Read more.Microsoft's press event is also expected to mark the debut of the Surface mini tablet.
Read more.Microsoft's press event is also expected to mark the debut of the Surface mini tablet.
I'm not going to lie. I want one of these tablets, I truly do. A full windows experience on tablet, with proper multitasking, lovely. However, I think it's a tablet replacement, Microsoft think it's a premium laptop replacement and you can only guess where they price it.
For the experience that the product provides I just don't think it's feasible. Anyways, I would much prefer an AMD powered one, as I'm sure no-one will be playing BF4 @1080p on this thing it would be nice to be able to run some games at playable rates, and AMD has proven it can do so in a similar form factor.
I have a 2nd gen one that I'm using as a test machine and its some bit of kit. I can heat water for my shower for it when its playing hearthstone!
I'm waiting for the event to see what is released. We are currently using them at work with 10 out at the moment and a further 100 waiting for ordered. Hoping for something like the pro 2 but with 3g/4g built-in.
I got a surface 2 for University - really handy for taking lecture notes and general task management. But I would have preferred a full windows experience...
I can say that the interface is really nice for the tablet.
So why not use a Note 10.1 and add an office package and thin bluetooth (or wired) keyboard for more than half the price.
Problem is price - the tablet market exploded because the prices became very reasonable - this kind of product will never get a mass following.
Very corporate executive item or sales person.
I don't think it's a tablet at all and the media comparisons to tablets are hurting what is ostensibly a great product. If you want a tablet, buy a tablet. $800 will translate to around £750 retail, probably. So it's more expensive than an iPad - guess what, it's a hell of a lot more powerful. Again, you want limited software, buy the RT.
The top end Surface is horrifically expensive, but considering you're getting an i7 (so quad), 512GB SSD and 8GB RAM it's not so different. My girlfriend has a Macbook Air fully specced and that cost around £1200 - has half the memory and only a dual core i5 (I think). Where does that go? i5, 256GB, 8GB is around $1300 so bang on the money. You can make similar comparisons with Windows vendors, but frankly the Macbooks are the only thing which are comparable in terms of hardware design and quality. On the Surface side it has the Wacom digitiser too which is neat for people who are into art (e.g. Penny Arcade).
Once you stop wanting a tablet it becomes more palatable - this is something to replace a high end laptop, not a tablet for sitting on the crapper. It's expensive, but it's not overpriced relative to the market. The only real bugbear at the moment is the lacklustre battery life - make that better (Haswell cough cough) and we'll see...
There are plenty of Windows tablets out there mind you, Dell's Venu, Lenovo Miix, etc. Only problem is they all run on Atom, they don't have a dedicated USB3 port or a proper Wacom touchscreen - but if you want a tablet that runs 'full' windows for the same price as an iPad, why not start there?
Disagree Whiternoise.
I ended up not getting a Surface Pro, but a samsung 9 series. It's been to hell and back, still rocking in one piece. It's noticably smaller than the 13" macbook air, whilst having a much nicer, and bigger screen. All in all, the 13" macbook air pales next to one of those.... except thunderbolt is much better than USB3.
What I hope to see from the event is a good selection of tablet sizes. I've said all along the iPad is badly sized. Too small for preference for productivity, to big for portability. I think the Nexus7 scored a great hit in the perfect size for something portable.
is 12" much worse than 10" to lug? Not really, your going to need a bag afterall. But for doing anything it's a great benefit. This is why 13" outsell 11" laptops. (However, these sized devices have their place!).
I could see me happily using a 12" i7 8gb RAM surface as my main computing device. That said, if I could get 16gb of RAM in, I could see myself using a Surface Pro 3 as my ONLY primary computing device. That's kind of amazing.
At this price point it isn't even that expensive either, for the hardware and batterylife you get. Will have to see if I've any money when I'm in HK or Singapore next!
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I would love a surface pro, I do design so the wacom stylus (dell isn't that good comparatively) is ideal for my use as is the 'tablet' for presenting work.
I haven't bought one yet because it's not quite 'right' yet, it's a 'pro' device yet you're stuck with the 'consumer' gpu's, give me iris (like the macbook pro's) and ideally I'd like it just a fraction thinner plus the option of a proper keyboard dock like the asus transformer....
People comparing the surface pro to a ipad just aren't the target market the ipad is just not suited to my needs, no matter how much every 'design software company' keeps pushing support apps to them. Yes graphic designers use apple but not all designers use apple (my software isn't on os-x) so why would I want an apple iPad (I wouldn't buy one anyways but that's a different matter)
You're wrong - what's a "tablet replacement" unless you're talking about something like Google Glass (or iGlass if that ever appears). Can't see anything fundamentally wrong with Windows RT's multitasking - I'm hard pressed to tell it apart from "proper" Windows 8.1 ... certainly just as annoying. I also can't see you getting something affordable, portable and able to run BF4 at anything approaching usable frame rates.
In that case why not save money and just get a decent ultrabook?
Ultrabook not laptop then. I've also seen some clever laptops with flippable screens, so no need for the client to hold that tablet in their hands - you can leave it stood on the desk.
In which case I'll echo Brewster101's advice...
If you shop around then you could get two entire Note 10.1 setups for the price of one of these Surface's. Downside is that it's Android not Windows, and of course it's laden with Samsung's "helpful" add ons ... in other words a complete load of ****. S-Pen is very good, especially the optional "Pro" one that comes with a spring loaded "eraser" end too. Or you could "spread the love" and get a Note 10.1 and a Nokia RT tablet.
Funnily enough I got my 1st Gen Note 10.1 for pretty much the usage case that RT-XD outlined - I needed something light and portable to allow me to visit customer sites and do diagrams, presentations and the like, along with a bit of light task/project management. The Note 10.1 was ideal for that - although a recent Samsung update seems to have turned it into something slower than a 486 PC.
No, I can't see the Surface Pro worrying the mainstream tablet makers in the slightest. On the other hand I'm pretty sure that it WILL take sales away from those top end "executive" portables like MacBook Air and similar products from Dell and HP.
MS makes the same fundamental error as most tablet/hybrid makers - very limited storage capacity
As soon as you move to an area that is a bit out of the way, so limited wi-fi access you will regret having everything in the cloud
An other rip of price from the greedy corporates,
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