Microsoft Suface. The Mini Mac Rival?

[JBizzle]

What an odd way to view it? You're happy to see yourself as anti-cult, therefore just as bad

I should clarify: I have never found Apple easy to use or particularly user friendly, hence why I wouldn't consider buying one. That doesn't mean if one came along that I did find user friendly and suited my needs that I would pointedly ignore it because its Apple.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I should clarify: I have never found Apple easy to use or particularly user friendly, hence why I wouldn't consider buying one. That doesn't mean if one came along that I did find user friendly and suited my needs that I would pointedly ignore it because its Apple.

It is a good job there is choice out there from companies who haven't sort to copy the unuser friendly Apple interfaces, software and products...

 

[Bozza]

Gizmodo review - Microsoft Surface RT Review: This Is Technological Heartbreak | Gizmodo UK (Summary: it's rubbish)

TheVerge review - Microsoft Surface review | The Verge (Summary: meh)

 

[Another Berkshire Seagull]

Gizmodo review - Microsoft Surface RT Review: This Is Technological Heartbreak | Gizmodo UK (Summary: it's rubbish)

TheVerge review - Microsoft Surface review | The Verge (Summary: meh)

Back to your mini, theres a new big boy in town

Microsoft Surface with Windows RT review -- Engadget

 

[Bozza]

Back to your mini, theres a new big boy in town

Microsoft Surface with Windows RT review -- Engadget

You're holding that up as positive? Did you miss this bit in the review?

"So, if gaming and music and movies and reading are what you're looking to enjoy, then we might advise sitting this one out for a few months just to make sure that all your bases will indeed be covered. "

 

[Bold Seagull]

or

It's in the other half of the equation, that of the content consumption and entertainment, where the Surface is currently lacking. It needs a bigger pile of apps and games to make up for that and, while we're sure they're coming, we don't know when.

From the conclusion what I got is that if you want a purely word processing / spreadsheet machine - this could be it. It can't do much else until some software is released, and even then we're not sure if it will cope.

 

[Another Berkshire Seagull]

You're holding that up as positive? Did you miss this bit in the review?

"So, if gaming and music and movies and reading are what you're looking to enjoy, then we might advise sitting this one out for a few months just to make sure that all your bases will indeed be covered. "

Ecosystem is something Microsoft dont have to worry about.

Remember many apps are holding back for launch on 26th when Windows 8 ships so some of these reviews are jumping the gun here (altho admittedly many vendors are still in dev)
Coupled with the largest developer ecosystem, best developer tools and largest audience of all OS's this small negative on day 1 is actually a real positive.

BTW if we're quoting you obviously missed in The Verge review for Windows 8 Windows 8 review | The Verge...
"Picking up a tablet PC with Windows 8 makes an iPad feel immediately out of date. The ability to run two apps alongside each other allows this to be more than a consumption device, with full keyboard and mouse support and a desktop operating system hiding in the background."

Have a go on a device before you knock it...

 

[Bold Seagull]

Ecosystem is something Microsoft dont have to worry about.

Remember many apps are holding back for launch on 26th when Windows 8 ships so some of these reviews are jumping the gun here (altho admittedly many vendors are still in dev)
Coupled with the largest developer ecosystem, best developer tools and largest audience of all OS's this small negative on day 1 is actually a real positive.

BTW if we're quoting you obviously missed in The Verge review for Windows 8 Windows 8 review | The Verge...
"Picking up a tablet PC with Windows 8 makes an iPad feel immediately out of date. The ability to run two apps alongside each other allows this to be more than a consumption device, with full keyboard and mouse support and a desktop operating system hiding in the background."

Have a go on a device before you knock it...

You noted that one of the big concerns of the surface is that it runs Windows RT, not 8?

Despite this being a Windows 8 review, it’s worth mentioning that Microsoft is also introducing a new version of Windows designed for ARM-based chipsets. Windows RT is based on Windows 8, with the new Windows 8-style user interface, but it will not run traditional desktop applications — an important difference to understand. Any apps built for prior versions of Windows simply won’t run in Windows RT. The desktop remains, but aside from the legacy built-in apps (like Paint or Notepad), the only desktop apps that run are Internet Explorer 10 desktop and Office 2013 RT. Microsoft has also removed the Windows Media Player desktop software in Windows RT in order to promote the built-in Music app.

Other than that, the Windows 8-style UI is identical and Windows RT will run the same Windows 8-style applications as Windows 8. I have previously discussed the confusing choice to keep a desktop mode in an operating system that will primarily ship on tablet hardware, but Microsoft is justifying this with its inclusion of Office 2013 RT. This will be an inevitable source of confusion for consumers once they realise that Surface RT tablets and other Windows RT tablets do not run legacy apps. It’s a confusion Microsoft could prevent with better marketing or the removal of the desktop mode in Windows RT.

 

[Another Berkshire Seagull]

Surface RT runs Windows RT..
Surface Pro runs Windows 8.

Lets be honest its not really that confusing. Its a bit like going to Android Play going to buy an App and it says ... "This is not available for your device.", except for Android device fragmentation is far worse than having two versions...and it turns out that users can deal with that although at times of course the app vendor misses out on a purchase/install.

The reality is that moving fwd more apps will become RT compatible making the legacy exactly that.
I'm not so much of a fan boy that I think everything is perfect here, but to move forwards Windows needed to change and the Surface like many other new devices coming out are great devices to use it on.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Surface RT runs Windows RT..
Surface Pro runs Windows 8.

Lets be honest its not really that confusing. Its a bit like going to Android Play going to buy an App and it says ... "This is not available for your device.", except for Android device fragmentation is far worse than having two versions...and it turns out that users can deal with that although at times of course the app vendor misses out on a purchase/install.

The reality is that moving fwd more apps will become RT compatible making the legacy exactly that.
I'm not so much of a fan boy that I think everything is perfect here, but to move forwards Windows needed to change and the Surface like many other new devices coming out are great devices to use it on.

Windows XP was MS's moment in time. This is proved by 11 years later it still has more market share than their subsequent OS's put together. Too many businesses will not be jumping to upgrade hardware as well as software all in one go. Many of the applications they run on XP will not work on 7 or 8. MS is fighting it's own previous products success. It will be interesting whether they have a winning formula on their hands with 8, or another Vista. It's all sounding like catch up from them, making hardware, designing software for hardware such as tablets they said would never take off, they seem an entirely reactive company at present. Perhaps we'll see.

 

[Another Berkshire Seagull]

Windows XP was MS's moment in time. This is proved by 11 years later it still has more market share than their subsequent OS's put together.

Windows 7 actually surpassed XP some years ago, but it's interesting you should mention businesses because how many of them run iOS? or any of those Mac big cat based OS's? Linux desktops?
How many have skills in Windows? Windows developers? Somehow this massive area makes this not Microsoft's moment in time??

Are you saying these buinesses will never move forwards now? let their IT go out of date? run unsupported software.
I doubt it but Microsoft will have to win these businesses over to the new platform, justify their position in the market or others will eat their supper.

It's all sounding like catch up from them, making hardware, designing software for hardware such as tablets they said would never take off, they seem an entirely reactive company at present

Microsoft never said Tablets would never take off in fact you may recall this little image from not long back...http://i.imgur.com/E5GLT.jpg
Bill has always loved the idea of doing a tablet, before Apple even did Newton and I recall several failed attempt to get one off the ground.

Apple saw the right timing when the tech was ready and lets not forget has done an awesome job with the iPad products in this respect you are right Microsoft are coming from a catch-up position, but lets usw XBOX as an example in two versions went from 0% market share to the leading console on the planet shows what can be done if the technology is good and marketing works.

As a tech fan competition is great, it excites people to innovate, do things better and offer it to end-users cheaper. Everyone's a winner!

 

[Bold Seagull]

Windows 7 actually surpassed XP some years ago, but it's interesting you should mention businesses because how many of them run iOS? or any of those Mac big cat based OS's? Linux desktops?
How many have skills in Windows? Windows developers? Somehow this massive area makes this not Microsoft's moment in time??

Are you saying these buinesses will never move forwards now? let their IT go out of date? run unsupported software.
I doubt it but Microsoft will have to win these businesses over to the new platform, justify their position in the market or others will eat their supper.

No, what I'm saying is that businesses will have more choice on how to move forward. A decade ago the choice was pretty much Windows for most businesses. Now, they could pick up a PC, run an alternative OS, and use Google Docs for all their needs. There is definitely more choice. IT managers have stuck with XP (42% is a 2012 figure) because it runs well on the hardware infrastructure they have, and runs the software that has stood the test of time for a lot of business users. We'll see what the uptake of Windows 8 is, but is it going to be enough? If I was a PC business user right now on XP, I might not necessarily look at Apple, but I might look at alternative OS options, especially if I could run my business software off Google Docs, or open source like Libre or OpenOffice. I could then happily buy a PC without needing to have the latest MS product installed, and probably get a much better deal.

How many have skills in Windows? A huge number, but they are realising very quickly a need to diversify. There is no way MS's position is anywhere near as strong as a decade ago. Vista made the world realise how they were at the mercy of a single organisation when it was released a pile of shite that was a disaster.

Microsoft never said Tablets would never take off in fact you may recall this little image from not long back...http://i.imgur.com/E5GLT.jpg
Bill has always loved the idea of doing a tablet, before Apple even did Newton and I recall several failed attempt to get one off the ground.

The windows tablet was always classic Gates. He really was never interested in the beauty of interfaces, and how things are used. He never really liked GUI's and only went that route when he realised it's what the world wanted. I'm not sure he's ever really understood consumers, his software is always bloated and packed with every single feature that could be put into it. Would you say after all the years of development, Word and Excel are enjoyable applications to use?

Apple saw the right timing when the tech was ready and lets not forget has done an awesome job with the iPad products in this respect you are right Microsoft are coming from a catch-up position, but lets usw XBOX as an example in two versions went from 0% market share to the leading console on the planet shows what can be done if the technology is good and marketing works.

As a tech fan competition is great, it excites people to innovate, do things better and offer it to end-users cheaper. Everyone's a winner!

Ultimately, MS's strangle hold on the computer world has stifled development. Their contractual ties ensuring every manfacturer shipped with MS products prevented innovation, and development. I lived through the Netscape era and what their might was able to do. Apple is no different in a lot of ways, but they're a closed shop with their products. MS weakening will allow emerging innovations to have a chance at least, and for that we should definitely be grateful.