports).

I cant wait overall though, atleast people can finally see why Win8 is like it is (even though id like an option to use both better!). It looks like a very well thought out device and if im honest i always thought apples were poor and just made to capitalise on profits i.e not having a camera on certain models and saying theres no need and then implementing it next gen and say how its such an amazing feature.

Hopefully Microsoft can continue their more recent success (xbox/kinect/zune in its limited market!) and pull a nice one over Apple so i can finally stop seeing those devices everywhere its very boring .

[tickleonthetum]

I don't know why but many sites are saying it doesn't have cameras built in, but it does... 2.

They are angled (22°) to ensure that you fit centrally in the image despite the fact that the screen will (probably) be tilted back).

[Ulti]

I'm actually one of the very few here (and elsewhere) that like Windows 8 and I love how technology just keeps improving. I've not bothered with an iOS or Android tablet as I feel they're merely entertainment devices that are a bit too underpowered but I feel this is right.

I hope they can price these under ultrabooks as making them more expensive than ultrabooks would make it less competitive.

[dangel]

Good summary of the hardware - and the attention to quality is very impressive:

http://arstechnica.com/information-t...ofts-first-pc/

[tickleonthetum]

From looking around the web, it seems the general opinion is that the pricing will be roughly:

WinRT ARM version £400+

Win8Pro i5 version £800 roughly.

The ARM version would be useless for what we'd want one for, and the i5 version is way out of our price range, so that's us out!

If they want all these things to catch on, they seriously need to try to get the prices down (and not just MS). It's no wonder cheap makes like Archos do so well, it's all a lot of us can afford!

Oh well, back to looking for a cheap (£80-£200) Tablet (for ebook/comic/music) and a cheap <£350) laptop (for 3D Studio Max and photoshop!)... Probably be an Archos and a Tesco cheapo sale jobbie!

[Boris]

From looking around the web, it seems the general opinion is that the pricing will be roughly:

WinRT ARM version £400+

Win8Pro i5 version £800 roughly.

The ARM version would be useless for what we'd want one for, and the i5 version is way out of our price range, so that's us out!

If they want all these things to catch on, they seriously need to try to get the prices down (and not just MS). It's no wonder cheap makes like Archos do so well, it's all a lot of us can afford!

Oh well, back to looking for a cheap (£80-£200) Tablet (for ebook/comic/music) and a cheap <£350) laptop (for 3D Studio Max and photoshop!)... Probably be an Archos and a Tesco cheapo sale jobbie!

Does that price include an implicit cost-saving from the Win8 license? I'd be interested to see how that price is modelled.