Microsoft Surface

[Steve Connor]

[David Cherniack] ” I expect it will replace the need for an Ultrabook in a lot of use scenarios and it weighs less and will probably cost less.
“

I agree, but I wouldn’t be too sure about that last part. However it is exactly the sort of thing Microsoft should be doing, even if it is a bit late, they have lost a lot of ground to Android and iOS and they need to catch up.

As in the wonderful world of NLE’s, Choice is good!

Steve Connor
“The ripple command is just a workaround for not having a magnetic timelinel”
Adrenalin Television

[Tim Wilson]

I like goofing around, but I’m not kidding about the kickstand. I use the one on my phone ALL THE TIME. speakerphone, playing music or video, etc. Love it.

Netbooks are great, and I can’t believe more people don’t use them. I swear that two thirds of the people who think they prefer a 15 inch laptop for anything non-work related and maybe half who use a tablet for anything but specific apps will be amazed at how much more they prefer a netbook.

That said, we’re talking about tablets, which have their own awesomeness, and this one seems to address some real usability issues.

It’s really not fair to say that msft looks for how to solve problems with Windows. That’s what Apple does with iOS…but I bet if there was a tablet-optimized, touch-sensitive version of the FULL Mac IS with the same processor that’s in an iMac, you’d be hailing it as a breakthrough, and a good number of people here would have one on order, not as a computer or laptop replacement, but as a cool tablet that can do far far more than tablets can today.

And for Surface, the tiny handful of people who use Windows -and I get it, it really is just a tiny handful of people who use Windows -they’re going to look at this, look at some of the fun stuff, and think, hmm, this might work for me. This is going to hit some sweet spots for, again, that single digit minority of people who use Windows.

Tim Wilson
Associate Publisher, Editor-in-Chief
Creative COW Magazine
Twitter: timdoubleyou

[Steve Connor]

[Tim Wilson] “I bet if there was a tablet-optimized, touch-sensitive version of the FULL Mac IS with the same processor that’s in an iMac, you’d be hailing it as a breakthrough, and a good number of people here would have one on order, not as a computer or laptop replacement, but as a cool tablet that can do far far more than tablets can today. “

I wouldn’t, that’s not what I want a tablet to do, that’s not what the iPad was designed to do and it’s also the reason that it’s been such a success. Sure MS will find a market for it and I hope it’s a good one, but I think it’s going to take sales from Android and not much from iOS.

Shall we get a pool going on what percentage MS have of the market in say 18 months time? Winner gets a Pony

Steve Connor
“The ripple command is just a workaround for not having a magnetic timelinel”
Adrenalin Television

[Tim Wilson]

[Steve Connor] “I wouldn’t, that’s not what I want a tablet to do”

You don’t want the tablet to have a tablet-optimized, touch sensitive OS that can do more than it can do, run full versions of every application you’ve ever owned AND can run all your fun iOS apps?

I just don’t believe it. I don’t believe that if such a thing was offered you’d say, “Forget it. I’m not in this for the Mac OS. I only want iOS. You can keep this full-version nonsense.” There’s not one person on earth that will say this.

Ballmer’s a moron, but if Tim Cook showed something like this, this forum would be on fire. Again. iPad sales would skyrocket even faster.

Besides, if you believe Apple for a single second when they say that something like this isn’t coming, I’ll point you to Steve Jobs quotes less than 3 years before the introduction of the iPad saying that Apple would never do a tablet because Apple people don’t want tablets, and people who DO want tablets are completely different than Apple customers. It’s amazing how strongly he denied this…oh yeah, and getting into the phone business.

So get used to it now. Soon, Apple will bring you an Apple-flavored version of exactly this. Today, a pony is on the line.

Tim Wilson
Associate Publisher, Editor-in-Chief
Creative COW Magazine
Twitter: timdoubleyou

[Mark Wilson]

By the time Surface Pro hits the market, the IPad X will be introduced running Mountain Lion, with USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt.

Just wishful thinking!!!

[Steve Connor]

[Tim Wilson] ” Apple people don’t want tablets, and people who DO want tablets are completely different than Apple customers”

But I think this is true in a lot of respects, which is why MS will do well with their offerings. But I like having my iPad AND Macbook Pro, they serve different needs and they do it very well.

Steve Connor
“The ripple command is just a workaround for not having a magnetic timelinel”
Adrenalin Television

[Chris Harlan]

[Phil Hoppes] “Microsoft looks at the very same thing and ALWAYS goes to, “How can we make windows solve this problem?” Not what do consumers need, not what is the best solution to the problem but how can we shoehorn in windows as a solution to another market. To Microsoft the world is just nails that need a Windows hammer. IMHO this is not innovation and a large reason why Microsoft has just languished for the last 10 or so years.”

I don’t know. It strikes me that Xbox and XBox 360, as well as the whole XBox home networking system readily challenge that assumption.

[Jeremy Garchow]

I like my iPad, I use it a lot, but really what I want is a really light laptop. It’s why that damn retina looks so good to me.

Really, an Air would be perfect, but I can’t edit on it, so if I’m going to get a full OSX computer I might as well get the retina if I am going to spend the dough. An Air would be a luxury item, the retina would be a work item that I can also use where the iPad fits in.

And by the way, if people think that Microsoft isn’t in the entertainment/consumer game, I highly suggest looking at what they are doing with the XBox 360. It is “Windows 8” incarnate, and it works, and works very well. It is also a digital media hub that can connect to other computers, they even have a new iOS app to control the damn thing.

IT has it’s usual Microsoft design quirks, but over the years, it has improved.

It’s $299 and way more functional than the Hobbyist AppleTV will ever be.

Jeremy

[Shawn Miller]

[Phil Hoppes] “Microsoft looks at the very same thing and ALWAYS goes to, “How can we make windows solve this problem?” Not what do consumers need, not what is the best solution to the problem but how can we shoehorn in windows as a solution to another market.”

Respectfully, Phil. I coudln’t disagree with you more on this. Do a quick search for “Microsoft Solutions for”… or try doing a search on “Microsoft Kinect and healthcare”. You might find that there’s a bit more to them (MS) than you might have imagined.

[Phil Hoppes] ” IMHO this is not innovation and a large reason why Microsoft has just languished for the last 10 or so years.”

Something you may (or may not)find of interest:

https://www.fogglaw.com/news/our-clients-top-ieee-scorecard-best-patent-portfolios

You’ll have to click through to download and see the PDF, but you might note that Microsft holds the most valuable patent portfolio in the computer software space (followed by Oracle and SAP), whereas Apple holds the most valuable portfolio in the electronics space followed by Hitachi and Panasonic. Microsoft can be accused of a lot of things, but languishing or standing still just don’t seem to fit… at least not to me, you may see something completely different though.

Thanks,

Shawn

[Shawn Miller]

[Jeremy Garchow] “And by the way, if people think that Microsoft isn’t in the entertainment/consumer game, I highly suggest looking at what they are doing with the XBox 360. It is “Windows 8″ incarnate, and it works, and works very well.”

Very true, people are also doing a ton of cool things using the Kinect SDK. Personally, I wish my cable box had the same voice command functionality. 🙂

Shawn