6 ms·

Microsoft needs to keep at it. While this iteration is great, the platform will not flourish if they falter or take a release cycle off. Consistent upgrades t

Microsoft needs to keep at it. While this iteration is great, the platform will not flourish if they falter or take a release cycle off. Consistent upgrades to the Surface hardware, and support of the developer community is key to winning the overall tablet war for MS.

astrodust 12y ago
While it's great to see Microsoft innovating like this and pushing their product aggressively forward, it must really chafe with their OEM community. Why would you buy some clunky classic notebook when you can get a Surface 3 for virtually the same price? It's basically impossible for OEMs to compete when Microsoft can include Windows for free and they have to pay a premium to bundle it.
- mikerg87 12y ago
  I really haven't seen the surface pro compete on price. Similar Lenovo offerings for 256GB and 512GB SSD ultra books have similar pricing. I honestly think MS shopped around the concept of surface to OEMS and I think the OEMs said "Pass. No Thanks. we'll stick with our incremental and existing form factors". I think MS was forced into a corner and concluded they needed to go it on their own.
  - JimmaDaRustla 12y ago
    Kind of like how Razer built their own laptop - the OEMs have stagnated and their hardware isn't competing on an innovation front.
- josefresco 12y ago
  This new surface starts at $799 which puts it clearly in thee mid-range notebook market where there are plenty of compelling alternative laptops, many of which sport clearly superior hardware. Bump it up to an i5 or i7 and I'm sure the price will be north of $1K. The premium paid here is the form factor and it's related features so the comparison to traditional laptops isn't valid (even if MS is making it). Maybe if you're cross shopping svelte, premium laptops the Surface 3 would be an option, but not for someone looking for a $400 i3 Windows laptop.
- nivla 12y ago
  >Why would you buy some clunky classic notebook when you can get a Surface 3 for virtually the same price? Well one of the reasons why I got my first gen Surface Pro was because none of the OEM's were making a similar product. Did you notice how awful the options were before the Surface came out? The OEM's were doing nothing but cashing in on the "Windows" name, throwing in a crappy product with Win 8 and some their own proprietary bloat and call it a "Windows Tablet". This was the only way MS could save their name, introduce itself to the tablet market and step up the game. I am all for what doesn't cause stagnation in the market.
- seanmcdirmid 12y ago
  As far as I can tell the surface pro 3 is still not lap friendly, which makes it a no go for my working preferences (a sofa chair at Starbucks sans table). I'm interested in what the OEMS will produce, if only I could get a true convertible with hi dpi + decent stylus support! I would buy that (yoga pro 2 is tempting, but no stylus + crappy trackpad...). Competition is good (and I say that as an MS employee).
  - nivla 12y ago
    >As far as I can tell the surface pro 3 is still not lap friendly Huh? Din't they demonstrate that on the video? he was using it on his lap at multiple angles and including his legs stretched. If they missed that part watch it here[1]. It starts around 41 minute mark. [1] https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2014/may14/05-20webcast.aspx https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2014/may14/05-20w...
    - seanmcdirmid 12y ago
      I use my laptop on my lap for about 4 hours a day coding. I really need a laptop that works as a laptop in that case, nit just something I can use on my lap occasionally. Perhaps someone will make a counterweighted and braced keyboard like they have for iPad to solve this problem.
      - nivla 12y ago
        >Perhaps someone will make a counterweighted and braced keyboard like they have for iPad to solve this problem. Did you watch the video I posted above? He does show the feature where the top of the keyboard can be folded and magnetically attached to the bezel to provide a stable structure. I am just curious, what kind of job requires you to place your laptop on your lap for 4 hours a day? I learned it the hard way not to put laptops on lap after getting a burn (it was an old hp laptop), one of the reasons that prompted the name change from laptops to notebooks. Although now most have moved the vents to the side, I still feel unsafe to place it on my lap for a long period of time. Then there is also [1] [1] http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/11/05/us-laptop-testicles-idUSTRE6A457320101105 http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/11/05/us-laptop-testicle...

astrodust 12y ago

While it's great to see Microsoft innovating like this and pushing their product aggressively forward, it must really chafe with their OEM community. Why would you buy some clunky classic notebook when you can get a Surface 3 for virtually the same price? It's basically impossible for OEMs to compete when Microsoft can include Windows for free and they have to pay a premium to bundle it.

mikerg87 12y ago
I really haven't seen the surface pro compete on price. Similar Lenovo offerings for 256GB and 512GB SSD ultra books have similar pricing. I honestly think MS shopped around the concept of surface to OEMS and I think the OEMs said "Pass. No Thanks. we'll stick with our incremental and existing form factors". I think MS was forced into a corner and concluded they needed to go it on their own.
- JimmaDaRustla 12y ago
  Kind of like how Razer built their own laptop - the OEMs have stagnated and their hardware isn't competing on an innovation front.
josefresco 12y ago
This new surface starts at $799 which puts it clearly in thee mid-range notebook market where there are plenty of compelling alternative laptops, many of which sport clearly superior hardware. Bump it up to an i5 or i7 and I'm sure the price will be north of $1K. The premium paid here is the form factor and it's related features so the comparison to traditional laptops isn't valid (even if MS is making it). Maybe if you're cross shopping svelte, premium laptops the Surface 3 would be an option, but not for someone looking for a $400 i3 Windows laptop.
nivla 12y ago
>Why would you buy some clunky classic notebook when you can get a Surface 3 for virtually the same price? Well one of the reasons why I got my first gen Surface Pro was because none of the OEM's were making a similar product. Did you notice how awful the options were before the Surface came out? The OEM's were doing nothing but cashing in on the "Windows" name, throwing in a crappy product with Win 8 and some their own proprietary bloat and call it a "Windows Tablet". This was the only way MS could save their name, introduce itself to the tablet market and step up the game. I am all for what doesn't cause stagnation in the market.
seanmcdirmid 12y ago
As far as I can tell the surface pro 3 is still not lap friendly, which makes it a no go for my working preferences (a sofa chair at Starbucks sans table). I'm interested in what the OEMS will produce, if only I could get a true convertible with hi dpi + decent stylus support! I would buy that (yoga pro 2 is tempting, but no stylus + crappy trackpad...). Competition is good (and I say that as an MS employee).
- nivla 12y ago
  >As far as I can tell the surface pro 3 is still not lap friendly Huh? Din't they demonstrate that on the video? he was using it on his lap at multiple angles and including his legs stretched. If they missed that part watch it here[1]. It starts around 41 minute mark. [1] https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2014/may14/05-20webcast.aspx https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2014/may14/05-20w...
  - seanmcdirmid 12y ago
    I use my laptop on my lap for about 4 hours a day coding. I really need a laptop that works as a laptop in that case, nit just something I can use on my lap occasionally. Perhaps someone will make a counterweighted and braced keyboard like they have for iPad to solve this problem.
    - nivla 12y ago
      >Perhaps someone will make a counterweighted and braced keyboard like they have for iPad to solve this problem. Did you watch the video I posted above? He does show the feature where the top of the keyboard can be folded and magnetically attached to the bezel to provide a stable structure. I am just curious, what kind of job requires you to place your laptop on your lap for 4 hours a day? I learned it the hard way not to put laptops on lap after getting a burn (it was an old hp laptop), one of the reasons that prompted the name change from laptops to notebooks. Although now most have moved the vents to the side, I still feel unsafe to place it on my lap for a long period of time. Then there is also [1] [1] http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/11/05/us-laptop-testicles-idUSTRE6A457320101105 http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/11/05/us-laptop-testicle...