Okay, can anyone tell me why we are supposed to want to buy Microsoft’s Surface tablet again? I’m not sure I’m getting this. There has to be some reason, but I’m not really getting what it is.
I started seeing commercials for these things a few days ago. I don’t watch much TV, but I occasionally see what my wife is watching and I did see a Surface commercial. However, I didn’t quite get what it was supposed to be about. As far as I could tell, the main selling point appears to be that it has a keyboard.
Serious here, the only thing the commercial managed to convey to me was that the magnetically attachable screen protector also functioned as a keyboard. Is this supposed to be the advantage over the iPad? You can get keyboards for the iPad, as well as magnetically attachable screen protectors, though I haven’t seen both in one (though I’m not entirely sure it doesn’t exist).
Shouldn’t there be some big advantage to the Surface if Microsoft is just making a run for this now? I mean, the tablet market is already pretty crowded. The Surface appears to cost around the same as an iPad as far as I understand. What’s the advantage? The fact that it is Windows-based? Yeah, that’s going to make me run out and buy one. I really wish I could use Windows products more often.
Granted, some people may really want a Windows-based tablet. Heck, some people like it when you hit them…so I suppose anything is possible. Frankly, though, a Windows-based tablet isn’t going to motivate me much.
Though, I admit, I may not be the best person to evaluate this. I don’t have an iPad (though I did buy one for my wife), or any other kind of tablet. My computer is already a laptop and is pretty portable. When I don’t feel like carrying that around, I have my smart phone. I just don’t have much call personally for something halfway between. I’m sure I’d get hooked if I started using one regularly, but I haven’t felt the need to develop that addiction as of yet.
Still, people seem to be buying the Surface. Microsoft is planning to have quite a bit of stock ready, and apparently the $499 model is already fully booked for pre-order. People are buying from what I understand…I just don’t see why. I don’t understand what the deal is with these things. Someone will have to explain it to me.
- It has a keyboard (except it isn’t actually included, and you can buy keyboards for other tablets)
- It runs Windows (except it runs Windows 8 RT, which means it doesn’t run any x86 Windows programs, and it can only run programs sold in Microsoft’s app store.)
- It’s got a kickstand (so you don’t have to do what I do and spend $3 on a wire cookbook holder and use it as a kickstand)
- The base model has twice as much storage space as an iPad (except Windows takes up six times as much space as iOS)
- It offers multiple user accounts (except it can’t authenticate against Windows Domains, meaning the feature is useless in corporate environments, plus every time you pick it up to use it, you’ll have to log into it, which negates the main useful feature of a tablet: that it’s always on and ready to use.)
- It’s available in multiple colors. (Gotcha, Apple.)
So…ummm…you don’t know why we’re supposed to buy one either?
Greg wants one. He might have more specific reasons. He tends to want stuff like that for more than just “ooo pretty with keyboard”.
Until he comes up with some reasons I’ll assume it’s the reason you stated.
But we don’t have a tablet right now either, so it might just be the best one in his opinion if we are buying a tablet. However what I’ve heard him say is “Oh I REALLY want a Surface”.
You guys are still windows people.
(look I’ve read your blog almost every day this week!
)
I see that.