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Condemning the Surface?

unixman_again

By unixman_again
in General Chat

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sted

sted

Posted
Posted
I saw this advert on TV last night. Why is everyone clipping keyboards to their Surface? I though the whole point of a tablet device is that you didn't need a keyboard.

 

the surface keyboard is imo like a car you only need it when you need it. Touch screens are ok for small emails/tweets etc but would anyone use one for anything longer it would drive me up the wall dont know about anyone else

localzuk

localzuk

Posted
Posted
I saw this advert on TV last night. Why is everyone clipping keyboards to their Surface? I though the whole point of a tablet device is that you didn't need a keyboard.

 

Because that's their unique selling point - the fancy keyboard cover. Its a tablet, with extras.

LeMarchand

LeMarchand

Posted
Posted (edited)

Can you add a poll?

 

What does this advert make you think?

 

  1. OMG!!! THAT'S SO KEWLL! iPADS ARE, LIKE, SOOOO YESTERDAY! I WANT 1!
  2. Does MS really think that will convince people that Surface is cooler/more desirable than an iPad?

 

I was actually more interested in a Surface than an iPad, but that advert is forcing me to reconsider.

Edited by LeMarchand
Typo
hardtailstar

hardtailstar

Posted
Posted
If I had all of my emails/cloud/calandar in hotmail then I might get a windows tablet but as mine is all in Gmail ill be getting an android, unless you can link it up with gmail which I cant seem to find so far.
Michael

Michael

Posted
Posted

It's good because it addresses the issue of word processing on a tablet. It's much harder to type quickly on a virtual keyboard.

 

I just question how child proof the keyboard is. You could probably bend it easily and the connector(s) it uses could get damage to. I've not seen a Surface in the flesh as yet.

sonofsanta

sonofsanta

Posted
Posted
If I had all of my emails/cloud/calandar in hotmail then I might get a windows tablet but as mine is all in Gmail ill be getting an android, unless you can link it up with gmail which I cant seem to find so far.

 

Mail will indeed link up with Gmail (source: AnandTech - The Windows RT Review)

 

I think the keyboard is a great idea - stops it just being a window onto the internet. Getting one for my 11yo daughter this Xmas as she wants something to do her homework on (so needs a keyboard and Office - check) but also spends a lot of her time with the laptop just watching catch-up telly or watching videos on YouTube for how to draw - both of which will be better on a tablet she can prop up or hold in her lap than on a full laptop.

 

It's not the device for every situation, but I think it covers more situations than the iPad does. I'm willing to give Win8/WinRT* the benefit of the doubt as well, because WP7 is brilliantly usable.

 

*I know it's not a valid shortening but that's Microsoft's fault for all their daft naming.

mthomas08

mthomas08

Posted
Posted
I saw this advert on TV last night. Why is everyone clipping keyboards to their Surface? I though the whole point of a tablet device is that you didn't need a keyboard.

 

Think its to do with bridging the gap to basic device for internet and notes to actually a good keyboard to produce mass of amount of documents. I am not a fan of the touch screen keyboard, I hate it but give me a keyboard and I can type fast and not look at the keyboard to do it.

 

I totally struggle on touchscreen keyboards, too slippery!#

 

Am a fan of the idea, I like USB keyboards/Mice but the concept of an easy keyboard to clip on - I like.

sted

sted

Posted
Posted
If I had all of my emails/cloud/calandar in hotmail then I might get a windows tablet but as mine is all in Gmail ill be getting an android, unless you can link it up with gmail which I cant seem to find so far.

 

id assume as win8 pro links quite happily to gmail (pretty much did it all for me) surface wont be much if any harder

 

ive gone right off android recently v3 on my tab was great v4 not so much browser and chrome often crash, chrome by default thinks you want to use a 10" screen as a mobile rather than a desktop. My phone reboots randomly 3 times in 1 day is the record and the fragmentation is terriblle and even the to 4.0 devices i have look/feel different. Its the exact oposite of the iphone its too open. Used a surface briefly yesterday and was impressed if i could get shu of my android tab id get one

flyinghaggis

flyinghaggis

Posted
Posted
I really like the idea behind the surface as well. The concept of a tablet with a detachable keyboard seems like a win to me but I'm holding out for an x86 based model. RT just seems too limited in what it offers at the moment.
sted

sted

Posted
Posted
I really like the idea behind the surface as well. The concept of a tablet with a detachable keyboard seems like a win to me but I'm holding out for an x86 based model. RT just seems too limited in what it offers at the moment.

 

depends im not sure if surface pro is missing the point a bit. For me surface rt is about a quick n simple portable device for "entertainment" that can be used for "work" im not sure a surface pro offeres anything you cant get in a cheaper laptop

flyinghaggis

flyinghaggis

Posted
Posted (edited)
depends im not sure if surface pro is missing the point a bit. For me surface rt is about a quick n simple portable device for "entertainment" that can be used for "work" im not sure a surface pro offeres anything you cant get in a cheaper laptop

 

I'm not sure about the surface pro either actually mainly because I think the core i5 in it will make it too expensive for a tablet and will be seriously detrimental to the battery life. There may be heat/fan noise problems as well. I'm keener to see how some of the more power efficient Intel atom SOC CPU's cope as they should be priced close to ARM chips. The main problem I have with RT is the fact it can't run any legacy software/hardware and Metro apps are seriously thin on the ground just now. The thought of a tablet that can be used for entertainment/web surfing but has the flexibility of being able to run potentially any windows app if I add a keyboard/mouse is what really appeals. Why buy a tablet and and laptop when you could potentially buy one device that has all the advantages and functionality of both?

Edited by flyinghaggis
SYNACK

SYNACK

Posted
Posted
Maybe the price of the RT stuff will come down once there is a viable x86 compeditor on the market. Doubtful but worth a shot, every company seems to be gouging at the moment.
Arthur

Arthur

Posted
Posted
The Atom is at least on a par in every benchmark (including battery life) and substantially faster in quite a few.

That's really interesting because Samsung's Exynos 5 Dual (used in both the Nexus 10 and XE303 Chromebook) is significantly faster than an Atom N570 (which itself isn't that much slower than the new Atom Z2760).

 

http://i.imgur.com/cFwVJ.png

 

http://i.imgur.com/CMJlr.png

 

http://i.imgur.com/pvQuB.png

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/PzXfO.png

 

http://i.imgur.com/KXrRO.png

SYNACK

SYNACK

Posted
Posted

Pricing for them parallel imported into NZ has just come out through a NZ supplier $899 ex the 15% GST for the 32GB or $1050 ex for the 64GB.

 

Comparatively the Samsung Ativ is also $1050 but its Atom, has a stylus and a tablet and 64GB, the Acer510 is sitting at $920, also Atom, also 64GB.

 

So: The Windows 8 version that works with everything is cheaper than the cut down ARM only version.

 

Result, not touching the epic ripoff that is Surface even for personal use. The more featureful versions are cheaper and better. Just ashame they don't have that nice keyboard cover.

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