Microsoft Surface

[chris888222]

I really love to see how this goes.

Windows 8 is a tablet's dream, especially with that Metro UI which is designed for touch input. Throw in an Intel Core i5, browser of choice, USB, this looks very good.

However M$ really overprice at times, I hope they don't go down to pricing $800 - $1500 for Surface. They charged $200+ for Windows 7 (ouch) here so I'm a little worried. No cellular is also a bummer, because I always bring my iPad out.

 

[raulpica]

The only thing that bothers me is how the ARM processors will handle x86/x64 applications, but seeing that Microsoft was perfectly capable of writing the WOW64 overlay for x64 architectures, surely they can pull off something similar for our beloved ARM's... at least I hope so. Otherwise using an ARM seems utterly pointless.

Simple - it doesn't. Look at the size. The Pro is bigger. That's because it uses another CPU (Medfield? or maybe the same AMD C-series the W500 uses)

ARM can't just cope with x86. x86 code is fatter and slower than ARM code. A dynamic recompiler (and that is quite a feat!) on a 1,5GHz ARM processor would probably result in the same performances as a 500MHz x86 processor

 

[Foxi4]

Simple - it doesn't. Look at the size. The Pro is bigger. That's because it uses another CPU (Medfield? or maybe the same AMD C-series the W500 uses)

ARM can't just cope with x86. x86 code is fatter and slower than ARM code. A dynamic recompiler (and that is quite a feat!) on a 1,5GHz ARM processor would probably result in the same performances as a 500MHz x86 processor

The Pro version has an Ivy Bridge i5 on-board apparently, and "the performance of a 500MHz processor" likely wouldn't bother those who simply want to use standard utilities, which is exactly what the standard version is for. Power Users can hop onto the Pro Wagon.

 

[raulpica]

Simple - it doesn't. Look at the size. The Pro is bigger. That's because it uses another CPU (Medfield? or maybe the same AMD C-series the W500 uses)

ARM can't just cope with x86. x86 code is fatter and slower than ARM code. A dynamic recompiler (and that is quite a feat!) on a 1,5GHz ARM processor would probably result in the same performances as a 500MHz x86 processor

The Pro version has an Ivy Bridge i5 on-board apparently, and "the performance of a 500MHz processor" likely wouldn't bother those who simply want to use standard utilities, which is exactly what the standard version is for. Power Users can hop onto the Pro Wagon.

But standard utilities will all come in ARM flavour! No need for a recompiler, yet again Also because:

Only software written using the Windows Runtime, Metro-style apps, can be used on Windows RT. Developers will not be able to create applications to run on Windows RT using the Win32 APIs. [wikipedia]

 

[Foxi4]

Das Gasp! That renders the RT version of the tablet completely useless for anything other than petty iPaddery!

Thankfully there's the Pro option.

 

[raulpica]

Das Gasp! That renders the RT version of the tablet completely useless for anything other than petty iPaddery!

Thankfully there's the Pro option.

That's why I said that the Surface (not Pro) is just an iPad clone!

 

[shakirmoledina]

forget the ipad, this is the new gen and the bomb
microsoft, taking their time and doing it right these days!

 

[Zerosuit connor]

pricing for the pro model is most likely going to be over $1000, maybe around $1500

I doubt that, iPads are $500 in australia so I figure Microsoft would at least "try" to be price competitive

 

[Foxi4]

I love that it has a USB port, but honestly, I think Microsoft should have gone the extra mile and thrown a second on there. Maybe I'm just treating this too much like it's a laptop PC.

I thought so too when I realized that it only has one, but then I started wondering whether it warrants the use of more than one... and it doesn't. Technically you could use a mouse, but then again, you already have a touchscreen and a touchpad built-in. You could use a keyboard, but it already has one too. You could use it for a printer, but nowadays printers use Bluetooth or WiFi anyways to remain connected with the entire network, and even if you use a low-end one, that's still just one port and it's not something you travel with anyways. What you're left with is USB storage, and for that, one port is enough, plus, you can always use a USB hub - they cost next to nothing. Including a port alone is a big step in the right direction, the perhaptial ports or ports without USB Host functionality need to die a horrible death.

 

[Ben_j]

It has a TRIPOD!
But seriously, why didn't Microsoft announce the price...

I'd say $1000-ish for the Intel one. and aligned on the iPad for the ARM based one

 

[mameks]

holy shit that's sexy and damn those specs

 

[Guild McCommunist]

Crappy trailer aside, it does look like a really interesting device that seeks to lesser the gap between tablet and computer.

If Windows 8 on this does everything Windows 8 does on the computer then count me in. Well, if it's the right price. Seems like the perfect companion piece for SmartGlass.

 

[The Catboy]

If I can uninstall Windows 8 and install Linux on it, I am interested.
If not, I am not interested.

 

[finkmac]

It has a TRIPOD!
But seriously, why didn't Microsoft announce the price...

I'd say $1000-ish for the Intel one. and aligned on the iPad for the ARM based one

So, a Netbook, and an Ultrabook...

And here I was expecting something well thought out... Heck, the ad wasn't even that good... Talked about the features, didn't even talk about what you could do with it...

 

[Guild McCommunist]

Epic is looking to support it with Unreal Engine as well.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/354362/epic-exec-eager-to-support-microsoft-surface-tablet-with-unreal-engine/

 

[retKHAAAN]

That thing looks promising, but 1.5 pounds is heavy (I'm already complaining that the new brickPad is heavy enough and it's 1.4 pounds).

What catastrophic celestial event did I miss that altered the Earth's gravitational pull enough to make 1.5 pounds heavy???

 

[M[u]ddy]

The only thing that bothers me is how the ARM processors will handle x86/x64 applications, but seeing that Microsoft was perfectly capable of writing the WOW64 overlay for x64 architectures, surely they can pull off something similar for our beloved ARM's... at least I hope so. Otherwise using an ARM seems utterly pointless.

Simple - it doesn't. Look at the size. The Pro is bigger. That's because it uses another CPU (Medfield? or maybe the same AMD C-series the W500 uses)

ARM can't just cope with x86. x86 code is fatter and slower than ARM code. A dynamic recompiler (and that is quite a feat!) on a 1,5GHz ARM processor would probably result in the same performances as a 500MHz x86 processor

Still apps run on both. That's kind of the only thing connecting Windows RT and Windows 8.
They made it look like Windows RT is based on Windows 8, to make RT look like a real OS instead of another Windows Mobile, which has a very bad reputation.
However, what's more likely? That the rewrote Windows 8 to run on arm processors and removed the whole desktop interface in the process or that they just updated Windows Mobile 7.5?
Still developers can now make games and programs that directly run on both, which should give Windows based tablets a huge growth in apps.

 

[dickfour]

Looks like this seeks to address the glaring weakness of the ipad and other tablets. Seriously wtf apple where's the microsd slot on your tablet? This looks really good. Maybe apple will finally be forced to do the right thing

 

[chris888222]

That thing looks promising, but 1.5 pounds is heavy (I'm already complaining that the new brickPad is heavy enough and it's 1.4 pounds).

What catastrophic celestial event did I miss that altered the Earth's gravitational pull enough to make 1.5 pounds heavy???

You just missed the massive apocalypse.

Seriously though, 1.5 lbs for a tablet thinner than the brickPad is just stupid.

 

[The Milkman]

this thing is just a ripoff of the asus transformer anyway and will cost twice as much plus it won't use android

The fact that it has a deatachable keyboard does not mean it's a rip-off - it just means that it has this particular feature. It won't use Android, it'll just use a far superior OS, oh geee!

I doubt it. If its anything like Win Mobile its going to suck ass. I haven't gotten into the beta since I'm not using my own PC but it looks like Windows Mobile PHAT to me, personally I would prefer Android but atleast its not IOS.