10 ms·

Microsoft Surface Pro 2

93 points by rasengan 13y ago

innino 13y ago
Impressive stuff, but I can't help but cringe watching these cool young professional actors hunching over tiny devices and stabbing glass with their fingertips. Fingers, backs and necks are not evolved to be used like this.
- djloche 13y ago
  I just watched the linked video - I only saw one instance of "hunched over" - and that was during the point where they were showing off the fact that you don't have to hunch over your MS Surface, you can just pick it up and use it like a tablet. edit: I actually watched the video because of the parent comment because most of the time when I see laptops/tablets in use, people ARE hunched over & stabbing away (usually some game).
samweinberg 13y ago
I can see the Surface functioning better in a business environment than other tablets. It wouldn't be my first choice for a casual-use device.
- misuba 13y ago
  The pen thing is actually a big win for business users, even if it doesn't actually improve on what's already possible with iPad stylii.
  - asdfs 13y ago
    AFAIK, the stylus on the Surface Pro is significantly better than ones for the iPad/tablets with regular capacitive sensors.
    - innino 13y ago
      I don't know why anyone would think otherwise, one supports real hardware-integrated digitizers, the other supports rubber nubs on sticks pretending to be fingertips.
  - _random_ 13y ago
    It is pressure sensitive. It's a big win for artists as well. No need to buy expensive Wacom screens.
aroman 13y ago
I expected to click through and have my belief that Microsoft just doesn't "get it" reinforced, but I have to say, that is a really appealing device to me. My biggest gripe with my (school issued) iPad is that text entry is awful and I can't get serious multi-tasking work done. This looks like it's specifically trying to address those concerns. That said, that ad sucked imho. If Microsoft has ever not "gotten" something, it's establishing an awesome brand (sans Xbox and Word, perhaps). I have no idea how they can improve this, but I really hope Microsoft's surface line is a huge success so Apple and Google have some more competition.
- city41 13y ago
  I have a Surface Pro 1 with the type cover. Great tablet, I really like it. However the type cover is only a marginal improvement over the iPad (which I also own) for typing. If you really need to type a lot, a laptop is still your best bet.
  - tedsanders 13y ago
    Why is the type cover only a marginal improvement? I recently tried a type cover for the first time and was able to hit my typical 100 WPM on typeracer.com. To me, it seemed like a significant improvement over both the on-screen keyboard and even the touch cover.
    - city41 13y ago
      Maybe you had better luck with it than me. I've tried on many occasions to buckle down and use it for typing and I always give up and get a real keyboard. I just gave typeracer a try and got 81wpm, so you also may just be a better typist than me.
      - tedsanders 13y ago
        81 is quite good. Can you get anything close 81wpm on an iPad? Maybe I'm just bad at on-screen iPad keyboards.
  - 13y ago
notatoad 13y ago
This is how Microsoft needs to advertise. No dancing around in the park with smart covers, no petty google-bashing, just a great no-nonsense overview of their product's actual standout features.
- pedalpete 13y ago
  I agree, though I'd like to see a bit more focus. There wasn't a take-away where I said "The Surface Pro 2 is good for..." I think they had 5 things in there, maybe focus on 3, but really give the person the idea of how they can do those things well.
  - iamshs 13y ago
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OqzxB-cSW8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OqzxB-cSW8
- kefs 13y ago
  Much better than https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr3dFSzh1yU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr3dFSzh1yU
  - MichaelApproved 13y ago
    A mix of the two styles would seem most appropriate.
jarjoura 13y ago
Have to admit, played with them at the Microsoft store today and even the ARM one feels way better than last years models. Glad to see Microsoft taking this seriously and improving on them.
herbig 13y ago
I've been playing around with one and was amused to see that CTRL-ALT-DEL still works as expected, right after I read the article about Bill Gates saying it was a mistake.
- jussij 13y ago
  It's never easy to undo your mistakes. Also, while Bill called it a mistake in the video, I don't think he truly believes it. In that same video Bill starts to explain how CTRL-ALT-DEL fires of a (low level) hardware interrupt and for that reason it had to be a key that was hard to accidentally press. He then dumbs it down for the audience saying they could have used a button, but that was not approved and finally he flippantly calls it a mistake. The reality is the requirement for the hardware interrupt was real and without a hardware button the only other approach is to use a weird easy to remember, hard to accidentally press key stroke, something like CTRL-ALT-DEL.
  - Stratoscope 13y ago
    In real mode, which was all there was when these keys were assigned, Ctrl+Alt+Del didn't actually fire any special low level hardware interrupt. I didn't watch Bill's video yet, so I don't know what he may have been referring to, but it definitely doesn't do that. (Maybe he just meant that it reboots the computer?) In real mode, Ctrl+Alt+Del is handled by the same BIOS code as any other keystrokes. Each of those three keys generates the usual keyboard interrupt, and BIOS code checks for Ctrl and Alt being down when Del is pressed. When that happens, the BIOS jumps to the POST (Power On Self Test) address. Or alternatively, Ctrl+Alt+Del is handled (or not handled!) by any other code that has taken over the keyboard interrupt. There are no low level hardware interrupts involved at all other than the normal keyboard interrupt that handles any other keystroke. I wrote up the details over on Reddit a couple of days ago, including some code listings from the XT BIOS: http://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/1n68nz/bill_gates_admits_controlaltdelete_was_a_mistake/ccg8toe http://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/1n68nz/bill_gate...
    - jussij 13y ago
enscr 13y ago
At $899, Surface Pro 2 is an amazing device. Microsoft needs to do a much better job at educating people about its capabilities. It's not just a combo of Macbook Air & iPad, it is your good old Windows with all the legacy apps. Obviously it's not for everyone due to its screen size.
- ghshephard 13y ago
  The challenge is on pricing - bring it to 128 GB and add a keyboard, and it comes to $1128. For $999 you can get a Macbook Air with 128 GB storage, keyboard, 4 GB Ram. I agree the Surface product looks great - I just don't know who really needs the functionality of a highly portable laptop that wouldn't just get an Air instead. Possible exceptions would be people who can use the stylus or want the Microsoft applications/games.
  - spongle 13y ago
    It has a dock which is where it wins for me. Oh and as you say, applications. OSX sucks for productivity apps.
    - Zigurd 13y ago
      This is what must have Microsoft scratching their heads. Google has done just about nothing with QuickOffice. The Google Drive Document app for Android sucks, as does Blogger. There is no good offline editing in productivity apps for Android other than QuickOffice, which edits microsoft document formats, so it doesn't integrate cleanly with Web-based editing in Drive. It's a mess! And yet, it seems like nobody cares. Google gets away with completely crap productivity apps. Maybe nobody is seriously trying to displace enterprise PCs with tablets yet. But this has to start biting them in the ass someday soon.
  - sliverstorm 13y ago
    This is where Microsoft leverages the Office suite, I imagine.
    - 13y ago
anmalhot 13y ago
towards the end of the video when people close the screen, it seems more of a "laptop that is also a tablet" rather than the other way around.
pests 13y ago
Right around the :57 mark the lady pulls an application in from the side. Is that possible/normal? I run W8.1 but only desktop, do not own a surface.
- nigelsampson 13y ago
  Yup that gesture (swipe from the left hand side) switches between the active running apps (the desktop counts as one "app"). If you swipe slowly then you can dock the app to either side.
- techsupporter 13y ago
  Yes. You can swipe in from the left to "alt-tab" through Metro apps. This behavior can be emulated in the desktop by moving your mouse to the top left and clicking when the preview thumbnail is visible.
fungi 13y ago
why would you get this and not a dell xps 12, lenovo yoga/helix, sony duo or something from toshiba/acer/asus? not being negative, just wondering.
- pedalpete 13y ago
  Some people don't like the Yoga, or XPS, just like some people don't like the Surface. This has always been Microsoft's game, let others make diverse hardware and make money on the software. This time, they're competing in the hardware game too, so far they haven't been too successful, but who knows what will happen. Microsoft can take this risk because they see little chance that Dell, Lenovo, Sony, etc. will jump to only selling linux machine or Chrome devices. I don't necessarily agree with that mentality, I think Chrome could be more of a threat than they realise.
- Aldo_MX 13y ago
  It doesn't have a preinstalled Norton trial.
- _random_ 13y ago
  Slimmer, lighter, magnetic ports, quality materials, Wacom pressure-sensitive stylus.
kayoone 13y ago
Honestly, i think this really is a game changer in the so called "post pc era". In a device like this the concept of Windows 8 seems to make perfect sense, you have all the easy to use Metro-style Apps and if you need to, you can switch to the full Desktop experience which can run Development Enviroments, Full Office Suite, Photoshop, PC Games etc. This seems to be the perfect personal computer that does everything people need and they didnt even show the docking capabilities that allow a high res Screen and complete Desktop experience. It might be a bit worse than a laptop when using on your lap but people should avoid that anyway as its not very ergonomical. This is not a workstation PC for developers but the perfect PC for my girlfriend and my parents as it doubles as a tablet for around the house! (Also i am pretty sure with Haswell, the dock and 2 external screens (one via USB3.0 To DVI) it would even make a good software development workhorse for many people)
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
miah_ 13y ago
I found the bit about the keyboard not having built in wireless (requiring an adapter) to be the obvious 'wtf'. Everything else looked pretty cool, though the Metro interface still hasn't grown on me.
bsullivan01 13y ago
This, as device, is brilliant. Like it or not most PCs (or work machines) are powered by Windows so it's much easier for one to use a Windows Tablet /Laptop. If I was in the market, I'd forget iPad and Android and buy this, as an extension of my PC. If it can do everything iPad can, why would I buy a device with a new operating system, with it's limitations and where I can't use my existing apps? The need to easily type is vastly underrated IMO. This can also serve as a laptop replacement, at least temporarily, something iPad cannot. Microsoft can easily mark it down to barely make any profit on it for quite a while, the screen resolution and tech behind it will be a non-issue soon, so it's just the ecosystem. For Windows users it makes perfect sense to stick with Windows.
- berntb 13y ago
  >>The need to easily type is vastly underrated IMO. You can use a bluetooth keyboard with iPad, there are cases with built in keyboards too. I assume the same is true for Android. Careful in your enthusiasm, you might sound like a fan boy :-) But I will buy one when it can do what I miss on my iPad -- run Debian/Ubuntu/etc with good hardware support. Unless the Android pads seduce me first. Edit: Oh my g.d, the comments on this video are more positive to Surface than Apple's users are about the polished UI/hardware. Lots of ip:s from Redmond? :-)
  - kayoone 13y ago
    i praise the concept of this device and i own a Mac Pro, Macboor Air, iPad and iPhone 4s (now replaced by Android).
    - berntb 13y ago
      Sometime the integrated pads/computers will be good for most people, but I (and Apple, it seems) doubt it is 2013 or 2014. The "concept" of Surface 2 is the same idea as the first, but maybe the execution is good enough to compete with the coming iPads/Androids, now... The extreme enthusiasm for something a year old seems funny. Anyway, it is nice to see Microsoft trying to pioneer a niche for once. But maybe it is an unfilled niche for a reason? (When/if this integration happens, there will probably be transparent use of extra processing units over the network. Considering needed rewrites and slow US network speed, it seems unlikely to happen even 2015.)
moca 13y ago
The success of Surface Pro largely depends on other people's failure. Nexus 10 is $399 with 2560x1600 display. Many decent Windows 8 laptops are selling at $600. MacBook Air weights 2.4 pounds vs Surface Pro 2 pounds. Technically, it is feasible to build a lightweight laptop with high-res touch display. It would be more functional than Surface Pro (larger display, real keyboard) and cheaper than Surface Pro + keyboard. As a business user, a great laptop is still better choice than SPro. If Surface is super successful, PC OEMs would fail a big time, which is not good news for Microsoft either.
- zmonkeyz 13y ago
  I don't know about that. I would think a rising tide could lift the boats of PC OEMs. There is still the Baytrail chip that can be exploited for a lightweight tablet. They just need to step their design game up. Something like the Sony TAP 11 that uses Baytrail could be big.
Technomaniacz 13y ago
Everything is awesome about this except the bloody OS. They gotta do something to populate the app ecosystem more.[at least comparable to Android and Apple]. maybe forget about their proprietary code for once and allow developers to code through some open sourced tools.
- _random_ 13y ago
  You just need a Pro version... Then run an Android emulator on it :).
  - Technomaniacz 13y ago
    exactly, and pro version doesn't come cheap right? Visual studio 2012 pro right?
Zigurd 13y ago
What's wrong with this? 1. Keyboard covers are superfluous. Bluetooth keyboards are what people use with tablets. The "DJ" cover is especially superfluous. That's what touchscreens are for. 2. It's a PC in a tablet form factor. It weighs like small PC. It has battery life like a small PC. It costs like a small PC. 3. The OS is better than previous attempts at tabletizing Windows, but it's still Windows with a tablet UI that has little traction with app developers tacked on. 4. It will make you fiddle with touch-unfriendly controls. Bad things that would never happen in iOS or Android will happen: You open an app, and wham! You are trying to touch a tiny button or drag a window by a tiny title bar. 5. Windows is a brand with negative value for buyers of mobile devices. "You're running Windows on your tablet? Why?" Microsoft is a company that could have chosen to make any product. But the problem there is that XBOX and Zune haven't made any profit, so choosing "Windows everything, everywhere" was at least a plausible choice, on the basis of a history of making money. Who could argue for "Zune II?" They will have to learn by failing.
- stinos 13y ago
  1. Midi controllers aren't superfluous. The DJ cover fullfills the exact same function. 2. Well, it is a small pc 3. That's kinda valid. On the other hand, it's a plain Windows PC, so runs millions of apps hence sheer amounts of developpers are in the running 4. I seem to remember a very recent post about tiny buttons in iOS 7 :P 5. Again valid. But that value might change over time: Windows Phone 8 is rather good, pretty hard to deny that.
- Spearchucker 13y ago
  1. Seriously? I'm retiring my Samsung Series 7 Slate for a Surface Pro 2 just because of the Bluetooth keyboard on the Slate. It's a good keyboard for sure, but being separate it needs a cover, so uses far too much space in my bag, and I'm tired to death of fucking about with it every time I need to type something (which is all the time). Also, in 2 you're obviously talking about Surface Pro. Pro 2 is hugely improved. And in 5 you're doing little more than stating a personal opinion.

93 points by rasengan 13y ago

Impressive stuff, but I can't help but cringe watching these cool young professional actors hunching over tiny devices and stabbing glass with their fingertips. Fingers, backs and necks are not evolved to be used like this.

djloche 13y ago
I just watched the linked video - I only saw one instance of "hunched over" - and that was during the point where they were showing off the fact that you don't have to hunch over your MS Surface, you can just pick it up and use it like a tablet. edit: I actually watched the video because of the parent comment because most of the time when I see laptops/tablets in use, people ARE hunched over & stabbing away (usually some game).

samweinberg 13y ago

I can see the Surface functioning better in a business environment than other tablets. It wouldn't be my first choice for a casual-use device.

misuba 13y ago
The pen thing is actually a big win for business users, even if it doesn't actually improve on what's already possible with iPad stylii.
- asdfs 13y ago
  AFAIK, the stylus on the Surface Pro is significantly better than ones for the iPad/tablets with regular capacitive sensors.
  - innino 13y ago
    I don't know why anyone would think otherwise, one supports real hardware-integrated digitizers, the other supports rubber nubs on sticks pretending to be fingertips.
- _random_ 13y ago
  It is pressure sensitive. It's a big win for artists as well. No need to buy expensive Wacom screens.

aroman 13y ago

I expected to click through and have my belief that Microsoft just doesn't "get it" reinforced, but I have to say, that is a really appealing device to me. My biggest gripe with my (school issued) iPad is that text entry is awful and I can't get serious multi-tasking work done. This looks like it's specifically trying to address those concerns. That said, that ad sucked imho. If Microsoft has ever not "gotten" something, it's establishing an awesome brand (sans Xbox and Word, perhaps). I have no idea how they can improve this, but I really hope Microsoft's surface line is a huge success so Apple and Google have some more competition.

city41 13y ago
I have a Surface Pro 1 with the type cover. Great tablet, I really like it. However the type cover is only a marginal improvement over the iPad (which I also own) for typing. If you really need to type a lot, a laptop is still your best bet.
- tedsanders 13y ago
  Why is the type cover only a marginal improvement? I recently tried a type cover for the first time and was able to hit my typical 100 WPM on typeracer.com. To me, it seemed like a significant improvement over both the on-screen keyboard and even the touch cover.
  - city41 13y ago
    Maybe you had better luck with it than me. I've tried on many occasions to buckle down and use it for typing and I always give up and get a real keyboard. I just gave typeracer a try and got 81wpm, so you also may just be a better typist than me.
    - tedsanders 13y ago
      81 is quite good. Can you get anything close 81wpm on an iPad? Maybe I'm just bad at on-screen iPad keyboards.
- 13y ago

notatoad 13y ago

This is how Microsoft needs to advertise. No dancing around in the park with smart covers, no petty google-bashing, just a great no-nonsense overview of their product's actual standout features.

pedalpete 13y ago
I agree, though I'd like to see a bit more focus. There wasn't a take-away where I said "The Surface Pro 2 is good for..." I think they had 5 things in there, maybe focus on 3, but really give the person the idea of how they can do those things well.
- iamshs 13y ago
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OqzxB-cSW8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OqzxB-cSW8
kefs 13y ago
Much better than https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr3dFSzh1yU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr3dFSzh1yU
- MichaelApproved 13y ago
  A mix of the two styles would seem most appropriate.

jarjoura 13y ago

Have to admit, played with them at the Microsoft store today and even the ARM one feels way better than last years models. Glad to see Microsoft taking this seriously and improving on them.

herbig 13y ago

I've been playing around with one and was amused to see that CTRL-ALT-DEL still works as expected, right after I read the article about Bill Gates saying it was a mistake.

jussij 13y ago
It's never easy to undo your mistakes. Also, while Bill called it a mistake in the video, I don't think he truly believes it. In that same video Bill starts to explain how CTRL-ALT-DEL fires of a (low level) hardware interrupt and for that reason it had to be a key that was hard to accidentally press. He then dumbs it down for the audience saying they could have used a button, but that was not approved and finally he flippantly calls it a mistake. The reality is the requirement for the hardware interrupt was real and without a hardware button the only other approach is to use a weird easy to remember, hard to accidentally press key stroke, something like CTRL-ALT-DEL.
- Stratoscope 13y ago
  In real mode, which was all there was when these keys were assigned, Ctrl+Alt+Del didn't actually fire any special low level hardware interrupt. I didn't watch Bill's video yet, so I don't know what he may have been referring to, but it definitely doesn't do that. (Maybe he just meant that it reboots the computer?) In real mode, Ctrl+Alt+Del is handled by the same BIOS code as any other keystrokes. Each of those three keys generates the usual keyboard interrupt, and BIOS code checks for Ctrl and Alt being down when Del is pressed. When that happens, the BIOS jumps to the POST (Power On Self Test) address. Or alternatively, Ctrl+Alt+Del is handled (or not handled!) by any other code that has taken over the keyboard interrupt. There are no low level hardware interrupts involved at all other than the normal keyboard interrupt that handles any other keystroke. I wrote up the details over on Reddit a couple of days ago, including some code listings from the XT BIOS: http://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/1n68nz/bill_gates_admits_controlaltdelete_was_a_mistake/ccg8toe http://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/1n68nz/bill_gate...
  - jussij 13y ago

enscr 13y ago

At $899, Surface Pro 2 is an amazing device. Microsoft needs to do a much better job at educating people about its capabilities. It's not just a combo of Macbook Air & iPad, it is your good old Windows with all the legacy apps. Obviously it's not for everyone due to its screen size.

ghshephard 13y ago
The challenge is on pricing - bring it to 128 GB and add a keyboard, and it comes to $1128. For $999 you can get a Macbook Air with 128 GB storage, keyboard, 4 GB Ram. I agree the Surface product looks great - I just don't know who really needs the functionality of a highly portable laptop that wouldn't just get an Air instead. Possible exceptions would be people who can use the stylus or want the Microsoft applications/games.
- spongle 13y ago
  It has a dock which is where it wins for me. Oh and as you say, applications. OSX sucks for productivity apps.
  - Zigurd 13y ago
    This is what must have Microsoft scratching their heads. Google has done just about nothing with QuickOffice. The Google Drive Document app for Android sucks, as does Blogger. There is no good offline editing in productivity apps for Android other than QuickOffice, which edits microsoft document formats, so it doesn't integrate cleanly with Web-based editing in Drive. It's a mess! And yet, it seems like nobody cares. Google gets away with completely crap productivity apps. Maybe nobody is seriously trying to displace enterprise PCs with tablets yet. But this has to start biting them in the ass someday soon.
- sliverstorm 13y ago
  This is where Microsoft leverages the Office suite, I imagine.
  - 13y ago

anmalhot 13y ago

towards the end of the video when people close the screen, it seems more of a "laptop that is also a tablet" rather than the other way around.

pests 13y ago

Right around the :57 mark the lady pulls an application in from the side. Is that possible/normal? I run W8.1 but only desktop, do not own a surface.

nigelsampson 13y ago
Yup that gesture (swipe from the left hand side) switches between the active running apps (the desktop counts as one "app"). If you swipe slowly then you can dock the app to either side.
techsupporter 13y ago
Yes. You can swipe in from the left to "alt-tab" through Metro apps. This behavior can be emulated in the desktop by moving your mouse to the top left and clicking when the preview thumbnail is visible.

fungi 13y ago

why would you get this and not a dell xps 12, lenovo yoga/helix, sony duo or something from toshiba/acer/asus? not being negative, just wondering.

pedalpete 13y ago
Some people don't like the Yoga, or XPS, just like some people don't like the Surface. This has always been Microsoft's game, let others make diverse hardware and make money on the software. This time, they're competing in the hardware game too, so far they haven't been too successful, but who knows what will happen. Microsoft can take this risk because they see little chance that Dell, Lenovo, Sony, etc. will jump to only selling linux machine or Chrome devices. I don't necessarily agree with that mentality, I think Chrome could be more of a threat than they realise.
Aldo_MX 13y ago
It doesn't have a preinstalled Norton trial.
_random_ 13y ago
Slimmer, lighter, magnetic ports, quality materials, Wacom pressure-sensitive stylus.

kayoone 13y ago

Honestly, i think this really is a game changer in the so called "post pc era". In a device like this the concept of Windows 8 seems to make perfect sense, you have all the easy to use Metro-style Apps and if you need to, you can switch to the full Desktop experience which can run Development Enviroments, Full Office Suite, Photoshop, PC Games etc. This seems to be the perfect personal computer that does everything people need and they didnt even show the docking capabilities that allow a high res Screen and complete Desktop experience. It might be a bit worse than a laptop when using on your lap but people should avoid that anyway as its not very ergonomical. This is not a workstation PC for developers but the perfect PC for my girlfriend and my parents as it doubles as a tablet for around the house! (Also i am pretty sure with Haswell, the dock and 2 external screens (one via USB3.0 To DVI) it would even make a good software development workhorse for many people)

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]

miah_ 13y ago

I found the bit about the keyboard not having built in wireless (requiring an adapter) to be the obvious 'wtf'. Everything else looked pretty cool, though the Metro interface still hasn't grown on me.

bsullivan01 13y ago

This, as device, is brilliant. Like it or not most PCs (or work machines) are powered by Windows so it's much easier for one to use a Windows Tablet /Laptop. If I was in the market, I'd forget iPad and Android and buy this, as an extension of my PC. If it can do everything iPad can, why would I buy a device with a new operating system, with it's limitations and where I can't use my existing apps? The need to easily type is vastly underrated IMO. This can also serve as a laptop replacement, at least temporarily, something iPad cannot. Microsoft can easily mark it down to barely make any profit on it for quite a while, the screen resolution and tech behind it will be a non-issue soon, so it's just the ecosystem. For Windows users it makes perfect sense to stick with Windows.

berntb 13y ago
>>The need to easily type is vastly underrated IMO. You can use a bluetooth keyboard with iPad, there are cases with built in keyboards too. I assume the same is true for Android. Careful in your enthusiasm, you might sound like a fan boy :-) But I will buy one when it can do what I miss on my iPad -- run Debian/Ubuntu/etc with good hardware support. Unless the Android pads seduce me first. Edit: Oh my g.d, the comments on this video are more positive to Surface than Apple's users are about the polished UI/hardware. Lots of ip:s from Redmond? :-)
- kayoone 13y ago
  i praise the concept of this device and i own a Mac Pro, Macboor Air, iPad and iPhone 4s (now replaced by Android).
  - berntb 13y ago
    Sometime the integrated pads/computers will be good for most people, but I (and Apple, it seems) doubt it is 2013 or 2014. The "concept" of Surface 2 is the same idea as the first, but maybe the execution is good enough to compete with the coming iPads/Androids, now... The extreme enthusiasm for something a year old seems funny. Anyway, it is nice to see Microsoft trying to pioneer a niche for once. But maybe it is an unfilled niche for a reason? (When/if this integration happens, there will probably be transparent use of extra processing units over the network. Considering needed rewrites and slow US network speed, it seems unlikely to happen even 2015.)

moca 13y ago

The success of Surface Pro largely depends on other people's failure. Nexus 10 is $399 with 2560x1600 display. Many decent Windows 8 laptops are selling at $600. MacBook Air weights 2.4 pounds vs Surface Pro 2 pounds. Technically, it is feasible to build a lightweight laptop with high-res touch display. It would be more functional than Surface Pro (larger display, real keyboard) and cheaper than Surface Pro + keyboard. As a business user, a great laptop is still better choice than SPro. If Surface is super successful, PC OEMs would fail a big time, which is not good news for Microsoft either.

zmonkeyz 13y ago
I don't know about that. I would think a rising tide could lift the boats of PC OEMs. There is still the Baytrail chip that can be exploited for a lightweight tablet. They just need to step their design game up. Something like the Sony TAP 11 that uses Baytrail could be big.

Technomaniacz 13y ago

Everything is awesome about this except the bloody OS. They gotta do something to populate the app ecosystem more.[at least comparable to Android and Apple]. maybe forget about their proprietary code for once and allow developers to code through some open sourced tools.

_random_ 13y ago
You just need a Pro version... Then run an Android emulator on it :).
- Technomaniacz 13y ago
  exactly, and pro version doesn't come cheap right? Visual studio 2012 pro right?

Zigurd 13y ago

What's wrong with this? 1. Keyboard covers are superfluous. Bluetooth keyboards are what people use with tablets. The "DJ" cover is especially superfluous. That's what touchscreens are for. 2. It's a PC in a tablet form factor. It weighs like small PC. It has battery life like a small PC. It costs like a small PC. 3. The OS is better than previous attempts at tabletizing Windows, but it's still Windows with a tablet UI that has little traction with app developers tacked on. 4. It will make you fiddle with touch-unfriendly controls. Bad things that would never happen in iOS or Android will happen: You open an app, and wham! You are trying to touch a tiny button or drag a window by a tiny title bar. 5. Windows is a brand with negative value for buyers of mobile devices. "You're running Windows on your tablet? Why?" Microsoft is a company that could have chosen to make any product. But the problem there is that XBOX and Zune haven't made any profit, so choosing "Windows everything, everywhere" was at least a plausible choice, on the basis of a history of making money. Who could argue for "Zune II?" They will have to learn by failing.

stinos 13y ago
1. Midi controllers aren't superfluous. The DJ cover fullfills the exact same function. 2. Well, it is a small pc 3. That's kinda valid. On the other hand, it's a plain Windows PC, so runs millions of apps hence sheer amounts of developpers are in the running 4. I seem to remember a very recent post about tiny buttons in iOS 7 :P 5. Again valid. But that value might change over time: Windows Phone 8 is rather good, pretty hard to deny that.
Spearchucker 13y ago
1. Seriously? I'm retiring my Samsung Series 7 Slate for a Surface Pro 2 just because of the Bluetooth keyboard on the Slate. It's a good keyboard for sure, but being separate it needs a cover, so uses far too much space in my bag, and I'm tired to death of fucking about with it every time I need to type something (which is all the time). Also, in 2 you're obviously talking about Surface Pro. Pro 2 is hugely improved. And in 5 you're doing little more than stating a personal opinion.