Microsoft Surface Pro - Anyone getting it?

[NeutralNovice]

I'm pretty excited for this tablet! It's going to have a full OS on it and will make a GREAT companion to my GNote 2! Already reserved mine @ Best Buy.

 

[marcus0263]

Nope, very happy with my ASUS tf700.

 

[Davdi]

Way too expensive for what it is.

 

[javasirc]

There are better spec windows 8 pro tablets coming out, so Surface is useless to me. But because of the price of these new tablets and convertibles, I think I will continue using my laptop which runs windows 8.

 

[NYCHitman1]

Great in theory, but super happy with Android at the moment. When that day changes, I'll consider something else.

 

[Mehta23]

I like the idea...but yeah, it's pretty expensive. In a year or so, I might pick up a tablet/laptop for uni. I'd be happy with something on Windows 8 that could function like a laptop.

 

[MoodyBlues]

Nope, not me. SHOCK! No micro$oft anything in my life.

 

[mikedt]

We've only got Windows RT devices available here so far, and even those seem horribly expensive. Equivalent of around $700-$800 USD. Think I'd rather have an Apple iPad, If I'm going to spend that amount of money on a tablet.

We're still very much on pirated Windows XP with IE6 here in China Along with some Vista and an increasing number of Windows 7 PCs. Low cost Android tablets are everywhere now.

Myself, I've got Linux Mint on my laptops, along with Windows 7(not pirated) and 8(not pirated).

It looks like it's got a non-tactile membrane keyboard....

http://www.suning.com/emall/prd_10052_10051_-7_3258193_.html

A non-tactile membrane keyboard, just like the Timex Sinclair ZX81

 

[saptech]

I wouldn't mind having one but I do not have the funds for it. I do believe it is too pricey and may not do very well.

 

[pasqo83]

I wouldn't mind having one but I do not have the funds for it. I do believe it is too pricey and may not do very well.

Totally agree.

Would of loved to have bought 1 myself as well, I love it BUT it's not a proven tablet so it costs way too much imo to hope that it will be successful. Although specs are great.

I bought an Ipad instead, it works to my liking and has everything I want, although in the future I very much would like to get a windows based to go with my windows laptop and pc and the near future my windows phone ;-)

 

[Mehta23]

There was the Asus one that was half the price of the surface?

 

[big_z]

It looks like it's got a non-tactile membrane keyboard....

I played with a Surface RT before Christmas in a Microsoft store. The "membrane keyboard" is actually a touch sensitive keyboard (it reacts to contact, not pressure), but you can also purchase the flip cover with a tactile keyboard.

 

[nickdalzell]

Full-OS does not mean full function. unless you can use the same apps you can on the PC platform i call scam. it's just a glorified, more expensive iPad. i highly doubt it will do half the stuff a laptop can. let's see MMOs and other PC-games that run on Win8 run on these things then we'll talk. this is just another pathetic attempt at a 'tablet PC'. it will likely block large file downloads, lock you into their app market, and have no external drive for DVD-ROM. it would be a better deal to get a convertible laptop for the same price

 

[mogelijk]

Full-OS does not mean full function. unless you can use the same apps you can on the PC platform i call scam. it's just a glorified, more expensive iPad. i highly doubt it will do half the stuff a laptop can. let's see MMOs and other PC-games that run on Win8 run on these things then we'll talk. this is just another pathetic attempt at a 'tablet PC'. it will likely block large file downloads, lock you into their app market, and have no external drive for DVD-ROM. it would be a better deal to get a convertible laptop for the same price

It actually is using the desktop version of Windows 8. My problem with the device is that I don't consider it a "tablet", instead it is more like a laptop with a detachable keyboard. Ultimately, I think the sacrifices to make it "tablet sized" is what will doom it with most consumers -- such as a lack of storage (while 64 or 128 GB, the OS uses about 40 GB), lack of connectors for external devices, losing the "tablet" size if you want a decent sized keyboard/trackpad with it, no ability to expand memory or storage size, etc.

Tablets are popular because they can do what most people need to do on the road (web browsing, email, etc.) in relatively small form factor. The Surface Pro ends up weighing about as much as a laptop, anyway, but you start to lose the features that make the laptop a better choice for laptop users, while having to sacrifice many of the benefits of having a laptop.

Instead, I think the devices that will be successful are the laptops with reversible screens, where they are full functioned laptops but can be converted into a "tablet" when you don't need the keyboard.

 

[nickdalzell]

i use my iPad where my laptop is not going to fit. but even a desktop version of Windows 8 on a tablet form factor has to have some limit. i highly doubt that most desktop software is going to run on it. it will likely be limited in RAM, internal storage or some other way.

my first Android tablet wouldn't even allow downloads through the browser (only pictures, never other types and only a certain size) so i would not be surprised if the tablet MS is pushing has a file download limit in the mobile IE that forces people to be locked into their app store. MikeDT's pic of the tablet itself seems to lack the 'desktop' tile which would be needed to access software not compatible with the Metro interface (such as Firefox)

 

[mikedt]

i

my first Android tablet wouldn't even allow downloads through the browser (only pictures, never other types and only a certain size) so i would not be surprised if the tablet MS is pushing has a file download limit in the mobile IE that forces people to be locked into their app store. MikeDT's pic of the tablet itself seems to lack the 'desktop' tile which would be needed to access software not compatible with the Metro interface (such as Firefox)

That's actually a Windows RT ARM tablet, I posted for illustration. There is no traditional Windows desktop in RT. Because I was really interested about the non-tactile touch keyboard that Surface apparently comes with. A real physical moving key keyboard seems to be an optional extra.

Problem I think with these x86 Windows 8 Surface tablets, is that they're going to be too heavy for hand-held mobile devices. And they'll require fan cooling as well probably, adding to the weight and bulk. If you're going to sit at a desk with one of these things, might as well use a regular laptop, cheaper as well.

 

[Speed Daemon]

A non-tactile membrane keyboard, just like the Timex Sinclair ZX81

Hey! Get your own bits!

 

[big_z]

That's actually a Windows RT ARM tablet, I posted for illustration. There is no traditional Windows desktop in RT. Because I was really interested about the non-tactile touch keyboard that Surface apparently comes with. A real physical moving key keyboard seems to be an optional extra.

Actually, they (again, speculating based on the RT experience) don't come with either cover. It's just the tablet. You can choose to buy either (or both) keyboard (included with the cover) as a separate add on.

http://www.microsoft.com/Surface/en-US/accessories/home

 

[big_z]

The thing that really impresses me is handwriting. Ever since my third grade teacher made us write our multiplication tables in magic marker on brown paper bags (maximizing friction for better imprinting) I have been a huge believer in actual writing for information retention. Taking notes on a laptop just doesn't connect me to the information like handwriting does. I played with a stylus on the RT and was pretty impressed by its ability to decipher my bad handwriting.

As a developer, I'd also be interested in actually hand-writing code. It'd probably get old after a bit but it's such an unusual departure from the evolution of code input (adding more switches -> punch cards -> crappy terminals -> our current keyboards) that I'd be really interested in experiencing it.