Surface Pro Tablets to Finally Arrive in January 2013

[shikamaru31789]

That's a pretty hefty price tag, but some darn impressive specs. It should make an excellent all around computer, as it can be used as a tablet or as a notebook/ultrabook with the type cover. An i5 and HD4000 graphics, that should allow it to run modern PC games on low settings and pc games that are a few years old on higher settings. And of course it can run standard tablet games available on the App store too. I've been looking for what to buy as my first tablet, and the Surface Pro is now at the top of my list.

 

[wemakeourfuture]

[citation][nom]Cirdecus[/nom]I'm sure more people will be correcting you, but this is actually a PC not a toy tablet like an iPad or Android device. It functions like a complete desktop\laptop. So if you want to compare this PRODUCTIVITY computing device to a content CONSUMPTION device, then start by comparing a full laptop to the iPad and see which has more features and functions. Like USB ports, external hard drives, file management, the ability to run any windows application on the planet, etc.This isn't a toy tablet, this is the real deal.[/citation]

Trying to make a touch tablet for "Productivity" and for "Business" is a non-starter for consumer consumption. What a joke. Sure they can have their niche but a niche will get you nowhere in the consumer market which is what Microsoft is trying to get into. They are not opening up Microsoft stores in malls to sell "Productivity' to business but to the average customer and this won't move units.

Why not get a Lenovo ultrabook that flips into a tablet for the same price?

You do not buy a tablet to Office, come on, there's a reason why the Surface so far and will continue to be a flop for Microsoft.

 

[wisedupearly]

[citation][nom]otacon72[/nom]No intelligence[/citation]
Why are you telling us your problems?

 

[besplatan]

DOA

not as good as a $500 laptop (only 10.6", only 64 GB, ULV processor, tiny touch keyboard, can't type on your lap)

not as good as a $500 tablet (fledgling tablet ecosystem, too thick, too heavy, dust-breathing, no 3G, only 4 hours battery - confirmed by MS)

costs $1000 at a minimum + whatever MS Office goes for if you're into that + whatever x86 applications you want to run on this, Photoshop is what, $700?

Even if it sells (and it won't it'll be a worse flop than RT), it will only take away sales from Windows laptops/Ultrabooks.

 

[Guest]

[Trying to make a touch tablet for "Productivity" and for "Business" is a non-starter for consumer consumption. What a joke. Sure they can have their niche but a niche will get you nowhere in the consumer market which is what Microsoft is trying to get into. They are not opening up Microsoft stores in malls to sell "Productivity' to business but to the average customer and this won't move units.

Why not get a Lenovo ultrabook that flips into a tablet for the same price?

You do not buy a tablet to Office, come on, there's a reason why the Surface so far and will continue to be a flop for Microsoft. ]

Actually it will be impossible for Microsoft to immediately create a huge following for their own brand of tablet more inclined for media consumption, which is what Surface RT is for. Like Apple, Microsoft is earning a profit margin from both the OS and the hardware, which will mean their device will not be able to compete with Android on price. Windows store will take time to have useful apps, therefore Microsoft needs to grow the number of devices which are capable of running Metro UI app, so that more developers will be interested. Have more people running Surface Pro means there will be a bigger potential market for Metro UI app, which can then get more developers on board to develop for it. Rome is not built in a day.

There are many different approaches to Windows 8 hybrid. Surface Pro is merely one approach, and Lenovo is just another. But some buyers may not like the exposed keyboard at the bottom when Lenovo Yoga is in tablet mode. The fact is Microsoft cares more about the adoption of Windows 8 rather than whether their hardware is selling. By finally releasing the details on Surface Pro, whoever is eyeing to buy such a device can now finally decide between the various vendors currently offering such device now, be it Toshiba, Lenovo, Dell, Acer, Asus, Samsung, HP, or Sony.

And obviously, Surface Pro is not a device intended for Office alone. It does not even include it. It is an approach to ultra mobile notebook without the expensive price tags for such device 10 years ago.

 

[acadia11]

699, at 128gb , optional sd and this becomes perfect tab.

 

[acadia11]

Oh it has sd

 

[Guest]

Can't wait will be a nice upgrade for my 4yo laptop -_-

 

[zybch]

[citation][nom]Cirdecus[/nom]Pretty sure its a lot more than 4 hoursYou can plug a USB 3G or 3G device into this thing just like you can a GPS dongle.Office is never free retard, when was such powerful software free? Show me apple's free office app for their iPad.Screen angle adjustment? Like, as in turning the tablet with your hand?I think you're confusing this with your android/ipad. This is a computer, not a toy shopping cart.[/citation]
Office was bundled free in the Windows RT Surface. I have one of those and its surprisingly good, and even though the numbers of apps is small compared to iOS and Android they are generally very nice. Surface really is a tablet for actually doing stuff on, unlike the others that are basically just media consumption devices.

 

[rmaxx]

More about the PEN!! I would really want some more info on the pen. Since the bundle it with the device instead of the keyboard, i would assume its a great addition.

However when they speak of "an amazing feature for note-takers" im pretty sure it will not support any pressure levels at all. So what is it?! I've seen the new patent on the input device, so its not a Wacom, but it doenst speak of any pressure measurement at all.

The battery-life is concession enough, i can live with that. But i'm really hoping it will still be as mighty as it seemed during the introduction.I'm also concerned about the cooling system, if its noisy it will really feel/handle different than a common tablet. Which would make it less attractive to use it as a tablet in my opinion.
(getting one anyway, that's for sure

 

[dfusco]

So it can be be a heavy tablet with a lousy battery life or an ultrabook with with a too small display and limited storage?
This thing reeks with fail.

 

[killerclick]

[citation][nom]Cirdecus[/nom]Pretty sure its a lot more than 4 hours[/citation]

Pretty sure you don't know what you're talking about. This was official info from Microsoft, half the battery life of Surface RT (which is 8-8.5 hours according to reviews).


[citation][nom]Cirdecus[/nom]retard[/citation]

Oh, poor little Microfan is upset. Metro is dying everywhere, WP8 is not selling, Windows 8 tablets are not selling, Surface RT is a commercial disaster, Metro apps are not being downloaded, and Windows 8 market share stats are going to be a cold shower for potential Metro developers. That platform is done, and you fanboys can scream all you want, it's music to my ears.

 

[jkflipflop98]

[citation][nom]killerclick[/nom]Metro is dying everywhere, WP8 is not selling, Windows 8 tablets are not selling, Surface RT is a commercial disaster, Metro apps are not being downloaded, and Windows 8 market share stats are going to be a cold shower for potential Metro developers. That platform is done, and you fanboys can scream all you want, it's music to my ears.[/citation]

Ah yes, I remember reading divel like this when winXP was released. XP's horrible setup looks like it was created for fisher price toddlers. M$ is going to die and no one is EVER going to buy that crap. Those people look like morons right now, huh?

 

[killerclick]

[citation][nom]jkflipflop98[/nom]Ah yes, I remember reading divel like this when winXP was released.[/citation]

You remember what you want to remember. You can't possibly compare the default (and changeable) skin of Windows XP with Microsoft splitting their software ecosystem in incompatible halves and trying to enforce an unsuitable user interface on the majority of their user base.

But whatever, you fanboys keep cheering (or whining), and I'll just sit back and watch everything collapse. Maybe then Microsoft will come to their senses and do Windows 9 right. Companies have to learn they can't just drag their userbase wherever they want. We are the boss of them, not vice versa.

 

[jkflipflop98]

[citation][nom]killerclick[/nom]You remember what you want to remember. You can't possibly compare the default (and changeable) skin of Windows XP with Microsoft splitting their software ecosystem in incompatible halves and trying to enforce an unsuitable user interface on the majority of their user base.But whatever, you fanboys keep cheering (or whining), and I'll just sit back and watch everything collapse. Maybe then Microsoft will come to their senses and do Windows 9 right. Companies have to learn they can't just drag their userbase wherever they want. We are the boss of them, not vice versa.[/citation]


Let me guess, Win7 is the bestest windows ever, right? But Vista was the worst thing ever, right? Because you will be back here when Win9 comes out fawning over how awesome it is when in actuality it will be the same thing we have now. Just like before.

 

[killerclick]

[citation][nom]jkflipflop98[/nom]Let me guess, Win7 is the bestest windows ever, right? But Vista was the worst thing ever, right? Because you will be back here when Win9 comes out fawning over how awesome it is when in actuality it will be the same thing we have now. Just like before.[/citation]

Windows 7 was the bestest ever because they fixed what was wrong with Vista (which they actually mostly fixed in Vista SP2).

If they fix what's wrong with Windows 8 - unsuitable user interface being forced on desktop users, incompatibility between Metro and desktop environments, lack of non-fullscreen Start Menu - then Windows 9 will be the bestest Windows ever.

 

[candrwhite]

" $999 for the standalone 128 GB version."

I'd love to have one, but certainly not at those prices. When I can get a Thinkpad Twist with better specs at $1,200... 999 just doesn't seem tempting.

 

[game junky]

I wish they sold these somewhere other than Microsoft stores. I would like to test one out before opening my wallet up that wide. Maybe they'll start selling these Pro model in local brick and mortars since it's running full Windows 8 OS. I have been looking at the different options for a touchscreen 1080p display tablet/laptop and this seems to be winning for price, but we'll see how it performs. I wonder if that's an mSATA SSD or a 2.5" - if it's swappable, I will probably get the 128 and just change it when I receive it.

 

[rmaxx]

It's in a way weird how everybody comments on this device on how its not a laptop and its not really a tablet. Thats the whole point of the device!
Half of you would rather have a laptop with better specs (no pen, twice as heavy, always a keyboard to carry around, often no touch or less resolution) and the other half comparing it with a tablet like an ipad (closed system, somewhat more open if you buy expensive extra's, can't nor ever will run full programs like a desktop) ...

It is completely useless to compare these and even more useless to say 'ow i'd rather buy this or that' .. what..is..your..point ?

For me this is exactly the formfactor i'm looking for: full programs, touch, pen , optional keyboard, usb. great! The price is completely justified for what you are getting, if you don't want it, buy something else.
With the surface Pro even W8 finally makes sense. Maybe they shoul dcome with an update for pure desktop users, whatever.

Finally: People who say 'this is the end of microsoft' have no clue ..really.. none

 

[wemakeourfuture]

[citation][nom]bavman[/nom]But its not supposed to be compared to an apple/android tablet. Its a full-blow laptop...comparable to $1000 ultrabooks, not $500 tablets.[/citation]

It will be compared to other tablets because you know the 99% of customers who buy such consumer products compare them to other tablets. So Microsoft is selling a tablet and you think the layperson will not compare it to an iPad?

This will be a complete failure. As a MSFT stockholder I am incredibly disappointed at the price point. They will not move units.

The Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft since 2002 has a net operating income of $-3.555 billion since 2002.

I have analyzed Microsofts quarterly filings to the SEC to obtain these numbers.

This division is the one that has brought Zune, Kin, Xbox, other failed windows phones and tablets since 2002 that have NOT made a dime but lost money.

The surface RT and Pro will continue their losses.

Also the $-3.555 billion is not adjusted for 2012 inflation. If I did that it would be close to $-4.5 billion in losses over 10 years, chump change for Microsoft but shows you how successful they have been as a company in the consumer market outside of Windows and Office which generate 85% of the companies profits.

 

[beayn]

[citation][nom]bavman[/nom]Its really not at all. If you compare it to ultrabooks in the same price range, its very competitively priced (as opposed to the RT version imo). My only beef with it is that if I'm dishing out $900 I think they should include one of the keyboards. It seriously can't cost anywhere near the $100 they ask for it. I bet it takes them $10-20 max to make.[/citation]No doubt. It is probably even cheaper to make, on the order of $5-10 would be my guess. But since MS wants to be like Apple, they are going to charge stupid high prices for accessories. 25 cent rubber bumper for iPhone 4 antenna problem costing $30 comes to mind.

 

[rmaxx]

[nom]beayn[/nom]
Like Apple/Google/whatever never lost any money on products. Apple was dead years ago, have been extremely succesful some years now, but have past their top numbers in europe (iphone at least). Google phone never was a big hit, but Android itself was. Besides XBox was/is a huge succes. Windows phones are getting seriously good reviews etc etc. And remember MS is a software company first. Consumer market has never been their main focus. The whole reason they decided to make a tablet is showcasing W8 and setting an example for their hardware partners, who could really use a good eye-opener. They're not even selling the (RT) Surface in a lot of countries. That doesnt mean its no good, that's politics.

 

[wemakeourfuture]

[citation][nom]otacon72[/nom]It's meant to replace your laptop genius. I plan on getting one. I have no use for an oversized iTouch or Droid. This will be running a real OS with real software.[/citation]

Oh I see, you want to run Photoshop, CAD, code development, maybe encode video, etc on a touch tablet device. Right on, and you think Microsoft is going to convince millions of people who already own or want a tablet for almost half the price to pay 100% more to do stuff they don't even do?

Great business model, sell to the 1-2% of customers, charge 100% more. Maybe they can sell a "full OS" on a mobile device and charge $1200 for that, I'm sure you'd be happy but the other 500+ million smartphone owners and potential owners won't care for it. Get it, same thing just with a tablet.

Microsoft has tried for over a decade to make a successful tablet and they have failed every single time.

 

[rmaxx]

[citation][nom]wemakeourfuture[/nom] Maybe they can sell a "full OS" on a mobile device and charge $1200 for that,[/citation]

Why not? Apple seems to do just fine selling 64GB phones for 850 $ with an even smaller screen..
And those arent even compatible with iphone docks from 6 months ago.
Really you have no clue...

If apple releases an iphone tomorrow with desktop power ,with monitor and mouse+keyboard connection they would sell, even for $ 1500,-... PC in your pocket.. at the price of an ultrabook, great idea! (although apple would probably charge you $3000 like a macbook pro)

Surface Pro = Portable device with full software, heavier but tablet like , lighter then a laptop, hi res, capable of multiple screens, pen support, touch support, keyboard/mouse supprt, the works. Working longer then 4 hours? you plug it in, attach a keyboard and extra screen.. Just like a laptop. Its a perfect add-on to any desktop, to say the least, and capable of replacing a lot of them. No iMac in your living room but a Surface Pro in the drawer. The wife will like that !

It has it flaws, of course, but it really isnt a bad setup at all.
Really , you just dont won't them to succeed, either because you dont have the money to buy one or you just hate MS for some reason.. The iPad was just a bigger iPod, remember....

 

[cetiritas]

Where's the 4G LTE on the spec sheet?
has a lot of great features, but without the freedom of going cellular - This will likely result in a flop.