Chindie Posted October 25, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted October 25, 2012 Touchscreens are still shit for a considerable amount of tasks, pretty much anything involving any degree of typing is done better away from a touch device. A touchscreen device is basically useless for producing things as opposed to consuming them, and unless you do a fair amount of arty stuff, thats probably a problem for most people. Which, given the nature of Windows 8 as some sort of chimaera between tablet and desktop, isn't terribly enticing. It might work fairly well for users of the Surface but if I want to sit down and use the thing on a PC like a normal person, knocking out some word docs, sending some emails, whatever... it looks distinctly like the experience will be slightly shitty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted October 25, 2012 Author Share Posted October 25, 2012 I think I'd like Windows 8 in my Series 9 if the trackpad works controlling the touchscreen. The way I'm imagining it is large screen control with a small sized pad. It'd work great after a learning curve. But I'm a laptop lover like you Chindie. As yet I consider tablets failures. The surface is the last chance saloon. But I'll list advantages I see with this touchscreen device. The ability to watch video and browse Web when on the move while still having a mouse in your bag or trackpad and keyboard in the touchcover on the device. That's some good portability. Also the ARM processor means better battery life for browsing and video. Then there is that beloved USB port, you can hook up you phone to charge or to dingle, you can attach your external hard drive. Or if you live in the past a cd burner. Then there is office, full office 2013 when it's released. Which for me is a huge plus. As it may be to many. Maybe it won't be a huge success. Maybe it won't catch on. But for me it could be the answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted October 26, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted October 26, 2012 What employee would work for a company that doesn't provide the tools to do work? I'd tell that company to **** right off! The ones who have been pestering IT for years to let them use their iPhones or droids instead of BlackBerries? In most cases, businesses simply can't block the trend. Some believe that BYOD may help employees be more productive. Others say it increases employee morale and convenience by using their own devices and makes the company look like a flexible and attractive employer. Point blank: I would have extreme reservations about working for a firm that forced me to use a specific laptop, operating system, browser, text editor, phone, etc. For me to choose to work in such an environment, it'd probably have to mean at least $10k more a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tegis Posted October 26, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted October 26, 2012 The big difference here is allow to bring and force to bring. I'm objecting to the latter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted October 26, 2012 Author Share Posted October 26, 2012 Fair play Microsoft. They are giving me a £50 coupon for the windows store because they sent an erroneous mail saying surface delivery was delayed. They had already apologised previously in a mail. But now I can go get some free HDMI out cables, or maybe money off a type cover. Nice of them. Thumbs up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PompeyVillan Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 Nothing says sorry better than £50. Good customer service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted October 29, 2012 Author Share Posted October 29, 2012 Got my Surface. First impressions are its a stunning piece of hardware. With a next gen interface on the OS. I'll run it through tests later today. App store is a ghost town at the moment though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted October 31, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted October 31, 2012 Come on Conor! It's been 20 hours! What gives? I want an update on how you're finding it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 Ok my initial surface opinions. I didn't get to play with it at all yesterday as I was out at dinner and seeing the new Bond movie. So this is from my use on Monday. The build quality is superb, it's a totally premium feeling device. The screen looks excellent when watching video, I watched episodes of Homeland and Boardwalk Empire on it, and they weren't even in HD. I'll give a further update on video after I watch a HD movie. The screen pixel density can be noticed when reading text from web pages, it's not as dense as my Phone or Nexus 7 and you can tell that. But the vibrancy for video is absolutly top notch, in line with reviews. Also the kick stand was so handy for watching the video, be it a table or on my bed beside me, combined with the excellent viewing angles it is great. As for the touch cover, I haven't used it much, but a 3mm thick screen protector that is a keyboard with trackpad is cool. I'll give opinions on that when I use it more. The OS interface is great, I had zero lag or glitches at all when using it. I love the ease of switching between apps, simply swiping from the left changes app. Or you can pin an app to the side, I tested this with a video while browsing the web. This will be great for stuff like podcasts and news etc.. when you are mainly listening and only need to look every so often. I can see myself using this when a youtube app is out to pin to the side while browsing the web. But that birings me to the App store, it's a ghost town at the moment. No google apps yet though they say they're on the way, as is twitter, dropbox etc.. Given there are 4 million upgrades to Windows 8 already plus these Surface sales. It'll be sooner rather than later that this store fills up. How could it not? There will be hundreds of millions of Win8 users by this time next year. Multples of the number of iPad users. But for now, early adopter syndrome means ghost town. I've never had an iPad and given this is Windows and it has a web browser you can just use the web like you would on windows 7 until the apps come. For me the test will be when I leave my Series 9 in London and only go home with the Surface, I'm getting a bluetooth mouse so it'll be a real boon as there is a desktop Internet Explorer, so you can use the web as you would a normal Win7 laptop. The USB port is great by the way, it worked perfectly with both my Nexus Phone and a USB key, while it also worked with my USB mouse no problem. I'll test a USB keyboard soon, but given it has all the Windows Driver it'll be compatable with everything Win7 is. Bluetooth mouse and USB keyboard combined will make this a full PC for what I use mine for. Finally the micro sd card slot worked perfect with my 32gb card and I copied music over and it player well, the speakers a loud enough. So far so good. I'll have a fuller view by end of the week and my portable pc rplacement test on Sunday after I fly home to Dublin and back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omariqy Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Seems like all the consultants at my workplace will be getting one of these for work early next year.That means I will have my laptop, blackberry, ipad and surface tablet for work. Gadget overload! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 I have 4 devices too. Will have another phone shortly. I see on the Microsoft store they have well priced bluetooth mouse and keyboard. I'll grab them with my free store credit and buy windows 8 for my Series 9. Still can't believe Microsoft gave me £50 store credit for nothing. Legends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 If you can get to see the 2 apps running side by side on the Surface you will be totally sold. I just demoed it for people in work and they had their minds blown. All Apple users but not fanbois, so they were really interested in it. I was playing an episode of Boardwalk Empire on one side while browsing the verge on the other. Then switched and made one side small and the other big. Then switched back to large screen for browsing. It works great with email and Web too. When Facebook, Twitter etc.. are out it'll be such a great, nay killer feature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limpid Posted October 31, 2012 Administrator Share Posted October 31, 2012 I though AOL would be first with the attorneys, but this isn't a surprise. I'll defend Microsoft from the point of view that I think software patents are wrong in general, but they've sued plenty of people in the past for much more flimsy patents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 Apple have a patent on finger navigation on a navigation map on a touchscreen now. We need a US government to put an end to this patent nonsense. It's stifling innovation. The mega corps like Microsoft and Apple are doing it. Nobody else. I'd love if they were in Europe. The European Comission would have no time for this. They'drule tthat the software innovation would have paid it's way before it was copied. All these large tech companies are vile vile entities. Maybe Google aside. But once they're in the business of selling shit. They'll succumb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted November 1, 2012 Author Share Posted November 1, 2012 Ok, I have been using my surface with a usb mouse and the touchcover keyboard all morning. I think Win8 is an excellent upgrade no matter what. I'd read loads of tutorials before I'd even got my surface and I knew where the shortcuts etc are. This is a superb OS. Everything just makes productivity better, I've this week in google on youtube playing in the metro IE on the right in 30% of the screen and the legacy desktop on the left on 70% of the screen with villatalk, gmail and techradar sites open. This OS has had zero glitches so far, no performance issues and no lag. It's excellent. Highly recommend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villaajax Posted November 2, 2012 Share Posted November 2, 2012 We bought in two Surfaces at work to test out and use and I must say I am very impressed, this is coming from a man who refuses to join the modern world (despite working in IT) and still uses a mobile phone made in 2003. I've taken one home this weekend (and forgot to bring the charger but the battery has been brilliant so far!). I'm really tempted to buy one myself which says a lot considering how tight fisted I am. I thought my boss said they cost £600 each, turns out that was the discounted price we got for two of them, I thought £600 just for one was cheap but £399 (at retail) for this is amazing, it must be the only tablet with the functionality of a proper computer, you can actually put it to meaningful use rather than just using it as a fashion accessory. People at work who have seen these are alredy planning to ditch their iPads by the sounds of it, these just blow them away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted November 4, 2012 Author Share Posted November 4, 2012 It's pretty awesome bar the low res screen. The screen res is ruining my browsing experience. Text looks so bad I actually switch to my Nexus 7 halfway through articles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villaajax Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 It's pretty awesome bar the low res screen. The screen res is ruining my browsing experience. Text looks so bad I actually switch to my Nexus 7 halfway through articles. Really? I thought it looks pretty sharp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa_shere Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Had my Netbook for 3 years now, getting bit bored of it even thought it still runs as good as it did when i bought it. Think i'll wait till new year to buy one of these, need to read up on the difference between the RT and Win8 too. Seems to be a fair bit in the price difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briggaman Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 The Surface seems to be getting mixed reviews from what I've seen so far. Wouldn't it be better to wait for the much better (and more expensive) Surface Pro? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts