microsoft surface Surface and Metro: This party's just gettin' started.

[Ice_Blue]

I always believed that Microsoft had a long range vision with Metro.

The release of the Surface adds to this belief. Two tiers of a fantastic looking tablet, one to cater for casual Windows users, and one for serious productivity. I can see myself finally buying a tablet.

The pro version is what I've been looking for in a tablet for a long while. I believe Metro will be really, really good on this tablet, not to mention I can run all of my x86 software also.

I think the RT version will give the iPad some serious competition if it sells for 499.00.

In short, I think Microsoft is back as a leader in innovation, and this can only serve to benefit consumers, since all the manufacturers of shoddy tablets laden with rubbish software will have to up their game.

Looking forward, I also believe that Intel's next generation of processors (12nm?) will allow for even more powerful features in the same form factor.

My 0.02 on the Surface.

[rfirth]

Absolutely, 100%.

[Stoffel]

Glad to see some people are excited about this new tablet from MS.

After reading some of the articles on ZDNet. Wonder why they still report on MS if they hate it so much

[Vice]

It looks really interesting. I like that it has a built in stand and the attachable keyboard with trackpad. I wan't to know what that Keyboard and Trackpad is like but I may just yet buy one, if I did it would be an x86 based one.

If there is one thing I really hate about my iPad it is entering data. In my opinion it is only good for consumption be it music, video, web surfing, playing games. I've never found it comfortable to type with or do any kind of work on. These new Windows tablets with the keyboard and trackpad accessory look to solve my beef with the iPad by giving you the option to use it like a Laptop.

[Ice_Blue]

It looks really interesting. I like that it has a built in stand and the attachable keyboard with trackpad. I wan't to know what that Keyboard and Trackpad is like but I may just yet buy one, if I did it would be an x86 based one.

If there is one thing I really hate about my iPad it is entering data. In my opinion it is only good for consumption be it music, video, web surfing, playing games. I've never found it comfortable to type with or do any kind of work on. These new Windows tablets with the keyboard and trackpad accessory look to solve my beef with the iPad by giving you the option to use it like a Laptop.

The keyboard and trackpad weighed heavily in my decision to get one. As did the fact that I would not need a third party cover.

[greenwizard88]

I think with this, I'm going to go back to my old setup of a desktop + tablet. I can't wait for a WinRT tablet!

[gawicks]

The announcement is not available right now.

However there is an actual hands on with the device & Touch Type Covers Here

[Osiris]

I think Metro is just stage 1 of MS providing a unified experience across home/work/play, PC, laptop, tablet, xbox, phone and metro is just phase 1. The need for this change is being driven not only by unification to leverage components off each other, eg Xbox live games on your xbox, pc, tablet and phone but also in part due to the NUI technologies. Windows 7, Windows Mobile (formerly), Xbox werent designed to properly take into account, touch, pen, voice and gesture recognition (kinect).

[.Neo]

Hardware-wise the Surface looks really nice. Not much to comment on in that department. The thing that worries me though is that Windows 8 will provide us with a lukewarm experience and we'll end up having a device that doesn't particularly excel at being either a tablet or notebook. I'm still very much against the idea of having to constantly switch between Metro and legacy Desktop, if only if you want to run something like Microsoft Office.

I'm really wondering if Microsoft has learned from the past and do a proper world-wide launch (or in rapid phases) or if it's another Zune waiting to happen.

[remixedcat]

The stand and the drawing features are awesome. My sis even wants one.

[HoochieMamma]

im surprised that almost no one else has came out with a simliar keyboard/cover design? seems so logical

*Cough*

http://eee.asus.com/eeepad/transformer-prime/features/

[.Neo]

The keyboard looks really cool. (Y) There's nothing unique about being able to rest your hand on a touch surface without al sorts of things happing on your device though. My Magic Trackpad ignores fingers that aren't moving all the same. It even ignores you when you're inpatient and tap with your fingers in sequence (you know starting with your pinky, ending with your thumb and then start over again).

[.Neo]

*Cough*

http://eee.asus.com/...prime/features/

Obviously he means the ability fold the keyboard like Apple's Smart Cover. As far as I can tell the Asus doesn't do that.

[Active.]

While i hate metro and windows 8, it may work on this new tablet, and it looks very sexy.

Does anyone have a link to a video of t he entire announcement? i missed it.

Here you go:

[CronicHazel]

The hardware for the Surface does look stunning; glad to see that the Zune HD's aesthetics won't be going to waste after all

:D

[SekaiStory]

100% agree with the original post. I've been looking for this kind of hybrid-PC/tablet for a long time and the tech and design more than exceeded my expectations. I'd be more than willing to pay less than ~$900/?750 for this when it ships in Europe (though there's a rumor going around that it will be priced as low as $499 for the Pro version and $399 for the RT version which seem impossible to me).

Really hope the Touch/Type covers will be solid and not a $50 accessory. Unfortunate it only has 1USB and 128GB of storage but they're probably pushing touch and SkyDrive so that might've been a conscious decisions.

Really glad that Microsoft was able to pull something off like this, well done.

[Damian]

I like the thin keyboard/cover combo. I would like to have something similar for the iPad.

[.Neo]

Is there a version of the keynote available where they edited out Steve Ballmer and replaced him with someone more appealing? The guy just looks evil. :p

[ahhell]

100% agree with the original post. I've been looking for this kind of hybrid-PC/tablet for a long time and the tech and design more than exceeded my expectations. I'd be more than willing to pay less than ~$900/?750 for this when it ships in Europe (though there's a rumor going around that it will be priced as low as $499 for the Pro version and $399 for the RT version which seem impossible to me).

.

I really doubt that the Surface will be that low. My guess would be the RT would be $499 and $599 (no lower) and since the PRO is meant to compete with Ultrabooks, it will probably start at $799 or more. A lot can change though consider how far out the launch is (fall for RT and Jan 2013 for Pro.

[.Neo]

A lot can change though consider how far out the launch is (fall for RT and Jan 2013 for Pro.

It's really not that far away and it's not like we'll suddenly have all kinds of new hardware available at much different prices.

[simplezz]

I'm watching the Surface keynote right now but I'm confused about the name. Has Microsoft just called the Startscreen/Win RT/Metro Surface or is that what they are calling a tablet these days? It looks that way to me. I thought they already had a technology called Surface? :dizzy:

[Lee G. Veteran]

I love the design, and I think the attachable keyboard and trackpad is impressive.

It's great to see that Microsoft has brought some innovation to the tablet market. I hope the pricing is competitive.

Edit: 10,000 posts.

[TheLegendOfMart]

I'm watching the Surface keynote right now but I'm confused about the name. Has Microsoft just called the Startscreen/Win RT/Metro Surface or is that what they are calling a tablet these days? It looks that way to me. I thought they already had a technology called Surface? :dizzy:

Surface is their official tablet, like the Apple iPad this is the Microsoft Surface.

[.Neo]

13:41 into the video something really funny happens:

"We can see here I'm running Internet Explorer. I can browse smoothly?"

And then he can't even get to the Internet Explorer tab bar. :laugh: Afterwards it just crashes totally and he has to get another one out.

[simplezz]

Surface is their official tablet, like the Apple iPad this is the Microsoft Surface.

Okay. Thanks for clearing that up for me. Is this anyway related to the Surface technology they made for tables and stuff like that?