[f30nynj]

Just heard that Microsoft is launching their tablet and from the specs it looks just impressive. It is almost identical to the new ipad.

Being in IT field, I dread the Apple products not that they are not cool, but they made it hard to deploy in enterprises. Anyway, I just hope this turns out to be a hit and easily adopted.

http://www.businessweek.com/articles...-for-pc-rivals

Now don't get started with the Apple vs MS flame wars.

[escobar929]

the touch cover is pretty cool but other than that, I dont see anything that stands out. The Pro looks badass specs wise but its way too thick and heavy for a tablet IMO, its right btwn a MacBook Air and an iPad (weight and thickness)

if they could have found a way to make the Pro and fit it into the RT, think it could have been a serious contender, think it can still do well depending on price which I have yet to see

[Foodle]

The two big specs left out of the announcement are battery life and price.

The Pro is basically an ultrabook without the keyboard. There have been slate-type PCs for a long long time. They died out since no one wanted a full PC that didn't have a keyboard. If (big if) the cover/keyboard is actually good for typing, this will go a long way towards selling the Pro. But with no tactile feedback on the cover/keyboard, it doesn't seem like it'll be good for typing.

The RT is a direct competitor to the Android tablets and iPads, but it doesn't have much 3rd party support for now. If the ecosystem can take off, the battery life is decent, and the price is inline with Android tablets, then it has a chance.

[ragingclue]

It'll be interesting how seamlessly all Win8 devices integrate, from desktop to tablet to WP8. Seems like an idea that could either really catch on or just be another flash in the pan.

We'll see....

[Litos]

what a piece of junk.....

[Foodle]

Originally Posted by ragingclue

It'll be interesting how seamlessly all Win8 devices integrate, from desktop to tablet to WP8.

Microsoft and seamless don't tend to go together.

[ragingclue]

Originally Posted by Foodle

Microsoft and seamless don't tend to go together.

Yeah my thoughts exactly, but if they do it right, it could be really cool.

Not holding my breath, but the potential is there.

[E90SoFlo]

If you're an IT guy the Microsoft one will be awesome. You just need to be a computer expert to keep them running.

[DanielGonz]

The Apple fanboi plague is strong in this thread lol

[Maestro]

Of course the IT guys would like M$ products to be successful, it keeps them in a job. Arguably M$ has created lots of jobs in the country and elsewhere it is definitely job security.

Honestly, M$ will fail on this as well, unless they plan to follow the xbox model, which is to give the hardware away over many years and hope they make it up on other services and stuff. I am just not sure what value added services they would add that people would be willing to pay for that they are not getting elsewhere at a lower cost or better quality of experience.

Zune fails because the subscription model never took off since people really like the itune business model. I suspect the M$ table will flounder for years like Zune only to die and M$ killing even more shareholder value in the process.

[Regorium]

Biggest problem is that they are wayyy too late into the game.

I guess it depends whether they can get some traction in the corporate world, so that they have some time to develop a consumer experience comparable to the iPad.

[grieverr]

Originally Posted by Litos

what a piece of junk.....

She'll make point five past lightspeed. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid.

[grieverr]

Originally Posted by Maestro

Of course the IT guys would like M$ products to be successful, it keeps them in a job.

That's not necessarily true. Many more organizations are deploying Apples as well as allowing many people to use Ipads.

Originally Posted by Maestro

Honestly, M$ will fail on this as well, unless they plan to follow the xbox model, which is to give the hardware away over many years and hope they make it up on other services and stuff. I am just not sure what value added services they would add that people would be willing to pay for that they are not getting elsewhere at a lower cost or better quality of experience.

They can certainly afford to give away the hardware if they choose to. But I think there is a market for this tablet. I'm not sure how well Windows phones are selling, but those people would be interested. As well as the typical corporate Windows user who may be able to replace a laptop with this tablet.

[JasonCSU]

Originally Posted by grieverr

She'll make point five past lightspeed. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid.

Chewy, get us out of here!

[Greenkirby21]

This thing has a lot of potential and I hope it does well.

But it seems typical Microsoft failure to me. The thing about the iPad is that it isn't trying to be a laptop. Laptops that try to be tablets and tablets that try to be laptops tend to fail. Microsoft tries to cram in so many things at once that nothing really good comes out. They are trying to make this an iPad competitor and a ultra book competitor, but it will only succeed if it can do both without fault, which is really hard.

Reminds me of the sony PSP. They haven't announced prices battery life, or other important things I find necessary.

Hopefully this succeeds and does very well.

[Maestro]

Originally Posted by grieverr

That's not necessarily true. Many more organizations are deploying Apples as well as allowing many people to use Ipads.

The only reason Apple is showing up in corporation is not because the IT department proactively brought them in, it because the end uses was bringing their own product to works and asking if they could use them. This is what happen in the late 80's people begin bringing Macs to work and people saw as easy they were and ask the company to buy them one as well.

Originally Posted by grieverr

They can certainly afford to give away the hardware if they choose to. But I think there is a market for this tablet. I'm not sure how well Windows phones are selling, but those people would be interested. As well as the typical corporate Windows user who may be able to replace a laptop with this tablet.

The Window phone are failing as well today, have not got much traction at all, people do not seem to be impressed except the hard cord M$ people and they are becoming less and less.

I believe M$ will sell some amount of these products but will never tell how many unless it is a hit, They never reported how many Zunes they sold and they never report how many xbox they sold until it start to pick up.

So the world may never know.

[ragingclue]

I think the more important step here is the move to Win8 and integration of platforms (desktop, phone, tablet, console). Like I said, they could be on to something, but it'll take a while to get going.

If you're looking at the tablet as a competitor to the iPad, you're looking at things wrong. The news here isn't another also-ran tablet (which the first few will undoubtedly be), it's the progression of this seamless ecosystem M$ is trying to get going.

It could work out great, it could absolutely fall on its face.... But they'll have to do a good job selling this concept to the public. As we can see in this thread and about any comment section in any blog about this tablet, not many people are even aware of it.

[Fox128i]

Originally Posted by grieverr

She'll make point five past lightspeed. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid.

LMAO!

[danniexi]

1. price? battery life? release date? I don't understand why MS needed to announce this product when it's not commercially available.

2. A keyboard? A rip-off of the Apple Smart Cover as a keyboard won't work. There's probably no real tactile feedback so I don't see how this is any different than having a keyboard on screen. In all honesty we need to do away with HCI peripherals when it comes to computing. The tablet industry was the start of this, but adopting an old technology isn't progressive thinking.

The only positive aspect this tablet has are the Pro's specs; with ivy-bridge being able to run Win8 + backwards compatibility with XP apps. But will Win8 be fluid? Will the UI and overall experience be a pleasant one? Here's hoping.

[BMW F22]

Originally Posted by ragingclue

I think the more important step here is the move to Win8 and integration of platforms (desktop, phone, tablet, console). Like I said, they could be on to something, but it'll take a while to get going.

If you're looking at the tablet as a competitor to the iPad, you're looking at things wrong. The news here isn't another also-ran tablet (which the first few will undoubtedly be), it's the progression of this seamless ecosystem M$ is trying to get going.

It could work out great, it could absolutely fall on its face.... But they'll have to do a good job selling this concept to the public. As we can see in this thread and about any comment section in any blog about this tablet, not many people are even aware of it.

I was gonna say the same thing. At first glance I wasn't sure about Windows 8. Now that Microsoft has announced the surface tablet, it's starting to make more sense. I'm interested to see how they will fare against Apple's iPad.

[f30nynj]

Just clarifying few things. Being in IT doesn't mean we love Microsoft products. I personally own a Mac and an iPhone but I really don't see them as enterprise products as there is just no flow associated with its management and disparate tools to do it. Lack of integration with existing technologies.

Nevertheless, the point here is MS already has a big footprint in corporate world and if this tablet can add value to workforce, then why not.

-OS Agnostic

[Maestro]

M$ appears to be referring to it as a small computer, not really as a tablet or Ipad challenger. They trying to emphasis you do not need to give up anything by using their Surface product thus the reason for the keyboard.

As someone point out M$ is attempting to show whether you are on a phone, tablet or desktop the environment will be the same and familiar to you and thus going between them is easier than other solutions. The problem is I do not want a dumb down computer nor do I want an overly complicated phone so they will deliver you a complicated dumb down compromise.