Microsoft Cuts Surface Pro Price By $100 341
SmartAboutThings writes "After discounting the Surface RT tablet worldwide by 30 percent, Microsoft is now cutting the price of its Surface Pro tablet by one hundred dollars. Steve Ballmer himself has recently declared that he was unhappy with the number of tablets Microsoft has managed to sell. The price cut offer is valid between August 4th and August 29th. It might continue or stop, according to the supply. The price cut is applicable to Surface Pro 64 GB & 128 GB models."
Not enough (Score:5, Interesting)
Sorry but that's not enough- not nearly enough.
Perhaps if they were between $350 and $550?
Otherwise, I can have a 10" tablet for $300 (or much less) or I can have a laptop for $450 (or much less).
The touch is okay but the price point isn't right.
Re:Not enough (Score:5, Interesting)
The price cut lets it undercut every direct competitor by 100 bucks. This thing doesn't compete against a puny ARM tablet or even a puny $450 laptop. It competes against ultrabooks and especially ultrabook-tablet hybrids (Samsung Ativ Smart PC Pro, Sony Vaio Duo...).
It has its niche - less money for the same product is always better, but it's by no means overpriced.
Re:Not enough (Score:5, Funny)
If you never want to run apps on it, ever, then Windows 8 is apparently a nice interface for touch.
Re:Not enough (Score:5, Informative)
If you never want to run apps on it, ever, then Windows 8 is apparently a nice interface for touch.
That is pretty true of Surface 8 RT (although there are quite a few apps for it).
But Surface 8 Pro is a full fledged 64bit Windows (wintel) device that will run just about anything your desktop machine will run, and the performance is pretty amazing. Beats the hell out of my Android 10 inch tablet in terms of speed and responsiveness. It really is pretty nice hardware.
For my day job, (where I have to do Windows Development) I've had to travel with a monster laptop, but I've now got everything on a 128Gig Pro 8 with and additional 64gig MircroSD card for storage, and the click keyboard.
I have all my source code, compilers, linkers, IDEs and a complete replication of my work environment on the device.
I can even run VMware on it. Linux in virtual machines for supporting my other customers.
Yes, run time is not that great (although its way more than the 4 hours claimed because its battery saving strategy is very good).
Yes, Its heavier than my Android tablet, but nowhere near as heavy as even a small laptop).
And, IMHO, the touch interface is less than inspiring, but I spend most of my time working in an a software development environment (desktop) anyway do I don't notice.
Expensive! That's the only serious complaint. But as a business tax write-off, it didn't hurt much.
Hate on RT as you will, but Pro is a good product, and a pretty high price.
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Not enough (Score:5, Interesting)
Yea everyone knows a Nexus 7 beats a core i5! AMIRITE?
It does if your goals are to have a handheld tablet which runs cool, has great battery life, plenty of touch-optimised apps and low OS maintenance requirements.
And that's the problem with both the Surfaces.
The RT is late to the party with several irritations and nothing better to offer than the other tablet OSs, not to mention a lot less apps available. The Pro brings the same old Windows benefits, complexity and issues every other Windows machine brings, but also puts nothing new on the table. Technically there's lots of click-click cleverness and interface bling, but neither enables users to do anything new or better than what's already available.
Microsoft has been trying to do tablets for longer than most companies - I even still have a Compaq Concerto with Pen Windows on it - but they've never managed to give the actual users of the hardware any tangible benefit for the cost or complexity. For users, it's not so much "Where do you want to go today?" as a bewildered "Well, what can I do with this thing now?"
Re:Not enough (Score:4, Interesting)
The main draw for me to my Surface Pro was the power. I was using a Lenovo S10e for most of my work tasks and while it worked ok, it didn't have enough power to do heavy lifting tasks like Virtual Machines or PC games well. As a subnotebook replacement, the Surface Pro is one of the best if not the best option out there. As a tablet, not so much.
That being said, my Nexus 7 is a much better tablet. If I want to browse the web or check email, the N7 is much better than the SP for that. For occasional tablet use the SP isn't bad but the SP's weight vs the N7 is very noticeable. Battery Life vs the SP is no contest either. The N7 destroys both Surface systems there, But I'm not going to be playing TF2 or running My DEV VM on my N7 anytime soon.
The biggest problem that Microsoft faces when it comes to the Surface is the RT models. They seriously need to revamp RT to be DEV Friendly or EOL it right now. If MS focused strictly on the Surface Pro's from the beginning instead of doing the typical Balmeresque halfassing strategy they've done with just about everything coming out of Redmond the last two years by trying to compete against IPad like just about every failed tablet manufacturer out there then maybe they wouldn't be sitting on a crap ton of money wasting in a warehouse.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3)
If you never want to run apps on it, ever, then Windows 8 is apparently a nice interface for touch.
That is pretty true of Surface 8 RT (although there are quite a few apps for it).
But Surface 8 Pro is a full fledged 64bit Windows (wintel) device that will run just about anything your desktop machine will run, and the performance is pretty amazing.
But still on Windows 8. After my Wife's old laptop failed I bought her a new one, running Windows 8 with a touchscreen. Setup was pretty excruciating - just about everything was a fight. Then Windows updated and changed the settings. Then since she likes shortcuts on the desktop screen, I tried to make shortcuts for some apps she wanted. But no, you can't make shortcuts for apps So she needs to go to the silly Metro interface to run those. And her email service is POP. Oh, but wait. Windows 8's email progra
Re: (Score:3)
I'm not sure I quite understand the appeal of the device.
For the same amount of money, you can get an actual business-rugged laptop with a full-voltage CPU, the same display resolution, a system SSD AND a 1TB spinning disk ("source code, compilers, linkers, IDEs and a complete replication of my work environment on the device." - how the hell did you ever fit that on the 100GB of usable space on the Pro? Surely you're not running anything remotely IO intensive directly from the SD card?), and 10+ hours of re
Re:Not enough (Score:5, Informative)
Bahahahahahaaha
Yeah, Icebike is a MS promoter from a long way back.
I prefer the Australian Financial Review's version:
Microsoft slashes Surface prices (for unlucky few)
Microsoft has slashed the price of its ill-starred Surface Pro tablet in countries around the world. But, in a lucky escape, the discounts don’t apply here in Australia.
Prices for the Surface Pro tumbled in the US, Canada, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan over the weekend. In the US, it’s now listed as “Starting at $799”, $US100 cheaper than it was a few days ago.
Meanwhile here in Australia, the Surface Pro still starts at $999, just like always. Fingers crossed the discounting doesn’t spread down here, otherwise people might be tempted to buy one, which wouldn’t be a good idea. Not just yet, anyway.
http://www.afr.com/f/free/technology/digitallife/microsoft_slashes_surface_prices_MjgML0oVz8scIMOLdJ78LL [afr.com]
Re:Not enough (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't work for, or get paid by MS, I work for a small software development company that delivers systems designed to run mostly on windows, some Linux as well.
I've seen my mod trail, and as fast as someone knocks it down others kick it back up.
By the way, I've been accused of being a shill for Apple, Ubuntu, Google, HTC, VMware, OpenSuse, KDE, Foxit, Chrysler, Garmin, Samsung, Motorola, Microsoft, Intel, and Starbucks, to name just a few. If I got a pay check from all of them I could quit my job.
I'm sorry you don't like seeing positive posts about things you have CLEARLY never laid fingers upon, but that's YOUR problem, not mine.
I've been looking for a substitute for my monster Dell (oops, yup, must be a shill for them too, right?) laptop for years. Its heavy to drag around on business trips. Its battery life is way worse. I spent 25 minutes at a Microsoft Kiosk on the Surface Pro, (after having read up on it for a month). The guy let me download my compilers (not Microsoft products) and some free source code off the web and actually run some compilations. He let me install OfficeLibre (yup, shilling for this rat bastards as well), open some documents, update and save them to his device. (He didn't even complain that I wouldn't consider MS Office, although there was a bundle for that). He didn't care what I did to the machine, he had a fast wipe capability at the kiosk. I walked away. Had a Widmer Hef, (shill !) and thought it over.
Finished the brew, walked back and slapped down my Visa (shill). Done, and Done.
I like it. You don't have to. But grow the fuck up, and learn to see that everyone who disagrees with you is not being paid to do so.
Re: (Score:3)
Shit dude, if your posts can really convince people to believe you're a shill for all those companies, clearly you're good enough at the job that maybe you SHOULD seriously consider being a professional shill. Not such a bad side gig for someone who'd be
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3)
Why would you prefer the Surface Pro over an ultraportable though? It sounds like you don't use it much as a tablet. I have a monster Dell that I hate and wish I had something like a Zenbook or Air.
Funny you should say that, because that was exactly the debate I was having with myself.
In the end, small size, portability, performance, and novelty won the day. Haven't looked back.
Not saying its the best device, just that its a very well made and faster than the ultras I was considering.
Re:Not enough (Score:5, Informative)
Yes.
http://techrights.org/2011/12/26/microsoft-and-nokia-astroturf/ [techrights.org]
âoeWaggener Edstrom explains its âoePerception Managementâ services,â notes Homer, who quotes: âoeUncontrolled buzz can dramatically change perceptions of your brand. [...] The Narrative Network mines online dialogue and traditional media, even foreign language media, for mentions of your brand, your company, your key executives and your competitors. Then using a social networking algorithm, it associates what they say about your brand. [...] While we monitor your narrative network over time, or before and after a product launch or PR announcement, we will find new branches of a story [graphic flashes the phrase "Negative PR"]. This allows us to measure effectiveness of the PR messaging, and insert new messages or themes into your brand storyline, and deploy the right resources to keep the story on message, or adjust tactics to manage perceptions.â
Re: (Score:3)
Microsoft Office 2013 interface ... hurts my eyes just looking at it
Holy Carp! That makes even the new Hotmail UI look good.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Not enough (Score:4, Funny)
It competes against ultrabooks
Sure. it just doesn't compete successfully, that's all.
Re:Not enough (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Not enough (Score:5, Insightful)
I get that.
But the sales are so low that there is no way 100 bucks is going to kickstart them.
What is it- like 150,000 total units sold world wide with a 20% return rate?
With 4,000,000 units unsold?
$100 bucks isn't enough.
I'm not bashing or hating on Microsoft. I'm just stating reality.
The "puny" units being sold for $450 are as powerful as my "top of the line unit" bought just a few years ago.
Sure-- some power junkies might even need (not just want) the surface- but it's exceptional overkill for most people. They don't need the extra power so they are not going to pay for it. Very similar to the "lisa" mistake Apple made decades ago.
Perhaps they'll cut $100 now, then another $100 in October and another $100 in December-- trying to find the price point where the product starts selling. But every month they put off price cuts just means the technological advantage of the surface machines is decaying relative to other machines.
Re: (Score:3)
This thing doesn't compete against a puny ARM tablet or even a puny $450 laptop. It competes against ultrabooks and especially ultrabook-tablet hybrids
Nope. It competes against iPads, as per Microsoft's own advertising. To repeat: Microsoft just spent a metric assload of money to tell the world that the Surface is a better iPad. Some units in the company might think that they're competing against ultrabooks and hybrids, but their marketing department has said clearly that it's competing against Apple tablets.
Re:Not enough (Score:4, Insightful)
"The price cut lets it undercut every direct competitor by 100 bucks. This thing doesn't compete against a puny ARM tablet or even a puny $450 laptop. It competes against ultrabooks and especially ultrabook-tablet hybrids (Samsung Ativ Smart PC Pro, Sony Vaio Duo...)."
It doesn't matter how gorgeous you think the hardware is. It is only as good as what it will run, and nobody (relatively speaking) wants that OS.
Man, nobody wants the most powerful, most fuel-efficient car in the world, if the only place it will take you is Trenton, NJ.
no competition for ultrabooks (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3)
Wrong. That's the surface RT, not the surface Pro. The Surface Pro competes against simialr high-end stuff.
Re: (Score:2)
well surface pro is x86 and has digitizer input..
but it's still a year old design at this point. they should have bundled it with both soft and hard keyboards, to make it compete with laptops properly.
Re: (Score:2)
well surface pro is x86 and has digitizer input..
but it's still a year old design at this point. they should have bundled it with both soft and hard keyboards, to make it compete with laptops properly.
Yeah, the keyboard being extra is a bummer, because the touch screen one works fine, but takes way too much space.
And the softkey one is not worth the price. This machine really shines with the Click Keyboard.
But its actually x86_64, a full 64bit quad-core Core-i5. Boots in 7 seconds flat.
Re: (Score:2)
'Cause tablets run on batteries.
My Android tablet takes 30 seconds or more to boot. That wouldn't be such a big deal, except the battery only lasts about a day in standby, so it has to be shut down when we're not using it. The result is that, if we need to look something up quickly on the web, we boot the netbook, which takes half as long.
Re: Not enough (Score:4, Interesting)
Turn off the WiFi adapter before putting your droid on standby.
Turn it back on when you wake it back up.
Your standby battery life will go from one day to over a week.
Re: (Score:2)
Absolutely
I reboot my windows computer rarely (6 to 10 times per year?)
It reboots itself once a week while I'm asleep and spends the rest of the time in sleep mode.
It wakes up from sleep mode very quickly.
So boot time doesn't really matter.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
The pen makes it absolutely worth it. It's a professional Wacom digitizer pen with 1024 levels of sensitivity. Drawing right on the tablet screen is awesome. The pen also works with desktop apps like Illustrator, Photoshop, SketchPad Pro, etc.
Re: (Score:2)
The pen makes it absolutely worth it. It's a professional Wacom digitizer pen with 1024 levels of sensitivity. Drawing right on the tablet screen is awesome. The pen also works with desktop apps like Illustrator, Photoshop, SketchPad Pro, etc.
Odd, I haven't found a single use for the pen, but would never invest in this tablet without the Click Keyboard (not the cheesy touch keyboard)
All my artistic skills would fit on the head of a pin, so its not a mystery why I don't use the pen.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Wait for the Woot.
Then at Big Lot's.
Excellent (Score:2)
I really enjoy mine and the more people that use it the more developers can start taking advantage of some of the half-tablet half-laptop features that make it a damn good travel companion - aside from battery consumption.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
It's not our duty to improve your experience. You bought a tablet with little third party developer support, so suck it up.
Re:Excellent (Score:5, Interesting)
Little third-party developer support? You must live in some fantasy world where Windows 95-Windows 8 never existed. A tablet that runs every 32-bit (and 64-bit) application ever written for the world's most popular OS since the mid-90's does not have "little third party developer support".
Re:Excellent (Score:4, Insightful)
Little third-party developer support? You must live in some fantasy world where Windows 95-Windows 8 never existed.
You've clearly never used one if you think that Windows software is mostly practical on a tablet. If it was then there wouldn't have been any need to develop Metro. Of course, you can use it as a half-assed laptop, but an actual laptop would be cheaper and better so why bother?
Re: (Score:2)
I have. Most software that you'd use in a setting where a tablet makes sense works relatively well. The rest can just use mouse and keyboard, since you'll be doing it at a desk anyway.
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Little third-party developer support? You must live in some fantasy world where Windows 95-Windows 8 never existed. A tablet that runs every 32-bit (and 64-bit) application ever written for the world's most popular OS since the mid-90's does not have "little third party developer support".
Exactly!
There is an entire world of people who still don't understand that Surface Pro is radically different than RT.
Its actually x86_64, a full 64bit quad-core Core-i5. Boots in 7 seconds flat. And its performance is amazing, and the
interface is well thought out.
When they give me my start bar back I'll be far less fumble fingered, and I'll probably stop smudging the screen at all.! ;-)
Re: (Score:3)
Wrong, a mobile i5 is dual core not quad core, though with four threads.
Re: (Score:3)
You're right of course, it shows in device manager as 4 cores, but it's two threads per core.
Re:Excellent (Score:5, Insightful)
There is an entire world of people who still don't understand that Surface Pro is radically different than RT.
And the reason for that is misleading marketing... MS are so obsessed with the idea of forcing the windows brand everywhere that they are blind to the fact that this brand is poisonous on mobile devices. Windows is not a desirable brand, its something people put up with because they have no other choice in many cases, it's highly detrimental in a market where users realise they do have choice.
The only thing it has going for it is compatibility, and yet they dilute the brand with incompatible products, which again turns customers away.
Re: (Score:2)
Ever tried using any "application for most popular OS since mid-90's" on a touchscreen? Keyboard and mouse oriented interfaces *suck* on a 10" touchscreen.
Well, then, hook up a keyboard and mouse. Touch is optional.
Re: (Score:3)
Ever tried using any "application for most popular OS since mid-90's" on a touchscreen? Keyboard and mouse oriented interfaces *suck* on a 10" touchscreen.
Well, then, hook up a keyboard and mouse. Touch is optional.
I really love it when people keep moving the goalposts.
Re: (Score:2)
You'd be amazed by how easy most stuff is to use. There's plenty of stuff that works awfully without a keyboard (pen makes for a decent makeshift mouse), but you wouldn't use most of it away from a desk, would you?
Re:Excellent (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Congratulations, you've won the bronze in the "Miss the fucking point completely" competition!
Hint: most desktop apps from "most supported platform on the planet" are mostly useless when running on small touchscreen. There's a reason tablet computers didn't really catch on until iOS - and not for the lack of tablets with "most supported platform on the planet". There was even Windows XP Tablet Edition, which still didn't help a bit.
Re: (Score:2)
There's a reason tablet computers didn't really catch on until iOS - and not for the lack of tablets with "most supported platform on the planet".
The main reason was because of the form factor and weight. Early tablet PCs were not comfortable to use, especially for extended periods. Plus the lack instant on/off meant that you couldn't quickly look something up then resume a low power state - which is the way people want to use a portable device.
The technology just wasn't ready in the early Pen For Windows days.
Re: (Score:2)
Hint: most desktop apps from "most supported platform on the planet" are mostly useless when running on small touchscreen.
Clearly you've never used a Surface 8 Pro.
Every app I have thrown at it works perfectly. Far from being useless, I've run complete development environments on mine, complete with source code management, editing, compilation and linking.
True, having a Keyboard makes it way easier, and if the truth were known, I've never seen anyone buy a Surface without a keyboard.
But this is true with any tablet. You don't have to buy the keyboard, because any bluetooth or usb keyboard and mouse will work.
But you can make
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
It therefore has probably the largest developer support base of any desktop platform.
Which might be good, if it wasn't a tablet that tries to be a crappy laptop.
Re: (Score:3)
It therefore has probably the largest developer support base of any desktop platform.
Which might be good, if it wasn't a tablet that tries to be a crappy laptop.
Whatever you may think it's trying to be, it's the best ultraportable laptop on the market when used as an ultraportable laptop. I came from a Zenbook UX31A and an X230 and neither are as good as the Surface Pro even if you just use the SP as a laptop with a type cover.
Poor (Score:2)
aside from battery consumption.
...Low Storage Space; Need a table; Heavy; Poor connectivity options(Lacks LETE,3G, or 4G); Pen Attached through Power connector; None Upgradable.
Ooooh Look Google have just released the Nexus 7 version 2
Re: (Score:2)
Easily expandable storage via USB, works like any tablet, not too heavy, sure - 3G would be great, it doesn't have to be, what is these days?
Re: (Score:2)
Storage drives are not meant to be impressive in terms of speed. That's what you have SSD for.
Your comment is about as smart as raging that a delivery truck isn't as fast as a racing car.
Re: (Score:2)
...Low Storage Space; Need a table; Heavy; Poor connectivity options(Lacks LETE,3G, or 4G); Pen Attached through Power connector; None Upgradable.
Storage is available up to 128GIG. (How much did that Nexus 7 max out at? 32gig?)
Then you can add a MicroSD card for as much as you want. (Sounds like upgrade-able to me). Nexus 7? No MicroSD slot?
Don't need a table. Nice to have, because it has a built in fold-out stand. Nexus 7?
Heavy. Got me there.
Poor connectivity options? Has WIFI.
(I'm not buying carrier service for a tablet. (Seriously, who does that). I have a wifi tether in my pocket for those rare time I want to
Re: (Score:2)
ASUS Transformer Pad.. :)
I travel with it, it is light, has a nice keyboard, good apps and developers (android).
1080p instead of the inflight movies, priceless....... for everything else there is bitcoin
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
Surface Pro is just as doomed as Surface RT:
It's a shitty tablet: low res screen, a ridiculously short battery life, with just as little tablet useful and good quality apps (they're the same ones as Windows RT) i.e. apps with a touch UI, to most people, to a lot of people, being a "standard x86 computer" (but with touch) also means dealing with the problems they've had for years with their Windows PCs (malware and what not). The OS takes far too much of the SSD, and it's bloody overpriced compared to an ip
Re: (Score:2)
But when you ACTUALLY USE ONE every day you realise that MS are on to something, even if it's not the perfect mix yet.
People have been saying that about Windows tablets since about 2001.
Re:Excellent (Score:4, Interesting)
Vista was legitimately bad in most regards. The UI was the one "redeeming" aspect; everything else was half baked.
8 is the reverse. The UI blows, the core is good. All problems MS is having with 8 are self-inflicted.
Re: (Score:2)
Pity it doesn't work as a peripheral... (Score:5, Interesting)
At that price, the Surface Pro is more or less even with the Wacom stylus-input displays (of similar size, larger ones are substantially more expensive) that don't have a computer attached to them...
Unless the pen input is totally gimped, this seems like it would be a serious competitor to those for everyone except people whose photoshopping is serious enough that the Surface's specs can't handle it. Especially if your demands are at all mobile, it's hard to justify buying the Wacom when you could get the screen and stylus input with the laptop thrown in for free. It's a pity that the Surface can't act as a monitor/input device (optionally, while charging at your desk, for example, it could go from a waste of space to an extra monitor) for more powerful computers.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Problem is that windows 8 pen input is gimped. Windows 7 has much better pen integration (see link below).
That said, there are a few programs designed to mirror input from one computer to the other but the problem with those is that they perform a weird smoothing (or lack there-of) pattern to the cursor so you get stepped lines instead of a straight one. Remote desktop is another option, but I can't see running photoshop using it.
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_8-desktop/why-doesnt-
Re: (Score:2)
This. I think what is lacking in the tablet world is hardware diversity. What about a tablet that can act as a second monitor while charging (per above), or has cores that are idle when used as a tablet but activate when plugged in so that it can act as the main CPU source and work with a larger 2nd monitor? Or that will act as a stylus-input device and a monitor when plugged in to a desktop?
Maybe some tablet have one of the above features or the other, but what about all of them?
Re: (Score:2)
Samsung's competitor has excellent pen input, so the Surface Pro should be just as good. The drivers were a bit problematic at first on the Surface Pro, but I think they fixed that.
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
Wrong. Very, very wrong. It is a Wacom digitizer. It most certainly detects pressure, the pen has buttons and eraser (and you can use another wacom pen). Dunno about angle since I don't use software that could use it.
It might not be as good as the high-end Wacom dedicated digitizer tablets, but it's good enough for a lot of people and probably cheaper.
Re: (Score:2)
The Pen is a Wacom Digitizer, and a very good one at that once the Wintab drivers were updated.
Now for the record, I don't draw, but I do own a Surface Pro and I've set up a Surface Pro for Photoshop. The owner had an older class Cintiq and I couldn't tell the difference but he said he could, but barely. He also said it may have been due to the smaller screen of the surface however (his Cintiq was the 17' model)
Re:Pity it doesn't work as a peripheral... (Score:5, Funny)
It's a pity that the Surface can't act as a monitor/input device
. . . why can't it . . . albeit, with a hard hack . . . ?
When the price goes down to $99.95, I might buy one as a monitor for my Raspberry Pi.
Re: (Score:2)
The ghastly-little-soldering has been dissuading me; but apparently the move toward eDisplayPort (rather than LVDS) in recent iPads means that you can successfully connect [blogspot.ca] their screens to ordinary DisplayPort sources, given a suitable physical adapter and a power supply for the backlight.
I don't know if the same is true of the Surface Pro or not. If it's an LVDS panel, the conversion hardware isn't wildly expensive (but the ebay cheapy boards aren't nearly small enough to fit neatly); if it's eDP, some mod
Re: (Score:2)
It's a pity that the Surface can't act as a monitor/input device (optionally, while charging at your desk, for example, it could go from a waste of space to an extra monitor) for more powerful computers.
With the right kind of software [edgerunner.com] and a little help from Reddit [reddit.com], anything is possible.
Re: (Score:2)
Thanks! I was looking at a Wacom digitizer earlier this year, but the price was a showstopper. The kind with the built in display (which is what would help the most for the kind of work I'm trying to do) were > $1K. If I can get one that not only does digitizing but can be my tablet, that's sounding like a bargain.
I think I'll get one and play with it before I commit to selling the iPad, though.
Nice but not quite nice enough (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3)
Lenovo's is much more expensive, IIRC.
Asus' don't have pen input and may be a lot more expensive.
Acer's quality isn't very good, in my experience.
Sony loves to try anti-consumer tactics (poor construction, don't cover damage when said poor construction fails, unless it's blatantly obvious).
Additionally, Samsung has a poor build, horrid quality assurance and somewhat unstable software.
That leaves the Surface Pro as a decent compromise with good build quality and reasonable specs.
The Haswells for this class o
Again... (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Ditto and that's the same for all tablets including iPads.
Re: (Score:2)
a free weekend on Martha's Vineyard with Warren Buffet's Gold Card
I prefer a free weekend in Las Vegas with Warren Buffet's Gold Card, you insensitive clod!
Re: (Score:3)
It was modded up funny, not insightful
Still useless (Score:5, Insightful)
Quick question:
I have a pile of bricks for sale. You're building a wood house. If I cut the price of the pile of bricks, does that make you more interested in buying them?
Of course not; You still have no use for a pile of bricks.
Re:Still useless (Score:5, Interesting)
Well, I could use them for a faux-brick facade or something. How cheap are those bricks again?
Success or Failure (Score:4, Interesting)
Much ink has been spilled about the failure of the unloved RT model...One that other than it being severely crippled with Secure Boot was ARM, something I liked a lot...the pro has a fan! I don't see what is compelling about another Windows 8 Ultrabook (Pen input aside...that is great)
What we do know is that the $900m writedown was related to Surface RT only, but the $853m revenue figure includes sales of Surface RT and Surface Pro combined. Microsoft upped its sales and marketing budget for the Windows Division in 2013 by a jaw-dropping $1bn, which included an $898m increase in advertising costs "associated primarily with Windows 8 and Surface.
"Unhappy" is the new strategy? (Score:5, Insightful)
Steve Ballmer himself has recently declared that he was unhappy with the number of tablets Microsoft has managed to sell.
Can someone please pass the message on to Steve Ballmer that being unhappy isn't a strategy for business growth?
Re: (Score:3)
Steve Ballmer himself has recently declared that he was unhappy with the number of tablets Microsoft has managed to sell.
Can someone please pass the message on to Steve Ballmer that being unhappy isn't a strategy for business growth?
To be fair, Ballmer has been unhappy, about most things, for a long time. I doubt a plush La-z-boy recliner that gave hand-jobs would put a smile on his face - besides, it would be too heavy to throw...
How will it all end? (Score:2)
Re:How will it all end? (Score:5, Funny)
Where do you expect this Windows 8 and Surface fiasco will ultimately take Microsoft? What will happen?
Windows 9 will be 'The best Windows ever! Now with NEW mouse and Start Menu support!'
Desktop Edition? (Score:2)
Windows 9 will be 'The best Windows ever! Now with NEW mouse and Start Menu support!'
Why would you think that? Windows 8.1's is an example that Microsoft doubling down on its strategy(start screen seriously) of creating a self styled ecosystem, alienating its traditional users.
Re: (Score:2)
There's only so long you can 'double down' on a losing strategy before you have to admit defeat and fix it. Or go bust.
Grrr... M$ Grrr... (Score:2, Offtopic)
Sorry, nothing insightful or informative to mod up here. I just wanted to say my piece.
Retroactive? (Score:3, Insightful)
So is this retroactive? Will Microsoft be sending a $100 check to the two dozen know-nothings in the Pacific Northwest who bought one of these?
If I'm asked, should I tell them to return the things to the Office Depot or Staples store where they bought them? Every single one would qualify for a return as "unfit for purpose". Hell, most of them would qualify under the store's "no questions asked if returned in 60 days" policies. Then if they really wanted to, they could buy another at the lower price.
insert Steve Jobs' quote (Score:3, Interesting)
"If you can only sell on price, you have nothing worth selling."
for as good as the surface pro is, i'd rather have a Windows 7 laptop for half the price.
my fucking horrible samsung windows 8 laptop (NP550P5C-A01UB, catchy name, no?) types wherever the hell the cursor is, not necessarily where i had intended to type. fuck windows 8.
Sounds good, But! (Score:3)
Does it run Linux?
Re: (Score:2)
If both the RT and Pro could run Linux without working around secure UEFI boot, it would be a selling point. A major selling point for the RT, considering its current level of success.
Re:Sounds good, But! (Score:4, Informative)
Yes. Turn off Secure Boot in the UEFI firmware menu (accessed through Advanced Startup), then boot off the USB Linux boot device of your choice. I expect a modern distribution of Linux will have drivers for most of the hardware inside the Pro. Alternatively, run it in Hyper-V (or VMware, or VirtualBox, or the hypervisor of your choice), since it's an x86 Windows 8 device with hardware virtualization support.
Only the RT has the "permanently locked" Secure Boot setting. The Pro is a full-fledged i5 device that can run Linux just fine.
This is wonderful news! (Score:3)
Wow, I can't believe it! At $999 the Surface Pro was a great deal on a wonderful device, and now at $100 less, it's even a better deal!!! Buy one before they sell out!! I'm going to sell my car and put all my money in Surface Pros!
(Well, you know someone was going to say it.)
MS' shot themselves in the foot with this one (Score:4, Insightful)
If they hadn't arrogantly locked the ARM-based devices into Win8 ONLY with UEFI/SecureBoot, there might have been a market for them among people that would have bought them, wiped them, and put something else on them.
I'm sure the dev community would have come up with an Android load for them, and I'm sure Linux hackers would have had fun with them too.
Instead, they will follow the fate of the Zune, and MS are stuck holding millions of near-worthless paperweights.
Good for them.
Yup - price drop was already overdue (Score:2)
Somebody needs to remind MS that they are not Apple, and can't get away with charging full price for the entire lifecycle of the item. Unlike Apple, which has no direct competition in the OSX/iOS hardware market, the surface is actively competing with other tablet/convertible units out there, and now that Haswell is on the street all the Ivy Bridge units are being discounted to get them out of the way. MS is trailing on this one.
Re: (Score:2)
Yes, Utah seems like a good solution:
http://www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum/showthread.php?24032-Location-of-Apple-Lisa-landfill [vintage-computer.com]
Or possibly New Mexico:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_video_game_burial [wikipedia.org]
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
> In the history of all consumer products in the world, I can think of no other product so publicly rejected as Microsoft's newest products.
In all fairness, I can think of a few that are in the same sad category:
* Sony's sad excuse for a digital Walkman, that made everything secondary to DRM-enforcement and was basically useless, with MiniDisc as a close second.
* Logitech Revue
* Motorola Photon Q (that's *Photon*, not *Nexus*. Google gets a free pass with the Nexus Q since they ended up giving them away