5 ms·

Looking cool in movies and in corporate and university lobbies is not enough. Microsoft really needs to cut the shit and start focusing on producing a product t

Looking cool in movies and in corporate and university lobbies is not enough. Microsoft really needs to cut the shit and start focusing on producing a product that's actually desirable to a wide market--something they've only gotten worse at in the last few years, outside of their programming languages.

ahelwer 12y ago
(Disclaimer, msft employee) The surface is legitimately useful as a complete replacement for paper & pen. I never even touched looseleaf during my last semester at university. Plus the pro 3 has a large enough screen to make it useful for coding.
- phaus 12y ago
  I agree. The only thing preventing the Surface Pro from becoming wildly popular is the price. Its definitely worth the price, and I may end up with one myself, but most people simply won't spent that much on a computer. P.S. You guys should really make a legit keyboard dock like the clam case or the transformer. People looking for laptop replacements don't like balancing shit on their laps.
  - mwfunk 12y ago
    You can get a Surface Pro 3 for $799, if anything that's a bargain for what you're getting. I wouldn't be surprised if MS had negligible or even negative margins at that price. The only danger about that price point is that people might think it's an expensive tablet rather than a cheap computer.
    - intended 12y ago
      Very likely negative margins. The product was best summer up to me so: "if you want a heavy tablet which can sorta be a laptop, surface is ideal. Otherwise if you want the robustness of a laptop and occasional tablet use, try a yoga." Having used both, the yoga turned out to be the superior use case when I wanted a stable and robust screen. If I wanted to sketch something, I wish I had a pro 3. For me, and I suppose many other users - it's coming down to broadwell and the surface 4. (Or if they want to branch out with accessories, a stronger and more robust keyboard accessory) But the device does cram an awful lot into its chasis. No matter what, MS did a good job on the design.
    - phaus 12y ago
      >You can get a Surface Pro 3 for $799, if anything that's a bargain for what you're getting. Like I said, its worth the money for what you get, but that's not going to matter much. Most people spend less than $799 on a computer of any sort. >The only danger about that price point is that people might think it's an expensive tablet rather than a cheap computer.. Until they release a keyboard that actually transforms the device into a laptop, it is just an expensive tablet.
- eruditely 12y ago
  I am interested to hear how you utilize the surface for a pen and paper replacement. I want something portable that works for a notebook, but I don't see it replacing a laptop for me. Care to expand?
  - ahelwer 12y ago
    Surface pen + OneNote is pretty magical. It's the first thing I show people when they ask to try my surface, and they're always blown away. So basically I just write on there instead of using paper & pen. As an aside, I also like using the pen to draw diagrams for presentations, instead of using Visio or whatever. People pay more attention to the hand-drawn look, I find.
  - algorithmsRcool 12y ago
    I'm a few hours late but, just last night, i woke in bed and stared at the ceiling for a while then had a thought about a a particular issue at work. Being able to just roll over and sketch it out in 4 colors for clarity in onenote without having to fiddle with the bedroom light made me consciously think about how much i liked my surface. More practical usage involves me capturing meeting notes at work with it. To be honest were it not for the great pen capabilities and the great onenote app, i wouldn't be using the device at all probably.
- Retric 12y ago
  The surface completly misses the point of a tablet. It's a laptop with an odd form factor. But an ideal tablet is under 2/3 pound and all other features are optional.

ahelwer 12y ago

(Disclaimer, msft employee) The surface is legitimately useful as a complete replacement for paper & pen. I never even touched looseleaf during my last semester at university. Plus the pro 3 has a large enough screen to make it useful for coding.

phaus 12y ago
I agree. The only thing preventing the Surface Pro from becoming wildly popular is the price. Its definitely worth the price, and I may end up with one myself, but most people simply won't spent that much on a computer. P.S. You guys should really make a legit keyboard dock like the clam case or the transformer. People looking for laptop replacements don't like balancing shit on their laps.
- mwfunk 12y ago
  You can get a Surface Pro 3 for $799, if anything that's a bargain for what you're getting. I wouldn't be surprised if MS had negligible or even negative margins at that price. The only danger about that price point is that people might think it's an expensive tablet rather than a cheap computer.
  - intended 12y ago
    Very likely negative margins. The product was best summer up to me so: "if you want a heavy tablet which can sorta be a laptop, surface is ideal. Otherwise if you want the robustness of a laptop and occasional tablet use, try a yoga." Having used both, the yoga turned out to be the superior use case when I wanted a stable and robust screen. If I wanted to sketch something, I wish I had a pro 3. For me, and I suppose many other users - it's coming down to broadwell and the surface 4. (Or if they want to branch out with accessories, a stronger and more robust keyboard accessory) But the device does cram an awful lot into its chasis. No matter what, MS did a good job on the design.
  - phaus 12y ago
    >You can get a Surface Pro 3 for $799, if anything that's a bargain for what you're getting. Like I said, its worth the money for what you get, but that's not going to matter much. Most people spend less than $799 on a computer of any sort. >The only danger about that price point is that people might think it's an expensive tablet rather than a cheap computer.. Until they release a keyboard that actually transforms the device into a laptop, it is just an expensive tablet.
eruditely 12y ago
I am interested to hear how you utilize the surface for a pen and paper replacement. I want something portable that works for a notebook, but I don't see it replacing a laptop for me. Care to expand?
- ahelwer 12y ago
  Surface pen + OneNote is pretty magical. It's the first thing I show people when they ask to try my surface, and they're always blown away. So basically I just write on there instead of using paper & pen. As an aside, I also like using the pen to draw diagrams for presentations, instead of using Visio or whatever. People pay more attention to the hand-drawn look, I find.
- algorithmsRcool 12y ago
  I'm a few hours late but, just last night, i woke in bed and stared at the ceiling for a while then had a thought about a a particular issue at work. Being able to just roll over and sketch it out in 4 colors for clarity in onenote without having to fiddle with the bedroom light made me consciously think about how much i liked my surface. More practical usage involves me capturing meeting notes at work with it. To be honest were it not for the great pen capabilities and the great onenote app, i wouldn't be using the device at all probably.
Retric 12y ago
The surface completly misses the point of a tablet. It's a laptop with an odd form factor. But an ideal tablet is under 2/3 pound and all other features are optional.