3 ms·

Anand is always interesting, but this is one review that probably merited a lot more discussion of software and value, so I find the consumer site reviews more

Anand is always interesting, but this is one review that probably merited a lot more discussion of software and value, so I find the consumer site reviews more informative. With the first iteration of a product, the big question in my mind is "will this catch on and will there be a second gen?" and to me the much lauded build quality is just one element of that. Remember, the Zune had great software and hardware. Full Office is indeed a killer app, but $600 (with the necessary cover) is steep when their competition is racing to $200. I'm also interested to see how the size plays in the market. As the first high quality 7" tablets have their first Christmas season, I think the dynamics of the market could shift. Something that fits in a purse is going to be a huge draw for women; something that costs around $300 will put it in kids' price range. Surface might be great on it's own merits, but tech savvy dudes and Excel lovers can't sustain an app ecosystem.

narag 14y ago
...steep when their competition is racing to $200. I've been looking for a tablet with a good keyboard recently. The most similar gadget I found, the Asus Transformer, is by no means racing to $200. What did you had in mind? I'm buying something in two or three months, so I'm genuinely interested. BTW, I don't find the Surface compelling, but that's just another story.
rlu 14y ago
What do you think it's competing against? Certainly not a Kindle... Is the $600 price a steep one? I'm not sure. It's the same price as the iPad and not only can you consume/play with it, but you can also do work. This has the potential of replacing your iPad+laptop combo. On the other hand, for $600 you could also buy a mediocre laptop that can run full Windows 7/8. But likely without a touch screen (but win8 works fine without one anyways so whatever). At the end of the day, if your budget is $600 it really comes down to "do you care about tablet use cases". If you do, then buy a win8 device like Surface over an iPad. If you don't then skip this form factor and get yourself a "normal" non-touch laptop with full Windows and likely better hardware. I guess my original meta point was that if this isn't worth $600, then the iPad shouldn't even be worth $500. Re: "but with an iPad you have 250k apps" - sure, but I'm confident that the apps will come to win8. It's a matter of time, and I don't think it will take too long. I expect lot more AAA apps to be released after October 26th.
- mc32 14y ago
  I wonder if the paradox of choice[1] is relevant to an app store. Perhaps not. Still, I think more important than number is quality. If they can get some quality (and premier) apps in the store, that will go a long way to quash any fears of app dearth. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paradox_of_Choice:_Why_More_Is_Less http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paradox_of_Choice:_Why_More...

narag 14y ago

...steep when their competition is racing to $200. I've been looking for a tablet with a good keyboard recently. The most similar gadget I found, the Asus Transformer, is by no means racing to $200. What did you had in mind? I'm buying something in two or three months, so I'm genuinely interested. BTW, I don't find the Surface compelling, but that's just another story.

rlu 14y ago

What do you think it's competing against? Certainly not a Kindle... Is the $600 price a steep one? I'm not sure. It's the same price as the iPad and not only can you consume/play with it, but you can also do work. This has the potential of replacing your iPad+laptop combo. On the other hand, for $600 you could also buy a mediocre laptop that can run full Windows 7/8. But likely without a touch screen (but win8 works fine without one anyways so whatever). At the end of the day, if your budget is $600 it really comes down to "do you care about tablet use cases". If you do, then buy a win8 device like Surface over an iPad. If you don't then skip this form factor and get yourself a "normal" non-touch laptop with full Windows and likely better hardware. I guess my original meta point was that if this isn't worth $600, then the iPad shouldn't even be worth $500. Re: "but with an iPad you have 250k apps" - sure, but I'm confident that the apps will come to win8. It's a matter of time, and I don't think it will take too long. I expect lot more AAA apps to be released after October 26th.

mc32 14y ago
I wonder if the paradox of choice[1] is relevant to an app store. Perhaps not. Still, I think more important than number is quality. If they can get some quality (and premier) apps in the store, that will go a long way to quash any fears of app dearth. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paradox_of_Choice:_Why_More_Is_Less http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paradox_of_Choice:_Why_More...