I was talking about the Pro version. I don't even know why the RT version has a desktop UI...
Microsoft Surface Tablet announced
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taku
Member
So it's safe to say that this is Wacom then? 1024 levels?
Rocket Scientist
Member
So now I'm confused. Is Apple going to sue MS because this thing looks like the iPad...? I mean it looks the same as the Galaxy Tab/iPad/lots of others. Was Samsung sued because they had multiple products that looked similar and the packaging too etc or why exactly was Samsung sued, but yet there's other tablets that look just as much the same?
Edit: Wait some tablets have a fan....?
Edit: Wait some tablets have a fan....?
Shogmaster
Member
Wacom Penabled digitizers support 256 levels.
Neko Mimi Mode
Member
I doubt Apple are going to drop their policy of attempting to sue the competition out of business. Even though this is really nothing like an iPad at all.
storafötter
Member
Looks pretty slick. I love the design along with the integrated keyboard. It would be a dream if you could play emulators on that thing like mame and use an arcade stick through the usb port.
Sorry if this has been asked but does the tablet have pen pressure?
Running a full desktop environment on ARM chips? I don't think so.
Opus Angelorum
Member
As an iPad 2 owner, and someone who works in a Windows environment...the iPad is useless as a productivity tool.
Apple and Microsoft share patents and don't sue each other anymore, ever since Bill Gates showed up at WWDC in 1997.
Isn't that a selling point they would have mentioned, though?
I'd imagine old games and some software will be ported easily. It'll never quite be a full esktop though...
saltywalrus
Member
Because MS is rushing it to market, they didn't have time to port Office to Metro, and a lot of advanced settings can only be changed in desktop mode.
It's truly astounding how far behind MS is even after 2 years. Bill always talked about using tablets for education, where's the competitor to iBooks? Where's the GPS navigation app, movie editor, music creation app? I haven't seen any must have Metro apps so far.
Metroid Hunter
Banned
Plus, Apple wants Microsoft to make Office apps for iOS (it's supposedly happening). Sueing them would cause Microsoft to drop the iOS Office project, and possibly for Mac as well.
abstract alien
Member
Pro it is then.
Opus Angelorum
Member
Hopefully the RT version is cheap ($399 max) compared to the Pro.
I fully agree on the productivity part. But the Surface RT tablets aren't going to change that.
To get a full windows environment, you are probably going to have to pay double that of the iPad for a Pro model. You're basically buying a windows ultrabook with touchscreen.
I wonder how low MS can go with it's pricing. When I see the Samsung slate tablet with inferior specs selling for 1300$, i'm getting a little worried.
Does Microsoft have a proper manufacturing pipeline set up? What was the last big hardware they manufactured?
the xbox?
also, really nice to see microsoft going all out on this. looks amazing and i'll definitely consider one of these if it fits my price range.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Oh right, wow I totally forgot that thing
And microsoft built the zune player that was top quality hardware. They also have been making peripherals (keyboards, mouses, joysticks etc.) for PCs for ages.
Pro all the way for me too.
Opus Angelorum
Member
True but at least Microsoft have acknowledged this.
They recognise there are two distinct markets, and the business sector is arguably the most important.
Shogmaster
Member
if the pro version is 'full HD', thats presumably 1920x1080. But its higher res than the RT, so the RT won't be retina - any guesses as to the likely resolution?
I like the choice of two keyboards, hopefully they'll have enough retail presence so you can try them out to see which feels better for you. But won't the keyboard be a little cramped, like a netbook keyboard? I find those difficult to type on.
I like the choice of two keyboards, hopefully they'll have enough retail presence so you can try them out to see which feels better for you. But won't the keyboard be a little cramped, like a netbook keyboard? I find those difficult to type on.
Pie and Beans
Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
Was hoping I'd wake up this morning to find out if the pro does have 256 pressure levels/is Wacom. That is all it takes for me to declare this a wunder-device that ticks a fucking shit load of boxes for me.
Pro has 'ventilation' that's all they've confirmed so far, does the macbook air have a fan?
I'm pretty sure it doesn't have a fan.
I love the concept by the way - a keyboard and a trackpad that acts also as a case? I'm not too sure on the actual aesthetics, but if this thing properly combines a laptop and a tablet into one device then they're really onto a winner here (and no, I'm not talking like the Asus Transformer which is basically Android with a keyboard, this is a full fledged OS here)
I love the concept by the way - a keyboard and a trackpad that acts also as a case? I'm not too sure on the actual aesthetics, but if this thing properly combines a laptop and a tablet into one device then they're really onto a winner here (and no, I'm not talking like the Asus Transformer which is basically Android with a keyboard, this is a full fledged OS here)
You really think so? Every graphic designer and gadget enthusiast I know jumps when the brand is mentioned.
Yeah, and I love that they have the balls to create a thing like this.
But I don't really see how the business sector benefits from a tablet form factor at the sacrifice of power and usability yet.
The touch interface is pretty and easy to use, but for any "real work" you'll probably still have to attach a keyboard and mouse.
And at that point, I just think it'll be too underpowered and expensive to really set the market on fire.
Yes it does.
Wiktor
Member
At ten inch display? Not very likely
They did say the RT is hd and pro is full hd. My guess hd means 720p (most likeli 1360x768) and full hd pretty much means 1920x1080
Pretty sure the RT is gonna be 1366x768.
Yes they do and and its a really loud one when it starts running. MBA only has vents in the hinge between the screen and the body thus when it starts to heat up it really has to run that fan at high speeds. The pro is looking kinda nice with the vent holes all around it and hopefully it won't have to spin its fan that much to get the same result.
Shogmaster
Member
Opus Angelorum
Member
Very likely.
A loud fan on a tablet is not my idea of fun, and of energy efficiency for that matter. Any word on autonomy?
PastorOfMuppets
Banned
I kinda feel that this is going to flop based purely on the fact that it's Microsoft.
Outside of the Xbox, can you name any new brand that Microsoft that has introduced in the last decade that has had the lasting appeal of Windows or Office?
When I think of Microsoft in the 2000's I think:
Zune
Windows Mobile/Windows Phone 7
Games for Windows
Bing
Outside of the Xbox, can you name any new brand that Microsoft that has introduced in the last decade that has had the lasting appeal of Windows or Office?
When I think of Microsoft in the 2000's I think:
Zune
Windows Mobile/Windows Phone 7
Games for Windows
Bing
A stupid number of companies are giving their management and sales teams iPads because those groups have never been most productive at their desks, but they are flawed for basic business stuff like file sharing, device syncing, LDAP permissions, etc etc.
Ah, if the Air has a fan, I don't see how MS could avoid having one in the Pro.
Hooo boy. You won't like where everyone is heading to.
The Ipad isn't quite as established as the ipod / google were when zune/bing were introduced. It's getting there, sure - but the surface really does make the ipad just look like an oversized ipod touch, it could disrupt the market.
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