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Microsoft Announces 'Surface' Tablet
MrSeb was one of several submitters to write in about Microsoft's foray into the tablet hardware market. From the article: "At its much-discussed 'big unveil' this evening, Microsoft did indeed launch a tablet — but rumors that the device would showcase a Barnes & Noble partnership were misplaced. Instead, Microsoft showed a ... device that integrates a better keyboard option than typing on the screen without adding size or weight. That's where the new keyboard — which doubles as a screen cover — kicks in. At 3mm thick, it adds virtually nothing to the device's size, but it opens up a world of inputs. There are two covers available — the Touch Cover (very thin) and the Type Cover (with proper, tactile keys). Microsoft is touting the device's magnesium body, vapor-deposited construction, full PC functionality, and additional features like being the first tablet to showcase a 2×2 MIMO wireless antenna. Windows RT (ARM) and x86 versions are both in the works, with the x86 version apparently having a higher quality screen. No word on hardware specs yet; Microsoft is claiming it 'rivals the best ultrabooks' and uses less power than the Core i5."
Microsoft has a launch site with a few pictures. There is a vague spec sheet: the x86 version is slightly thicker and has a larger battery (and comes with a pen) than the ARM tablet, but that's about all it reveals. Update: 06/19 16:06 GMT by T : Nick Kolakowski at GeekNet's SlashCloud says this may be Microsoft's best chance to compete in a cloud-centric mobile computing world.
Surface Tablet .
Firm for blade
Whose reflection shows
The foamy wave. .
Burma Shave
Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_Father,_Strong_to_Save
Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear
Isn't "Surface" the name of their SDK for both devices and Windows 7 computers that's been available since 2009?
Also, is this just like the Courier or will we one day actually see these devices like the Zune?
My work here is dung.
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/science-technology/microsoft-unveils-new-tablet-for-uncool-people-2012061931075
IMO, the keyboard touchpad cover is an interesting (and required for Windows and Office) invention.
But the low-resolution display (1366x768) on the ARM version is going to compare badly against the iPad 3 and upcoming Android tablets, and the pricing will have to reflect that.
Is this launching before or after the Courier?
Without realistic battery life estimates and a price this might have well be Vaporware. If Microsoft had a decent track record for producing mobile devices we might be able to let it slide, but the truth is Microsoft's previous attempts at the mobile space have had horrible battery life (e.g. less than two hours).
My fear is that the Surface will be a wonderful tablet but will wind up with such a short battery life that nobody buys it for that very reason alone.
If this was an Apple announcement I'd likely be excited, since most new Apple products have lived up to their hype. But I've been burned by Microsoft too many times. Until the products are on sale, until we have detailed specs, until MS proves it can over-deliver and under-price, I don't much care.
I think you've exhausted that joke for now. Jesus, is your house just post-it note after post-it note of burma shave style phrases?
How else do you CTRL+ALT+DEL a Microsoft operating system?
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/presskits/windows/videogallery2b.aspx
I plan to get one of these to use all day with OneNote.
Microsoft is blending the device for viewing and for creating.
This is not a signature.
How does one spell FLAHP ??
From the Microsoft release:
"At 9.3mm, Surface for Windows RT is just thin enough to still sport a full sized USB port."
So if it was any thicker, it couldn't have such a port?? I know they don't want to say it is thick, but no need to murder the English language in the process.
One idea that Apple has made good use out of is completely absent from Microsoft's presentation.
Ships Today!
Those two words are sometimes as important as the technology being demonstrated. Doing otherwise diminishes any excitement a good presentation brings.
How this played out to me is, that's nice. Oh, I can't get one? Oh.
As in, its forgettable.
Good notes, regardless.
Integrating the keyboard into the cover. This mitigates one of the biggest issues I have seen people with other tablets have. They do little real note taking and the few who did, well they had laptops or a BT keyboard.
Microsoft Office integration, will have to see how this plays out but this is the killer app. Integration with current use of Office and the like. Make it seamless please.
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
Is this a bad laptop, or a bad iPad wannabe? I can't really tell at this point.
I've made a career and a living off Microsoft products, and I'm grateful to the life that company has allowed me to provide for myself. But it's clear now they're in decline. They've lost their edge, their focus... their ability to innovate. This is a defensive play, and it's just not gonna fly.
And I'm not just a consumer and a developer, but an MSFT shareholder. As such, I'd like to see Ballmer get out of Redmond and make way for someone to bring the company back to a leadership position... while there's still time.
The problem with socialism is that they always run out of other people's money. - Margaret Thatcher
I saw that type of keyboard on early Sony-Erricson smartphones. Looked strange enough. I guess it may be better on tablets.
Microsoft has released the Banana Jr. 6000.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCmudUDv3GA
From about 10minutes in IIRC. I'm actually pretty impressed with the device(s).
(Posting AC because I'm at work)
I haven't watched their presentation (and I probably won't) but I somehow suspect their product announcement wasn't anywhere near as interesting as their primary competitor's presentations typically are. What amazes me the most, however, is just how poorly they presented the products to the press. Reading Engadget's review, for example, the review is rife with "but we weren't allowed to touch it so I don't know how good it is" and "we were only able to demo it for a few minutes so who knows" and various incarnations of "we just don't know anything about this product because Microsoft didn't really show us anything important". I simply cannot fathom how they feel that is the way to announce what presumably is an important product for the company. You would think that generating strong interest would be high on their priority list but not having working hardware and/or not allowing the press to meaningfully interact with the device is really the wrong way to go about it...
While I think their keyboard-in-a-smart-cover is a very cool idea, I don't see anything with the device that impresses me beyond what other companies (and certainly Apple) are offering and their product announcement was sufficiently fumbled that I don't think they even think there's enough in the device to impress people (it's the only reason I can imagine them wanting to keep people at arm's length from the device...).
Having a separate keyboard is crap. the point of having the keyboard on the touch screen is you don't have some extra appendage. if I want a keyboard, I'll use a desktop.
Anyone want to shed some light on this process? Or is that simply some sort of oxide coating over the magnesium?
moox. for a new generation.
Apple is now suing Microsoft for violation of their "unknown released features" patent.
It's neither a tablet, a lap top or vagina
Not always, for some things certainly but more often than not you could buy devices straight after the keynote, as stores then opened. More often it was things like the iPad, iPhone etc which had a delay, but I've bought laptops on the same day.
When all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Microsoft seems to be making the mistake that tablets are going to fully replace PCs. They aren't. They, like phones, are going to compliment them. Each is a different tool with different strengths and weaknesses.
There is a reason people don't use iPads and the like for serious spreadsheet and keyboard-based work. They aren't designed for it. Slapping a keyboard in the cover isn't going to change the fact. You can already get keyboards for the iPad and Android tablets.
Yes, they work in limited scenarios, but that doesn't mean people are going to give up full tactile respone and 27" monitors when doing long typing sessions. You think people have issues with carpal tunnel syndrome NOW, wait until they're doing all their typing on one of those things!
Most typical office tasks involving the classic Office suite of products aren't going to change. Those tasks still need to be done, and spreadsheets, word processors and heavy data entry aren't going to disappear anytime soon.
It is the software that drives the hardware. Microsoft knows it. Ballmer's famous "developers, developers, developers" chant is proof of it. Apple knows it, too. This is why they continuously tout the number of apps available for the iPad. And it is why, despite my dislike of Apple's walled-garden approach, I'm getting an iPad. There are apps there to support private pilots that just don't exist on Android (or Windows 8). LOTS more.
Microsoft will sell a bunch of these, simply because they'll most likely dump a wad of cash into promoting them. But, unless they come up with more compelling reasoning that "you don't have to give up Office" for these, I can't see them passing Android or Apple on the sales charts.
Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
I'm sure the damn thing is going to use a protected bios so it can't be 'jail broken' to install other OS's. Which would be a shame because it's a nice looking design that would probably work very well with Ubuntu on it.
When the enter a new space you are correct. The differences are: Applemuses the product in the demos, Apple tells you when the device can be ordered, Apple tells you when the device will be shipped, and Apple tells you how much the device will cost. This is no more a shipping device than the slate was.
And the press is already setting it up for failure, comparing it to the Zune and saying iPad at least 20 times in each report. I'm no Microsoft fan-boy, but rabid Apple fanaticism is not much better. How about waiting until the product is actually launched before starting to say how it can never match the iPad?
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
I'd be very interested to know what other manufacturers that buy Windows licenses think of this. I mean Dell, Samsung, Asus ... etc
Bets are open: How long will it take for someone to root this?
There has always been a [short] delay before Apple's products shipped.
Apple's most recent product announcement proves that entirely wrong.
The most important question is, which Microsoft model will this emulate, Zune or Xbox?
Zune -- MSFT enters an existing market with a device that is putatively well-speced and well-priced. But MSFT fails to get the details right, and has a crappy advertising campaign. MSFT sinks tons of money into it and eventually gives up.
Xbox -- MSFT enters an existing market with a device that is putatively well-speced and well-priced. But MSFT fails to get the details right, and has a crappy advertising campaign. MSFT sinks tons of money into it and eventually outspends the competitors and fixes enough hardware and software issues that it comes to dominate the market.
With Zune, MSFT's front-running competitor was Apple. With Xbox, it was Sony and Nintendo. Now, it's Apple again. This does not bode well for MSFT's ability to win through.
I only see two ways that MSFT can pull through this: (1) they can leverage the Office and desktop monopolies to go after the business space; (2) their sheer desperation to keep from becoming irrelevant will force them to keep spending until they figure it out. With Zune, failure was on the table -- music players did not directly threaten their core Windows business. The iPad and Apple ecosystem, OTOH, now are threatening their core Windows business.
Does it run linux?
Baboons are cute.
Well since the Lisa was 29 years ago, I'd say that a good track record.
These comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my employer or colleagues...
Microsoft needs to hire more people in marketing. Whoever thought up of this name "Surface", needs to be fired.
Hey, didya hear about this hot new tablet? It's called "Surface"!!!
It's obvious that they're trying to pick a generic name, in the spirit of "Word" and "Access". But, for some reason, this one doesn't fly. When I read this yesterday, I had to double-check and make sure I didn't accidentally stumble on The Onion.
Really, if they wanted to pick a generic name that's likely to form a subliminal association with this gizmo, they should've just called it "Jumped the shark", and that would've been the end of it.
Apple has had its share of failures, reminds me of the Apple Lisa.
It's bemusing you had to go back 30 years to be reminded of an Apple failure. ;)
I dislike Apple (as a company) even more than Microsoft now, but your statement just underscores how successful Apple has been in the past decade. Microsoft? Not so much.
Yes there was a delay but Apple told people two important things: (1) how much and (2) when it went on sale. Even if Apple didn't tell a specific date for the original iPhone, they did specify a quarter and the reasoning was that the device had not been FCC approved yet. For other devices, the public knew these essential facts.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
Firstly, the thin keyboards are a mainstay of iPad, and nothing special:
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/tablet-accessories/keyboards/ultrathin-keyboard-cover
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/hatch-co.-skinny-keyboard-case-for-ipad-2/
Look closely and you'll see a mouse rectangle on that Microsoft keyboard. i.e. it makes the slate/surface thing into a laptop.
So they've released a LAPTOP that's skinny. Which is probably the best thing they could do given Metro limits. Old apps will run as a laptop, and the Metro ones they'll use as a tablet. So it's a plus.
I still don't think it will succeed, for one thing I'd like the screen portrait, not landscape for surfing and editing.
So why is the pop out stand only landscape?? ASUS has an amazing cover that folds and can do portrait of landscape,
couldn't they have made the kick out stand a little smarter so it could work in portrait and landscape?
http://www.netbooknews.com/41840/asus-transformer-prime-origami-case-appears-on-amazon/
"Instead, Microsoft showed a ... device that integrates a better keyboard option than typing on the screen without adding size or weight. That's where the new keyboard — which doubles as a screen cover — kicks in"
First off like others have noticed that's called a laptop. Without a store I'm not a 100% sure about loading content. Part of the elegance of an iPad is the ease of purchasing and loading content. iTunes does largely suck but it can take seconds to buy a song and it loads passively. eBooks are a big part of iPad's success so I'm assuming it's why they got in bed with Nook but nothing has been said about that intergration. Their $1,000 full OS version sounds a lot like what people thought Apple would come up with when they released the iPad. I say that one is risky because it wouldn't be hard for Apple to come out with a $750 or $800 iPad with a full Mac OS and a retina display which would make the Microsoft one a serious dog. Overall it feels like it's a work in progress and in a couple of years it might be great but Apple has two years already on them and they launched with a tight product and they had years of success with portable OSs before they ever released the iPad. The Kindle Fire has them low balled so they'd be fools to release a cheap version and Apple could kill them there as well if they wanted. The Microsoft one just feels like too little too late and it's primary market are Apple haters.
I could be wrong, but I suspect that the history of computing will record that the Microsoft Surface itself was "a 90's era joke moderated up to +5" (by the Microsoft marketing department).
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
I saw somewhere that the Surface stylus has a 600dpi resolution. The x86 Win8 Surface should run full-featured Photoshop/CS and assuming the stylus is pressure-sensitive (and there's no reason it wouldn't be in terms of cost, technology etc.) then this will make a portable version of the Cintiq, tempting for graphics people, photoeditors etc.
Microsoft is claiming it 'rivals the best ultrabooks' and uses less power than the Core i5.
which reveals the problem it faces:
Despite being a tablet, the keyboard makes it a "computer" in the minds of a consumer; and yes I know the iPad is a computer but what's important is the psychological difference in the consumer's mindset and approach. A tablet is a portable device that does a lot of neat and useful things but isn't as full featured as a computer; so you are willing to accept tradeoffs such as no really powerful office suite that is fully compatible with the desktop version.,/P> That's one of the brilliant things about the iPad - it's design broke the user's mindset and created a new paradigm - complete with a new OS and user interface. MS, maybe because of its desktop centric worldview can't seem to understand that and has come out with a device that they may call a tablet but will probably be viewed by many as a computer; and unless they meet those user's expectations of what a computer s they may just have yet another netbook on their hands. We've seen what tablets did to the netbook market, and it will be interesting to see how this device fairs.
I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
Now you can have all the compromises of an ultrabook and a tablet all in one tidy package.
Set your phasers on "funky"!
Die in a fire!!!
K Man
not
Reformatting and using all of the usual software to try to remove the virus didn't help at all!
Wow! Must be one of those magic virus that hides itself somewhere in the computer that survives wiping the hard drive. Either that or you are the most incompetent tech ever. I wouldn't take a recommendation for scam PC clean-up software from the world's most incompetent computer tech.
I am guessing it is plain old cast magnesium alloy with a PVD coating, like they used to use for phones before the plastics technology caught up. Alumin(i)um can be hard anodised; oxide coatings don't go down well with magnesium.
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
.....assuming M$ do the smart thing and target the corporate market first! The domestic / home market is definitely Apple's market, though they haven't, in my humble experience, made any effort [or indeed had any inclination] to tap into corporate. I am basing this on the fact that most businesses / government organisations are largely M$ houses, running windows and associated office products. What my customers want is the convenience/slickness of the iPad [great UI and really fast boot time], but the actual functionality of the M$ apps they are already familiar with. Citrix sessions on iPads, whilst do-able, aren't an ideal user experience - especially since they're stateless, and of course the applications you are accessing weren't designed with a touch screen interface in mind. Of course, my assumption is that this is not just vapourware!
Actually at first glance I thought it was kind of neat.
Then I thought about actually using it and it strikes me as ergonomically FUBAR.
It has a floppy "hinge", so it doesn't turn this into a laptop. You really can't use it in your lap, as you are reliant on having a table/desk and using the kickstand to support the screen, while the floppy cover just lies there.
http://www.microsoft.com/global/surface/en/us/publishingimages/new/gallery_2_large.jpg
Asus solves the keyboard much better with the Transformer Tablets that acutally make it into a mini-laptop:
http://netbooksreview.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/asus_transformer_release_date_price.jpg
The floppy keyboard cover is long on gimmick, short on substance.
Why doesn't slashdot just /dev/null any post that has a link to the scam sites like this? Back in the early taco days they were on top of this crap like stink on poo, now they let it slide forever.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
I can type around 100 WPM on a standard keyboard so me + touchscreen keyboard = very impatient and frustrated me. So to finally have some sort of physical keyboard is really nice. It sure beats Apple and they're all about useability...wait no, that other thing; style. So now this has an actual serious chance of taking a bite out of the ipad market.
If a user walks into a store and buys the prettiest device, they're too stupid to use a Windows-based device anyway. If you think about it, the average consumer walks into a store and asks about it and hears it's really fast, it's an OS similar to what they're used to, and you can type quickly on it. Sold!
We all know tablets are coming for Windows 8. This is a Windows 8 tablet. The principle innovation here seems to be the cover / keyboard. It is neat alright but I suppose it all depends on a) how much it costs and b) if its any good. I suspect given the way peripherals are these days that the cover will be optional and it will cost a stupid amount of money.
I don't know what that is.... but I think you forgot to post AC.
The Admin and the Engineer
Holy hell, all the Apple fanboys descended on this story at one time.
Come on, nobody outside MS has even had their hands on this yet and it's already predicted to be a failure. Can we at least wait until it's out on the market and see if it's any good first? I'm no MS fanboy but this is ridiculous.
Is it a tablet with a bad keyboard attachment, a poor netbook with a big screen, a picture holder, what?
It's like Microsoft tried to come up with every mobile idea in the last 3 years and just cram them together until the machine looked like a damn Slinky, but more stupid?
I'm not hating on them, I just truly, honestly don't know what the fuck they're trying to do with this.
Vote monkeys into Congress. They are cheaper and more trustworthy.
The most striking thing about the linked Microsoft launch site http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en/us/about.aspx is that it is almost completely free of Microsoft logos or brand style. Could be a brochure from an OEM. Startling.
Backward%20compatibility%20is%20over-rated
If a guy walks into a bar with an IPad, there is a good chance he'll walk out with a hot chick on his arm. That won't happen if he walks in with a Surface. This is why this is an uphill battle for Microsoft.
I've never been much of a MSFT fan, but I am intrigued by this product.
Having used both iPads and Android tablets, I feel that they essentially provide a beefed-up smartphone experience. Whereas this device seems more like a stripped-down laptop and there is definitely a gap in the market here. If MSFT is smart, they won't position it as a direct competitor to the iPad, as they have an opportunity to create a new niche. Especially with the x86 version, which will allow people to run pro applications like photoshop (with stylus support, even).
If this product is able to dual-boot linux, then for me it will be a case of shut up and take my money.
Everyone seems really excited about this fold-y keyboard, nice idea but I see a massive flaw. It's not really conducive to working on the go is it? I mean could you un-roll this and use it on your lap?? If this isn't the case then that means (as I asume there is ) there is also a virtual keyboard. So really what's the point?
the virus must have been on the floppy disk he left in the drive the whole time! /joke.
I've decided to Diversify my Holdings. I've divided my cash between my left and right pockets, instead of all in one.
Yeah, I'm awaiting the announcement killing these new tablets before they hit the shelves.
I object to power without constructive purpose. --Spock
Reformatting and using all of the usual software to try to remove the virus didn't help at all!
Wow! Must be one of those magic virus that hides itself somewhere in the computer that survives wiping the hard drive. Either that or you are the most incompetent tech ever. I wouldn't take a recommendation for scam PC clean-up software from the world's most incompetent computer tech.
Actually they do exist, mostly as bios viruses. Here is a toms hardware article about just such a case. I do tend to agree with you that he doesn't seem like the most competent tech, just thought I would point that out.
The credulity is strong with this one......
With all the "ultra books" coming I don't really see the use of this thing. If you want a machine to browse the web and watch picture, you get a normal tablet or a computer. If you want to be productive you almost certainly need a keyboard so you need a computer or a ultrabook to have a maximum of mobility. The MS tablet is going to fail because it's not a tablet and not a computer, it's something between that nobody needs. Don't forget, a lot of people take their laptop on their laps, which isn't possible with the Surface Keyboard. Sure the battery life will be great on the Win RT version, but they could to ARM ultrabooks with Win RT which would have the same battery life. Also they will do touch screens on ultrabooks for sure one day so this tablet will go to the place it belongs -> the hell of failed MS products.
That's one thing of Apple's they haven't decided to emulate. Short lead time before availability. Instead Microsoft makes announcements many months before it is available. Until you have independent reviewers trying it out extensively, you don't really know how good (or bad) it might be. This tablet is interesting, but for now I'll file it with the "Courier" tablet (is this the reincarnation?), WinFS, and other interesting Microsoft ideas that may or may not come to fruition on time or with these specs. And then there's the unknown price. If it's $800 or $900, it isn't going to make much headway against other tablets, and I certainly won't be interested.
And for all those people complaining "Wait until it comes out before slagging it", yeah, that's a great idea, but it should work the other way around. Why the many months of vague hype before it actually ships? This isn't a "launch", it's an announcement with few details, very limited press opportunity to play with the devices, no price, and a long lead time with vague delivery date. Big deal. We were told by Microsoft since the 1990s that tablets were the next big thing. It's only recently that tablets had any real market success, and most of that isn't because of anything Microsoft did. They're late again to a practical implementation, despite starting the process many years ago. And I'm sure third-party tablet makers are thrilled with Microsoft's (eventual) entry into the market.
Build it specifically to make up for all or most of the shortcomings of the iPad, which are:
1) No data ports - Want to plug in a keyboard? Want to plug in a thumb drive? Want to plug in a printer or peripheral of any sort? Fugetaboutit.
2) Content creation is horrible - Typing a document or entering formulas into a spreadsheet requires a keyboard. That'll cost you an extra $60. And it takes about twice as long to navigate the word processor or spreadsheet software to do what needs to be done. Even after you've created the files, you then need to email them to your computer or use a 3rd party data service if you don't have a Mac.
3) Terrible to administer in the enterprise - iPads sync to only one computer. iPad storage cannot be backed up & mirrored. Apps and iOS updates must be done one-at-a-time. Apps / software must be Apple-approved and Apple-distributed. iPads were not built for the enterprise, and the enterprise has had to bend over backwards for Apple just to make the iPad work for their business.
Surface has a USB port. Surface has an included keyboard. Surface has Windows & Active Directory & a platform supported by the vast majority of software companies. I think Microsoft is trying to do what the iPad wasn't built to do: work for business.
When did they ever innovate? With the exception of "fast user switching," I can't think of anything they did first or better.
Microsoft has always been about coasting on their market dominance in the workplace (Windows and Office) that, in turn, spills over to many home users who need software that's compatible with their work (or who simply don't know any better). If they've got money rolling in from those sources without innovating, why would they spend (waste) money on R&D?
They were coasting on Windows XP for over a decade. It wasn't until Apple starting to pose a threat with Mac OS X that they got off their collective asses and released the OS-X-wannabe of Vista (that was a failure) and Windows 7 (that they finally got right). Similar story with the Zune, Windows phones, and now tablets.
If you reply, do so only to what I explicitly wrote. If I didn't write it, don't assume or infer it.
Isn't it about time these spam posts for malware and spyware got deleted by mods rather than just being modded down? It would be nice if the piece of shit scumbags that post this stuff could be blocked/banned/deleted enough to make it not worth their while. The legitimate posts are usually bad enough without this constant crap.
our statement just underscores how successful Apple has been in the past decade. Microsoft? Not so much.
If by "success", you're referring to selling overpriced gadgets to brain-dead consumers, you're right. If by "success" you mean sales numbers, profitability, or anything else that people would commonly measure the "success" of a company by, you're very wrong.
I don't respond to AC's.
A few days ago, a customer brought in their PC for repair. They told me that they had a very nasty virus that was holding their computer hostage and wouldn't stop unless they paid the creators $50. "Alright," I thought. "That's pretty standard."
But, soon enough, I found that I was overexerting myself trying to get rid of this virus. I had never seen a virus this bad before. Reformatting and using all of the usual software to try to remove the virus didn't help at all!
As a PC repair technician with 10+ years of experience, I was dumbfounded. I couldn't remove the virus, and to make matters worse, their gigabits were running slower than ever! I soon plummeted into a severe state of depression and anxiety.
That's when I found Ubuntu. I went to ubuntu's website, ran a free scan, and the virus simply vanished from their computer this minuteness. I couldn't believe how fast their gigabits were running afterwards just from using ubuntu!
My customer's response? "ubuntu is outstanding! My computer is running faster than ever! ubuntu totally cleaned up my system and increased my speed!"
My thoughts: ubuntu came through with flying colors where no one else could! I love ubuntu!
The fact that such an experienced PC repair technician is recommending ubuntu should be more than enough to convince you that it is high-quality software.
If you're having computer problems, then as an experienced PC repair technician, I wholeheartedly recommend using ubuntu. Your gigabits and speed will be overclocking and running at maximum efficiency!
But, in my experience, even if you're not having any visible problems, you could still be infected. So get ubuntu and run a scan this minuteness so you'll be overclocking with the rest of us!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhnLk3gviWY&feature=related">Watch their commercial!
ubuntu: For a Cleaner, Safer PC.
Time for a new round of lawsuits.
It has a built-in stand.
Which is great - when I need a stand it's there.
But when I don't need it - it's still there, a useless weight.
Unless it actually does something else like being a GPS or Mobile Antenna or a battery, in which case it might be a nice design feature.
I have wanted a convertible (which this is close to), that allowed typing when appropriate, but the interface was sensitive to the fact I am touching the screen or using a stylus. The previous windows versions just didn't work because everything was upper left centric. Which means if your right handed you simply obscured the screen. And interaction with the pen didn't let you interact with the document. PLEASE or PLEASE have fixed this. I am currently apple centric, but I am not a fanboy, I live where the implementation best matches what I want. I am totally willing for windows to have this correct. I am encouraged, so far if value was number one on my list, they are getting much closer, and it will be important. But if they can just tear down a few walls in usability and design...
IMO, the keyboard cover is just what is needed in the tablet space. It is the number 1 selling accessory for the iPad.
For me personally; as a person who still reads my mail over SSH; I agree. but..
But I can't shake the feeling that we're gradually building a laptop yet again.
This is right 100%. It's a design disaster. The thing about not having the keyboard as standard is that the application designer can never even begin to think he can rely on it being there. This means that all iPad apps work perfectly without keyboards. Even if you have an Android "Transformer" tablet, the fact that most Android tablets don't have keyboards means that all your applications work with or without the keyboard. With the Microsoft tablet the app makers will lose that fear. It's a perfect example where adding more makes things worse. My recent post about Microsoft's social ineptitude just begins to feel so prescient.
Microsoft has killed their partners chances in the market by making it clear that there's a "real" device and the "clone" devices. Now they killed their own device by providing the most terrible screen layout and adding a completely stupid keyboard to it. It's not as if Swype hadn't already solv ed the problem of typing fast on touch screens. Surely Microsoft could have afforded to use that.
=~ s,(.*),<sarcasm>$1</sarcasm>,g if any_point_you_wish();
Apple product (hardware) announcements are typically "it's available today" or "it's shipping in a few weeks, you can preorder today." And that DOES help sell the things - people are excited after the demo, they go preorder. If they said "So that's the iPhone 4S. You'll be able to order it in like... I don't know, 6 months? A year? Whenever it's ready, and the price will be like... well, we're still working on that," people don't carry the excitement forward from the demo to the online store to place their preorder.
If one wishes to be successful, one might start by emulating the behaviors of other successful organizations, or at LEAST by understanding why those behaviors work for those organizations. Just sayin'.
Notice he repeatedly says "format" and never "fdisk". Reformatting a drive won't remove a boot sector virus (fdisk/mbr will, as will running fdisk for a full low-level format) However, you bit the troll. The original was spam, but the trolls have found biters to be easy prey for it. Maybe you should think about joining Biters Anonymous?
Free Martian Whores!
This is a terrible move by Microsoft. The two tablets look too similar and yet are so different--especially in terms of processor power and what software they will run. Imagine the surprise that Joe Consumer will have when his "Windows tablet" does not run Windows software.
ComputerWorld did a great article that talks about this:
On Monday afternoon, Microsoft executives, including CEO Steve Ballmer and Steven Sinofsky, chief of the Windows division, introduced the not-yet-available Surface tablet, which will be sold in two flavors. One, tagged the Windows RT Surface, runs Windows RT, the new edition that works only on devices powered by ARM-licensed processors. ARM CPUs drive virtually every mobile device, from smartphones to tablets, including Apple's iconic iPad.
**** Note that the ARM processor-powered device is NOT backward compatible with ALL of the current DOS/Windows software that has been released up to now. The ARM processor-powered device will only run Windows RT and Metro applications.*****
Windows RT, a major departure for Microsoft in more ways than one, is the company's attempt to break into the lucrative consumer-oriented media tablet market.
But Microsoft will also sell the Windows 8 Pro Surface, a tablet that, while identical at first glance to its Windows RT sibling, runs the more traditional Windows 8 on hardware powered by Intel processors.
Because that second Surface relies on an Intel chip -- a quad-core i5 from the just-released "Ivy Bridge" architecture, the same used in Windows laptops and as of last week, the one packed into Apple's MacBook Air and the least-expensive MacBook Pro -- will run all legacy Windows applications as well as the newer Metro apps that Microsoft and others are developing. It will also be heavier -- by half a pound -- and slightly thicker than the Windows RT tablet, although by other external appearances it will be identical.
42
Wake me up when I can actually buy one in a brick and mortar shop. Until then I'm not going to hold my breath on announcements and vague specs.
It's great to see MS heat up the tablet market with more competition and variety. This puts 3 significant platforms in play for the tablet world and moves us a step further from a monoculture.
Variety improves features and competition lowers prices and increases quality. Monoculture technology markets do just the opposite.
Can you imagine what an train wreck it would be for any technology market to become a monoculture where one company dominated 90+% of the market. That's a recipe for unmitigated disaster.
Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of congress. But then I repeat myself. -- Mark Twain
The keynote mentioned Metro Shortcut Keys. Maybe I am out of touch. But I have not heard about that before. Seems like a step backwards
to function keys. Yuck. Why can't Metro use on-screen buttons?
1) It's using a MS OS, which have horrible power usage.
2) I has Full PC Functionality. You know why iPads don't?, because it drains the battery.
IMO, the keyboard cover is just what is needed in the tablet space. It is the number 1 selling accessory for the iPad.
For me personally; as a person who still reads my mail over SSH; I agree. but..
But I can't shake the feeling that we're gradually building a laptop yet again.
This is right 100%. It's a design disaster. The thing about not having the keyboard as standard is that the application designer can never even begin to think he can rely on it being there. This means that all iPad apps work perfectly without keyboards. Even if you have an Android "Transformer" tablet, the fact that most Android tablets don't have keyboards means that all your applications work with or without the keyboard. With the Microsoft tablet the app makers will lose that fear. It's a perfect example where adding more makes things worse. My recent post about Microsoft's social ineptitude just begins to feel so prescient.
Microsoft has killed their partners chances in the market by making it clear that there's a "real" device and the "clone" devices. Now they killed their own device by providing the most terrible screen layout and adding a completely stupid keyboard to it. It's not as if Swype hadn't already solv ed the problem of typing fast on touch screens. Surely Microsoft could have afforded to use that.
According to at least some of the press coverage the keyboard cover is an accessory just as it is on iPad. If that is the case, it would render most of your criticism moot, then they are doing exactly what you say they should be doing.
But, regarding Swype, I have tried it, and don't agree it match an external keyboard at all, which also avoids obscuring half the screen real estate. I guess it depends on how much you use keyboard, if you type touch or not, etc. I'm a fast touch typist, and one of the interesting things from the MS keyboard was that it was pressure sensitive in a way that let you rest all your fingers on the keyboard in the touch position, without the keyboard registering false keypresses, and only when further pressing keys would it capture the letters. Did they solve the problem of the on-screen keyboard obscuring half the screen too?
I'm not into the tablet craze... have no use for useless toys but as such things go it looks interesting and least this one has got a keyboard!!
Nice to see MS innovating rather than clone ipad. Now all they need to do is update the OS such that metro disappears whenever the keyboard is engaged.
The Intel version has a great novelty to it. I can see it becoming an executive fashion accessory for a while. People that really need mobile computing will stay away. It looks great sitting on a desk, but imagine how it would work on your lap. You would need to put a briefcase or a board on your lap to provide a stable surface. And, since they said nothing about battery life and there is no battery door, you can count on it running for an hour or two of serious work. So the two unique features (integrated keyboard and kickstand) are of no use unless it is sitting on a table. However, sitting on an executive's desk it screams "I'm too important to have a computer that does real work". They will sell a few.
As for the ARM version, they need to get developers onboard. No tablet developer will abandon the iPad or Android based on Microsoft's promise to execute better this time than they did with Zune and Xbox. Developers won't pick it up until Microsoft has sold a lot of them, and people won't buy a lot of them until there are a lot of apps.
The rushed, shoddy presentation of a future product proves they still haven't figured out what makes Apple successful. It is not surprise announcements, casual clothes, or trendy staging. It is highly usable devices that ship today. When Microsoft gets that their deep pockets may make them a competitor. Not today!
He didn't have to go back 30 years to find an Apple failure, he had to go back 30 years to find the last time he cared about Apple.
While I agree that the GP doesn't have a clue there are some viruses that can survive a HD wipe or brick the computer such that it can't be recovered by a reformat.
I remember a few years back there was a virus that changed the settings on certain routers if the default web UI password had not been changed. By altering DNS and proxy settings they could hijack your internet connection (remember that Windows used to have automatic network level proxy configuration capability) and obviously wiping your HDD wouldn't fix it.
There was proof-of-concept that exploited leaked Apple battery firmware update passwords which could in theory cause a buffer overflow vulnerability that could not be fixed by a wipe+reinstall. I don't think it ever made it into the wild though.
Back in the early 2000s there was a virus that killed the BIOS on mobos which obviously could not be cured by a HD format. I remember the local PC shop had stacks of dead mobos.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
our statement just underscores how successful Apple has been in the past decade. Microsoft? Not so much.
If by "success", you're referring to selling overpriced gadgets to brain-dead consumers, you're right. If by "success" you mean sales numbers, profitability, or anything else that people would commonly measure the "success" of a company by, you're very wrong.
Have you even looked at Apple's financial and sales reports at any time during the last three years? By any rational measure, they're not just successful, they're wildly successful at a level that any tech company would KILL to achieve.
Apple announced last week at WWDC that it has sold almost 400 million iOS devices, has tripled its Mac user base in five years (now up to 66 million), and both numbers are accelerating at a scary pace at a time when every other hardware companies' sales are flat or declining. The iPad sales curve over the last two years looks like a rocket headed for orbit. They redefined the mobile phone market and are swallowing almost all of the global profits there, to the point where Nokia's stock has been officially given junk status. And Apple is just now making their big push into the largely-untapped Chinese market--they've got serious space for growth.
Huge and growing numbers of people and businesses clearly feel that Apple's products are a very attractive price/feature proposition. Claiming that Apple has somehow achieved its current level of success through nothing more than marketing smoke-and-mirrors suggests that you're disconnected from reality. You might not like their gear, but that doesn't mean that people who do are all idiots.
Don't forget about the Newton.
I'll no doubt get modded down for this, but there is a category for a device that isn't a desktop or a laptop, it's called a tablet.
big ass table... i mean big ass zune.
Difficult to say it, but this is the first tablet worthy of competing with iPad. The strategy is brilliant, instead of depending on OEM to come up with the right hardware for the OS they now have set a standard that others will need to beat. This will sell very well, the Pro version with its Win7 compatibility will grab some of the 700 million Windows 7 users and the momentum will help the ARM version. So all key things in place, they just need to release it as early as possible and the right price point.
Does it run Linux???
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
Apple has had its share of failures, reminds me of the Apple Lisa.
It's bemusing you had to go back 30 years to be reminded of an Apple failure. ;)
I dislike Apple (as a company) even more than Microsoft now, but your statement just underscores how successful Apple has been in the past decade. Microsoft? Not so much.
what about the Mac Cube?
Get the camera connection kit. Then you have an SD reader, and USB port. It works fine.
It's not really that much an advantage at all...
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Sold. Finally a main stream product that can be used in a business. iPads are a joke as soon as it steps away from being a gadget.
The only thing it's missing is Domain support and it's complete.
Can't wait to try one and see if it's as good as it sounds.
I kind of wonder whether the flagging system does anything at all...
/* No Comment */
Slashdot readers seem confused, because the Surface really is a "family" as they put it, of devices attacking different markets.
The Surface x86 is meant to compete against the Air, and even offers touch to PC's that some people keep clamoring for. We'll see if they are right about people wanting that on a PC...
The Surface ARM is an iPad competitor. This one I feel like has much less going for it. The keyboard case has a trackpad... how useful is that for a tablet really? The device will lack software, and I can't see that it could cost less than an iPad 2 is selling for currently!
Also the stand is useful for desktop use, but nothing else. It simply would not work in a lap.
Another thing to consider is that this is a device not meant for rotation. From the keyboard being attached to the long edge to the buttons on the device being on the long edge, it's pretty obviously focused on one orientation.
I also wish they had not gone quite as "Appleish" in the presentation of the device, talking about emotional attachment to the hinges and so on... it seems like there's an approach that could have been taken that would not have echoed Apple, possibly some confident Mad Men era swagger?
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
This means that all iPad apps work perfectly without keyboards.
Not really. All it means is that you have designers who try to shoehorn applications that are optimized for keyboard input, like word processing and spreadsheets, into a touch interface. Apple tried their best at a touch-based office suite, but it is very basic and falls extremely short of the capabilities of Office. On the Surface, you have writing for when writing makes sense, typing for when typing makes sense, and touch for when touch makes sense. Right input for the right task.
It's not as if Swype hadn't already solv ed the problem of typing fast on touch screens.
Part of the problem with typing on touch screens isn't just the speed, it's the tactile response, comfort, and the fact that the keyboard takes up half of your display. Swype hasn't solved any of this.
Oh gosh, I will zune out and buy one! Do they come in purple/brown??? Will they lock me out of my data as effectively as windows? Golly!
This is right 100%. It's a design disaster. The thing about not having the keyboard as standard is that the application designer can never even begin to think he can rely on it being there. This means that all iPad apps work perfectly without keyboards. Even if you have an Android "Transformer" tablet, the fact that most Android tablets don't have keyboards means that all your applications work with or without the keyboard. With the Microsoft tablet the app makers will lose that fear. It's a perfect example where adding more makes things worse.
It's quite the opposite. Let me explain.
This thing is still clearly not a full-fledged keyboard. Because of the need to also support the tablet vertically, you can't use it as a real laptop - you need a desk, or at least something solid to lean it against (I wonder if the name "Surface" is a subtle hint...). This means that most of the time, it will be used as a tablet, in touch mode. And, of course, WinRT is Metro only for third party apps, and whatever else is said, Metro is clearly designed for touch first. So app developers will make touch work well.
On the other hand, by making keyboard+trackpad a de facto standard accessory, it also means that app writers will actually think about how their apps will be used with that combo in addition to touch. My pet peeve about Asus Transformer, for example, is that while hardware is great, and core OS support for keyboard and trackpad is decent, the apps are sorely lacking - most of them provide zero support for anything beyond stock textbox behavior and such, and some are even worse (e.g. Polaris Office - bundled out of the box! - doesn't select text on Shift + arrows). Precious few apps actually have some meaningful keyboard shortcuts. Even fewer let you use a mouse as a real mouse where it makes sense; e.g. in VNC/RDP - out of a dozen clients, only two support that, and only one maps Back to Esc!
Why bother with a keyboard if there's no software that is significantly better with it? This is different in that Microsoft is sending the app writers a message - write for touch (Metro), but don't forget that the keyboard is going to be there as well, so optimize for that, too. If the point gets across, it might be a real differentiator for Win8 apps.
Everybody gets out their wallet and buys an Android
When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
All fine to me, but, does it blend?
--- I am known for the ones who want to find me on the net. Is that a privacy risk or a privilege? One might wonder..
It would be great on Android, it would just work the same way a bluetooth trackpad works
But what software supports it? Without the core concept of a mouse pointer, on a touch-based device a tablet is vegestal. Why would you not simply touch the screen?
I don't know about iPad, maybe the software support isn't there.
It isn't because it's useless.
Someone could write custom support for a touchpad if they wished, but again what would be the point?
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
"With Windows 1.0, we needed the mouse to complete the experience," said Ballmer. "We wanted to give Windows 8 its own hardware innovation. Something new, different, a whole new family of computing devices from Microsoft." This kind of confirms to me my initial impressions of Windows 8, like Windows 1.0 the experience was incomplete without a mouse, Windows 8 is lacking without a touch screen. So why, oh why are they pushing the Metro interface into the server market as well? Does anyone here managing an IT department see a time when this is the predominate desktop environment in their shop, much less in the data center?
Windows 8's "On-Screen Keyboard" application as input when without the cover
well, that can be a problem.
How great is it going to be to be able to develop for a tablet without having to jump through the twin hoops of archaic programming language and abysmally poor development environment?! Huzzah for us programmers! A new era is upon us!
by Mike Buddha -- Someday the mountain might get him, but the law never will.
... because you need to switch to another when the one you are holding crashes, like the presenter demonstrates around 13:48.
Also , magnetic cover? Really? Is that a novelty? I am very curious to see if they will launch Surface in Europe (remember Zune?). I guess some people in Europe don't want QWERTY keyboards: logistics hell again?
are both in the works
So, in other words, no actual device exists, at this point, only prototypes?
Sorry, but MS doesn't exactly have the best reputation when it comes to these things. Better hold your horses until independent reviewers have had actual production models in their hands.
Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
Yes I can plug a transformer prime into a dock, but then what do I have?
Ideally, you'd have Ubuntu in a chroot. How is Ubuntu not "a full desktop operating system"?
Don't worry, tablets aren't going to replace your development PC.
Laptops [...] BECAME the PC. I can envision the same fate for the tablets.
Not if tablets don't let you run applications that you didn't get from a centralized store, such as applications that you developed yourself. I predict a divide between the haves (Surface Pro) and the have-nots (Surface with Windows RT).
Never mind that, I want to hear more about how to speed up my gigabits!
They're so slow!
I will be buying one of each. As an app developer I want to make sure my apps run smoothly on each platform.
Imma let you finish but Apple's about to become the most profitable company OF ALL TIME!
N4st0r, trixx0r h0bb1tz0rz! Th3y st0l3 0ur pr3c10uzz!
Which is actually a brilliant move on their part. It mitigates the lack of a usable touch-only interface. One of the ways to truly merge the tablet and desktop environments into a single code base is to make tablets more like desktops -- which means including a proper keyboard and presumably some kind of pointing device (so you have analog to left and right mouse buttons). The closer you can get the tablet hardware to work like desktop hardware, the less coding you have to do to support tablets. It's a matter of managing consumer expectations.
We own a tablet running Win 7 Pro, and tablet support is painful at best. The keyboard often covers where you're trying to type when it pops up, and the gestures to imitate left and right mouse buttons are arcane. It's a touch interface layer trying to imitate keyboard/mouse instead of an OS built from the ground up to support touch-only. It became clear early on that Windows tablets would only be useable for anything more than casual use with a separate keyboard and mouse. Looks like someone at Microsoft has come to the same conclusion.
So just as notebooks had to grow from the low power low resource devices into higher cost, low end laptops in order to to be shipped with Windows, so do tablets have to grow a keyboard appendage in order to be shipped with Windows. And some people will just accept that.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
most Android apps are compiled for ARM
Do "most" Android apps even use the NDK? I thought a lot of them were fully managed, written in Java or another language that can run in 100% pure Dalvik. And even for those applications that do use the NDK, Intel has been working on binary translation and encouraging popular applications' developers to compile for x86.
and no, you can't just cross compile everything, as there is some proprietary software for Linux like Matlab that is not distributed for ARM
That's a chicken and egg thing. Once non-users of Matlab begin using Ubuntu/ARM, and once users of Matlab install GNU Octave in their Ubuntu/ARM as a makeshift substitute so that they can at least use what is present in Octave, MathWorks may reconsider.
> Surface is a laptop... ... that you won't be able to use on your lap.
The weight is in the screen unit and the joint to the keyboard is flexible. The stand won't make it stable on a soft surface.
Is there any real difference between a tablet with a clam-shell "screen cover" that has a keyboard in it running windows, and a laptop with a touch screen?
Or it could be a total BS advertisment I guess!
And hey, userIDs are up in the 2,666,nnn numbers already. Who'd have thought it.
"The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes" - Winston Churchill
You have heard of a BIOS virus apparently.
There were several in the late '90s that would hide on floppy disks until the user mistakenly left the disk in when they booted the machine, at which point it would overwrite the BIOS. IIRC, if the mobo ran Award BIOS it would more or less work and just write itself to any floppy put in the disk, any other BIOS it would just kill. The worst part was that most of the BIOSs would ask, "Do you really want to do this?", and most (l)users would press 'Y'.
As I've always said, the worst problems aren't caused by the hardware or the software, but by the wetware.
"Think about how stupid the average person is. Now, realise that half of them are dumber than that." - George Carlin
What's a floppy disk? Is it one of those old-timer things like DVDs?
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
This is right 100%. It's a design disaster. The thing about not having the keyboard as standard is that the application designer can never even begin to think he can rely on it being there. This means that all iPad apps work perfectly without keyboards. Even if you have an Android "Transformer" tablet, the fact that most Android tablets don't have keyboards means that all your applications work with or without the keyboard.
Well isn't it a bit strange then that iPads and android devices have virtual keyboards if they're never used for anything?
Oh hold on...
Until someone invents a mind-reading device, you're always going to need to input text somehow, and if you're doing that via a keyboard, then a physical one will be orders of magnitude quicker and more accurate than an on screen virtual one.
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
http://9gag.com/gag/4537543
Well isn't it a bit strange then that iPads and android devices have virtual keyboards if they're never used for anything?
Says a man in reply to a post containing an admission of using SSH for email.
=~ s,(.*),<sarcasm>$1</sarcasm>,g if any_point_you_wish();
You wanted a block of sodium, coated in wax. Flush and enjoy.
Shredded magnesium is a major component of Thermite, and flash bulbs (remember those?).
Marrying a chemist finally pays off. Come, karma, come.
--
I don't practice what I preach because I'm not the type of person I'm preaching to.
Android does
No, what SOFTWARE!!!!!
I mean what SOFTWARE RUNNING ON ANDROID actually makes use of a mouse? It seems so utterly useless. So what do you USE it for. In SOFTWARE. Not the OS.
Maybe Apple should get a clue.
Maybe Apple has a lot more of a clue than you all all the other people wanting pointless drivers in an OS.
Perhaps because you don't want to get any more fingerprints on it than necessary (you also have to read it you know).
Well, perhaps if hardware makers "got a clue" they'd ship with screens bright enough you didn't see fingerprints in use - like the iPad...
Of course, I understand that choice doesn't come into the argument much in an Apple centric world
No, you really don't (understand). The Apple world offers far more choice. It offers a greater degree of simplicity to those that value that. And it offers greater packability when jailbroken to technical users than does Android.
REAL choice is providing choices for non-technical people too.
Maybe it's useless for a one-button sort of guy.
Perhaps my points are lost on a one brain-cell kind of guy.
Did anybody? No?
Same response to software that can use the trackpad on Android. ZING!!
You are so totally dominated this round, I'll let you have the last response to sputter off a few excuses as to why you didn't think of any of these things. I just hate to see Android people who don't bother keeping up with what iOS can do, so it's always good to correct you in cue you pollute the pool of real understanding.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Well, I think I've just worked out the purpose of Windows 8/Metro: this tablet is the missing piece of the puzzle.
It's all makes sense now.