Analyst: Surface 'Truck' Can't Compete With iPad 'Sports Car'

[wheredahoodat]

I like the concept of the standard keyboard, but is it worth the predicted $ 600 price tag for the basic Windows RT version? Probably the only thing Windows tablets have going for it is that android tablets haven't taken off either, but......

 

[monktongaz]

[citation][nom]Zingam_Duo[/nom]Lucky you! Windows 7 takes several minutes. Sometimes it cannot even wake the screen. Wow! [/citation]

I'd be prepared to go out on a limb and say that the OS is not causing that. Drivers, maybe, 3rd party software, perhaps, but not Win7.

On another note, I've used Ubuntu. It was great. By the time I'd put a few bits and pieces on it to bring it up to the level of functionality my Win machine had, it was slower, but still good; just not my personal preference.

 

[The_Trutherizer]

After all things said and done. The fact is Windows is for real computer users :/ The rest of PC users out there are a bit like... oddities really.

 

[teh_chem]

MS is trying to do what neither Android app makers nor iOS seem able or interested to do--begin to offer features and programs typically unavailable in any proper way on either of the other two platforms, and capitalize on a decent amount of the market that wants to use their devices for document creation rather than media consumption. I don't think the price will be a huge issue.

I could honestly see the Surface being quite popular with university students if the Office integration and office applications work well. Can't count how many students post in tech forums asking if they should get a netbook or a tablet for their schoolwork, only to find out the stability problems for office apps in android (even google docs isn't good enough, and Polaris Office is buggy), and that iOS doesn't really have much to offer. If MS can work on those aspects, it will easily give them an edge over the "Tesla" (what a terrible analogy...).

 

[Guest]

Work trucks always out sell sports cars

 

[rantoc]

Who cares about analyst firms who got their fingers in Apples till? Seriously!

 

[Guest]

If people want a truck, they buy a truck. If they want an electric sports car they get a tesla. Different products, different markets.

He seems to be suggesting the surface will not sell well because it is not specifically targeted at the iPad market.

Recall a lot of these idiots saying the iPad would not sell well because no market existed for tablets at that time

 

[killerclick]

What's all this raving about how a tablet has a "full OS" ie Windows? Here's another tablet that has a full OS - Microsoft Tablet PC. Anybody remember that? Why didn't those users who want to use x86 applications on a tablet buy the Tablet PC?

A tablet is not a PC, and it's not a laptop. The reason Tablet PC failed and iPad succeeded is because Microsoft didn't get it and Apple did. Repeat: a tablet is not a PC and it's not a laptop. Making a tablet-laptop hybrid is not a plus, it's a mistake proven by the abysmal sales numbers of the Asus Transformer Prime.

 

[zippyzion]

Firstly, I find analysts are akin to gossiping school girls or chest beating apes.

Secondly, I love the idea of Surface. I hate the implementation of it. I love touch screens. I think they are the best physical UI ever devised. If Xerox labs had the technology to develop touch screens first, they would have thought us to be idiots for sliding small pucks of plastic across our desks to make an arrow move across the screen. Why not just touch it?

The problem with touch screens is that not a single developer has gotten it right. Android and Apple have kinda gotten it right. Microsoft has "supported" it for quite a while. Not a single person can seem to think beyond the mouse. You would think that in a world of 6 billion people that someone would have that one idea we need to make it really work.

 

[killerclick]

[citation][nom]zippyzion[/nom]If Xerox labs had the technology to develop touch screens first, they would have thought us to be idiots for sliding small pucks of plastic across our desks to make an arrow move across the screen. Why not just touch it?[/citation]

Because screens may be 3+ feet away, and they may be too large for most users to comfortably wave their arms all over them for hours on end. Touch only makes sense for handheld devices and kiosks.

[citation][nom]zippyzion[/nom]Not a single person can seem to think beyond the mouse. You would think that in a world of 6 billion people that someone would have that one idea we need to make it really work.[/citation]

A mouse translates small movements to big cursor movements, all while your arm is resting comfortably. A touchpad maybe makes more sense but I find a mouse to be more precise than anything - you can click on specific pixels with a mouse, very hard to do with touch.

 

[zippyzion]

[citation][nom]killerclick[/nom]Because screens may be 3+ feet away, and they may be too large for most users to comfortably wave their arms all over them for hours on end. Touch only makes sense for handheld devices and kiosks.A mouse translates small movements to big cursor movements, all while your arm is resting comfortably. A touchpad maybe makes more sense but I find a mouse to be more precise than anything - you can click on specific pixels with a mouse, very hard to do with touch.[/citation]
I think you just inadvertently made the case that touch screens could solve the obesity epidemic.

 

[neiroatopelcc]

[citation][nom]ojas[/nom]I though IT managers steered clear of idevices.Anyway, analysts say a lot of things. Will i a want a surface tablet? When the price is right, yes.[/citation]

Sadly no. IT managers are like any other type of managers - exceptionally ignorant

 

[db778]

A truck? I don't think that the analyst here knows what he's talking about, I didn't see anything "truck-like" about it. I can't believe the money these people get paid to make broad and obvious statements like "the lack of pricing makes it impossible to judge what the market impact will be", no kidding? really?
All these firms have their interests in different, competing companies and I don't think we should take anything they say at face value.

 

[freggo]

[citation][nom]830hobbes[/nom]I'd like to point out how horrible this metaphor is. They're saying a Ford F-150 would never outsell the Tesla Roadster? Hmm:F-150 - sold about 580,000 trucks last yearRoadster - sold about 2500 cars totalDon't get me wrong, there's no car I want more than a Tesla Roadster, but to compare an iPad to the Roadster and say it'll outsell a "truck" is moronic.[/citation]

Look at the type chick you pick up in your Pickup... ;-)
Let's face it, glitz attracts glitz !

And that Micro$oft tablet/Surface or whatever PR crap they will end up using... no thanks.
It seems to be just another 'me too' product from a company that has missed yet another bus.

And before you thumb me down; no... I am not an Apple kiddo; I (have to) work with Windows as that's where the market is. But let's be honest, the words Microsoft and Innovation are not often found in the same sentence.

 

[Tsais]

Most analysts have been around too long and are biased by either cash or opinions they fell in love with years ago and car analogies for computers stink of bs anyway.

and the so-called mishmash of tablet + keyboard is going to confuse consumers? Maybe the very few an-alphabets among them?

Personally, I've been waiting to have a tablet I can smear around on with my fingers and have a keyboard too.

Oh, you say that's been available for a long time and nobody bought it? Yes, cause that crap was over expensive, heavy and butt-ugly.

This looks well designed, small and as light as any ultrabook. I like everything about it.

Now, the touch stuff, I don't really find that mandatory for the UI, but its great if you have it for paint programs and maybe even for audio recording software.

Certainly great when you want your 3 year old to use a legacy copy of Rosetta Stone, being able to point directly at the pictures.

 

[Guest]

The surface wont sell well because it's not a toy, it's intended to be a legitimate device. But apple understands that the ipad is nothing more than a toy, that nobody can get serious work accomplished on one, and that people bought it just to say they have it. MS hasnt quite grasped the fact that apple has legions of sheep that will buy any garbage they put out, until they do, devices like the surface will miss the mark just like the blackberry playbook did.

 

[d_kuhn]

I guess I don't think the analogy is horrible... sports cars are flashy, good looking, but impractical. They're good for a second vehicle but you don't want to daily drive them... they're good at one or two things but not all around. iPads are flashy with fantastic screens and design points... but impractical if you need to get work done. They're nice to have for watching netflix and checking email but you wouldn't want to use one day to day for work.... so they're good at one or two things but not all around.

The i5 surface looks like it has the potential to be a fast sedan (M5 maybe)... likely will be able to smoke the flashy ipad performance wise, but will not be as sleek. It'll be something you MAY be able to live with day to day... drive to work and home comfortably. It may be something you could consider having as a primary machine in some instances (I was thinking for travel).

 

[wolfram23]

They obviously haven't seen trucks here in Alberta. There's tons of trucks here, aka "Rig Rockets" that cost into the 6 figures. Turbo charged, tuned, lift kits, big wheels, chromed out, stack pipes, fully loaded monstrosities that cost more than a Porshe.

That said, the freezing/crashing Surface at the presentation (when they tried to play a game) was pretty pathetic. I'm not really into tablets right now, so I'll just sit back and watch.

 

[leongrado]

[citation][nom]monktongaz[/nom]What on earth are you talking about? My daily Windows machine hasn't frozen in over 3 years of constant use and my last virus was.. hell, about 10 years ago.My 1 year old Macbook on the other hand, has no such luck.[/citation]

I'm a PC and Mac user myself and I realize that the poster that you quoted is well, being an ass. Still, I have my doubts about the validity of your statements. Sure your PC/Mac might not seem to have a virus but isn't that the whole point of a good virus? I don't think you can any tell us with 100% certainly that someone isn't stealing your information without you knowing. If you're really getting viruses that you notice even on your Mac, then I can only imagine how many viruses you have one your Windows. You must be using some really really shady sites for that to happen.

 

[xenol]

A truck gets more use in utility than a sports car does.

 

[Zingam_Duo]

[citation][nom]joytech22[/nom]Alright, now load up steam, how about Visio or Project?No?Hmm. Oh! I know, Lets administrate our server back at the office and configure our switches firewall from home using the proprietary tools from Cisco.What's that? It doesn't work? Sorry sir HOW MUCH does it cost to migrate?Oh wait.. The extra time saved booting into Ubuntu would have been better served NOT looking for replacement methods needed to perform those tasks on Windows 7!By the way.. If you need to do an OS installation so soon you don't know how to maintain your system very well.[/citation]

Surely I don't know... I've just been using Windows since 1990 So I really have no idea what Windows is all about... Pfu! 99% of the users are administering Sisco routers and shit... at home and in the office ...

 

[Zingam_Duo]

[citation][nom]masona[/nom]Work trucks always out sell sports cars[/citation]

Not when you make a purchase for a car racing...

 

[Zingam_Duo]

[citation][nom]lolsurface[/nom]The surface wont sell well because it's not a toy, it's intended to be a legitimate device. But apple understands that the ipad is nothing more than a toy, that nobody can get serious work accomplished on one, and that people bought it just to say they have it. MS hasnt quite grasped the fact that apple has legions of sheep that will buy any garbage they put out, until they do, devices like the surface will miss the mark just like the blackberry playbook did.[/citation]

Now there are no tools that let you do you work, so you need a surface... So you have never seen a laptop or a desktop... Surely you need a 10" tablet to do your productivity work... huge excel spreadsheets and software that neets 10-20 opened windows, etc...

 

[Zingam_Duo]

[citation][nom]zippyzion[/nom]Firstly, I find analysts are akin to gossiping school girls or chest beating apes.Secondly, I love the idea of Surface. I hate the implementation of it. I love touch screens. I think they are the best physical UI ever devised. If Xerox labs had the technology to develop touch screens first, they would have thought us to be idiots for sliding small pucks of plastic across our desks to make an arrow move across the screen. Why not just touch it?The problem with touch screens is that not a single developer has gotten it right. Android and Apple have kinda gotten it right. Microsoft has "supported" it for quite a while. Not a single person can seem to think beyond the mouse. You would think that in a world of 6 billion people that someone would have that one idea we need to make it really work.[/citation]

Touch screens are nothing new! They have existed for a long time.

 

[bystander]

[citation][nom]db778[/nom]A truck? I don't think that the analyst here knows what he's talking about, I didn't see anything "truck-like" about it. I can't believe the money these people get paid to make broad and obvious statements like "the lack of pricing makes it impossible to judge what the market impact will be", no kidding? really? All these firms have their interests in different, competing companies and I don't think we should take anything they say at face value.[/citation]
I actually kind of like the truck analogy, I just think a Tesla sports car is the wrong one for iPad.

A truck is a practical vehicle (or fully loaded truck) for those who need to get work done and for entertainment. I'd compare the iPad to a little more practical sports car, as to not give people the idea that the iPad is worth a lot more, maybe a Camero. It can do fun stuff, but limited on its functionality.