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Microsoft Unveils Surface

June 18, 2012 9:13:17 PM from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums

Microsoft introduced Surface today which is a new line of tablet PC's for Windows 8.  They did a great job at keeping this hardware development under wraps, and Surface has some really nice features.

Surface highlights:

  • Software takes center stage: Surface sports a full-sized USB port and a 16:9 aspect ratio – the industry standard for HD. It has edges angled at 22 degrees, a natural position for the PC at rest or in active use, letting the hardware fade into the background and the software stand out.

  • VaporMg: The casing of Surface is created using a unique approach called VaporMg (pronounced Vapor-Mag), a combination of material selection and process to mold metal and deposit particles that creates a finish akin to a luxury watch. Starting with magnesium, parts can be molded as thin as .65 mm, thinner than the typical credit card, to create a product that is thin, light and rigid/strong.

  • Integrated Kickstand: The unique VaporMg approach also enables a built-in kickstand that lets you transition Surface from active use to passive consumption – watching a movie or even using the HD front- or rear-facing video cameras. The kickstand is there when needed, and disappears when not in use, with no extra weight or thickness.

  • Touch Cover: The 3 mm Touch Cover represents a step forward in human-computer interface. Using a unique pressure-sensitive technology, Touch Cover senses keystrokes as gestures, enabling you to touch type significantly faster than with an on-screen keyboard. It will be available in a selection of vibrant colors. Touch Cover clicks into Surface via a built-in magnetic connector, forming a natural spine like you find on a book, and works as a protective cover. You can also click in a 5 mm-thin Type Cover that adds moving keys for a more traditional typing feel.

We'll have to wait a bit longer for pricing and availability, but it should be priced competitively with Ultrabook PC's.

More info at www.surface.com.

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Island Dog
DrJBHL
Join Date 04/2002
+4262 moderator
Reply #1 June 19, 2012 12:02:10 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Not understanding why it's being announced now... it won't appear before W8 anyway.

Also: No word on Price, screen resolution or battery life. No word on the apps.... and they ARE the ecosystem. No word on Office either... 

-sigh-

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neone6
Join Date 12/2010
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Reply #2 June 19, 2012 12:43:59 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Very nice, VERY late.

Boy will Microsoft lose money the next couple of years.

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tazgecko
Join Date 05/2008
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Reply #3 June 19, 2012 1:04:16 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Are they really going with that blue keyboard? It will be harsh to your eyes and take your focus away from the screen ...

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Island Dog
DrJBHL
Join Date 04/2002
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Reply #4 June 19, 2012 1:24:43 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Taz- It's coming in a wide choice of colors.

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tazgecko
Join Date 05/2008
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Reply #5 June 19, 2012 2:33:45 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

 

Hmmm ... lets hope they open it up to 3rd parties to make some keyboards with better colour and maybe some themes.

I'm looking forward to see Metro on a tablet, love to try one out

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DrJBHL
Join Date 04/2002
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Reply #6 June 19, 2012 6:02:10 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Apparently, W8-RT will be released late this year along with the Surface which will have 2 models, the 64 and 128 Gb models and three months later, the Windows8-Pro version (also 64 and 128 Gb).

The keyboard will also have 2 models (and a stylus): 

The first as shown in the OP, which is thin, and the second, which is thicker (2 mm., I believe) and which will give a more traditional 'feel'. 

 

I'd expect the W8-RT model of the Surface out in time for the holidays.

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Jafo
Join Date 03/2001
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Reply #7 June 19, 2012 8:28:27 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

They look 'interesting'.....

Define 'interesting'.....

'Oh God, Oh God.......'....

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Island Dog
Island Dog
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Reply #8 June 19, 2012 8:32:41 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

They said it will include Office, and might be available when Windows 8 RTM's, even before retail release.

 

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LightStar
Join Date 12/2002
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Reply #9 June 19, 2012 9:22:38 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Yuk! BARF! Puke! Vomit! Throw-up! Hurl!

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Rosco_P
Join Date 07/2009
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Reply #10 June 19, 2012 12:29:17 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Ultimately, I don't care how it looks as long as it's useful.  It has the potential for that, so I'm remaining cautiously optimistic.

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ekimragz
Join Date 05/2007
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Reply #11 June 19, 2012 3:02:55 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting neone6,
reply 2
Very nice, VERY late.

Boy will Microsoft lose money the next couple of years.

AU CONTRAIRE

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CarGuy1
Join Date 03/2007
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Reply #12 June 19, 2012 7:12:51 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

And Brad said he missed the days of Microsoft stealing other people's ideas. 

Pretty much looks like a clone of the iPad to me.

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gevansmd
Join Date 12/2008
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Reply #13 June 19, 2012 7:58:11 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

It might gain a small footing in the corporate world, at least the Pro version running Windows 8 (not RT).  I can't see consumers jumping on it however.  The screen resolution of 1366x768 is only 720P   The double memory of 32 and 64 gb sounds nice until you realize this is running a version of Windows, which is not exactly lean and mean.  The extra memory will probably result in only small increase in after the OS is included.  Will it also be Windows sluggish on a low powered processor?  That's to be seen.  

I suspect this may go the way of the Windows 7 phones or the Microsoft Zune mp3 players and die very quickly.

Now a tablet running Windows 7 with 180P and plenty of memory would tempt me.  Someone makes such a beast, I think Acer or Asus.

 

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Daiwa
Join Date 07/2001
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Reply #14 June 19, 2012 8:13:48 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums

We've been demo'ing a Dell tablet running Win7 for accessing a VPN EHR environment.  Unlike the iPad (which I currently use for this purpose), which can't print to network printers, the Dell is a fully functional desktop replacement.  Klutzy & slow to use a stylus for input, though, so the keyboard cover idea is intriguing.  Battery life sucks, too, at no more than 2.5-3 hours and it won't recharge quickly/fully enough to last the balance of an afternoon so we won't adopt it.

If the Surface touchpad & keyboard work decently and it has battery life equivalent to an iPad (all day+ if slept when idle) and it will do VPN connections with decent speed, it might be a real option for our particular needs.  Not that I like anything about Metro8.

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elvee
Join Date 03/2001
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Reply #15 June 19, 2012 8:52:34 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting gevansmd,
reply 13
I suspect this may go the way of the Windows 7 phones or the Microsoft Zune mp3 players and die very quickly.

 

I don't know about that. Ever since MS announced this, I have been checking out the mobile community for feedback. With the exception of Apple, the general buzz is very positive.

It has certainly got my attention, especially the Win 8 Pro version. The ability to run apps and programs on the machine alone got the raised eyebrow from me. For the very busy people who are always on the go and need to get some serious stuff done no matter where they may be have to be drooling over something like this.

Android speaking, when tablets starting coming out, I didn't get what all the hype was about. After all to me they are just bigger versions of the smartphones running the same apps. But the Surface changes all that. Now I see the reasoning for MS pushing so hard the Metro (I still hate it) UI in Win 8.

I my opinion, I think that if this takes off and becomes a hit, it could be the start of the 'post PC era'

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DrJBHL
Join Date 04/2002
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Reply #16 June 19, 2012 10:05:29 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting elvee,
reply 15
It has certainly got my attention, especially the Win 8 Pro version. The ability to run apps and programs on the machine alone got the raised eyebrow from me. For the very busy people who are always on the go and need to get some serious stuff done no matter where they may be have to be drooling over something like this.

How cool would this be with Dragon Naturally Speaking on it?

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LizMarr
Join Date 05/2006
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Reply #17 June 19, 2012 11:22:59 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Hum. With the exception of Apple, who pulled it off well, I am always suspicious of a software developer going into branded hardware (is that thing hardware?) business. In the old days something always gave out in the long run.

Did it say if you could load some other OS on the thing? Maybe Linux, or perhaps Win 7?  Even that thing still doesn't have me convinced to move to Win 8.

Waiting for the prices and reviews.

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Jafo
Join Date 03/2001
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Reply #18 June 20, 2012 1:22:35 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting LizMarr,
reply 17
I am always suspicious of a software developer going into branded hardware (is that thing hardware?) business.

Er.... Microsoft has been in the 'hardware business' for yonks..... eg. my first MS mouse would have been a decade ago....and I still use one.

The only 'pulling' Apple ever did was the wool over people's eyes....

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petrossa
Join Date 10/2007
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Reply #19 June 20, 2012 3:08:32 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

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LORD-ORION
Join Date 04/2009
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Reply #20 June 20, 2012 3:09:05 PM
from Stardock ForumsStardock Forums

IF VS2012 ends up with proper HTML5 and CS support....(as in proper enough so people don't need to do any work to make one multi-platform app)

... then it might not be a fail to get one.

The one thing I bet MS can do right is their app store, and it looks decent enough in Win8 preview. So if the apps can be found on any platform you should be OK. (because really, I bet there are few real native apps over 10 bucks you'd ever buy for any tablet, and I really doubt anyone doing a cross platform HTML5 app is going to be able to charge more then $2.99)

Too bad Win8 is a giant turd... maybe with the next iteration of Windows?

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Disturbedcomputer
Join Date 02/2007
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Reply #21 June 20, 2012 3:20:28 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting LightStar,
reply 9
Yuk! BARF! Puke! Vomit! Throw-up! Hurl!

 

What he said

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Island Dog
Excalpius
Join Date 01/2005
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Reply #22 June 20, 2012 6:24:44 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

The screen resolution of 1366x768 is only 720P    

That's the RT version.  The higher end Intel version is "full HD" so presumably 1080p at a minimum.  It will also be more robust in its hardware, etc., so that's the one I'll be looking at. 8)

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Island Dog
Excalpius
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Reply #23 June 20, 2012 9:05:44 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Orion, you can run REAL Windows programs on the native Intel version of the tablet.  You don't need to worry about the HTML5 Metro or Apple iPad Flash-grade $1 apps nonsense.

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Anthony R
Join Date 01/2003
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Reply #24 June 20, 2012 11:18:53 PM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums

Should be about as popular as Zune.

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Rosco_P
Join Date 07/2009
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Reply #25 June 21, 2012 8:00:56 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting Anthony R,
reply 24
Should be about as popular as Zune.

I actually really liked my Zune.  Had fewer issues with it than the other MP3 players I tried.

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