Microsoft Surface Tablet announced

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Yup for a lot of little indie games it will be great, and the PC's indie scene is better than it has ever been.

Indie games, adventure games, strategy games...all will be awesome. That's what I use the Air for. "AAA dude bro kill fest shoot him 3D"? Not so much.
 
can Microsoft absorb some of the costs and sell them at a loss for however long they need to? or does the X-box drag them down and prevent them from adopting a similar model?
On the XBox, they expect to make $7-$9 in royalties per $60 game, and they expect people to buy lots of games. Basically expecting people to buy over 10 games ($600) in games to pay back the initial loss. They make a higher royalty rate on Windows Marketplace software, but the software prices are lower than game prices, and people don't buy as much. Maintaining servers and credit card transaction fees also eat into the higher royalty rate. And they can charge Xbox Live subscription fees that are harder to come by on Windows (I don't think as many Windows users would subscribe to Zune Pass, versus a large number of Xbox users subscribing to Xbox Live).
 
Yes, but Intel GPU drivers and Linux unfortunately don't mix.

shame, but atleast its an option. Enough to pull up an linux terminal.

I wonder what the battery life difference will be between the x86 and arm versions. Maybe that is where the Pro's thickness comes from is a bigger battery.
 
1. Impressive
2. How did they keep this secret
3. WTF no SCSI?

Also people asking about XBOX functions wasn't the point of Smart Glass that it would work with any tablet/smart phone?
 
Can't wait to support these things and spend hours trying to remove viruses from them! Finally a tablet with all the extra Microsoft stuff that really makes Windows such a pleasant experience!

Viruses! Wow. I can't believe I'm reading this troll on a tech-based forum in the year 2012. I'm gonna go search AltaVista to see if anyone else feels the way you do.
 
Exactly. It'll be great at lightweight stuff. The "I need a real PC tablet and Microsoft just granted my wish" crowd needs a reality check.

...and I think you guys are underselling the capabilities of an i5 + HD4000 graphics.

a look at the benchmarks tells you it can do more than "lightweight stuff".

StarCraft II? check.

Sins? Check.

Unreal Engine 3.0 games? Check.

Source Engine games? Check.

Games with lower specs than the aforementioned (probably 95% of games)? Check.

...and probably with better frames than consoles.


Not to mention there will probably be cheaper options. I suspect the Acer tablet will be the cheapest of the lot.
Acer Icona 700 is probably the one I'm going with...but there's plenty of time to see what emerges. I may way until CES 2013 to make a decision.
 
ooooh k. *pushes ultrabook off my office desk*

Now i'm impressed. That keyboard/smart cover thing is genius. Holy fuck.

Any word on ram? That's pretty much the only thing holding me back as of now.
 
Yeah I think people are getting carried away with a false equation that just because it's a full-featured PC it's going to be great for gaming. It's like they suddenly all forgot that you need a really beefy system with discrete graphics to play anything decent.

I think it will be pretty good at playing many games, but not to the degree that a lot of people might be expecting.

While true, look at the comment from Epic.

The mythical "games are 10 times better because it's a closed platform" stuff you hear from console fanboys might not be entirely true, but there is something to be said for games that can be coded to an exact hardware platform.
 
Now filter the ones out without 1080p screens, and that's even before getting to multitouch or digitizer built in.
This thing will not be any less than $999.

You are probably right, but saying Ultrabooks are "1000 and up" is just being disingenuous. Most are between 800 and 1000, as I stated. Also see above where I quote the post about the similar Samsung 7 and how I would think that makes the $1000 price point likely.
 
shame, but atleast its an option. Enough to pull up an linux terminal.

I wonder what the battery life difference will be between the x86 and arm versions. Maybe that is where the Pro's thickness comes from is a bigger battery.
i'd say the ARM tablets will get something like 10+ and the x86 ones will get something like 5+
 
Here is why i hate PC gaming discussions. Everyone has a different definition of "decent performance"

For some decent means running BF3, for others it is Braid and Civ 4.....
 
Low $500 for an RT and i`ll jump in but i wonder how much space Win 8 RT is gonna take up on a 32gb ssd.

Don't screw this one up Microsoft....my wallet is ready and it seems like you might have a winner what that lovely lovely design
 
I haven't read all the pages here. The tablet looks interesting. Does it have USB ports? I mean, I see a lot of Apple vs. MSFT in here, but today I plug my iPod into my laptop, which runs iTunes.

Why would I not be able to plug my iPod into Surface, which runs iTunes?

I get that this goes head to head with the iPad, but it's quite possible that your iPhone/iPod will still work with Surface.
 
shame, but atleast its an option. Enough to pull up an linux terminal.

I wonder what the battery life difference will be between the x86 and arm versions. Maybe that is where the Pro's thickness comes from is a bigger battery.

I never had an issue intel GPU's on linux. Sure you don't get _great_ performance but it will boot into X fine.
 
I haven't read all the pages here. The tablet looks interesting. Does it have USB ports? I mean, I see a lot of Apple vs. MSFT in here, but today I plug my iPod into my laptop, which runs iTunes.

Why would I not be able to plug my iPod into Surface, which runs iTunes?

I get that this goes head to head with the iPad, but it's quite possible that your iPhone/iPod will still work with Surface.
yes it has USB ports. ARM has USB 2, x86/64 USB 3
 
1. Apple will be working on the next new iPad at the moment and will be able to trump it when it comes out next march.

2. Microsoft doesn't have any shops for people to try this... all the moms and dads go shopping and stop in on the Apple shop to try out the ipods, ipads, iphones and computers. Microsoft needs people to

Having said that - i think it looks like a better solution for business users than the ipad where its difficult to move files. Aside from the touch screen, I don't see how the Pro is any different to an ultrabook though if its running windows 8.
 
Exactly what I'd hoped it would be. The really smart cover was a nice surprise, though.

x86 is mine. No more laptops for me.
 
I haven't read all the pages here. The tablet looks interesting. Does it have USB ports? I mean, I see a lot of Apple vs. MSFT in here, but today I plug my iPod into my laptop, which runs iTunes.

Why would I not be able to plug my iPod into Surface, which runs iTunes?

I get that this goes head to head with the iPad, but it's quite possible that your iPhone/iPod will still work with Surface.
Surface Pro should run it, but not Surface RT.
 
I haven't read all the pages here. The tablet looks interesting. Does it have USB ports? I mean, I see a lot of Apple vs. MSFT in here, but today I plug my iPod into my laptop, which runs iTunes.

Why would I not be able to plug my iPod into Surface, which runs iTunes?

I get that this goes head to head with the iPad, but it's quite possible that your iPhone/iPod will still work with Surface.
Yes Pro only because RT will not be getting itunes most likely. Unless the earth turns to cheese.

yes it has USB ports. ARM has USB 2, x86/64 USB 3
ARM doesn't have itunes though. So no to that.
 
Why would non-touchscreen windows 8 users, which will be the vast majority of the userbase, care or pay for apps designed for the metro mode that they universally hate (on a non-touchscreen device) or straight up can not use due to not having a touchscreen?

Or, why would developers give 30% of their cut to MS, if they can just sell the app on their website the same way they have been doing for years, and they would be usable on Windows 8 as always?
I can list many reasons.

But what's the point? You'll disagree. Let's wait and see.
 
I haven't read all the pages here. The tablet looks interesting. Does it have USB ports? I mean, I see a lot of Apple vs. MSFT in here, but today I plug my iPod into my laptop, which runs iTunes.

Why would I not be able to plug my iPod into Surface, which runs iTunes?

yes, it has a USB port and yes there is no reason that wouldn't work :p
 
1. Apple will be working on the next new iPad at the moment and will be able to trump it when it comes out next march.

2. Microsoft doesn't have any shops for people to try this... all the moms and dads go shopping and stop in on the Apple shop to try out the ipods, ipads, iphones and computers. Microsoft needs people to

Having said that - i think it looks like a better solution for business users than the ipad where its difficult to move files. Aside from the touch screen, I don't see how the Pro is any different to an ultrabook though if its running windows 8.


Silly arguments which mean nothing.

But I'll rebut the second one. They just opened an MS store by me (East Coast)
 
1. Apple will be working on the next new iPad at the moment and will be able to trump it when it comes out next march.

2. Microsoft doesn't have any shops for people to try this... all the moms and dads go shopping and stop in on the Apple shop to try out the ipods, ipads, iphones and computers. Microsoft needs people to

Having said that - i think it looks like a better solution for business users than the ipad where its difficult to move files. Aside from the touch screen, I don't see how the Pro is any different to an ultrabook though if its running windows 8.

1) You can predict the future? Phone OS vs full blown OS - I know what I'd pick if given a choice.
2) Windows PC's are sold everywhere e.g. Bestbuy, Staples, etc etc AND there is a MS store. It's new and it's spreading everywhere. Just look it up.
 
1. Apple will be working on the next new iPad at the moment and will be able to trump it when it comes out next march.

2. Microsoft doesn't have any shops for people to try this... all the moms and dads go shopping and stop in on the Apple shop to try out the ipods, ipads, iphones and computers. Microsoft needs people to

Having said that - i think it looks like a better solution for business users than the ipad where its difficult to move files. Aside from the touch screen, I don't see how the Pro is any different to an ultrabook though if its running windows 8.
Microsoft does have retail stores, but very few. They look exactly like Apple stores.
 
I really like the keyboard idea. Would love to try one out.

But really, a cover that attaches via magnets to the shell of the device?
 
Here is why i hate PC gaming discussions. Everyone has a different definition of "decent performance"

For some decent means running BF3, for others it is Braid and Civ 4.....

Pretty much. And for some decent performance means running a modern game at 1024x768 at low settings and 22-30 fps. People oversell the new intel integrated graphics. If you're at all used to a high powered gfx card, then intel's stuff will always underperform.

Of course I know we're talking about small form factors here, but still.
 
Silly arguments which mean nothing.

But I'll rebut the second one. They just opened an MS store by me (East Coast)
You shouldn't have said this. Never tout the MS store as something Microsoft does well. It was a desperation move if anything. Most people know nothing about them.
 
Aside from the touch screen, I don't see how the Pro is any different to an ultrabook though if its running windows 8.

It's not. And the same is true for the entire TabletPC genre. The idea is using metro for touch, of course. That's a significant departure from vanilla Windows.


That's the pro model. Also, do anything intensive on it, and be prepared to sacrifice your battery. "Real gaming", by PC standards, will murder any battery they manage to squeeze into there.
I agree with all points. I'm simply saying that the HD4000 is quite capable. Yes, at the expense of battery life, which was never an argument of mine.

I also expect heat to be an interesting issue. And yea, the only devices that you can game for hours on while on the go will remain iPads and dedicated gaming devices.
 
1. Apple will be working on the next new iPad at the moment and will be able to trump it when it comes out next march.

2. Microsoft doesn't have any shops for people to try this... all the moms and dads go shopping and stop in on the Apple shop to try out the ipods, ipads, iphones and computers. Microsoft needs people to

Having said that - i think it looks like a better solution for business users than the ipad where its difficult to move files. Aside from the touch screen, I don't see how the Pro is any different to an ultrabook though if its running windows 8.

1. Apple said merging IOS and OSX would be stupid
2. Best Buy
 
Exactly what I'd hoped it would be. The really smart cover was a nice surprise, though.

x86 is mine. No more laptops for me.

I am giving serious consideration to this as well. I like to keep gadgets and what not to a minimum, so if I can can combine my laptop and tablet into one device I'll be happy. :)
 
ibiAm6JjuSzbAh.gif
 
Exactly. It'll be great at lightweight stuff. The "I need a real PC tablet and Microsoft just granted my wish" crowd needs a reality check.

It will likely be fine for 95% of the PC games out there. No, it won't run Skyrim or Mass Effect 3 at anything more than 5 fps (if that), but those games are the tiny minority of the PC gaming landscape.
 
Where could one possibly go to get their hands on Microsoft hardware? Too bad they have no retail relationships built up. So boned. Mom would never shop for Xmas at Target, Wal Mart, Best Buy........
 
I haven't read all the pages here. The tablet looks interesting. Does it have USB ports? I mean, I see a lot of Apple vs. MSFT in here, but today I plug my iPod into my laptop, which runs iTunes.

Why would I not be able to plug my iPod into Surface, which runs iTunes?

I get that this goes head to head with the iPad, but it's quite possible that your iPhone/iPod will still work with Surface.

RT has USB 2.0, Pro has USB 3.0
 
Which of the games I mentioned would have to be played on low?

None in particular. Just pointing it out as a possible venue to look at games. Just dicking around. I agree with your usage expectations.

arbok26 said:
Microsoft doesn't have any shops for people to try this... all the moms and dads go shopping and stop in on the Apple shop to try out the ipods, ipads, iphones and computers.

best-buy-logo.jpg


Sure, they suck, but it is definitely hands on. And way more numerous than dedicated Apple Stores.

Omnomis said:
Surface Gif

I'm sorry, but that is one sexy bitch right there. Everything else aside, she's a looker.
 
I haven't read all the pages here. The tablet looks interesting. Does it have USB ports? I mean, I see a lot of Apple vs. MSFT in here, but today I plug my iPod into my laptop, which runs iTunes.

Why would I not be able to plug my iPod into Surface, which runs iTunes?

I get that this goes head to head with the iPad, but it's quite possible that your iPhone/iPod will still work with Surface.

Can't wait to see the first photo of someone managing an iPad with Surface via USB
 
1) You can predict the future? Phone OS vs full blown OS - I know what I'd pick if given a choice.
2) Windows PC's are sold everywhere e.g. Bestbuy, Staples, etc etc AND there is a MS store. It's new and it's spreading everywhere. Just look it up.

In that case, $500 vs (likely) $1000.

Windows RT is a "phone OS".
 

That keyboard doesn't have to be there. And if it does, one of them is 3mm thick. Barely even noticeable.

EDIT: I quoted the wrong post and I cant find the correct one, lol.
 
What stupid card? My point was the value proposition that they'll see if they think they need to pay a bunch more to get Office, versus it being pre-installed on RT.

This mythical consumer of yours just paid about twice as much for the pro version of the tablet yet doesn't know they can use their existing Office license or buy a cheap one online?

Do you guys actually read what you type? Come on man, dont make the trolling so obvious.
 
The more I look at that keyboard cover in action the more I think Apple's lawyers are surely suiting up as we speak. The iPad Smart Cover has got to be patented to shit.
 
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