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I don't think this is an entirely trivial case, either. If the Surface is meant to compete more directly in the mobile space alongside iOS and Android devices,

by jrajav 14y ago

I don't think this is an entirely trivial case, either. If the Surface is meant to compete more directly in the mobile space alongside iOS and Android devices, an argument could be made that it should be advertising something close to user-available storage capacity like those are understood to.

reddit_clone 14y ago
Indeed. OS and crapware taking a few GB's off a 2 TB hard disk is one thing. Taking 16 GB's off of advertised 32 GB flash storage is outrageous. This is false advertising. I wouldn't laugh at this lawyer if I were Microsoft.
- at-fates-hands 14y ago
  I think they get screwed either way. You say it has 16GB and then once you turn it on and it says 32GB in the system screen, now people are pissed your OS and apps take up too much room. Tell people its got 32GB and then they find out they only have 16GB of actual storage and they get pissed for you misrepresenting the actual storage amount. I'm sure this will be settled quietly out of court with a nice undisclosed amount for said lawyer.
- Samuel_Michon 14y ago
  @at-fates-hands: "You say it has 16GB and then once you turn it on and it says 32GB in the system screen, now people are pissed your OS and apps take up too much room." That simply does not happen. The inverse, in which people expect to be able to store plenty of media and apps but can't, does. Most users won't even know that it's the OS that's taking up that much space, but they'll know to blame Microsoft.
pdonis 14y ago
This is a fine argument to make, but you don't make it with a lawsuit. You make it with publicity--negative publicity. Just telling Google and Apple should be enough; I'm sure they would be more than happy to spread the word. :-)
- cma 14y ago
  In a competitive market there is a tragedy of the commons effect: why waste advertising dollars disparaging a competitor if it will help your other competitors. (With Apple's market share, this doesn't quite apply; it could still make sense for them to do)
  - pdonis 14y ago
    It could still make sense even for Google to do, if more of MS's potential customers would be expected to switch to Android rather than Apple. But I agree that both Google and Apple would have to look at that aspect of it, and there is something of a trade-off, the better it looks for Google the worse it is likely to look for Apple, and vice versa. From the point of view of someone who doesn't like the Surface advertising, though, that's just another reason to make sure to tell both Google and Apple. :-)

by jrajav 14y ago

reddit_clone 14y ago

Indeed. OS and crapware taking a few GB's off a 2 TB hard disk is one thing. Taking 16 GB's off of advertised 32 GB flash storage is outrageous. This is false advertising. I wouldn't laugh at this lawyer if I were Microsoft.

at-fates-hands 14y ago
I think they get screwed either way. You say it has 16GB and then once you turn it on and it says 32GB in the system screen, now people are pissed your OS and apps take up too much room. Tell people its got 32GB and then they find out they only have 16GB of actual storage and they get pissed for you misrepresenting the actual storage amount. I'm sure this will be settled quietly out of court with a nice undisclosed amount for said lawyer.
Samuel_Michon 14y ago
@at-fates-hands: "You say it has 16GB and then once you turn it on and it says 32GB in the system screen, now people are pissed your OS and apps take up too much room." That simply does not happen. The inverse, in which people expect to be able to store plenty of media and apps but can't, does. Most users won't even know that it's the OS that's taking up that much space, but they'll know to blame Microsoft.

pdonis 14y ago

This is a fine argument to make, but you don't make it with a lawsuit. You make it with publicity--negative publicity. Just telling Google and Apple should be enough; I'm sure they would be more than happy to spread the word. :-)

cma 14y ago
In a competitive market there is a tragedy of the commons effect: why waste advertising dollars disparaging a competitor if it will help your other competitors. (With Apple's market share, this doesn't quite apply; it could still make sense for them to do)
- pdonis 14y ago
  It could still make sense even for Google to do, if more of MS's potential customers would be expected to switch to Android rather than Apple. But I agree that both Google and Apple would have to look at that aspect of it, and there is something of a trade-off, the better it looks for Google the worse it is likely to look for Apple, and vice versa. From the point of view of someone who doesn't like the Surface advertising, though, that's just another reason to make sure to tell both Google and Apple. :-)