Surface Pro is just about here...........

On sale today, wonder if it will be the initial fail of the Surface RT?
Microsoft's Surface Pro goes on sale Saturday | PCWorld

 

For competition sake I hope it does well but it may have a tough time in the marketplace if it doesn't have Apps that are tailored for businesses. The RT has been been a failure sales wise and it's a shame because I played with an RT at Best Buy when they first came out and Windows 8 felt natural on the tablet unlike the PC version.

 

Windows RT was a stillborn child from the get-go: Who in his right mind purchases a device that has next to no apps available? In this market, it's all about the apps. Turns out that most people get that, even if somewhat belatedly: In addition to sales of the Windows RT Surface being next to none existent, the ones that people have bought accidentally are being returned in record numbers.

The Surface Pro, on the other hand, is a different device altogether, and the only type of device on which Windows 8 in fact makes some sense. Right now it looks like these things are selling well, despite the pathetic battery life, and a number of additional downsides. Given those, I would never buy a Surface Pro, but it may well be that Samsung will get it right at some point.

 

I think the Surface Pro will do much better than the Surface RT. My Vaio Duo 11 is pretty similar in hardware to the Surface Pro (yes, the exact way in which the keyboard deploys is different, but it's still an x86 PC with a ULV Ivy Bridge processor and a 1080p touchscreen) and I've been using it as my primary laptop, including for work, since October. It's fulfilled the job very nicely.

So long as people realize it's not meant to be a direct competitor to an iPad, but instead a fusion of a MacBook Air and an iPad, it'll do great. It fills that role marvelously, and its price is very reasonable compared to an ultraportable laptop AND a tablet (since it replaces both).

 

The Surface Pro looks interesting IMO. The RT is fundamentally still a tablet device. For a tablet, it's not bad, and even though I disagree with Pirx and don't think application count is the end-all-be-all, the RT is rather lacking in that category at this point in time. But the Pro really does fulfill the laptop role as well with Windows 8 and the beefier hardware. It's a lot more likely to appeal to people who want a laptop and might see its tablet aspects as a bonus, but wouldn't be happy with just a tablet.

The battery life aspect depends on what you're comparing it to and what you're used to. Sure, it isn't as good as most tablets, but it's better than a lot of laptops. And if you're buying it to replace an old laptop, it might actually be a nice step up from what an older, 2008-era laptop's battery life was. I'd find the 5-6 hours of battery life perfectly adequate, and I'd much rather have that and Windows than 10-12 hours of battery life but a different OS. Especially if I were buying one intending to use it as my primary laptop.

There are a few things that aren't ideal for a laptop. The port selection is rather limited, although a USB hub could solve much of that. That there's only 4 GB of RAM and it's soldered on is a little disappointing. And the keyboards are still kinda pricey - although you can always just plug in a regular USB one while at a desk. But for what it's going for, I think it usually strikes a pretty good balance.

 

Sure, but it's a lot worse than a lot of laptops, too. As a matter of fact, if you're looking at new laptops, which would be the proper comparison to make, there's not many that have as pathetic a battery life as that, certainly not if you look at your typical ultrabook.

If you find 5-6 hours adequate, then you shouldn't be considering a Surface Pro. That one probably wouldn't survive 5 hours at idle... From what I hear, around 4 hours are more realistic if you do anything on them at all.

It all depends on what you need, but using this thing as a "primary laptop" would be a stretch for many people. But, sure, there's plenty of folks these days who are perfectly happy to use an iPad as their primary computer...

 

Would be nice but M$ pulled a marketing ploy by just not getting many, if any, to most stores. In fact if the stores got any it was one or two at most and those were usually the 64GB version which did not sell out. Alot of people are not happy with M$ for now, eithe4r they did not get their toy or are upset with the marketing ploy to make the system look like it was a hot selling item...................

Edit; had to ad a link, hope Bill got to sell off his M$ shares earlier on.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspe...pr-team-misfires-as-the-surface-pro-launches/

 

I agree, the Surface Pro overall is disappointing to me, not something I'm going to buy, but a step in the right direction. Lenovo is on the right track with the Helix in my opinion, it's a lot more expensive than the Pro, but it is a device I'm keeping an eye out for. There are still some unknowns and some thing I'd like to see on it that will likely not make it (microSD reader), but so far, it's one of the very few Windows 8 tablets that I have an interest in.

 

Yes, I just looked at the specs again, and with an i7, 256GB SSD, and 8BG memory this one does look interesting. Plus the screen should be gorgeous as well. On the other hand, it's a bit late to the game, meaning, once somebody decides to wait for that, s/he might as well decide to wait for a Haswell version. That's basically my plan: I'll see what's coming out this summer/fall, and decide at that point. At the end of the day, none of the first-generation devices available right now are really acceptable for my usage.

Interesting. This looks like another major screw-up in the long lists of blunders surrounding the release of Windows 8 and associated devices. The only thing saving Microsoft at this point is their large stash of cash reserves, and a significant amount of market inertia. None of those two things will last forever, though.

 

Oh yeah well Surface sells out!

The idea of "lining up outside a Microsoft Store" causes a Divide By Zero error in my brain. I mean the Surface Pro sounds kinda cool, from a pure nerd perspective, but it's not $899 or $999 cool. If I could pry out the storage and bolt in a 256GB mSATA drive or something then it would be more appealing.

 

Did you look at the link TANware had posted? Looks like the reason those things "sold out" was that Microsoft only provided a very small number of them to stores, sometimes apparently as few as one or two of them. But, yeah, those things were flying off the shelves, all two of them, in just one day...

 

My hope is that M$ with the failure of windows 8 being the end all of OS's for all mobile devices will have to cowtow to their original customer base and get the OS to where we all wanted it to begin with. It is a shame as if they would have listened to us to begin with not only would eveyone want the OS for their mobile solution they would also have ran to get the OS on all the PC's and business would have eventually flocked to it as well.

Windows 8, or a common OS between all devices, is the right idea. What M$ forgot is they needed to get their current user base 100% behind them. Then as they did get a major PC conversion then get those phones and tablets out to the market. Instead they decided what is best for us despite consumers in mass complaining about the end product. M$ with its market share is so used to bullying competition I guess it though nothing of same tactics against it customer base, probably the biggest marketing blunder they had ever made.

Still off topic but M$ stocks since windows 8 made it to the streets has taken a huge hit. You can see the dips with the OS then attempted recovery with the RT and now even the PRO but if these fail the stocks will get hit even further. M$ for the short term has no real new announcements of products to generate excitement and increase the share prices. In the end they have to answer to share holders. My fear is if Windows 8 does not gain traction M$ shares could become a penny stock just from the fears of investors.

In the end M$ has to give up this revolution against its PC customer base and just position Windows 8 as an evolutionary change. In this economy no other OEM out there is going to bank on revolution, there is just too much to loose and just one small blunder can take entire companies down for the count. I know M$ blames OEM's for just this and not having the revolutionary hardware out there to market but can you blame OEM's for not gambling?

About the intertia and money, well M$ has had 3 months and users are not budging. The problem here is most people with Windows 7 machines today can run just fine for the next 4-6 years with the equipment and OS they have. Does M$ have the fortitude to last in a battle with consumers for that period of time? With each anti-consumer related decision or marketing lie they also are alienating their loyal consumer base and what will it take to get that trust back? IMHO they are digging a hole that soon they will not be able to climb out of. I personally hate to see this, I had trusted and relied on M$ for years, but I have to now honestly rethink my loyaly and look now for alternatives before it is too late.

Before the flames start up early on, in the beta I saw myself converting all machines to Windows 8 and getting a Surface Pro or other tablet/PC. I really liked Windows 8 and in those days though it to be a worthy upgrade path for all devices. It just makes me so mad that M$ decided to buck heads with PC users. If they hadn't and Windows 8 were addopted by PC users alot of them would have wanted the commonality of the interface in their phones and tablets. And yet again I'll state I would have been an early addopter to this end...........................

Just look to the comments even on that link. It is just pittafull M$ would resort to only having a limited number of machines to claim that they had "Sold Out" in just a few hours rather than admit supply issues...............

 

Back on topic and adding to the press Surface Woes..............

Surface Pro availability: Sold out? Or not? | Computerworld Blogs
Microsoft Surface Pro ad debuts amid supply gripes | Microsoft - CNET News
Microsoft's Surface Pro launch marred by supply shortages | ZDNet
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/ne...e_surface_rt_being_sold_out_launch_weekend123
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/379810/surface-pro-sells-out-but-low-supply-angers-customers

 

Razer did the same thing with the Blade. They kept saying they sold out in an hour, well they never published quantities, and it seems it was less than a hundred with hype about it for months... tsk tsk. People are stupid. But not that stupid. (or are we?)

 

Agreed, this is not a new tactic. It seems M$ ad money means something, as while the small houses on the net report the supply issue properly, the larger houses that depend on the ad revenue have not come out specifically mentioning the woes or just ever so slightly hint there may have been an issue.

 

Wow, I was at Best Buy today looking at the Surface Pro and just for curiosity I looked at the "Windows Experience Index" for Desktop Graphics and was I surprised. The Surface Pro had an i5 processor and 4GB RAM and had a Windows Experience Index of 5.6 for Desktop Graphics while all other ultrabooks and machines (even with i7 and 8GB RAM) had an index number of between 4.2 and 4.7 with the integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics.

I really wonder what Microsoft has done to optimize the Intel HD 4000 (that is amazing)??????

Oh yeah, they did have stock available (64GB version).

 

Right, either no one want's the 64GB version or it is low demand. Most out there want, or were in line for the, 128GB and stores that got them either only recieved one or two if any at all. 4.2-4.7 seems low for the HD 4000, my daughters integrated old intel graphics gets 4.1 and that is not even on chip (p8400) and DDR2 800................

 

No idea what it is you were looking at, but my Sammy S9 has a Graphics WEI of 6.5.

What I wonder is what Best Buy has done to cripple all of those other laptops you were looking at...

P.S.: By the way, what's the WEI for your Yoga? 4.x? Really?

 

Selling out means absolutely nothing. How many units were sold?

 

By the way, what's the WEI for your Yoga? 4.x? Really?[/QUOTE]

I have updated my BIOS, HD 4000 driver and Chipset driver. Below is a screen shot of my WEI (attachment). I am trying to figure out why the low (4.7) Desktop Graphics WEI. Although, I have looked at a dozen ultrabooks with i5 and i7 with integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics and have found similar results.

 

Well, like I said, my Samsung Series 9, which has similar specs to your Yoga, has both graphics scores at 6.5. But then, I am running Windows 7, of course.

P.S.: With the exception of the processor score, all my other scores are higher, too:
7.1, 7.5, 6.5, 6.5, 7.9

 

I really like the Samsung Series 9 machines and just about purchased one recently. I wonder what impact if any WEI has on Windows 7 vs Windows 8 (Windows scale from 1.0 to 7.9 vs Windows 8 scale of 1.0 to 9.9).

Back to the subject of "Surface Pro", I like what I have seen and hope it is a great success for Microsoft. Also I am hoping the Microsoft stores will catch on and give Apple some competition in the big shopping malls. I would really like to see the Microsoft Stores give Best Buy some competition in the areas where they will be located.