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3 Reasons Why Microsoft Needs 3 Surface Tablets
CowboyRobot writes "It's looking like Microsoft is planning to replace its underachieving Surface tablet with two new products, but it may need three to finally have success with the Surface. Three tablets would provide an entry point and an upgrade path. Multiple Surface RT models would help Windows RT survive OEM skepticism. Microsoft needs device fanfare to accompany Windows 8.1, and to coincide with enterprise hardware upgrades. If the company releases one of the models before the end of the year, the device would arrive in time not only for the holiday season, but also to cash in on user interest in Windows 8.1, which will be released later this fall. Surface devices released next year, meanwhile, could capitalize on enterprise hardware upgrades, which are expected to pick up as Windows XP's April 8, 2014 end-of-service date nears."
From TFA: "When Microsoft first priced its Surface tablets, it made a colossal miscalculation, assuming that it could simply follow Apple into the high-margin device business."
Aim at the other foot, Microsoft.
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but also to cash in on user interest in Windows 8.1
What user interest?
They don't need one tablet, let alone three. "Want" is the word I believe someone was looking for when writing this article.
-The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.
It takes BALLS the size of CANADA to TRIPLE-DOWN!
Lady and gentlemen, Microsoft is about to show you how it's done. This is like RIM, without the spending cap or reality check.
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."
Microsoft is not Apple. People don't wait in line for Microsoft products just because they are Microsoft products. Apple built a cult following around top notch products. They repeatedly made good products. That didn't happen overnight, and it damn near killed apple. Microsoft has to stop producing garbage. Until *All* of Microsoft products are top tier for an extended period of time, no one will trust Microsoft enough to buy into the lock-in. Microsoft has had too many Zunes, and too many Bobs for people to shell out top dollar expecting a good user experience. Now they do the wait and see, and a wait and see product is never good enough to get the top of the market, no matter how good it is because those same customers bought the competitions product already.
Microsoft only has one hope of remaining relevant. They have to make awesome products repeatedly for a period of years to decades, and accept that their products will go unnoticed for a long time. Eventually, a core of loyal Microsoft customers will form, and if the top notch products continue to flow, the core will continue to grow. One piece of junk like windows 8 makes it onto the shelves, and Microsoft is back at square one again. This will be a long and expensive process for Microsoft, but the longer they wait, the more likely the process will kill them.
I wish I had a good sig, but all the good ones are copyrighted
King of Swamp Castle: When I first came here, this was all swamp. Everyone said I was daft to build a castle on a swamp, but I built in all the same, just to show them. It sank into the swamp. So I built a second one. That sank into the swamp. So I built a third. That burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp. But the fourth one stayed up. And that's what you're going to get, Lad, the strongest castle in all of England.
So.... besides the ".1" in 8.1, we are anticipating this release ... why? I mean, I wasn't aware that the 8.1 release was a thing. You get a start button, which takes you directly to the already existing start screen. Shrug. Personally, I'm sticking with 7 until the start menu comes back or hell freezes over, whichever occurs first.
So, the RT didn't sell well, the Pro sold only slightly better... so the answer is to release more models, and the mistake they made was not timing it with the holidays?
Kidding, right?
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
Make sure the bootloader is available to be unlocked and the devices are compatible with Android.
People will buy them knowing that if they hate the Windows mobile experience, they can always load Android and be reasonably happy with the device.
I think someone is trying to get Microsoft to go out of business by tricking them into doubling down on the Surface RT.
Microsoft for years has had "OS basic, OS Home, OS Home Premium, OS Business, OS Business Premium, OS Business Pro ...."
Give me one offering which does everything I need. Don't try to sell me one of 9 slightly different versions which are all variously crippled and limited.
This cash grab to sell a bunch of different version of the same thing is usually annoying, and periodically you disover that "Home Premium" is still missing some pretty basic features.
What Microsoft needs to do is understand what people want and why, not just come out with the latest "this is what we're giving you" and then scratch their heads when nobody gives a shit.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
What is hurting microsoft is not that many people need anything resembling a desktop computer. Most people are consumer's of content with the only content they create requiring little in the way of complicated interfacing (tweets, messages, pokes, likes, votes, and the occasional picture or even video). Thus a smart phone became many people's primary interface to the interwebs. What people are now seeing is that they want a better interface to the interwebs in their pocket so the larger screen sizes are becoming quite popular. But personally I think the happy size limit is at most an iPad mini or slightly smaller.
But instead MS goes and creates the surface which is basically a laptop with a keyboard that you will misplace. What? Who wants that? If I want a laptop, I want a trackpad, a keyboard, and a proper sized screen. If I want a tablet or larger smartphone that is what I want. Not some hybrid that isn't that great at being either when for the same or less money I can do better.
The reality is that there is a great product sitting right in this area. The product is a keyboard, trackpad, and monitor from a laptop that uses your phone as the computer. Not just one phone that is proprietary to the keyboard/monitor but something that will talk to your entire lineup of phones now and into the future. We know that smartphones are going to get smarter and smarter but a good keyboard and monitor could last through generations of smartphones. This way you can do all your phone stuff quite nicely with your choice of MS phone but then when you need to do some content creation (spreadsheet, video editing, resume polishing, etc) you have a proper keyboard monitor combo. This matches people's common usage pattern where they have a cool new smartphone but a 4 year old laptop (who's battery lasts 8 minutes) mostly gathering dust. But when they need the laptop they really need it.
This would also be nearly perfect for the road warrior. They effectively travel with one device. Also the keyboard/monitor thingy could be insanely thin with no HD, little circuitry, and potentially no cooling needs. Just one large thin battery, the keys, and the screen.
I disagree - I've been using a Surface Pro since launch, and I love it. It has replaced my desktop computer and my Apple laptop that I had kept for reasons I've completely forgotten now. It may not be for you, but for my needs (mobile IT consultant for medium-sized businesses), it's perfect. Windows on a tablet DOES work, most assuredly. (Note, I don't mean RT, since that's mostly a reply to iOS anyway and not a target for desktop replacement)
From TFA:
This assumes that Microsoft is willing to give away Windows to hit the price point. This in turn means buying in on the "sell cheap razors, make money selling razor blades" idea, which Microsoft did actually try with the XBox, but would represent a change in strategy with respect to mobile.
Can Microsoft make that decision quickly? I can imagine endless bickering among the multiple layers of middle management about whether that's a good idea or not.
Also, Windows needs a more powerful device to run compared to Android, which drives up device costs.
This is just fantasy. The OEMs are not happy about any aspect of the Surface situation (Microsoft making its own hardware in direct competition with the OEMs, lousy sales, etc.) and this sort of abstract reassurance is worthless.
Again, just fantasy. Microsoft has completely failed to gin up any excitement around the current crop of Surface products and it's silly to just assume they can do better with a new product.
Also, TFA suggests that "excitement over Windows 8.1" would help sell Surface tablets, and I don't think there will be enough excitement there to help anything.
Wow. Just, wow. Traveling executives who likely already have a Macbook Air and an iPad are going to get rid of them in favor of a Surface Pro and a baby Surface RT?
Oh wait, I forgot, the new tablets will have Outlook so it's totally plausible! Yeah, no.
lf(1): it's like ls(1) but sorts filenames by extension, tersely
Why Microsoft Needs 3 Surface Tablets
Ooh, I know this one: Because that's how many they sold.
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Ballmer doesn't understand that the Windows brand represents one of two things:
1.) That super locked down computer at work which forces me to use Excel and blocks Facebook and Youtube.
2.) That super virus infested computer in the living room that the kids use to type up their reports.
Neither of these are the kinds of experiences people want associated with their tablet experience; it's among the reasons why so many people have opted for them for casual use. If Microsoft is trying to make inroads into a market other than the desktop, then they need to use branding to their advantage by distancing itself from the desktop experience. As much as Ballmer believes that people want Windows everywhere, the spec sheet of Windows RT, almost by definition, ensures that its ONLY resemblance to the familiar desktop experience (even if we assume the positive aspects thereof) is the Windows name. No use of their iTunes library, and tricky-at-best use of Gmail and Dropbox.
If Microsoft wants to compete in the tablet space, then it's not a matter of their lack of an entry-level device like the Nexus 7 - it's the lack of an entry POINT. Apple's entry point was the iPod, whose entry point was the fact that it played MP3s from both Napster and MusicMatch. Apple then established iTunes, which was the entry point for the iPhone, and then the iPad built upon that. Microsoft requires an Outlook.com account, Skydrive, Zune Music (or Xbox Music?), and rebuying the apps you already bought on your iPhone or Galaxy S2. Even if they gave away the entry level Surface, that's still far too much change for far too many people.
Microsoft, here's my business plan for your next tablet...
1.) Do what they say - make a 7", $199 entry level unit and a $499 extended unit. Call it the xTab, and the Pocket xTab. Have no Microsoft branding on it at all, and never once use the term "Windows".
2.) Sell it (at the very least the Pocket xTab) wherever you can - Best Buy, Microcenter, Amazon, even Walgreens or Rite Aid. Make it as easy as possible to acquire one.
3.) Do some sort of cross licensing deal - Office for Android in exchange for official Gmail for the xTab. Offer some free Azure space to Dropbox in exchange for an official client. Do the same for Facebook in exchange for an Instagram client.
4.) Offer crossgrade app reimbursement - if a paid app from your iTunes account or Google Play account exists in the Microsoft Store, give it to the customer for free...then pay the developer what they would have gotten as a result of the sale. This will encourage developers on other platforms to develop the same app for the Windows Store. Similarly, provide copies of movies, TV episodes, and eBooks to people making the jump.
5.) Get the Chevron team back in the game - your system hackers are your platform evangelists, and you need all the help you can get.
6.) 16GB versions include 16GB of space available to the user.
7.) Add the Start Menu back to Windows 8 as an option. It won't do squat on the tablet OS, but it will help get some good will from the people who are avoiding Windows 8 because it comes across as trying to force a tablet UI where it doesn't belong.
8.) Free phone upgrades (to an xPhone, btw) to anyone still stuck on Windows Phone 7. Again, it's expensive, but Apple gets good will from giving older handsets software updates. Want to one-up them? You'll need a stack of Lumias to do it.
Think it's too drastic or too expensive? I can't possibly see it costing more than the hit that Steve Ballmer's way of doing things cost the company.
In my view, the problem with Microsoft's Surface is not really the product lineup. The problem is that, once again, Microsoft has a poor marketing vision, i.e. they're selling a product without a real place in the market.
You might think I'm crazy, but iPads and Android tablets have a more clear place in the market. They're not full computers, we all know they're not full computers, but they allow us to do the things we'd do on our phones if our phones had bigger screens. There are enough people who want that kind of casual device.
There might also be a market for a full-computer tablets, but that's a bit trickier. The problem is that, as we've seen, a good desktop UI won't work well on a small-screen touch device. Likewise, a good UI for a small-screen touch-device won't work well for a full desktop computer.
Microsoft tried to meld the two, and in my opinion, they screwed up. The result looked pretty but wasn't good, and people don't like it. Meanwhile, Android users are basically happy with Android. iOS users are happy with iOS. Not many people really want to jump ship for a half-assed bastard child of desktop and tablet computing. Microsoft just needs to rethink the direction they took with Windows.
Chant it with me. RT! Should not be!
It serves no purpose at all except to fragment the market. If you go with Apple or Android, both of your portable devices are on the same basic level. I run mostly the same programs on my phone and tablet. Some run better on one than the other but very few apps that I use are not compatible with both devices.
The Surface Pro gives users the option of putting their desktop and tablet on the same footing. This is awesome! It's an area that's been woefully underserved. There have been a handful of "full windows" tablets but they were heavy and thick and expensive. The Pro finally gives people a sleek tablet that runs their desktop apps.
But WTF is RT supposed to do? It doesn't run the same apps as the desktop. It doesn't run the same apps as the phone. Unless developers completely re-write their apps to the Metro standard, there's no commonality.
I had seriously been looking at the Surface line and have evaluated them in person. First, I would like to state how surprised I was at how well the touchscreen interface works. It's not typical for Microsoft to get a technology right on the first try. On the other hand I recommend against the Surface RT in this respect. The Surface RT's touchscreen is sluggish, laggy, and choppy. Also, the keyboard add-on to the Surface RT has a very non-responsive feel to it, but the Surface Pro's keyboard does not have that issue. Second, I was impressed by how well these machines perform (not running any third-party applications) considering how little RAM they have in them. Windows Vista/7 famously chews through multi-gigs of RAM (not counting prefetch cache) and I wouldn't put less than 8Gigs of RAM in a Windows 7 computer. Windows 8 on the Surface Pro uses only about 1Gig of RAM which leaves around 3Gig remaining for apps. Regardless, I am continuously disappointed with hardware manufacturers and their continued pattern of building laptops and tablets with < 8Gig of Memory. Especially with i5/i7 CPUs there is really no excuse since the memory controller is in the processor, so no additional chips are needed. I decided against the Surface Pro due to the paltry 4Gig of RAM. If Microsoft can up that to a preferable 16Gig+ of RAM I would buy one immediately and would buy one at 8Gig depending on the price.
The Surface Pro with type keyboard was by far the best ultra-light device in its size. When it was released, with its 1920x1080 display, pen input, touch screen, etc. it blew past the now outdated 11" MacBook air and anything else in that size.
My only complaints was the glued down components and soldered RAM:
http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Microsoft+Surface+Pro+Teardown/12842/1
I hope that the next Surface Pro 2 has Haswell, and eliminates the component glue and soldered RAM, or at least offers a 6-8GB RAM option and 256-480HG mSATA drive option. Then it would be prefect for me. Hopefully with a newer Haswell chip, the fans can also be reduced or eliminated, and the battery life will increase.
I am also eyeing the Haswell based Samsung ATIV Q, but at 13" it is a bit too large for me.
I also love the thin but solid unibody construction of the Acer Aspire s7-191, but without a pen input (which is really needed for my graphic and CAD work), it does not meet my needs. Not to mention, that it appears that Acer is abandoning the 11" model, which did not yet get the Haswell refresh.
On the Apple side, it is sad that Apple refuses to make a retina MacBook Air, even though the iPad3/4 has a 2048x1536 display compared to 1440x900 on 13" Air & 1366x768 on 11" Air, and also support pen input. Even though I much prefer Unix based OSX, for the first time in 8 years, I am planning to buy a Windows based laptop/tablet this year, instead of a Mac.
I wonder if there is any Linux distribution in the works which might take full advantage of these new touch based ultralights/tablets?
Hopefully manufactories will start to reduce the size of the large bezels around the display. With small devices, the smaller the bezel, the better the display.
nothing wrong with having a tattoo or something discretely hidden, but when you get tattoos on your face, neck, lower arms, lower legs, then wear tshirt and shorts, it says something about you and is the first thing to introduce yourself. so you have to be ready for people to judge you based on your tattoos, and I think it shows poor judgement and life decisions.
The problem with Windows RT tablets is not "OEM skepticism." It's the poor sales numbers and utter lack of market share by a public who doesn't want a crippled machine that can do little besides surf and read emails.
The OEMs were willing to give it a shot. Reality soon kicked in and now they're dumping their RT product plans in droves.
RT is a complete and utter failure.
I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
You are lying to yourself. It is common among people that want to be 'edgy'. Tattoos are a persons personal business. When you take your personal business and publicly display it, you are in a literal sense, asking people to judge you personally. If I wear a T-Shirt with a picture on it, I am fully aware that people will make judgements about me based on that. In fact, I am aware that it is intentional. If I wear my T-Shirt with Pac-Man on it, I am telling the world that I like old school arcade games. Conversely, if I wear underwear with Pac-Man on it, I am telling only a select few something about myself.
The same goes for tattoos, except, choosing a T-Shirt and underwear is less a sign of deep commitment to the subject and/or bad life choices.
..Why Microsoft Needs 3 Surface Tablets: ...to cash in on user interest in Windows 8.1, which will be released later this fall.
Yeah you're right. 3 Tablets should about do it. There probably won't be as many as 4 people with "user interest" in Windows 8.1.
Showing off tattoos is much like wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and sandals: you may feel comfortable that way, but that doesn't mean it's acceptable in a business environment (depends on the business, of course, but retail is often conservative) . Dressing up shows respect for those you meet, and in particular showing respect for customers you meet is often a good plan. Not always, of course: in some businesses, your customers might be insulted if you imply that they are "respectable".
Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
I think the confusion between the Surface Pro and RT may go down as one of the biggest branding mistakes of the 21st century.
Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
Only if their criteria for judgement measures against your own. Also, their judgement needs to matter to you.
well, if you're working retail, and you're trying to sell me something, I would hope that you're concerned about how your physical appearance affects your job!
This explains why Apple has design patents on mobile devices without sharp edges that you could use to hurt casual employees.
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