All Microsoft Surface RT Models Are Now Sold Out

[djscribbles]

[citation][nom]bucknutty[/nom]No the surface tablet is an ARM based system. Windows RT and ARM can not run traditional Windows or x86 software. The game won't even install.[/citation]

However, ARM support is almost more within reach than Linux support. If developers see a cash opportunity, cross-compiling for ARM is a lot easier than replacing directX, and I would expect Visual Studio to ease the cross compiling task significantly.

 

[southernshark]

I really wish MS had just ignored ARM and opened up with an Atom based tablet as the flagship.

I have no interest in an ARM tablet. But an inexpensive x86 tablet (or say around $500) would be very enticing.

 

[bllue]

Well to me it seems perfect for students (maybe not those college ones who may require x86 x64 programs), kids and every other user who needs a computer for web browsing, email, netflix, skype, MS office (Surface comes with preview of Office 2013 which is said to be updated to the full version through an update later on, for free). The latter one is gonna be a good selling point for a lot of people. Weighting under 2 lbs with the Touch cover and packing 8 hours of battery life (about 2-3 more than your average laptop), for users who just do basic things this offers way better portability than a bulkier 5 lb laptop with 5 hr battery life.
I'm planning on getting one for a family member but first I'm waiting for reviews to come out to see how well it works and how good the screen looks

 

[super d spamalot]

[citation][nom]southernshark[/nom]I really wish MS had just ignored ARM and opened up with an Atom based tablet as the flagship. I have no interest in an ARM tablet. But an inexpensive x86 tablet (or say around $500) would be very enticing.[/citation]

I don't quite get RT either to be honest. Microsoft knew Intel was developing Clover Trail, as it was specially designed and tuned to run Windows 8. Clover Trail by all accounts is roughly the same price as a Tegra 3 (Though you wouldn't know it from the premium OEMs are charging on their Atom devices as opposed to the ARM ones), and has better performance. I mean, 3-4 years ago when Intel wasn't even competing in the mobile device market sure, but now that they've had a hit with Medfield and now have something even better in Clover Trail, ARM in general is probably on it's last legs unless they can pull an Athlon and keep themselves in the running for another couple years.

Oh well, RT is still far more capable then Android and iOS, so for those who have chosen to go that route, I'm sure they won't be disappointed.

 

[skaz]

I don't understand the RT version. Or I should say, I don't understand why people would buy the RT version. Unless, its because the consumer is uneducated about the limits of RT. RT just seems like a closed system.

 

[Guest]

Let's not be so naive everyone.

Would Microsoft accept any message in the media at this moment except: "All pre-orders are sold out!!"?

The worst signal to consumers right now would be to see a surplus sitting around.

"Oh shoot, maybe it's going flop. I'd better wait before buying a third laptop device for 600 dollars right now."

It's all marketing, you can guarantee they arranged the situation to look Exactly like this and nothing but this.

 

[milktea]

[citation][nom]BigMack70[/nom]It's not that these tablets are bad, it's that tablets in general make no sense to me. ...[/citation]
You cannot possibly think that laptops would last forever? And there's going to be some newer tech that would eventually take over the place of laptops. But it wouldn't be a sharp transition in a couple of months. It would have to be a gradual transition. And that transition is got to start sooner or later. Which I believe we are looking at it now.

 

[porterohana]

Nothing against Microsoft and I hope this product goes well, I love competition, the winners are us consumers. I smell marketing spin. Note that Microsoft doesn't mention the number of Surfaces that were sold in the pre-launch. By limiting the number available to customers, it could drum up an artificial demand. Apple has been suspected of the same tactics with the iPhone 5, however, its sales numbers were over 10 million in the first week. With sales predictions (Ballmer) of 3 million for the year, I suspect the pre-launch volume might be in the 100,000s. Okay, but nothing to write home about for a flagship product release. If it were more, I'm sure MS would tout their numbers.

 

[bystander]

[citation][nom]BigMack70[/nom]It's not that these tablets are bad, it's that tablets in general make no sense to me. [/citation]

Without a keyboard, I'd agree with you, but with these convertibles, these can be used for many productivity types that focus on word processing and other simpler tasks. I could see this being very useful for presenting information on the go. Be it in home sales or even in a lot of mobile office tasks, and you can still type like normal.

 

[bllue]

[citation][nom]skaz[/nom]I don't understand the RT version. Or I should say, I don't understand why people would buy the RT version. Unless, its because the consumer is uneducated about the limits of RT. RT just seems like a closed system.[/citation]
It does what the iPad and every other tablet does, but more. You can actually use the Surface (or any RT tablet) for productivity because they all come with a full optimized version of Office 2013. That alone can cost over $100 dollars and even though it's coming to Android and iOS, it probably won't be as good as the one shaped around Windows RT. For consumers who just need the most basic of things - browsing, email, Office, entertainment (youtube, netflix, etc), and game apps (which there's little of but bound to grow), the Surface is pretty much perfect. Sure a laptop can do that among other things but for some a tablet that can do exactly what you do in a laptop is seem as more convenient

 

[izmanq]

sold out ? really ? don't worry, just go for nexus 7 😛