• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Microsoft announces the Surface Studio

Status
Not open for further replies.

Foolworm

Member
Keep in mind Microsoft can't afford to piss off its hardware partners, hence the focus on an relatively niche and underserved market. Anything more mainstream and it can probably be done cheaper by Lenovo/Asus etc.
 

Sky Chief

Member
The concept and design is incredible but why are they using mobile parts for a desktop device (and outdated ones at that when the current generation is a mobile/desktop hybrid)? Makes no sense to me and I can't fathom the price considering that the hardware is already outdated.
 
This is incorrect.


Also not sure why you think engineers are only interested in value propositions.

I don't see how an engineering office will put me such a thing for CAD (pend aren't that effective for such applications anyway) and a second PC for my FEM and CFD simulations.
 

soco

Member
That puck is something I used to expect from apple

I believe the puck is one of those things that came out of the original, previously-named "surface". The multi-touch table thing. They had lots of pieces it would recognize when placed on it. Even showed board games with pieces that were recognized.
 

XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
That puck is something I used to expect from apple

I'm surprised it can't also double as a 6-DOF controller akin to a SpaceNavigator when it's not on the screen. That can be pretty useful for 3D art packages. I guess that would require a bit more engineering to build that in though.
 

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
I don't see how an engineering office will put me such a thing for CAD (pend aren't that effective for such applications anyway) and a second PC for my FEM and CFD simulations.

And I am positive you're right about your specific situation. But your post intimated that would be a ubiquitous issue and I disagree on both power and price. I'd bet most engineers worldwide ate using lower powered and less flexible machines.

Source: my instinct and my butt.
 

see5harp

Member
I believe the puck is one of those things that came out of the original, previously-named "surface". The multi-touch table thing. They had lots of pieces it would recognize when placed on it. Even showed board games with pieces that were recognized.

I remember Bjork had some crazy midi controller that used a ton of those jog wheels too in order to control synths.
 

jelly

Member
People run CAD on their laptops. I doubt this is underpowered for a lot of work.

Even so, there is always the years to come when they improve on it. If you're going to dump 3+grand on one, I think you'll be sure it works for your purpose.
 

paskowitz

Member
People complaining about the price need to realize how much an equivalent PC would cost and the value add of having this "all in one". An equivalent display from Eizo, NEC, etc can cost pretty much the same or in some cases more for the screen ALONE! And those screens don't have touch and require a pen/digitizer pad/tablet/screen (Wacom) separately for another couple grand. Then the tablets/digitizers don't have Adobe RGB or cinema RGB). This is a cumbersome work flow for many creatives. Since many are fully accustom and comfortable with all the specialized features Wacom offers, I am sure many will stay put, but for those that don't rely on those features, or can stomach an alternative, I think the Surface Studio will be a good choice (based on what we have seen so far).

If the Surface Studio can do even an adequate job of bringing all these tools together, I think it will be a hit. For me personally, I would LOVE if they sold the screen/pen/puck together and let me connect to it via DP 1.3/USB C. That would be killer.
 

l2ounD

Member
Wish this thing wasnt an all in on. Since this is a desktop using laptop specs its a bummer. Like why not design a cool power box that is upgradable? With a cintiq being just a monitor it easily carries over to the next pc upgrade.
 

Hastati

Member
This thing is a beauty. Wonder how it's quality as a tablet compares to standalone hardware? I don't know much about the industry but I've always wanted to get into digital art, this doesn't seem like a bad place to start.
 

Breads

Banned
How does the digitizer compare to DTK (Cintiq/ Intuos Pro).

Gonna laugh my ass off if they're trying to sell a premium device that still only equates to the cheap ass feel digitizer.
 

dhlt25

Member
can you use the display as a stand alone umm display? it would sucks when the specs become outdated 2 years down the line and you have to waste the amazing display
 

Divvy

Canadians burned my passport
How does the digitizer compare to DTK (Cintiq/ Intuos Pro).

Gonna laugh my ass off if they're trying to sell a premium device that still only equates to the cheap ass feel digitizer.

I don't think we'll know until artists get some sit down time with it. The one on the pro 4 is not as good as Wacom's, but this one is reportedly better, but we'll have to see.
 
This looks absolutely amazing. I'm a big Apple fan, but if all they have to offer tomorrow is an OLED strip, it's going to look really bad next to this thing.
 

Hoo-doo

Banned
can you use the display as a stand alone umm display? it would sucks when the specs become outdated 2 years down the line and you have to waste the amazing display

Display tech isn't going to suddenly revert backwards.

In two years displays will be even better.
 

Servbot24

Banned
That's pretty darn cool. Too expensive though.

I can't picture heavy Photoshop users ever using that dial.

This looks absolutely amazing. I'm a big Apple fan, but if all they have to offer tomorrow is an OLED strip, it's going to look really bad next to this thing.

MacBook Pro is a completely different type of product.
 

MJPIA

Member
https://techcrunch.com/2016/10/26/surface-dial-hands-on/
That’s all well and good, but the device is meant to be more than just a dumb switch. And, given the fact that the company is making a newly aggressive push toward creative types through Windows 10 Creators Update and the new Surface Studio, the company trucked a bunch in to the event to show the hardware in action. What was most impressive was the already diverse selection of applications it was already being employed on at the event.

In one station, populated by a pair of guys who help design jet engines, it was used to subtly adjust the length of a simple 3D model – turn left it gets smaller, turn right, larger. At another station, an animator was using it to move a character a few frames with the turn of a wrist.
The hardware itself is simple, but nice. It’s got a good heft to it and a premium feel, and it glides smoothly, without offering enough give to accidentally turn too far. Response is instantaneous, as one would expect with a wireless mouse, keyboard or other input device. You can stick it directly to the display on the Surface Studio, for direct interaction, and when you take it off, a surrogate digital version pops up on-screen.
img_1985.jpg
The dial will live or die on how much support Microsoft gives it but I really hope this takes off.
 

Arex

Member
looks really sexy, but for the price, the specs let me down, and the connectivity options seems kinda limited. I'll probably wait for the next iteration before considering getting one.

How does the digitizer compare to DTK (Cintiq/ Intuos Pro).

Gonna laugh my ass off if they're trying to sell a premium device that still only equates to the cheap ass feel digitizer.

the pen has 1024 pressure sensitivity level, so it about half of most cintiq pen's sensitivity I guess. I haven't tried using surface pens though.
 

itwasTuesday

He wasn't alone.
Just make the touch screen version of that please. I'll provide my own hardware. We need more choices.


also 16:9 is super dumb, I am glad ms is understanding that.
 

cyberheater

PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 Xbone PS4 PS4
I'm a long time mac head but that is a lovely looking bit of kit. Well done MS.
 

clav

Member
People run CAD on their laptops. I doubt this is underpowered for a lot of work.

Yeah 2D CAD is fine on very low end hardware (Intel integrated graphics), so I don't know why people are yapping as someone who I used it a lot for machining.

3D CAD is what requires graphics acceleration, and that depends the scale of the project.
 

Breads

Banned
looks really sexy, but for the price, the specs let me down, and the connectivity options seems kinda limited. I'll probably wait for the next iteration before considering getting one.



the pen has 1024 pressure sensitivity level, so it about half of most cintiq pen's sensitivity I guess. I haven't tried using surface pens though.

I could deal with 256 levels of pressure sensitivity if I have to - that's not what I'm concerned about. My concerns are in parralax issues and how it tracks the tip, angle, and rotation of the stylus. As far as I know DTK is the only digitizer that addresses/ solves these issues and anything else introduced into the market so far has been a demonstrable compromise... and wacom knows this. It's why their cintiqs/ cintiq companions are so overpriced compared to what they actually offer. If you want this digitizer they are the only people you can get it from, which has felt extremely anti competitive for years and years.

My hope is that it is indeed a contender and it forces wacom to get it's shit together or make something so good that it invalidates the stranglehold wacom has on the market.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom