Comment by phaus | Hacker News Reader

Comment by phaus | Hacker News Reader

Before I start, let me say that I love the idea of a surface, and that the only reason I have an iPad instead of a surface is because I couldn't warrant spending $900 bucks on a secondary device at the moment. Both are great devices, but if I had the money, I'd probably get a Surface Pro 2.

>That’s what Surface is. A single, simple, affordable device that helps you both lean in and kick back. Let’s be clear – helping folks kill time on a tablet is relatively easy. Give them books, music, videos and games, and they’ll figure out the rest. Pretty much all tablets do that.

The problem with this statement is that its not relatively easy. I've owned seven Android phones (starting with the G1), an Android tablet, an Asus EEE Slate, and two iPads. When it comes to a streamlined system for delivering entertainment, the iPad provides a superior experience to all of them.

>The Surface and Surface 2 are less expensive than the iPad 2 and iPad Air respectively, and yet offer more storage, both onboard and in the cloud.

I never understood why people say things that they know are disingenuous at the time they make the statement. Yes, its technically correct to say that the Surface Pro 2 is cheaper than a 128GB iPad, but Frank knows very well that the 16GB model is by far the most popular.

>The good news is that Microsoft understands how people work better than anyone else on the planet.

I think office is better than any of its competitors, but if Microsoft understands how people work better than anybody, why did we get an overpriced, gimmicky keyboard cover instead of something that can be used without a desk?

Considering what you can actually do with the different devices, I think the prices are a good selling point. I had an iPad before but after I got my Surface (both RT and Pro) I found myself using the tablet for more stuff and I found myself having it with me much more and enjoying it. I've used Surface Pro for work (Visual Studio, Office) and it's been working good.

Regarding the keyboard and not having a desk, with Surface 2 it is supposedly better as you have one more angle with the kickstand. I love the TypeCover when I am by a desk, never really found TouchCover that enjoyable to write on.

Here's some of the prices:

Surface 2 with 32GB is $449

Surface 2 with 64GB is $549

Surface 2 pro with 64GB is $899

Surface 2 pro with 128GB is $999

Surface 2 pro with 256GB is $1,299

Surface 2 pro with 512GB is $1,799

iPad 2 with 16GB is $399

iPad Air with 16GB is $499

iPad Air with 32GB is $599

iPad Air with 64GB is $699

iPad Air with 128GB is $799

So I guess what he said about the price wasn't true at all, unless he was counting the 128GB iPad with mobile data instead of the Wi-Fi version.

IMO, if the Pro 2 had a keyboard option kind of like the Lenovo Helix, it would be the ideal device. As it stands, its really nice, but the lack of a true laptop conversion kit is a deal breaker in my case.

Ahem, your post sounds so enthusiastic about a product that has proven to be a dud with consumers, that I'm missing some kind of disclosure from you. Therefore, let me ask you this: are you in any way affiliated with microsoft? As in, you know, employee, freelance evangelist or member of a benefit program such as MVP.

LATER EDIT: Yeah I looked at your profile, my suspicions were confirmed.

Its good to be aware that he does have a connection, but there are unaffiliated people that do like the Surface Pro.

Its a dud with consumers because the price is high and the implementation is lacking.

When the day finally arrives where someone absolutely nails the implementation of a hybrid device that's light enough to function as a tablet, as powerful and long-lasting as an ultrabook, capable of transforming from one to role to the other, while remaining competitively priced, pretty much everyone is going to want one.

I think that we are nearing the time when such a device is possible. Unfortunately, it hasn't been designed yet, so here we are discussing the failures of another half-hearted attempt at making convergence a reality.

There are bound to be people that say "Not everyone wants that", but if you could have a device that's equally well-suited to each role, without paying more, why wouldn't you?

> "why wouldn't you?"

Maybe because of my UNIX-influenced worldview which says that the things I'm using should be streamlined, do-one-thing-but-do-it-very-well, and should be "composable" as in ... via UNIX pipes, if we're talking about software utilities, and by putting them on the same network, if we're talking about computing devices.

Before the introduction of tablets, traditional computng devices performed the tasks now expected of tablets. They simply offered an alternative input method and a more convenient form factor.

We need to quit acting like convergence forces a computer to do something that its not well-suited for. Before the iPad, computers were used to consume content. In the past, we did have to make compromises, because the technology wasn't sufficiently mature. Now it is, and we don't have to compromise.

In my hypothetical scenario, the device is equally well suited to being used as a tablet or an ultrabook. Such a hypothetical device renders your argument moot, because your argument depdends on a hybrid device not being able to perform as well as a single purpose device. We are at the point where hybrids are a small fraction of a lb heavier than a tablet while in tablet mode, and a small fraction heavier than a Macbook Air while in laptop mode. This indicates that the technology is there, we simply need someone to come up with a good design.

I got my Surface RT before I was an MVP. I bought the Surface Pro after I became an MVP. I'm going to buy the Surface 2 now.

You're saying I can't be enthusiastic about the Surface because I am an MVP?

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