Microsoft Surface Tablet announced

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I am sure most gamers buy the games they defend. I fully intend to buy an Atom tablet and I don't ACTIVELY defend the other variants of W8 tablets.

I think its a productive rule if we live by it.

I disagree. Because I usually only own one product in a certain category doesn't mean all others are shit.

And because I'd rather have a Surface Pro (whether I'll be able to afford it is another question) doesn't mean that all criticism levelled at the RT has merit.

Sometimes you have discussions for fun. Sometimes you have discussions where you haven't actually made your own decisions (as it's very often the case with gaming stuff). Sometimes you like stuff even if you won't actually buy it. If you don't go into flaming fanboy mode, it doesn't mean you won't be able to have a productive discussion because of it
 
10" Widescreen tablets kinda suck to type on directly in my experience. I think a separate device is necessary.

Generally anything 10 inches sucks for typing. 12 inches is minumum to get proper readibility and big enough keys for comfortable and fast typing.
 
As a gadget junkie I really like this. The build quality looks unmatched. Coming from the ipad universe I really like the SD expansion and USB port. Also like the fact that any apps I buy on my Windows 8 machine would be available on this tablet.
 
I disagree. Because I usually only own one product in a certain category doesn't mean all others are shit.

And because I'd rather have a Surface Pro (whether I'll be able to afford it is another question) doesn't mean that all criticism levelled at the RT has merit.

Sometimes you have discussions for fun. Sometimes you have discussions where you haven't actually made your own decisions (as it's very often the case with gaming stuff). Sometimes you like stuff even if you won't actually buy it. If you don't go into flaming fanboy mode, it doesn't mean you won't be able to have a productive discussion because of it


I think its a easy way to tell a fan of a product from a fan of a company. *Shrug*
 
I think its a easy way to tell a fan of a product from a fan of a company. *Shrug*

The two don't have to be mutually exclusive, you know?

Edit: What you're proposing is basically "Everyone who won't buy a product is allowed to criticize it. No one who won't buy it is allowed to say something positive".
 
But can you use them as a skateboard?

good point. hey, so does Surface RT skateboard have the screen up or screen down? i ask because then you can skate while using a maps app if the screen is up... wait, Surface RT has GPS hardware, right?



edit: soooooooooooooo according to the spec sheets on the microsoft website, Surface doesn't have GPS hardware!?

are they fucking serious?!
 
Yep
Up to 8 hours battery
Tegra 3
Low resolution screen
No GPS
Roughly 20gb free out of 32gb after installed apps and OS
2200 apps vs 250,000
Premium pricing
 
good point. hey, so does Surface RT skateboard have the screen up or screen down? i ask because then you can skate while using a maps app if the screen is up... wait, Surface RT has GPS hardware, right?



edit: soooooooooooooo according to the spec sheets on the microsoft website, Surface doesn't have GPS hardware!?

are they fucking serious?!

Wifi only iPad doesn't have GPS either. I'd think plenty of other wifi only tablets are the same.
 
good point. hey, so does Surface RT skateboard have the screen up or screen down? i ask because then you can skate while using a maps app if the screen is up... wait, Surface RT has GPS hardware, right?



edit: soooooooooooooo according to the spec sheets on the microsoft website, Surface doesn't have GPS hardware!?

are they fucking serious?!

Well, it would probably be limited in it's value by the lack of 3G/4G/LTE/whatever.

Still rather stupid.
 
Well, it would probably be limited in it's value by the lack of 3G/4G/LTE/whatever.

Still rather stupid.

Good thing for USB ports, time to buy the smallest 3g USB modem out there. Someone need to make the software though, probably. This thing gonna need an extension for all the USB devices it needs.
 
Yeah, that is pretty bad. VaporMg was cited as the reason there is no NFC, I wonder if the casing prevents GPS from working too?

Seems like Microsoft put the focus on design and materials over specs/functionality. I'll go play with it in store, it better damn well feel and look amazing.

Edot: Didn't realize WiFi tablets typically lack GPS.
 
Well, it would probably be limited in it's value by the lack of 3G/4G/LTE/whatever.

Still rather stupid.

i know from RT requirements that if it has 3G/4G/LTE whatever that the devices MUST have GPS. it's not too surprising to see a wifi only tablet not have it. to be honest, it never even occured to me that it would have GPS.
 
Yep
Up to 8 hours battery
Tegra 3
Low resolution screen
No GPS
Roughly 20gb free out of 32gb after installed apps and OS
2200 apps vs 250,000
Premium pricing

The Wifi ipad doesnt have GPS either and unless we have reports of Surface being slow I dont see why Tegra 3 is a problem.
 
Isn't the Tegra 3 processor generally considered a good processor for tablets?

isn't 720p still considered high definition, even if it doesn't have retina display esque pixel density? eh. price is a bit on the high side, but it wasn't enough to make me hesitate.

but then my work is getting me a Pro next year, and the RT is just to supplement my PC and the wife's laptop for uses where it's going to be more convenient like on the couch or in the kitchen or on trips or what have you.
 
As a gadget junkie I really like this. The build quality looks unmatched. Coming from the ipad universe I really like the SD expansion and USB port. Also like the fact that any apps I buy on my Windows 8 machine would be available on this tablet.

Thats why chances are I'm getting one of the 26th. Unless the real word tests are under the 8hr mark with the battery.
 
So Windows RT does support pens.

Capacitive pens are supported on pretty much every capacitive touchscreen. Duh.

PnW0b.jpg


Wacom pen for Surface RT, wooo!
 
I think part of the reason Microsoft went with 1366x768 is that the Tegra 3 can't really push 1080p with equivalent performance (ie, you'd have a situation similar to the iPad 3). The quad-core Snapdragon S4 can, but that was only released fairly recently.
 
So I'll be getting one. I feel very guilty about it though considering how overpriced it is and that I'm not the one paying. Shame there's no deals for students... where are those MS Store 20% off codes when you need them
 
Any in-depth reviews yet? I know its too soon but I need to read more about this, Im trying to justify that ridiculous price.


I am really thinking about snagging one just for development of these RT apps. C# is a fuck ton nicer than shitty ass objective C.

You dont mean developing on the RT tablet itself though? Unless they are making a Visual Studio RT
 
Still undecided on whether to opt with

Vaio Duo 11 i5
Vaio Duo 11 i7

or to wait for Surface Pro.

You guys all know your shit, throw some information at me! Try and sway me!
 
Wifi only iPad doesn't have GPS either. I'd think plenty of other wifi only tablets are the same.
the only major ones that don't are the Kindle and Nook. the vast majority of Android tablets have GPS hardware built in.



Well, it would probably be limited in it's value by the lack of 3G/4G/LTE/whatever.

Still rather stupid.
dedicated map applications, usb hotspots and tethering exist.



Yeah, that is pretty bad. VaporMg was cited as the reason there is no NFC, I wonder if the casing prevents GPS from working too?

Seems like Microsoft put the focus on design and materials over specs/functionality. I'll go play with it in store, it better damn well feel and look amazing.

Edot: Didn't realize WiFi tablets typically lack GPS.

if by 'Wifi tablets" you mean iPads, then yes. if you mean Wifi tablets, then no. even cheap chinese mediatek chipset tablets have been coming with GPS hardware for years.
 
Finally read that gizmodo article on its construction. God damn this is some serious industrial design! Balmer should have road out on stage with it as a skateboard and then torn off the wheels and used it to type up a word doc haha.
 
It's kinda sad that Apple's iPad seems like better value here. Same Tegra 3 as in the $200 Nexus 7(?), resolution is so bad that it's barely better than the Nexus 7/iPad 2/iPad Mini, and storage space that's closer to 16GB than the 32GB that you paid for.

I wonder if people will start developing for the ARM version of Windows? Can you install programs for the desktop? Would be interesting if we start seeing fragmentation happen on the desktop side of Windows between ARM and x86 now... lol
 
It's kinda sad that Apple's iPad seems like better value here. Same Tegra 3 as in the $200 Nexus 7(?), resolution is so bad that it's barely better than the Nexus 7/iPad 2/iPad Mini, and storage space that's closer to 16GB than the 32GB that you paid for.

I wonder if people will start developing for the ARM version of Windows? Can you install programs for the desktop? Would be interesting if we start seeing fragmentation happen on the desktop side of Windows between ARM and x86 now... lol

That's kinda silly to say. It's hard to compare them outright, since you have multiple models of each, but let's go by price point for this one:

$599 will get you:

32gb Surface tablet w/keyboard and cover
32gb new iPad

You mention the space being a concern, but again, ~20gb of space after Office 2013/default apps installed isn't that bad. Not to mention, you can use a Micro SD card with the Surface.

If resolution is that big of a deal for you, then it might be a dealbreaker, but I don't consider the Surface's resolution to be "so bad". The processor is weaker, but Windows 8 has a smaller processor/resource footprint than Windows 7, so I don't think it will be a huge deal.

The iPad has it beat, no doubt, in resolution and apps available (currently). Anything else is arguable.
 
Apple is pushing ridiculous volume through an amazingly efficient supply chain. They have been offering the best value for a while, especially in the tablet space.

I wonder if people will start developing for the ARM version of Windows? Can you install programs for the desktop? Would be interesting if we start seeing fragmentation happen on the desktop side of Windows between ARM and x86 now... lol

You can't install desktop apps on a Windows RT device.
 
I wonder if people will start developing for the ARM version of Windows? Can you install programs for the desktop? Would be interesting if we start seeing fragmentation happen on the desktop side of Windows between ARM and x86 now... lol

imager.php


Sorry.

No, you can not install desktop applications on a Windows RT device. As stated a billion times in this thread and obviously in the OP.

The ARM version of a metro app is basically one click away for developers.
 
been thinking about the surface a wee bit, if the build quality is really up to scratch as the ads make it look, this really does destroy the ipad in pretty much everyway EXCEPT for apps. Which is admittedly a really large deal. Not one that concerns me as I'm getting the pro and can wait some years for the appstore to catch up.

Apple must be quite worried about this though, because app development may be low at the start, but being that they have the desktop to fall back on, MS can probably dump a bunch of their considerable programming resources into bolstering the app store themselves. Interested to see the first official apps coming out of the app store from MS themselves.

I use win 8 daily at home, Have NEVER yet downloaded an app from the store (but I'm using on a desktop which really feels kind of pointless).

The iPad has it beat, no doubt, in resolution and apps available (currently). Anything else is arguable.

the designers just did an AMA on reddit, here is what they said about the resolution question.

from

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/11kyja/iam_panos_panay_gm_of_microsoft_surface_amaa_ask/

I don't know how true the stuff is

Hey I tried to answer this resolution question for another post, but it got stuck.. So I will try here:
Hey this is Stevie. Screen resolution is one component of perceived detail. The true measure of resolvability of a screen called Modulation Transfer Function (MTF), not Pixels. MTF is a combination of both contrast and resolution. There are over a dozen subsystems that effect this MTF number.. Most folks just focus on one number out of dozens that effect perceived detail. Without good contrast resolution decreases. Check out contrast sensitivity of the human eye graph (http://www.telescope-optics.net/images/eye_contrast.PNG ) and if you want more see the links below. Basically, as resolution/DPI increases the eye has becomes less sensitive. So as a result, the amount of light in a room and the reflections off the screen have a huge effect on the contrast of the display. In fact, a small amount of reflection can greatly reduce contrast and thus the perceived resolution of the display. With the ClearType Display technology we took a 3 pronged approach to maximize that perceived resolution and optimize for battery life, weight, and thickness. First prong, Microsoft has the best pixel rendering technology in the industry (cleartype 1.0 and 2.0) .. these are exclusive and unique to Windows, it smooths text regardless of pixel count. Second, we designed a custom 10.6” high-contrast wide-angle screen LCD screen. Lastly we optically bonded the screen with the thinnest optical stack anywhere on the market.. something which is more commonly done on phones we are doing on Surface. While this is not official, our current Cleartype measurements on the amount of light reflected off the screen is around 5.5%-6.2%, the new IPad has a measurement of 9.9% mirror reflections (see the displaymate link: http://www.displaymate.com/iPad_ShootOut_1.htm). Doing a side by side with the new iPad in a consistently lit room, we have had many people see more detail on Surface RT than on the Ipad with more resolution.
Some more links to share if you want to know more… (http://www.normankoren.com/Tutorials/MTF.html)... Also This is a great book to read if you really want to get into it: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0819434965/?tag=neogaf0e-20 or more here http://alexandria.tue.nl/extra2/9901043.pdf
 
been thinking about the surface a wee bit, if the build quality is really up to scratch as the ads make it look, this really does destroy the ipad in pretty much everyway EXCEPT for apps. Which is admittedly a really large deal. Not one that concerns me as I'm getting the pro and can wait some years for the appstore to catch up.

Apple must be quite worried about this though, because app development may be low at the start, but being that they have the desktop to fall back on, MS can probably dump a bunch of their considerable programming resources into bolstering the app store themselves. Interested to see the first official apps coming out of the app store from MS themselves.

I use win 8 daily at home, Have NEVER yet downloaded an app from the store (but I'm using on a desktop which really feels kind of pointless).

Yeah, I really think the Surface is being underestimated.

the designers just did an AMA on reddit, here is what they said about the resolution question.

from

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/11kyja/iam_panos_panay_gm_of_microsoft_surface_amaa_ask/

I don't know how true the stuff is

Did read that and I'm also not sure how accurate it is, but resolution isn't a dealbreaker for me. For a laptop that I want to be able to use for basic consumption and productivity, I don't need 1080p.
 
been thinking about the surface a wee bit, if the build quality is really up to scratch as the ads make it look, this really does destroy the ipad in pretty much everyway EXCEPT for apps. Which is admittedly a really large deal. Not one that concerns me as I'm getting the pro and can wait some years for the appstore to catch up.

Apple must be quite worried about this though, because app development may be low at the start, but being that they have the desktop to fall back on, MS can probably dump a bunch of their considerable programming resources into bolstering the app store themselves. Interested to see the first official apps coming out of the app store from MS themselves.

I use win 8 daily at home, Have NEVER yet downloaded an app from the store (but I'm using on a desktop which really feels kind of pointless).



the designers just did an AMA on reddit, here is what they said about the resolution question.

from

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/11kyja/iam_panos_panay_gm_of_microsoft_surface_amaa_ask/

I don't know how true the stuff is

Dunno if surface does something extra to allow something more with clear type, but they do have a point: Clear Type is really good, and imo, definitely noticeable the lack of of when logging into linux...

My screen has a lower dpi than an ipad 2 (1600*900 at a 17.3" -> 106dpi against ipad2's 132, but still the text is much, much sharper at the same distance.
 
Don't get me wrong, I've stated multiple times that I am very interested in picking up the Surface Pro. It's the RT that looks like pretty poor value compared to the iPad. Honestly, I don't see anything about it that would sway an average consumer from the iPad to the Surface RT when they cost the same and when the iPad is better than the Surface RT in almost every way. We're just starting to get high DPI/PPI screens on everything nowadays and for some reason Microsoft is going backwards.

HTC has a 5" PHONE with 1080p. The iPad 3 with its insane resolution has been out for more than half a year. The 4.65" 720p Galaxy Nexus is a year old already.

But whatever, that's my POV and I honestly would not recommend the Surface RT to anyone I know.

FYI: I own an S3, Nexus 7, iPad 3, and am using Windows 8 via Dreamspark on my PC before anyone calls me an Apple fanboy.
 
That's kinda silly to say. It's hard to compare them outright, since you have multiple models of each, but let's go by price point for this one:

$599 will get you:

32gb Surface tablet w/keyboard and cover
32gb new iPad

You mention the space being a concern, but again, ~20gb of space after Office 2013/default apps installed isn't that bad. Not to mention, you can use a Micro SD card with the Surface.

If resolution is that big of a deal for you, then it might be a dealbreaker, but I don't consider the Surface's resolution to be "so bad". The processor is weaker, but Windows 8 has a smaller processor/resource footprint than Windows 7, so I don't think it will be a huge deal.

The iPad has it beat, no doubt, in resolution and apps available (currently). Anything else is arguable.

Sure the res is higher on iPad, but I wonder what the actual difference is. That MS article about how their tech makes great IQ on lower resolutions intrigued me.
 
I don't see anything about it that would sway an average consumer from the iPad to the Surface RT when they cost the same and when the iPad is better than the Surface RT in almost every way.

Really? I would say resolution and some apps (I still say gaming on day 1 will be better than ipad with the announced xbox lineup) are the only things the ipad has over surface.... in every other way surface rt is better even for the general consumer imo.
 
Really? I would say resolution and some apps (I still say gaming on day 1 will be better than ipad with the announced xbox lineup) are the only things the ipad has over surface.... in every other way surface rt is better even for the general consumer imo.

I think the general consumer has always wanted the iPad, the ones that wanted it and could afford it already have one and have bought many apps that pretty much holds them hostage to that platform, the only way Microsoft could compete was with a better price and they have failed, doesnt bode well for them to be honest :(.
 
Don't get me wrong, I've stated multiple times that I am very interested in picking up the Surface Pro. It's the RT that looks like pretty poor value compared to the iPad. Honestly, I don't see anything about it that would sway an average consumer from the iPad to the Surface RT when they cost the same and when the iPad is better than the Surface RT in almost every way. We're just starting to get high DPI/PPI screens on everything nowadays and for some reason Microsoft is going backwards.

HTC has a 5" PHONE with 1080p. The iPad 3 with its insane resolution has been out for more than half a year. The 4.65" 720p Galaxy Nexus is a year old already.

But whatever, that's my POV and I honestly would not recommend the Surface RT to anyone I know.

FYI: I own an S3, Nexus 7, iPad 3, and am using Windows 8 via Dreamspark on my PC before anyone calls me an Apple fanboy.

You say this, but so far you've only mentioned screen resolution and apps. You don't consider any of these to be advantages:

-Bundled keyboard/cover for same price
-Inclusion of Office 2013
-Micro SD storage
-2GB RAM

Resolution, for your average user, is not going to be a dealbreaker. I consider the added productivity options via Office 2013 and the keyboard to be HUGE, personally.

I'm looking at it from the tech spec level and everything favors the iPad (ironic, considering it's Apple).

This is a very flawed way to evaluate or compare products, IMO. Hardware is only a part of the experience.
 
Really? I would say resolution and some apps (I still say gaming on day 1 will be better than ipad with the announced xbox lineup) are the only things the ipad has over surface.... in every other way surface rt is better even for the general consumer imo.

I'm looking at it from the tech spec level and everything favors the iPad (ironic, considering it's Apple).

Edit: Maybe except RAM. Wasn't listed on the Apple site. I assume it's 1GB.
 
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