Surface 3 - New direction, higher prices and crappy i3

[Nlandas]

The Surface tablet continues to struggle and the idea to take down the iPad failed so with Surface Pro 3 the plan has changed. The new Tablet now has a higher price ($799 vs $499) and is aimed at corporate customers. It also includes a crappy i3 processor instead of the i5 that the Surface Pro 2 had. You can get a i5 or i7 but the prices goes way up.

Happy computing!


http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9248464/Microsoft_doubles_down_on_2_in_1_enterprise_first_Surface_strategy?taxonomyId=241&pageNumber=2

   I respect everyone's right to have an opinion but I find it humorous that the iPad is even mentioned in conjunction with the Surface 3.

   The Surface 3 Pro runs a full desktop OS and comparing the Core i3 and the A7 with iOS, which isn't much more than a launcher, is like comparing a Vic 20(6502) and a 386. The Core i3 is a very adequate processor for anyone doing basic desktop computing. The fact that you can now get an i7 in a hybrid tablet/laptop running a full desktop OS is pretty neat.

    Perhaps, we should be more astonished that Apple can continue to sell a Wifi 10 inch tablet with an A7 processor and 64GB of storage for $699.

   Forgetting that Microsoft is almost as bad as Apple, as monopolies go, doesn't that make a desktop level 12" tablet with i3, 64GB and full desktop OS for $799 look pretty good? It does to me, even if I'd prefer that it was coming from neither Apple or Microsoft.

[SysAdmin]

Don't forget the most important revolutionary feature in the new Surface Pro 3. It's as thin as the original 2010 iPad. Also, you don't need features like 4G(LTE) or even 3G, Surface Pro 3 does not have anything like that. Why would it need it when it has classic WiFi. Maybe in 2018 the Surface if it's around will be as thin as the 2014 iPad.

[CritAnime]

Don't forget the most important revolutionary feature in the new Surface Pro 3. It's as thin as the original 2010 iPad. Also, you don't need features like 4G(LTE) or even 3G, Surface Pro 3 does not have anything like that. Why would it need it when it has classic WiFi. Maybe in 2018 the Surface if it's around will be as thin as the 2014 iPad.

It's cute that you are continuing the debate in such a eloquent way. Why not just revert to "YO M$ SUCKS DONKEY WANG!!! I AIN'T GONNA LIKE ANY DAT CRAP!".

[Duce]

Don't forget the most important revolutionary feature in the new Surface Pro 3. It's as thin as the original 2010 iPad. Also, you don't need features like 4G(LTE) or even 3G, Surface Pro 3 does not have anything like that. Why would it need it when it has classic WiFi. Maybe in 2018 the Surface if it's around will be as thin as the 2014 iPad.

It's also about 50x the machine when purchased in high end format, not to mention a bigger physical device to begin with by a couple inches than the iPad.

The iPad is as thin as it is because it's a consumption device with an ARM processor, and also because it has virtually no connectivity ports other than headphones out and the charging connector, where as the Surface has USB, SD, among others.  You're comparing apples and oranges and failing miserably again.  If you are seriously comparing the iPad, an app centric device against a full fledged PC in the Surface, we're really living on different planets.

Apple's devices would be just as thick if they had an i Series CPU in them, and you know it as well as I do.  In fact, they are!  The Air is actually THICKER than the Surface 3    Heavier too.  Once again, the Surface being marketed as a notebook replacement, it's not really fair to compare "thickness" to a consumption device like an iPad, now is it.

As for 3G or 4G connectivity, MS did the numbers on it and came up with the figure that less than 2% of their customers felt they "needed" built in cell based connectivity.  Which the Air does not come with, either.  The vast majority of iPad's sold are the wifi only models, and same goes for Android devices.  Again, the latter not even being in the same category as the Surface to begin with.

Since the Surface has a USB 3 port, it'd be a very stupid business decision to offer 3G/4G built in for the 2% that might ever want it, especially when a guy can buy a USB 4G stick for $50 on the carrier of their choice, just like they would be forced to do for their Mac Air's and other notebooks, no?

[itix]

Yes built-in 3G/4G is useless to most customers. When there is no WiFi directly available you can use your cell phone to work as WiFi access point.

[Thorham]

The thickness of a device. Veeeeeeery important stuff, that :lol:

[SysAdmin]

@Duce

Are we still calling the iPad Air a consumption device? Remember it runs the full version of Touch Office something not available for any Surface Tablet yet. Sure the old PC version of Office works on the Surface Pro 3 but it's not Touch optimised for Tablets like the version available for iPad. Don't forget all the iLife and iWork Apps are free from Apple on the iPad. Apple applications are more modern and easier to use then MS versions. You get the choice though and can use the MS equivalent or the Apple one. iPad has a ton of productivity Apps, while it may have been  consumption device in 2010 that's not true in 2014. Applications are available for almost anything you want and they are easier to use and lower cost than PC programs. Surface Pro 3 is your father's PC shoehorned into a Tablet form factor, limited appeal and sales. The iPad is a modern easy to use technical solution for the masses. MS no longer targets the iPad with the Surface. That greek tragedy was very costly and failed. They now target the MacBook Air but what will they do when the new version comes out? They also target and hurt sales of their PC OEM's.

[CritAnime]

"BLAH BLAH BLAS M$ SUCKS. BLAH BLAH I HATES THEIR PRODUCTS!!" yes we get it.
 
Yes the iPad has lots of productivity software. But having used their software, and noting that a lot of the productivity apps either are paid or that stupid freemium, you know where you have to pay to unlock funtionality, it makes it a bit pointless. Especially as the Surface Pro 3 can run any currently available office suites, including Libra and open office, and then there is also Office 365 and a whole range of other producivity app that are far easier to get one Windows. And iWorks is still not as impressive today as it was when I paid into it when the iPad was released.

[Duce]

In comparison to a Surface 3, which can do absolutely everything a Windows desktop machine can do - I do consider an iPad Air a "consumption device", yes.

Until I can do something like plug a printer or a hard drive into my iPad via standards based methods like USB, I'll consider them mainly consumption devices.  MS Office on iOS is not remotely comparable to the full desktop version on Windows.  Not even CLOSE.

I say that as someone that has owned every iPad since the first one, as a user of MS Office for iOS as well.

[SysAdmin]

@Duce

Plugging in a printer is so 20th Century. iPad prints to modern printers wirelessly. When I print to the iPad I'm at least 300-600 feet away upstairs in bed. I would hate to have to get up and plug the iPad to my printer. Maybe if MS was doing something new I could get excited. I haven't seen them do anything other than trying to copy Apple or Google for years, borning.

Yawn............

ZuneHD=Surface Pro 3

Copy copy copy copy.

At least Samsung throws a ton of gimmicky features on their devcies to see what sticks. MS stock was down today for the launch of Surface Pro 3.

[Duce]

Hey, that's super, and far be it from me to dole out advice in regards to what people do in their own beds.  

Once again we get back to the intended use/market of the Surface, I guess.  No one is buying one to sit in bed and print out chocolate chip cookie recipes on a printer downstairs.  The people buying them will be enterprise focused, Windows entrenched users that require real enterprise solutions like Active Directory and such.  These will be people coming from a bulky laptop experience that will absolutely need full Windows functionality and support for all their older programs.

A $99 Android tablet is a better solution for the "cookie recipe" types, and that's just fine.  Sure beats paying $700 for an iPad to sit on the crapper playing Candy Crush like a good majority of iPad users do.

HP ePrint works terrible for me on my iPads, I know that much - and corporations still prefer wired over wireless anyways.  I've used the Lantronix solutions with far better success.  AirPlay (AirPrint) is not big in the enterprise by any stretch.

[SysAdmin]

@Duce

Another feature that they should drop on the Surface tablet is Windows 8.1.



Windows 8/8.1 has harmed Sony's PC business so much that they are selling it off. Said to see, I once loved buying my Sony Desktops and Vaio laptops. I was primarily a Windows user from 1998-2004 with the exception of some Amiga use. I owned no Mac's during that time. Sony said Win8 killed their PC business. Sony had a 18-year history in the PC business.

[Duce]

Why hasn't Windows 8 killed off the other PC makers then?

It could just be that Sony is no longer equipped well enough to do business in the sector - and hey, don't forget!  You can still buy Windows 7 right off a store shelf, not to mention on any PC in the world that you'd ever want.

MS coding an OS didn't kill Sony's PC offerings, Sony did.  I don't see W8 killing Lenovo or Dell, why is that?  Sony is and was over priced, and they got steamrolled.  It's as simple as that, so they sold that arm (Viao) of the company to JIP.  Or perhaps the margins weren't good enough for them, just like how they weren't for IBM who sold out to Lenovo.  Lenovo, who are making money hand over fist in the exact same sector.

Sony is more than capable of making hardware that comes standard with Win 7, aren't they?  Sure they are.  It's the same hardware.  I can buy a PC from Sony with either W7 or W8 on it right now, the OS is up to me.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2095180/sony-sheds-vaio-pc-business-turns-tv-unit-into-subsidiary.html

[SysAdmin]

@Duce you will find it's much harder to buy a new Sony machine with Win7 instead of Win8, I have tried.

[Duce]

I had zero problems simply selecting W7 vs. W8 on the system builder tool they offer 10 minutes ago.  That being said, that may differ in the US store, I'm in Canada.

[SysAdmin]

@Duce

Link please, I found no way to do this in the US store.