3 ms·

Watching Ballmer speak at the end was hard. I wish they simplified their keynotes a little bit. Off-Topic Question... I need to purchase my girlfriend a birth

by fumar 14y ago

Watching Ballmer speak at the end was hard. I wish they simplified their keynotes a little bit. Off-Topic Question... I need to purchase my girlfriend a birthday gift. She "really" wants a tablet. I think a laptop would suit her needs the best. However, "must make g/f happy", is what my brain says. Do you guys think the Surface RT is a solid choice? I asked HN here http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4697945 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4697945 I ask, because I cant seem to pull the trigger on any tablet.

WayneDB 14y ago
I think the general consensus is "do not buy" because there are no apps for it and it can't run Windows desktop apps. I would wait for the x86 version at the very least. http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/23/microsoft-surface-rt-review/ http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/23/microsoft-surface-rt-review... http://gizmodo.com/5953866/microsoft-surface-rt-review-this-is-technological-heartbreak http://gizmodo.com/5953866/microsoft-surface-rt-review-this-...
- dpark 14y ago
  That's hardly the "general consensus". http://www.anandtech.com/show/6385/microsoft-surface-review/12 http://www.anandtech.com/show/6385/microsoft-surface-review/... http://www.zdnet.com/hands-on-with-microsofts-surface-rt-can-it-hit-the-sweet-spot-7000006258/ http://www.zdnet.com/hands-on-with-microsofts-surface-rt-can... Disclosure: I'm pretty biased here, as a Microsoft employee.
  - Karunamon 14y ago
    Those "reviews" offer no conclusions and are basically lists of facts. Fact is, the app store in it's current state is very, very weak. It currently has fewer applications on it than iOS did when its store first launched. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/App_Store_(iOS)#Number_of_launched_applications https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/App_Store_(iOS)#Number_of_laun... Also puzzling was the decision to include every piece of office except the most important one (Outlook) I'm honestly finding it hard to see a use case for this device. While I'm really looking forward to the full fledged version when it launches, the RT looks like a confusing solution in search of a problem.
    - maskedinvader 14y ago
      well its an unfair comparison, the iOS store released much later than the iphone, here windows 8 is launching along with the store, so in contrast its a much better start !
    - dpark 14y ago
      I like how you put "reviews" in quotes, so you can be dismiss them without addressing them. No conclusions? What are these?: > I don't believe Surface is perfect, but it's a platform I can believe in. ... If you're ok being an early adopter, and ok dealing with the fact that mobile devices are still being significantly revved every year, Surface is worth your consideration. If you've wanted a tablet that could begin to bridge the content consumption and productivity divide, Surface is it. > For a first-generation product, the Surface with Windows RT is astonishingly polished. ... I also expect the ecosystem around the Surface, notably productivity apps, to improve by leaps and bounds in the next year or so. ... Enthusiastically recommended. Just lists of facts? You think the AnandTech review is just a list of facts? Did you even look at it? 12 different sections proving in-depth coverage of everything from the battery to the cover. You can disagree but dismissing it as vacuous is simply disingenuous. No one disputes that the app store has fewer apps. How many apps do you have installed, though? I personally don't need 100K+ apps. I need the few that I actually need. Does the Windows App Store have what you need? If so, great. If not, either get something else or wait for the apps you need to arrive.
  - sliverstorm 14y ago
    The issue you run in to is what people consider reputable sources. If the only sources you trust are Gizmodo and TechCrunch, it certainly is a consensus. Though, at that point I think there are bigger questions to ask...
  - WayneDB 14y ago
    Oh, that is the general consensus. I'm sure of it and I have a sea of negative reviews to back that up. From the Anandtech review, final words - "If you're ok being an early adopter, and ok dealing with the fact that mobile devices are still being significantly revved every year, Surface is worth your consideration." That's a big "If". So, we're left with a single positive review by ZDNet out of many, many, many negative reviews.
kmfrk 14y ago
Depends on whether they worked with Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Amazon (Kindle) to make some apps available on day one. If not, then probably not. I don't like the idea of buying the first iteration of any hardware either, regardless of whether the manufacturer is Apple or Microsoft.
- fumar 14y ago
  Right, investing in first gen. devices is not always the best idea. First hand experience, and yet, I do not learn my lesson.
- maskedinvader 14y ago
  amazon just launched kindle for windows 8, so one of them is in, I am confident apps for the others should be out soon. Netflix , hulu apps look gorgeous on windows 8 pro desktop
dpark 14y ago
> I think a laptop would suit her needs the best. However, "must make g/f happy", is what my brain says. Do you guys think the Surface RT is a solid choice? You're in an awkward spot. She wants a tablet and you think she needs a laptop. What does she actually need the device for? What she needs will dictate what device would be best. Does she just browse the web and send email? If so, get her a tablet. As a laptop replacement, I'd say go for a 10" tablet. (I'm recommending the Surface, of course.) Alternatively, does she need to write/edit documents occasionally? Basically, does she need Word? If so, go for the Surface. If she wants a traditional keyboard, either get her the Type Cover or a hybrid tablet. If she needs other desktop software, either get her a hybrid like the ATIV Pro, or wait for Surface Pro.
sixothree 14y ago
Known unknowns vs. known knowns.

by fumar 14y ago

WayneDB 14y ago

I think the general consensus is "do not buy" because there are no apps for it and it can't run Windows desktop apps. I would wait for the x86 version at the very least. http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/23/microsoft-surface-rt-review/ http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/23/microsoft-surface-rt-review... http://gizmodo.com/5953866/microsoft-surface-rt-review-this-is-technological-heartbreak http://gizmodo.com/5953866/microsoft-surface-rt-review-this-...

dpark 14y ago
That's hardly the "general consensus". http://www.anandtech.com/show/6385/microsoft-surface-review/12 http://www.anandtech.com/show/6385/microsoft-surface-review/... http://www.zdnet.com/hands-on-with-microsofts-surface-rt-can-it-hit-the-sweet-spot-7000006258/ http://www.zdnet.com/hands-on-with-microsofts-surface-rt-can... Disclosure: I'm pretty biased here, as a Microsoft employee.
- Karunamon 14y ago
  Those "reviews" offer no conclusions and are basically lists of facts. Fact is, the app store in it's current state is very, very weak. It currently has fewer applications on it than iOS did when its store first launched. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/App_Store_(iOS)#Number_of_launched_applications https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/App_Store_(iOS)#Number_of_laun... Also puzzling was the decision to include every piece of office except the most important one (Outlook) I'm honestly finding it hard to see a use case for this device. While I'm really looking forward to the full fledged version when it launches, the RT looks like a confusing solution in search of a problem.
  - maskedinvader 14y ago
    well its an unfair comparison, the iOS store released much later than the iphone, here windows 8 is launching along with the store, so in contrast its a much better start !
  - dpark 14y ago
    I like how you put "reviews" in quotes, so you can be dismiss them without addressing them. No conclusions? What are these?: > I don't believe Surface is perfect, but it's a platform I can believe in. ... If you're ok being an early adopter, and ok dealing with the fact that mobile devices are still being significantly revved every year, Surface is worth your consideration. If you've wanted a tablet that could begin to bridge the content consumption and productivity divide, Surface is it. > For a first-generation product, the Surface with Windows RT is astonishingly polished. ... I also expect the ecosystem around the Surface, notably productivity apps, to improve by leaps and bounds in the next year or so. ... Enthusiastically recommended. Just lists of facts? You think the AnandTech review is just a list of facts? Did you even look at it? 12 different sections proving in-depth coverage of everything from the battery to the cover. You can disagree but dismissing it as vacuous is simply disingenuous. No one disputes that the app store has fewer apps. How many apps do you have installed, though? I personally don't need 100K+ apps. I need the few that I actually need. Does the Windows App Store have what you need? If so, great. If not, either get something else or wait for the apps you need to arrive.
- sliverstorm 14y ago
  The issue you run in to is what people consider reputable sources. If the only sources you trust are Gizmodo and TechCrunch, it certainly is a consensus. Though, at that point I think there are bigger questions to ask...
- WayneDB 14y ago
  Oh, that is the general consensus. I'm sure of it and I have a sea of negative reviews to back that up. From the Anandtech review, final words - "If you're ok being an early adopter, and ok dealing with the fact that mobile devices are still being significantly revved every year, Surface is worth your consideration." That's a big "If". So, we're left with a single positive review by ZDNet out of many, many, many negative reviews.

kmfrk 14y ago

Depends on whether they worked with Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Amazon (Kindle) to make some apps available on day one. If not, then probably not. I don't like the idea of buying the first iteration of any hardware either, regardless of whether the manufacturer is Apple or Microsoft.

fumar 14y ago
Right, investing in first gen. devices is not always the best idea. First hand experience, and yet, I do not learn my lesson.
maskedinvader 14y ago
amazon just launched kindle for windows 8, so one of them is in, I am confident apps for the others should be out soon. Netflix , hulu apps look gorgeous on windows 8 pro desktop

dpark 14y ago

> I think a laptop would suit her needs the best. However, "must make g/f happy", is what my brain says. Do you guys think the Surface RT is a solid choice? You're in an awkward spot. She wants a tablet and you think she needs a laptop. What does she actually need the device for? What she needs will dictate what device would be best. Does she just browse the web and send email? If so, get her a tablet. As a laptop replacement, I'd say go for a 10" tablet. (I'm recommending the Surface, of course.) Alternatively, does she need to write/edit documents occasionally? Basically, does she need Word? If so, go for the Surface. If she wants a traditional keyboard, either get her the Type Cover or a hybrid tablet. If she needs other desktop software, either get her a hybrid like the ATIV Pro, or wait for Surface Pro.

sixothree 14y ago

Known unknowns vs. known knowns.