Why aren't other Windows tablets/hybrids (besides the Surface) selling?

[Mockingbird]

As many of you may have realize by now, I am a college student.

 

Obviously, college students aren't representative of the general public, but I do make this observation:

 

I have seen quite a few Surface(s), specifically the Surface Pro 3 on campus, but I have rarely ever seen other Windows tablets/hybrids.

 

It's hard for me to understand why OEMs have trouble selling their Windows tablets/hybrids since the Surface tablets are quite expensive and it wouldn't be hard for OEMs to undercut the price of the Surface Pro X.

[George P Global Moderator]

They last quarter sales indicated that the surface made up 1/3rd of windows tablet/hybrid sales, so others are selling, but there's a good number of them and new ones on the way already. You could see more over time as they get better hardware, many are low end, you don't try to do much work with those like with a Surface Pro 3.

[ctebah]

Surface is built well and the rest of the manufacturers don't have as much appeal.  

[Mockingbird]

They last quarter sales indicated that the surface made up 1/3rd of windows tablet/hybrid sales, so others are selling, but there's a good number of them and new ones on the way already. You could see more over time as they get better hardware, many are low end, you don't try to do much work with those like with a Surface Pro 3.

 

Considering that the Surface Pro 3 starts at $800 while other Windows tablets start at sub-$100, it's hard to understand that the Surface series make up 1/3 of all Windows tablet/hybrid sales.

[George P Global Moderator]

Considering that the Surface Pro 3 starts at $800 while other Windows tablets start at sub-$100, it's hard to understand that the Surface series make up 1/3 of all Windows tablet/hybrid sales.

Like I said, they need better hardware, need to stop with all the 8" 1280x800 devices, I think MS will have to show them the way with a surface mini. 1920x1080 or 1200, should be the default res for 8" tablets this year.

[Ian W]

Obviously, college students aren't representative of the general public, but I do make this observation:

 

I have seen quite a few Surface(s), specifically the Surface Pro 3 on campus, but I have rarely ever seen other Windows tablets/hybrids.

If you acknowledge that this isn't representative of the general public then I believe that you are asking the wrong question. Your question should be "Why aren't other tablets/hybrids besides the Surface popular on my campus?" Then again, perhaps there wouldn't be anyone here who could answer your question . . .

Have you tried to ask members of your campus why the Surface Pro 3 is popular there?

[Inertia]

the HP Stream 7 is an awesome product at an awesome price, I'm surprised it doesn't sell better than it does!

 

I love my Surface Pro 3 too

[123456789A]

Part of it is advertising/name recognition, part of it is simply down to being built well.

 

Same reason you see a lot of Macbooks, iPhones, Samsung Galaxys. Everyone knows what those are and they have a good reputation and seek them out by name, rather than the bargain bin stuff. People WILL pay a premium to have a product that fits this profile. Microsoft has created something new and built a good reputation for the Surface Pro (something they have yet to do with their phones).

[farmeunit]

I agree on the Stream. For the price, they're great. Picked up a couple two weeks ago for $80/ea. I like the Surface Pro, but I want something bigger with integrated keybaord. Waiting for the Spectre X360 I'm ordering. Also have a Yoga on the way.

They've done a LOT of advertising. I'd say that's why they're selling so well.

[Osiris]

You need to reach down into the statistics and the types more.  At the basic level a $100 windows tablet is not comparable to an $800 surface pro.  When you look at a comparison of what the surface pro 3 delivers vs the other oems with comparable offerings so inking, detachable keyboard, comparable processor, weight, battery life and size the universe of windows tablets shrinks dramatically.

 

There are some comparable atom versions that deliver the above and are probably more suited to a lot of peoples use cases but as others have pointed out they aren't marketed (or available) nearly as well as the SP.

 

I dare say oems will take a swing again with Windows X and skylake.  At the moment balance has been their biggest issue, sony had a beautiful surface competitor, even priced competitively but they scarified too much and its battery life was a joke, on the other end Lenovo released a power house of a windows tablet comparable to the SP but it was more power than most of the market needed and vastly more expensive. 

 

At the end of the day windows tablets aren't going anywhere and are going to be keep coming more common place and unlike in the mac space, a windows type of product that sells well rises the tide for others in the market via awareness I still come across a lot of clients and consumers who have never heard "windows tablets" but its a lot less than it use to be and I've seen other colleagues in my industry rocking the surfaces now.

[Dot Matrix]

If I'm going to buy a device for school, I'd rather drop cash on one I knew was going to last me.

[PGHammer]

Like I said, they need better hardware, need to stop with all the 8" 1280x800 devices, I think MS will have to show them the way with a surface mini. 1920x1080 or 1200, should be the default res for 8" tablets this year.

Further, 1200x800 (as a resolution) crosses over with larger-screened (physical dimensions) notebooks - both new and legacy alike. (A fine example of such falls squarely into the "legacy" category; an HP Pavilion dv4-2045dx that will be my new mobile development platform. 1200x800 - but thirteen inches diagonally. Due to the larger screen, there's no squinting; due to Hyper-V, I can actually write software on the move. And using "legacy" and Hyper-V in not merely the same sentence - and referring to the same notebook - is neither an error or a typo; the NIQ (Notebook In Question) is driven by an AMD Turion II mobile CPU - which supports Extended Page Tables (and therefore Hyper-V). Not that Windows 7 Home Premium (which is what originally shipped on it) had Hyper-V as a feature. Hyper-V is MORE common in notebooks today - not less, and especially in terms of displays larger than my "baby Pavilion". ("Big Pavilion" refers to my even older Pavilion dv9700 notebook with the 15" 1440x900 resolution; while it also has Windows 10 installed, it doesn't support Hyper-V.) Sometimes, the preference is rather simple - a larger (physical) screen - not necessarily greater resolution.

[LUTZIFER]

As someone aalready stated, it's due to brand, being Microsoft, just like iPads sell so well becuz they're Apple.

I have nothing against Surface, but I more than likely would never buy one. Nor an iPad.

My ultrabook is as thin or maybe thinner, and definitely more powerful than any Microsoft Surface.

[+Warwagon MVC]

Probably because a laptop is more useful. I love laptops. Right now on my Macbook Pro.(Running Windows 10, newest build) I have a convertible tablet at home that I never use except just the tablet part in the bathroom for youtube.

[siah1214]

warwagon, that really has nothing to do with anything in this thread. Last I checked the SP3 is a convertible.

 

To answer your question, it's what happens when a machine is well built and actual thought goes into the design.

It's the same reason why you'll see a lot of Macbooks out, despite costing far more than the windows equivalent. I'm no Apple fan but I can recognize the fact that Macbooks are well constructed and attractive machines. Same with the Pro 3.  Hopefully other OEMs will figure that out soon enough.

[Anibal P]

Most other hybrids kinda suck, the Surface and a few other rare examples like the Dell ones are the exception 

 

For the work I do either a Surface or a Dell Venue, that we do issue would be a great replacement over my desktop, odds are IF I get a replacement it will be a laptop instead 

[Ezzyb]

As many of you may have realize by now, I am a college student.

 

Obviously, college students aren't representative of the general public, but I do make this observation:

 

I have seen quite a few Surface(s), specifically the Surface Pro 3 on campus, but I have rarely ever seen other Windows tablets/hybrids.

 

It's hard for me to understand why OEMs have trouble selling their Windows tablets/hybrids since the Surface tablets are quite expensive and it wouldn't be hard for OEMs to undercut the price of the Surface Pro X.

 

By all accounts the Surface Pro 3 is an excellent product.  I know it's an absolute hit with corporate IT.  They aren't terribly worried about the initial cost, but the total cost of ownership.  Having a high quality tablet/hybrid that can be easiy managed by their existing infrastructure is a godsend to them when they think about the costs of supporting an iPad, which is like an alien invading their well-structured world from another planet.

[Mockingbird]

The general attitude toward the Surface is different from the attitude toward other Windows tablets/2-in-1s.

 

The people who I have met that have the Surface really want them.

 

Oh, and even my school's bookstore sells them:

 

[sc302 Veteran]

By all accounts the Surface Pro 3 is an excellent product.  I know it's an absolute hit with corporate IT.  They aren't terribly worried about the initial cost, but the total cost of ownership.  Having a high quality tablet/hybrid that can be easiy managed by their existing infrastructure is a godsend to them when they think about the costs of supporting an iPad, which is like an alien invading their well-structured world from another planet.

There are other issues to the ipad other than invading their well-structured world.  Logging on to the network, network security, gaining access to the correct files and documents, being able to access company specific software that has not been created for the device...or maybe they have a weak plug in that might give them some features but not others....etc.  ipads are nice, but you can't run everything on them.

[whs37]

I think investing top Dollar into technology is not very smart. Your leading edge device of today is going to be old gear tomorrow. I prefer the middle of the road approach.

 

There are quite a few hybrid tablets out. Some were already mentioned. I got an Asus T100 which works great. It is a device for information consumption and for on the road. I would never attempt to make a PowerPoint presentation on a 10" screen and video encoding is out of the question too. For those kinds of tasks I use a powerful desktop with a 22" screen.

[tsupersonic]

I know it's an absolute hit with corporate IT.  

What? Not from what I have seen - in the tech industry, the "favorites" are Lenovo Thinkpads, Dell/HP, and MBP's. The Surface lineup is a rare find in corporate IT. 

 

I tried my personal SP2 at work - it's a pain in the ass for productivity. The type cover provides a miserable typing experience (along with the useless "touchpad"). I do love the battery life in the SP2 - beats my Dell Latitude by far. Not to mention the SP2 is way more portable than a four pound 14" laptop...My next work laptop request is either going to be a Thinkpad ultrabook. 

 

As much as I want to love the Surface lineup, I can't recommend it at all to anyone, simply because the typing/touchpad experience leave much to be desired. I get that you can use a different keyboard/mouse, but that defeats the purpose, and you're adding unnecessary bulk. Not to mention, the "jack of all trades" convertible approach just doesn't work. It's too heavy/big as a tablet, and it's not a good productivity device because of the poor (expensive) keyboard. I am a big fan of best of breed devices - get a real tablet, and a real laptop, you'll get the best of both worlds, rather than a poor tablet/laptop experience. 

[Mockingbird]

As much as I want to love the Surface lineup, I can't recommend it at all to anyone, simply because the typing/touchpad experience leave much to be desired. I get that you can use a different keyboard/mouse, but that defeats the purpose, and you're adding unnecessary bulk. Not to mention, the "jack of all trades" convertible approach just doesn't work. It's too heavy/big as a tablet, and it's not a good productivity device because of the poor (expensive) keyboard. I am a big fan of best of breed devices - get a real tablet, and a real laptop, you'll get the best of both worlds, rather than a poor tablet/laptop experience. 

 

The Surface Pro 3 isn't just a laptop and it's also not for everyone.

 

I spent a lot of time between classes in the library and have also seen a lot of iPad with Bluetooth keyboard in addition to the Surface Pro 3 and the MacBook Air.

 

Without a doubt, I can say that the Surface Pro 3 Type Cover is much better for typing than the iPad Bluetooth keyboard.

 

For students, weight and portability are the utmost concerns and in that sense, the Surface Pro 3 is a god send.

 

It's a one device package that replaces laptops, tablets, paper notebooks, and textbooks.

 

(I hope to get my own personal Surface Pro 3 soon!)

[spaceelf]

I think the convertibles offer a much better Windows experience than many of the tablets.  My brothers Asus T100TA is pretty neat.

 

As for tablets?  Well, you need to buy accessories which bump up the price at which point the laptops/convertibles are a much better value.

 

Personally, I think I'm still waiting for Dockport stuff.  Surface is possible, but I just got a new laptop so not that interested.

[tsupersonic]

The Surface Pro 3 isn't just a laptop and it's also not for everyone.

 

I spent a lot of time between classes in the library and have also seen a lot of iPad with Bluetooth keyboard in addition to the Surface Pro 3 and the MacBook Air.

 

Without a doubt, I can say that the Surface Pro 3 Type Cover is much better for typing than the iPad Bluetooth keyboard.

 

For students, weight and portability are the utmost concerns and in that sense, the Surface Pro 3 is a god send.

 

It's a one device package that replaces laptops, tablets, paper notebooks, and textbooks.

 

(I hope to get my own personal Surface Pro 3 soon!)

"The Surface Pro 3 isn't just a laptop" - exactly THE problem with the Surface lineup. It tries to be two things at once, and isn't great at either. That was my whole point of my previous post. 

 

The difference is the iPad doesn't try to be a laptop. It tries to be just a tablet, and a very successful one at that.

 

The SP is light and portable, as are most ultrabooks these days. I had to lug around a six pound 15" laptop in my day

[sc302 Veteran]

Idk, the Surface Pro 3 is a pretty good laptop replacement.  We have given them to management and the reception has been great.  They use it to take notes in meetings as a tablet with one note, they use it to take pictures, they use it as a desktop at their desk with the dock...The only thing I don't really like is the dock, I like the traditional click in and eject button...but that is more personal preference than anything functionality wise.  Compared to a traditional windows 8 laptop or ultrabook, the surface pro is near perfect with the type cover and dock (could make the type cover less flimsy...ok two complaints lol).