Reviews - Apple's Tim Cook: Microsoft's Surface is "fairly compromised"

[aidanjt]

great value... fail to see the point in a non-detachable touchscreen though

Or at least if it was double-hinged.

[KeyboardDemon]

Tim Cook said:

When people look at the iPad versus competitive offerings, I think they'll continue to want an iPad.

My first thought was I still continue to not want an iPad. I still like my iPhone but lately I find I'm disliking Apple more with every story I read about them. Am I alone in that sentiment?

[aidanjt]

..but lately I find I'm disliking Apple more with every story I read about them. Am I alone in that sentiment?

I reached that realisation many solar orbits ago.

[george1979]

Tim Cook - "I suppose you could design a car that flies and floats, but I don't think it would do all of those things very well."
It either flies or it doesn't, it either floats or it doesn't Tim! Putting semantics aside, I just cannot understand why Apple have to constantly belittle other companies and products. Their profit margins would put most drug cartels to shame, they have an idiotic cult-like following of fanboys who seem to have more money than sense and yet they can't seem to just focus on their own business.
If you really think these products are no good and yours are so much better why not just let them continue to waste their time and treasure?
I've never grudged a company or person making money for doing a good job but I really can't wait to see them fall. What goes up must come down....

[will101]

I've bought one so for some people £399 is happening...

Or, I could pay more for an iPad that without installing many and more 3rd party apps does less. Hmmm.

[Dottorrent]

The Microsoft surface has some advantages over the iPad like an included stopper and keypad. However, it's not a direct competitor to the iPad. The only real rivals the Surface has are the Asus Transformer pad and the Acer Iconia. All of which are Tablet PCs, not Tablets period.

[will101]

However, it's not a direct competitor to the iPad.

I understand that the latter group of products you mention are sold with a keyboard but all (including the Microsoft Surface RT) will function as a tablet without the detachable keyboard. Indeed, the Surface can be bought without a keyboard which argues it's an optional accessory.

If a product can be a pseudo-laptop AND a tablet, surely they are competitors in both those markets.

Interestingly, my two brothers and I are in the market for a tablet. One has bought an Asus Transformer, I've ordered a Surface RT and may little brother is buying an iPad mini! Variety and all that...

[crossy]

(Printing on Android) And how many of them can my Nexus print too without a PC or cloudy solution?
I'm not saying its impossible to do it on Andriod, its just a sign of the core offering, a surface is designed to also be useful in a business sense.So I need a fancy adapter (ok I happened to have one already but bear with me) Then I have to find some app, which isn't exactly easy to determine, pay $3, and I still can't actually move files?

First off, I'll suggest that Google is following Apple's path and pitching to the consumer first, business second. Whereas Microsoft have (rightly in my opinion) been looking at business first and consumer second.
Second, the need for "cloud" might be a deliberate decision. I remember a conversation with a designer where he pointed out that converting a web page to a print format is something that needs an appreciable amount of cpu (drains your battery), plus the resulting large file then needs to be squirted to the printer - assuming that your mobile device stays connected throughout the transfer. On the other hand if you've got a "cloud" (I'm starting to hate that term!) printing solution, then you can transfer a relatively small file and go do something else. Meanwhile your cloud printing environment deals with the rasterisation and transfer to the printer.

Like you though, I'll give Android's printing support a C- at the moment (and iOS too). What'll be interesting to see if any of the Windows8RT folks do something clever with the printing. E.g. for an HP Envy to be able to "automagically" detect nearby HP wireless printers - it's possible, since webOS already does that.

(http://www.anandtech.com/show/6405/a...r-book-handson) An 11.6" aluminium unibody thin and light laptop with a touchscreen for £400 is good value.

it sure is - especially if that's a confirmed price, not some special offer, (local PC World is clearing out a lot of their older kit, so there's some great deals to be had).

The Microsoft surface has some advantages over the iPad like an included stopper and keypad. However, it's not a direct competitor to the iPad. The only real rivals the Surface has are the Asus Transformer pad and the Acer Iconia. All of which are Tablet PCs, not Tablets period.

I'm going to kind of agree with you - a "tablet" (like the iPad) is a content consumption device, albeit one that you can do a small amount of content creation on when the needs dictate. Your "TabletPC's" (or "Tablet+") can do the tablet consumption role, but are also as suited to content generation as a netbook or low end laptop. In my book that makes them more suitable than tablets for all but the overly affluent (folks who can afford to lug around a Mac Book Pro and an iPad for example). This is based on personal experience - my tablet's been relegated to the odd use (and I'll probably sell it on), whereas my "TabletPC" (to use your term) I'll be holding onto until the battery stops holding charge.

Anyone want to start a book on whether the iPad5 ("newer newer new iPad"?) comes with a keyboard that docks into the Lightning connector? Especially if the majority of Surface owners opt to get the keyboard cover/dock.