Microsoft Surface (and Surface Pro) Tablet

[Wil]

The Various Zune's they made were really good

Absolutely. Lovely little players but too late and once it was apparent that they couldn't dent the iTunes store lead they weren't interested in just providing a great device and let it die.

[Brad]

And no mac compatibility. And didn't exist in this country. Other than that I can't see why they didn't destroy apple!

[EvilBoris]

I don't understand why? I would think most people have a SmartPhone, Laptop or tablet now or all three. Is it really worth adding this to the mix? I think like the Zune they are on the bandwagon too late and I have very little interest in Windows Metrosexual so I am out.

Ipad's are becoming more and more common in the workplace, from salesmen to doctors in hospitals to couriers, they need to do something to curb it.
Before you know it corporations will be running Mac computers instead of Windows, then Microsoft would be fecked given enough time.

This provides Microsoft with a 2 things, easy transitions for companies wanting a more portable option, along with traditional windows based software.

Also, if you want your freshly written software for your more portable/cheaper tablet PC, you have to have it approved by Microsoft and then they take a % of every sale of the software, something they don't get now.

[Decider-VT]

XNA isn't supported on Windows 8, not for proper marketplace metro apps. If you want to develop on Windows 8 with the marketplace in mind and with the new wiz bang interface then you have to go down the dirty C++ DirectX route to develop games, although normal apps have lesser restrictions. The XNA guys are not happy about it if you visit the forums.

XNA has had an increasing focus on Windows Phone development with each iteration, so it won't be a stretch to imagine that subsequent versions of the API will support Metro applications. Microsoft has cultivated a strong community with XNA and it'd be foolish to not include Surface support to encourage development for the platform.

[FelixofMars]

Yep, I guess that at the end of the day they need to try to hold the markets they have. For a young trendy company who doesn't require cutting edge hardware the choice of having a I-pad or a PC slate with proper keyboard for word-processing is a no brainer.

Ipad's are becoming more and more common in the workplace, from salesmen to doctors in hospitals to couriers, they need to do something to curb it.
Before you know it corporations will be running Mac computers instead of Windows, then Microsoft would be fecked given enough time.

This provides Microsoft with a 2 things, easy transitions for companies wanting a more portable option, along with traditional windows based software.

Also, if you want your freshly written software for your more portable/cheaper tablet PC, you have to have it approved by Microsoft and then they take a % of every sale of the software, something they don't get now.

[CMcK]

These Surface devices are all about keeping corporations using MS Office which is where MS makes it money. And if companies still need Office they'll keep buying those Windows licenses.

[kryss]

I thought the same as Boris

Windows 8 offers something that neither Apple nor Google can really offer at the moment, an OS that supports hybrid devices, where you can actually use a device as a tablet and a laptop, and still have both decent tablet apps and desktops apps at the same time. It probably wont appeal to the non techies but its definitely the way forward.

*cough**cough*

[originalbadboy]

Ipad's are becoming more and more common in the workplace, from salesmen to doctors in hospitals to couriers, they need to do something to curb it.
Before you know it corporations will be running Mac computers instead of Windows, then Microsoft would be fecked given enough time.

Ipad's may well bemore commonplace in businesses, but they are not designed for businesses in any way shape or form. The amount of customers that ask us constantly whether you can do this or that on an Ipad is pretty high, and we have to turn around and say no for most of the features they want.

From a corporate point of view there is really no reason to get an Ipad once Windows 8 tablets come out. Its only been a lack of choice that's forcing people to go down the Apple route. And there will never be a situation where Mac's outnumber Windows PC's in the corporate space, there are areas where they are used for example publishers of papers / magazines but that's about it.

Microsoft has had the corporate space for their own for quite a while now and Windows 8 tablets are just going to strengthen that.

[Brad]

Yep. iPads in business are a pain in the arse. Our customers can't believe it when we tell them what they'd have to do in order for us to roll out our application to them.

[mekanor]

Wait, so is this a tablet that actually runs proper windows with the metro interface? I had a windows phone for a couple of years and loved the way everything looked and felt, but was disappointed at how restrictive it was and about the lack of anything useful being developed for it so I switched to an android phone.

[EvilBoris]

They showed 2 tablets

The Surface which runs a metro styled cut back version of windows, it can only run 'apps' made specifically for it.

The Surface Pro which runs the PC version of Wimdows 8 which has a desktop and the touch screen orientated metro interfacr

[Neon Ignition]

I'm completely non-techie on these things so for me the main point of interest was how much noise MS is making on the device. As a consumer it's a complete waste of time, better than an iPad but worse than a netbook. As has been said, I don't see a huge number of people defecting from iPad's for this in the home or in business but then any business that spends its resources in a recession on iPad's needs a slap upside its head anyway. The focus MS has put on it and Smartglass though suggests they're eager to expand more towards the tech side which Sony and Nintendo don't really do and though Apple is massive it is very limited in terms of product range so MS could find some useful niche's in time to make the most of.

[charlesr]

I'm in the cynical camp that says that the windows version of itunes is made deliberately ****e, so people think that macs are awesome and stable and invincible.

I wouldn't mind Itunes if it wasn't for it's random freakouts.

The Zune software is loads sexier than itunes though.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/227348/apple_itunes_alternatives_make_managing_your_music_easy.html

(iTunes alternatives)

The problem with iTunes PC is that it does everything in a proprietary way due to it being ported rather than written properly for windows. It requires quicktime to be installed (I refuse to have any version of quicktime near my PC ever again) and rather than using native window system level commands for showing basic content (which would be fast and bug free), it has its own code for everything - keeping it in line with the Mac version must be an absolute nightmare for the developers.

[EvilBoris]

I'm completely non-techie on these things so for me the main point of interest was how much noise MS is making on the device. As a consumer it's a complete waste of time, better than an iPad but worse than a netbook. As has been said, I don't see a huge number of people defecting from iPad's for this in the home or in business but then any business that spends its resources in a recession on iPad's needs a slap upside its head anyway. The focus MS has put on it and Smartglass though suggests they're eager to expand more towards the tech side which Sony and Nintendo don't really do and though Apple is massive it is very limited in terms of product range so MS could find some useful niche's in time to make the most of.

They can't imagine they will get consumers to switch from ios to W8, but this will stop more businesses switching from Windows to IPad. Which is a bigger worry for the future than the consumer electronic market.

Look what happened to RIM, they got lazy/complacent and have lost a massive chunk of the enterprise pie.

Also, these are going to be 1 of hundreds of different W8 based tablets and ultra books launched in the next 18 months.
Why is it worse than a netbook. One of them *is* a netbook

[originalbadboy]

Look what happened to RIM, they got lazy/complacent and have lost a massive chunk of the enterprise pie.

Although they have lost some of their share in the enterprise they still have the market share by quite a margin ... 8 years of installing Blackberry servers talking here. It's still the best platform for enterprise email on a handheld device.

The mistake RIM made was thinking they could go after the consumer market and trying to compete with Apple. If they had just stuck to what they were good at, delivering corporate email services, they wouldn't have lost what they did.