4 ms·

There sure are a lot of articles being written about something which has some fundamental questions about it which have so far remain unanswered, specifically,

by revscat 14y ago

There sure are a lot of articles being written about something which has some fundamental questions about it which have so far remain unanswered, specifically, price and when it is scheduled to go on sale. In some aspects, this announcement was strikingly similar to RIM's Playbook announcement: reviewers were unable to play with it, price was an open question, and it was still months away from market.

barista 14y ago
The software that powers the device has been out and has been played with by millions by now. So you can't compare it to playbook. Price is unknown but that will only decide how appealing the product is not necessarily the fact that it still makes the iPad feel incomplete. For some people the full OS and keyboard would be worth more money for some it won't.
freehunter 14y ago
Sales date is "around the release of Windows 8" for the Surface and "3 months after that" for the Surface Pro. The variable is the release of Windows 8.
- filmgirlcw 14y ago
  The variable is also when they get this thing finished. They didn't allow anyone to have hands-on time with the unit and the keyboard and cover. Touch the keyboard cover. Touch the unit, no, you can't launch apps or use more than our sandboxed interface. No, you can't try typing on it. It's not ready. At all. That's fine, I understand why they had to announce this now (even if it was a bit earlier than would be ideal), but Microsoft knows when it's releasing Windows 8 and the lack of a hard release date for Surface is totally unrelated.
  - freehunter 14y ago
    Microsoft might know when they're releasing Windows 8, but I don't. Do you? All that I've seen from MS is "RTM is planned for late July". Windows 8 isn't finished. With that in mind, how do you know they don't know when Surface will be released? Just because they didn't announce it?
    - filmgirlcw 14y ago
      In journalist parlance, "people close to the company have told us that there is no concrete release date at this time. The team is aiming for late Fall 2012."
  - mtgx 14y ago
    They clearly wanted to steal the thunder from Google's tablet launch.
filmgirlcw 14y ago
I wouldn't compare this with the PlayBook, but it was clear that the device is NOT ready. Our Deputy Editor was at the event and he described it as the most "controlled demo experience"[1] he's ever had -- and Chris has been at this since the late 1990s. That didn't surprise me at all because any time you spend most of your presentation talking about the engineering of the Touch Cover (which does look incredible) and not the apps, the battery life or the timeline, it's not ready. I think this has potential -- especially at the Surface running Windows Pro level -- but it was curious to see them announce it SO early, when it's clear the device isn't ready in any way. My gut tells me that the RT version will start at $500 and the Pro version will start at $1000. Knowing Microsoft, I've got to think they are aggressively aiming for a November release date for the first version and a February or March for the Pro. I don't think it's likely it will appear before then. My bigger question is what specific APIs are they going to unveil to Windows 8 developers that take advantage of the Surface devices -- and will there be Surface-specific apps that won't work with the other Windows 8 tablets. As I wrote late last night, I expect that within a year of this thing's release, we won't see any other consumer-facing Windows 8 tablets on the market. That to me is actually the most interesting part of this whole thing. Microsoft has taken Apple's approach to fully integrating the hardware (I don't think this is their version of the Nexus line of devices...I think they've created what they want to be THE Windows 8 tablet experience, not simply a flagship example). [1]: http://mashable.com/2012/06/18/hands-on-with-microsofts-tablet-plenty-of-surface-not-much-depth/ http://mashable.com/2012/06/18/hands-on-with-microsofts-tabl...
- MatthewPhillips 14y ago
  Why would there be Surface-only apps? It just runs Windows RT/8. And why would there not be any other Windows 8 tablets?
  - filmgirlcw 14y ago
    Well, if you're Lenovo and you're already struggling to keep margins in check with Windows RT (and you have to pay an $85 licensing fee for the software) and you're unsure of the consumer demand for a Windows 8 tablet, do you still go gangbusters after an unproven product segment when you have a huge competitor that is showing off a flagship version of the Windows 8 tablet experience? I don't have the answer to that. As for APIs, it doesn't seem impossible to think that there might be apps that take advantage of the Pen technology in the Intel version of Surface or the Touch Cover and Type Covers and that those APIs might only apply to the Surface devices. I really don't know. That's my point.
saturdaysaint 14y ago
It's funny that nobody is questioning the value of the kickstand/keyboard. They've optimized a lean back device for a lean forward experience. Do you see people using their tablets at their desk or table? These are couch and bedstand devices (where at least the kickstand will serve some use). And optimizing a tablet around landscape mode (thanks to using the tv standard 16:9 aspect ratio, which is awkward in portrait) is a blunder . It's one of those Apple advantages that sits in plain sight and Apple barely acknowledges, while they happily watch their competitors miss the point entirely. That 4:3 aspect ratio gives the iPhone it's killer app - it makes every website feel like a magazine. I think it's part of why Android tablets are largely failing - landscape is unappealing on a small screen. These factors combined with its late release date (probably in the shadow of a new iPhone) and lack of Retina display, I don't see this being successful with consumers.
- derefr 14y ago
  > Do you see people using their tablets at their desk or table? No--but I do see people wanting to lean back with their laptops on the couch. At which point, they pull off the keyboard, close the kickstand, and treat it, temporarily, like a tablet.

by revscat 14y ago

barista 14y ago

The software that powers the device has been out and has been played with by millions by now. So you can't compare it to playbook. Price is unknown but that will only decide how appealing the product is not necessarily the fact that it still makes the iPad feel incomplete. For some people the full OS and keyboard would be worth more money for some it won't.

freehunter 14y ago

Sales date is "around the release of Windows 8" for the Surface and "3 months after that" for the Surface Pro. The variable is the release of Windows 8.

filmgirlcw 14y ago
The variable is also when they get this thing finished. They didn't allow anyone to have hands-on time with the unit and the keyboard and cover. Touch the keyboard cover. Touch the unit, no, you can't launch apps or use more than our sandboxed interface. No, you can't try typing on it. It's not ready. At all. That's fine, I understand why they had to announce this now (even if it was a bit earlier than would be ideal), but Microsoft knows when it's releasing Windows 8 and the lack of a hard release date for Surface is totally unrelated.
- freehunter 14y ago
  Microsoft might know when they're releasing Windows 8, but I don't. Do you? All that I've seen from MS is "RTM is planned for late July". Windows 8 isn't finished. With that in mind, how do you know they don't know when Surface will be released? Just because they didn't announce it?
  - filmgirlcw 14y ago
    In journalist parlance, "people close to the company have told us that there is no concrete release date at this time. The team is aiming for late Fall 2012."
- mtgx 14y ago
  They clearly wanted to steal the thunder from Google's tablet launch.

filmgirlcw 14y ago

I wouldn't compare this with the PlayBook, but it was clear that the device is NOT ready. Our Deputy Editor was at the event and he described it as the most "controlled demo experience"[1] he's ever had -- and Chris has been at this since the late 1990s. That didn't surprise me at all because any time you spend most of your presentation talking about the engineering of the Touch Cover (which does look incredible) and not the apps, the battery life or the timeline, it's not ready. I think this has potential -- especially at the Surface running Windows Pro level -- but it was curious to see them announce it SO early, when it's clear the device isn't ready in any way. My gut tells me that the RT version will start at $500 and the Pro version will start at $1000. Knowing Microsoft, I've got to think they are aggressively aiming for a November release date for the first version and a February or March for the Pro. I don't think it's likely it will appear before then. My bigger question is what specific APIs are they going to unveil to Windows 8 developers that take advantage of the Surface devices -- and will there be Surface-specific apps that won't work with the other Windows 8 tablets. As I wrote late last night, I expect that within a year of this thing's release, we won't see any other consumer-facing Windows 8 tablets on the market. That to me is actually the most interesting part of this whole thing. Microsoft has taken Apple's approach to fully integrating the hardware (I don't think this is their version of the Nexus line of devices...I think they've created what they want to be THE Windows 8 tablet experience, not simply a flagship example). [1]: http://mashable.com/2012/06/18/hands-on-with-microsofts-tablet-plenty-of-surface-not-much-depth/ http://mashable.com/2012/06/18/hands-on-with-microsofts-tabl...

MatthewPhillips 14y ago
Why would there be Surface-only apps? It just runs Windows RT/8. And why would there not be any other Windows 8 tablets?
- filmgirlcw 14y ago
  Well, if you're Lenovo and you're already struggling to keep margins in check with Windows RT (and you have to pay an $85 licensing fee for the software) and you're unsure of the consumer demand for a Windows 8 tablet, do you still go gangbusters after an unproven product segment when you have a huge competitor that is showing off a flagship version of the Windows 8 tablet experience? I don't have the answer to that. As for APIs, it doesn't seem impossible to think that there might be apps that take advantage of the Pen technology in the Intel version of Surface or the Touch Cover and Type Covers and that those APIs might only apply to the Surface devices. I really don't know. That's my point.

saturdaysaint 14y ago

It's funny that nobody is questioning the value of the kickstand/keyboard. They've optimized a lean back device for a lean forward experience. Do you see people using their tablets at their desk or table? These are couch and bedstand devices (where at least the kickstand will serve some use). And optimizing a tablet around landscape mode (thanks to using the tv standard 16:9 aspect ratio, which is awkward in portrait) is a blunder . It's one of those Apple advantages that sits in plain sight and Apple barely acknowledges, while they happily watch their competitors miss the point entirely. That 4:3 aspect ratio gives the iPhone it's killer app - it makes every website feel like a magazine. I think it's part of why Android tablets are largely failing - landscape is unappealing on a small screen. These factors combined with its late release date (probably in the shadow of a new iPhone) and lack of Retina display, I don't see this being successful with consumers.

derefr 14y ago
> Do you see people using their tablets at their desk or table? No--but I do see people wanting to lean back with their laptops on the couch. At which point, they pull off the keyboard, close the kickstand, and treat it, temporarily, like a tablet.