i want it, but not enough to justify buying it

[Edited on October 24, 2012 at 11:56 AM. Reason : maybe i'll get the Surface2 when it come out]

10/24/2012 11:56:02 AM

played with one this morning. it didn't feel as oversized as i was expecting, but i still have doubts about how comfortable it would be using it strictly as a tablet. it does seem like it would work best in laptop-mode most of the time

10/26/2012 11:04:02 AM

I like the horizontal scrolling in apps like the new NY Times. It seems more natural than scrolling down given the screen shape. I was messing around and downloaded the ArcGIS app, it has some really cool maps like homebrewing hot spots and coastal wind power potential maps.

10/26/2012 12:45:23 PM

Bought a 32GB with red Touch cover (plus 12 months free xbox music pass) this morning from the Southpoint store. I honestly was not expecting the line to be substantial but it was and stayed that way at least through lunch (when I left). It is weird how even though it is within 0.1mm thickness and weighs just 24g more than the iPad, it feels far more substantial. For me this is a big plus because I'm a big guy. I actually have taken to the touch cover typing with no problems (surprised me because I've used to the big Natural 4000 keyboards for years). I was tempted to wait for the pro for more laptop replacement but I'm always going to need a better laptop for development.

10/26/2012 4:18:16 PM

I've heard a lot of mixed things about the Surface, but I can't help but be intrigued. I've been thinking about replacing my Toshiba netbook for a while--it's just very slow--and I feel like the Surface could be a contender. I tend to take my netbook with my to coffeeshops, sitting around the house (desktop in the office), when I go out or just generally hanging out. I do a lot of writing so I'm nervous to get a pure tablet like a Nexus 7 or a Kindle Fire HD (even though they look like amazing products and I'm seriously considering them) and if it'll affect my habits at all (I do most work at a desktop, but like the netbook OPTION).

^How's the typing on the Surface's keyboard?

Anyway, still not sure what I want.

11/7/2012 11:05:18 PM

In Windows RT, how much access do you have to files? Can you move around photos and files on the desktop, or is it more similar to doing so with an iPad?

11/8/2012 7:09:51 AM

^You tap the desktop tile, tap the windows explorer taskbar shortcut and move your stuff around exactly the same way you do in every version of Windows.

It's pretty amazing to be able to do that. It's one of my biggest pet peeves on my iPad, and even on Android. Dealing with digital camera downloads, external hard drives, thumb drives et al is the same experience as regular 'ol windows.

11/9/2012 1:08:23 AM

Those of you that have had the surface for a few days, how are you liking it? I'm getting ready to order one for a door prize for our office Christmas party and I'm debating on whether to buy one for myself as well.

Also, is there a web storefront for the App Store like Google Play and iTunes? I'd like to see what kind of apps are available for it as that's my biggest concern. I know some of what I want is available but what about good note apps (handwriting and sketching for use at a job site) and PDF editors (primarily something that will let me do markups on PDF copies of work orders like marking out incorrect measurements and writing in new ones). I love PDF expert for iOS if anyone is familiar with it.

11/15/2012 7:53:32 PM

OneNote or Evernote for notes

Apps here:http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/apps

[Edited on November 15, 2012 at 8:23 PM. Reason : Seriously. OneNote is amazing!]

11/15/2012 8:09:33 PM

Note taking is one of the few areas of the Windows app store with two good options as ^ points out. OneNoteMX is freaking awesome.

11/15/2012 8:18:41 PM

You can do handwriting and sketches in Onenote and Evernote?

11/15/2012 8:49:25 PM

^Yes both in OnenoteMX

For evernote, you can get the Evernote Skitch app to do sketching and handwriting.

11/15/2012 9:24:13 PM

So how fast do these things feel? Like faster than my 3 year old ASUS netbbok? If so I been wanting to upgrade for a while. Also, can this give me a desktop environment?

11/15/2012 9:30:30 PM

The Evernote forums have hinted at upcoming better handwriting support

But yeah, for handwriting it's onenote by a mile

11/15/2012 9:37:26 PM

I think I am gonna just go ahead and get one the new Acer ultrabooks. Should I go touchscreen or not on this if I decide to get one?

11/15/2012 9:56:40 PM

Quote :

"^Yes both in OnenoteMX For evernote, you can get the Evernote Skitch app to do sketching and handwriting. "

I haven't been a fan of skitch so far but I did like Onenote before I switched to Evernote (better syncing to my phone at the time). I've read reports of Onenote bogging the Surface down with too many entries/notebooks/pages (forget which). Have you found this to be true and if so, what was the breaking point. Most of my Evernote stuff is rarely synced but I do have a folder of PDFs that changes daily and is usually a couple hundred mb. Would that work well or would I be better off keeping it in Dropbox/Skydrive and having it save to the device automatically (or is that even possible)?

Also what about printing? Does it handle wireless printing well? Both my iPads and Android tabs have been great for that and I'd hate to lose it.

Sorry for so many questions but I really want a Surface but I've never been so unsure of the capabilities of something since I can't try one out first and don't know how easy it would be to sell if I don't like it since its not an ipad/android tab.



^^ do you want to be able to use it as a tablet (I.e. one of the convertibles) or just touch the screen while using it as a regular laptop? Also the Win8 thread may be a better place for answers from more users.

[E

[Edited on November 15, 2012 at 10:25 PM. Reason : .]

11/15/2012 10:21:08 PM

^ just get one and try it out. You get 14days to return with no questions asked if you buy it at a Microsoft store, and 30days to return if you buy it online.

For your PDFs, definitely use SkyDrive.

11/15/2012 10:29:23 PM

Do you have to pay tax at the MS store?

11/15/2012 10:42:41 PM

^^ last 2 questions hopefully. Do you have one of the touch type covers and do you like it? What do you use more between it and your ipad? I'd really like to sell some of my tablets and consolidate. Doable from what you know about me from the other thread in your opinion?

11/15/2012 10:58:17 PM

^^Why wouldn't you? Its a retail store like any other.

^I dont have one yet. MSFT employees dont get theirs until December. I have a multitouch tablet with Win8, an HP Touchsmart TM2

11/15/2012 11:15:31 PM

I meant the Online store lol. MS has brick/mortar setups in the RDU?

11/15/2012 11:16:53 PM

^They have two holiday stores in NC, one in Charlotte and one in Southpoint? mall outside of Durham. So yeah you're probably going to have to pay tax.

11/15/2012 11:28:49 PM

They have a store at south point, it's moving to a better kiosk Saturday night

Also, if handwriting is a big deal for you, have you considered a tablet with a digitizer? I'm ordering a Lenovo Tablet 2 over the surface because I want a digitizer pen and not just a capacitive stylus.

[Edited on November 16, 2012 at 6:48 AM. Reason : .]

11/16/2012 6:44:26 AM

^ for me, if I'm spending the money for a win8 pro tablet, it's going to need to run my CAD software. The atom I'm the Lenovo isn't close to sufficient. Handwriting is important to me but I'm not taking long notes on it. I'm more concerned with making small changes to work orders (primarily correcting measurements since I've yet to meet a salesperson that can use a tape measure accurately). Unfortunately what I want is only available in tablets that haven't come out yet, are too heavy, or too underpowered. Since I've been using cap styluses for years I'd rather save a few hundred with something that does most of what i want at a better size/weight. Plus $500 is pretty much where I draw the line for something I take in the field on construction sites.

11/16/2012 7:51:31 AM

Yeah, my final purchase decision will be based on hands on tests and benchmarks for the atom processor. I don't care about running CAD with it, but I need it to run Autodesk Design Review and let me markup drawings.

Hopefully Autodesk launches an AutoCAD in the windows store that is similar to the Android or iOS version, those are generally enough for me to confirm a measurement or something.

11/16/2012 8:53:35 AM

Mine is less AutoCAD and more a proprietary CAD program from one of our manufacturers that's basically a huge pile of shit that is so poorly written that it bogs down anything less than a dual 2..3 i3 w/ 4GB and is barely usable on that. AutoCAD would be nice but I don't have a need for it in the field.

11/16/2012 10:08:37 AM

So out of touch with the young, hip crowd. What target market is this

aimed at capturing?

11/16/2012 10:25:09 AM

My wife, a non-tech apple ecosystem person, is completely sold on this because of how good it looks in the commercials. We actually went and played with one and she wants one for Christmas to replace her iPad. I think they are pretty effective, its definitely the best ad campaign I've ever seen from Microsoft.

11/16/2012 10:59:01 AM

^ yep, pretty much everyone I've talked to about them says something like "oh is that the one with the commercial where they're snapping them closed and stuff? Those are cool!" It's definitely effective for the average person that literally knows nothing about them. MS' latest ad campaigns have definitely been much better lately IMO and completely blow Google out of the water and seem more memorable than even Apple's which is really great at advertising.

11/16/2012 1:21:10 PM

well picked up a 32gb with touch cover & hdmi adapter for $400 from a guy that got 2 as gifts. So far I really love the build quality and the touch cover. I don't like that there are no notifications for gmail/google apps (or I can't find them) and how there's apparently no option to set them up for push (or I can't find them either).

Also searching for relevant info on the surface is a pain in the ass. Everything I search ends up going to a review, announcement page, or something regarding the old Surface project. It sucks having to go search through pages of results to find something that MIGHT actually be what I'm searching for.

Overall I really like it so far. I've been playing around with it for several hours so far and haven't run into any real issues with speed or anything.

11/17/2012 5:36:35 PM

^how is the app store? a large variety of tablet optimized apps?

11/18/2012 12:21:33 AM

they are all tablet optimized

11/18/2012 1:28:37 AM

^^ Like ^ said they're all tablet apps. There is a large variety so far but you can definitely tell a difference between it and the Apple App Store and Google Play. I've only had it a day so I obviously haven't been through all of it to see what's actually useful but, so far, the only thing I'm missing is a dropbox app. I've got a free 50gb account so I don't know if I'll switch everything to Skydrive yet or wait for DB to make one. I did prefer DB in the past but it's been a while since I've used SD so we'll see if it works as well (main thing I preferred then is the ability to sync certain folders to my desktop so I could keep personal stuff on my home computer and not sync it to my work computer).

11/18/2012 8:21:52 AM

if you ever use the web interface, that is a good reason to make the switch to skydrive. also, if you use it for photos, skydrive is a lot better, easier, and prettier for that

I still use dropbox for some items, but skydrive has won me over for most things since their last couple updates. It looks really good now.

11/18/2012 10:15:29 AM

^^ The skydrive desktop app just updated to include selective folder syncing a couple of days ago.

I have been complaining and asking for this since MS shutdown Live Mesh.

The DropBox Win8 app is supposed to be out soon, I'd guess mid-december.

11/18/2012 4:51:24 PM

The only things being advertised in Boston right now are Windows Phone 8, Surface, and Brad Pitt with Chanel #5.

I hope they're selling a shitton there.

11/19/2012 1:41:15 AM

we had to return the one for our office due to a display issue on it - just received it back sans power cord - they said we'll get the power cord in a week because it's coming from the US

11/19/2012 2:39:49 AM

Well mine is going up for sale. I love the keyboard and having actual Office but there's either too much that it can't do yet or too much that it can't do well. I've taken to leaving it on the couch or beside the bed and using my ipad instead. Some of it is obviously familiarity and some of it teething issues with a new device/OS but it's just ready enough for me yet. I'll take another look at them in 6 months/1 year because I do like what it COULD be.

If anyone here is interested in one for a good price let me know. 32gb w/ 32gb microSD, Touch Type cover, and HDMI adapter. I've got it up on CL for $500 but will come off that a good bit for tww. Located in Hickory but can travel a bit and will be in Greensboro on Monday.

11/21/2012 9:59:09 PM

The Acer W700 is pretty baller, but at 11.6 inches its too much tablet for me, and besides I am in the market for a touch screen laptop anyways.

11/22/2012 12:29:14 PM

I refuse to purchase anything with a 1366x768 display, it's an awful resolution. I'm fine with the 11.6" screen on the acer since it has a 1920x1280 screen.

Does the dock for the W700 work as a dock or just a weird stand? I'd buy it if it had a digitizer?

11/22/2012 6:31:30 PM

http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2012/11/29/next-up-for-the-surface-family-surface-with-windows-8-pro-pricing.aspx

Quote :

"In January, Surface with Windows 8 Pro will be available in two versions and pricing will start at $899: · 64GB standalone version at $899 · 128GB standalone version at $999 Both versions will both include a Surface pen with Palm Block technology and include the ability to use a Touch Cover or Type Cover (sold separately). "

i said the same thing about the RT, but this is WAY too expensive. in a world of $100-200 kindles, $200 nexus and $300-500 iPads, there is no way this is going to make a dent in the post-PC market. i hate to say it b/c i love the Surface, but it's just not going to sell

[Edited on November 29, 2012 at 12:51 PM. Reason : .]

11/29/2012 12:51:30 PM

This is not at all too expensive in a world of the $2000 tablets (such as the X61t).

Don't let iPad or Kindle Fire price-anchoring confuse you, this will not be a consumer media tablet. If you are going to compare it to something current, you need to look at other tablets with digitizers and full operating systems, and this thing is a bargain in that world.

11/29/2012 12:56:21 PM

why would MS be spending over $1billion on win8 and surface marketing if they weren't targeting the mass consumer market. even ballmer is making the apple/google/amazon comparison.

Quote :

"“I don’t think anybody has done a product that is the product that I see customers wanting,” Ballmer told CNBC during a recent interview. “You can go through the products from all those guys … and none of them has a product that you can really use. Not Apple. Not Google. Not Amazon. Nobody has a product that lets you work and play that can be your tablet and your PC. Not at any price point. “This is a first-class tablet that people can enjoy and appreciate,” Ballmer continued. “It’s a PC; it’s a tablet. It’s for play; it’s for work. It’s a got a great price. That product doesn’t exist today.”"

in the world of $2000 tablets, the surface is a good deal for sure. but you don't spend that much money on marketing to go after a very small world of people who want $2000 tablets. you spend that much to go after the ~80% in the middle of the market, and they are also going to be comparing their purchasing options with kindles and ipads.

[Edited on November 29, 2012 at 1:05 PM. Reason : .]

11/29/2012 1:01:46 PM

I have seen zero dollar bucks marketing the Surface Pro

[Edited on November 29, 2012 at 1:36 PM. Reason : and the surface RT is priced comparable to iPad with more functionality]

11/29/2012 1:33:37 PM

well, the pro isn't out, yet...and won't be for more than a month

i wouldn't expect them to waste money marketing something that isn't available until after christmas, anyway, as it makes more sense to market those things that will turn into purchases for the holidays

11/29/2012 1:44:42 PM

as long as we agree that comparing it to a kindle fire is a joke

(show me another tablet with a full OS and digitzer that is cheaper and I'll buy it)

[Edited on November 29, 2012 at 4:16 PM. Reason : .]

11/29/2012 4:13:11 PM

Now that the Surface Pro is out, has anybody bought one?

It seems kinda neat, but for $1200, I can buy a decent laptop with a touch screen with better specs, and better battery life (not to mention extra batteries).

The only benefit of the Surface Pro is that I wouldn't have to take it out of my backpack when going through airport security (which I do fairly regularly) and it's lighter.

Are there any other benefits that I'm not thinking of?

2/11/2013 11:35:14 PM

^Why wouldn't you have to take it out of your backpack? Are you saying tablets don't have to be separate? The fuck have I been doing.

2/11/2013 11:39:50 PM

I've never had to take my iPad out... Either I've been getting away with something or you are doing it wrong.

2/11/2013 11:45:07 PM

He's doing it wrong. You don't have to take tablets out.

2/11/2013 11:47:08 PM