5 ms·

Recently, HN is quick to yell "fanboy" at anything critical of a direct competitor to an Apple product. But from the multiple Surface reviews posted here over

Recently, HN is quick to yell "fanboy" at anything critical of a direct competitor to an Apple product. But from the multiple Surface reviews posted here over the past few days, it seems like the consensus (even among those that aren't labeled "fanboys") is that the surface has considerable drawbacks while costing more than an iPad.

Mythbusters 14y ago
>> while costing more than an iPad and where did you get that from?
- alexdias 14y ago
  I would guess he's thinking of the 3rd gen iPad price, which was $479 if I recall correctly (for the 16GB version; the 32GB Surface has around 20GB of usable space).
powertower 14y ago
> But from the multiple Surface reviews posted here over the past few days You mean all those negative reviews that get upvoted to the front-page. Thats what happens here, the positive reviews usually get ignored, get flagged, or die quickly. Unless it's an Apple product. "Surface RT" is not "Surface for Windows 8 Pro". Windows RT is a stripped down version of Windows designed for lower power CPUs. It's also designed to be 100% Metro based. You can't install non-metro apps on it, you can't even buy Windows RT, it has to be pre-installed on each device. "Surface RT" is a touch-based device for holding in your hands while surfing the net and using the typical social apps. The use-case of an attached keyboard and the fully fledged Office app suite is not what this device is primarly for. What makes this even worse, is that the preview version of Office is not yet fully reliable, has not been ported to Metro, and opens up in Desktop-mode. There are still bugs to work out. While the guy gave a good review, it does not represent the typical use-case for Windows RT devices any more than the iPad would represent the use-case of a Desktop PC.
- mitchty 14y ago
  Ok so the focus on negative isn't relegated to just this community, its rather pervasive in society in general. Look at the iOS6 maps stuff and the flaking etc... Not to discount them in general but everyone that looks at my phone always comments about its weight first. I think humans focus on their pain points over the good in general.
  - chris_wot 14y ago
    Maps were really the only thing that sucked about Apple's release. Believe me, I'd love to be using Microsoft's product, but the issues being shown here are very good reasons that prevent me from forking out my hard earned cash on this device.
    - mitchty 14y ago
      Oh no doubt Maps sucks now, but it is getting better. Well at least whenever I report problems they get put in place in a week or so. Just trying to point out we notice the problems more than the positives. I need to stop by ye olde apple store and get some cables, think I'll jaunt over to the ms store and have a look at the surface too. Hopefully the sales guys don't pounce.
    - julianz 14y ago
      Maps and things like basic stability. When you can crash version 6 of something just by dragging icons around the place, wtf is up with that?
- bjustin 14y ago
  >The use-case of an attached keyboard and the fully fledged Office app suite is not what this device is primarly for. It may not be the One True Purpose (tm) but Microsoft is pushing it one of the biggest features. On Microsoft's store page for the Surface (http://surface.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/Content/pbpage.Surface?ESICaching=off&WT.mc_id=FY13WinHH http://surface.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/Content/pbpa...), Office is even listed at the same level as the OS! The feature list, where each has an accompanying paragraph: the case (VaporMg), kickstand, touch cover, ports, Windows and Office, and the cameras.
tensor 14y ago
I think part of the issue with tablets is that there are people who really want something like the windows 8 tablet to work. Speaking for myself, hearing people chime in "but iPad!" in discussions of new tablets I might be interested in is maddening. It's maddening because I don't want an iPad. An iPad doesn't fit my requirements, one of which is side loading. It can't share data between apps easily either. Android has intents, which are nice, but I would absolutely love a tablet that could switch to full blown OSX, has a USB port for mouse and keyboard. A true laptop and tablet combined. That would be a device I might be interested in. An iPad is not a device I am interested in. So you might understand why "but iPad!" comments are annoying to me.
- stcredzero 14y ago
  11" Macbook Air?
- CountSessine 14y ago
  The Windows world has had this for years with windows tablet PCs. Buy one of those. Too big? Too bad - that's a laptop. Not enough battery life? Too bad - that's a laptop.
- Moto7451 14y ago
  You could try a ModBook: http://www.modbook.com/modbookpro http://www.modbook.com/modbookpro They're a bit pricy but I've gotten the chance to see the pre-housing crisis models (the company/management group was insolvent for a time) were very solid. The Wacom digitizer is really good for artists too. if they came out with an Air version I think they'd have a rather hot product..
  - tensor 14y ago
    Agreed. I suppose when Apple announced a tablet, I was hoping it would be something that was dual mode iOS OSX with usb ports and pen input. Instead, we got a big iphone, which while many people obviously love, was massively disappointing to people like me. Thus I really like the ideas behind Surface, though Windows isn't ideal for working with unix, which I need for my job.
lostlogin 14y ago
Yes. Marcos article got slammed.
recoiledsnake 14y ago
of course, the qualifier 'posted here' pretty much makes it so that it's a negative review. Are you seriously claiming that the two or three reviews up modded by HN make a consensus? And Marco's article doesn't count as a review. He was playing with one for barely a few mins while trying to psychoanalyse the salesman and find things to pick on.

Mythbusters 14y ago

>> while costing more than an iPad and where did you get that from?

alexdias 14y ago
I would guess he's thinking of the 3rd gen iPad price, which was $479 if I recall correctly (for the 16GB version; the 32GB Surface has around 20GB of usable space).

powertower 14y ago

> But from the multiple Surface reviews posted here over the past few days You mean all those negative reviews that get upvoted to the front-page. Thats what happens here, the positive reviews usually get ignored, get flagged, or die quickly. Unless it's an Apple product. "Surface RT" is not "Surface for Windows 8 Pro". Windows RT is a stripped down version of Windows designed for lower power CPUs. It's also designed to be 100% Metro based. You can't install non-metro apps on it, you can't even buy Windows RT, it has to be pre-installed on each device. "Surface RT" is a touch-based device for holding in your hands while surfing the net and using the typical social apps. The use-case of an attached keyboard and the fully fledged Office app suite is not what this device is primarly for. What makes this even worse, is that the preview version of Office is not yet fully reliable, has not been ported to Metro, and opens up in Desktop-mode. There are still bugs to work out. While the guy gave a good review, it does not represent the typical use-case for Windows RT devices any more than the iPad would represent the use-case of a Desktop PC.

mitchty 14y ago
Ok so the focus on negative isn't relegated to just this community, its rather pervasive in society in general. Look at the iOS6 maps stuff and the flaking etc... Not to discount them in general but everyone that looks at my phone always comments about its weight first. I think humans focus on their pain points over the good in general.
- chris_wot 14y ago
  Maps were really the only thing that sucked about Apple's release. Believe me, I'd love to be using Microsoft's product, but the issues being shown here are very good reasons that prevent me from forking out my hard earned cash on this device.
  - mitchty 14y ago
    Oh no doubt Maps sucks now, but it is getting better. Well at least whenever I report problems they get put in place in a week or so. Just trying to point out we notice the problems more than the positives. I need to stop by ye olde apple store and get some cables, think I'll jaunt over to the ms store and have a look at the surface too. Hopefully the sales guys don't pounce.
  - julianz 14y ago
    Maps and things like basic stability. When you can crash version 6 of something just by dragging icons around the place, wtf is up with that?
bjustin 14y ago
>The use-case of an attached keyboard and the fully fledged Office app suite is not what this device is primarly for. It may not be the One True Purpose (tm) but Microsoft is pushing it one of the biggest features. On Microsoft's store page for the Surface (http://surface.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/Content/pbpage.Surface?ESICaching=off&WT.mc_id=FY13WinHH http://surface.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/Content/pbpa...), Office is even listed at the same level as the OS! The feature list, where each has an accompanying paragraph: the case (VaporMg), kickstand, touch cover, ports, Windows and Office, and the cameras.

tensor 14y ago

I think part of the issue with tablets is that there are people who really want something like the windows 8 tablet to work. Speaking for myself, hearing people chime in "but iPad!" in discussions of new tablets I might be interested in is maddening. It's maddening because I don't want an iPad. An iPad doesn't fit my requirements, one of which is side loading. It can't share data between apps easily either. Android has intents, which are nice, but I would absolutely love a tablet that could switch to full blown OSX, has a USB port for mouse and keyboard. A true laptop and tablet combined. That would be a device I might be interested in. An iPad is not a device I am interested in. So you might understand why "but iPad!" comments are annoying to me.

stcredzero 14y ago
11" Macbook Air?
CountSessine 14y ago
The Windows world has had this for years with windows tablet PCs. Buy one of those. Too big? Too bad - that's a laptop. Not enough battery life? Too bad - that's a laptop.
Moto7451 14y ago
You could try a ModBook: http://www.modbook.com/modbookpro http://www.modbook.com/modbookpro They're a bit pricy but I've gotten the chance to see the pre-housing crisis models (the company/management group was insolvent for a time) were very solid. The Wacom digitizer is really good for artists too. if they came out with an Air version I think they'd have a rather hot product..
- tensor 14y ago
  Agreed. I suppose when Apple announced a tablet, I was hoping it would be something that was dual mode iOS OSX with usb ports and pen input. Instead, we got a big iphone, which while many people obviously love, was massively disappointing to people like me. Thus I really like the ideas behind Surface, though Windows isn't ideal for working with unix, which I need for my job.

lostlogin 14y ago

Yes. Marcos article got slammed.

recoiledsnake 14y ago

of course, the qualifier 'posted here' pretty much makes it so that it's a negative review. Are you seriously claiming that the two or three reviews up modded by HN make a consensus? And Marco's article doesn't count as a review. He was playing with one for barely a few mins while trying to psychoanalyse the salesman and find things to pick on.