June 18th - major announcement from Microsoft!

Because most consumers want a seamlessly experience. Besides, desktops and laptops will start to come out with touchscreens just like they come out with touchpad and keyboards - and for that extra input method, Metro is way better. You can always switch to the desktop mode, whenever you like, and while Start Menu functionality was natively replaced by the Start Screen, it can be restored with, for example, Start8 from Stardock which is freeware.

 

I certainly don't want a touchscreen on a desktop. And I don't really want one on a laptop either. I don't think most people want that.. It's only appropriate on a tablet....

 

A recession might be happening where you live, IDK. But you are extending that to the globe, which just isn't correct.

 

Do you honestly believe this marketing rhetoric? I may have whizzed myself a bit as I nearly just laughed myself unconscious.

 

Because you don't know the possible scenario usages doesn't mean they don't exist.

 

I honestly believe it. I would hate to be restricted to a smartphone OS like iOS on my Surface. It would be a shame and an insult to its capabilities.

 

What the heck does that mean?? I don't want a touchscreen desktop because I don't want to hold my arm up all day to use it. Same with a laptop more or less.

 

Honestly, you would hold your arm up all day only if you were mentally impaired. Keyboards, touchpads and mouses aren't going anywhere. Microsoft's mentality for touchscreen is that it is supposed to be an extra input method, not an exclusive input method. That's why Surface will come with those nice design decisions to make it actually more usable than any other tablet in the market.

 

It is correct that a downturn in purchasing in Europe's half a billion population will inevitably affect the global economy. Even so, the 'global economy' isn't exactly booming is it?

Take your example of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. I don't know about Brazil, but most of the population of India have never seen a mobile phone, let alone a tablet computer. Hundreds of millions live in terrible poverty. Russia has a lot of problems at the moment, huge unemployment is just one of them. As for South Africa; 25% of the population is unemployed & lives on less than one pound (Sterling) a day.

The global economy may not be in recession, but it isn't exactly booming either.

 

That's fine if it's an extra and not exclusive input method... I'll accept that. Please let MS know it's ok then..

 

@daveski

Yes I agree. 3.5% global growth isn't recession but it's not a number to celebrate..

 

Don't buy any real estate on the moon.

 

And probably not the right time to launch a totally new untested product onto the market then ...

 

I would never buy something like Surface if it came with XP Tablet Edition or iOS. As I said, such Operating Systems for such hardware are insulting.

They don't need to take into account all those figures. Tablets are selling well, it's one of the few markets that are actually expanding sales in big numbers.

 

How are tablet sales compared to laptop sales though? Honestly, to me anyway, a netbook costing less than half of the price of a tablet would be a much better buy. I don't blame MS for wanting to grab some of the tablet sales. I just think that Surface is going to have to be really special, or have some serious advantage over the ipad, to be as successful.

 

Doesn't it have to compete with low cost Android tablets as well?

 

My guess is that it is to make desktop users feel comfortable enough to purchase a Surface tablet through familiarity. Although I also think that this Win 8 hybrid may backfire by turning many off it as an OS.

Yes, it will. *searches for crystal ball*

 

Oh yeah, I forgot the cheap Androids.

 

I don't know..

It's a matter of looking into the details of both products and comparing them for your personal usage scenarios. In my case, Surface would be more useful to all my personal usage scenarios than any netbook in the market . The only scenario I can't see me using Surface is hardcore gaming. For such usage scenario, nothing beats a desktop. Gaming laptops are interesting too, but the ones that actually work well are "rare" (difficult to find the models), big (they have to be big, after all - small screens for hardcore gaming are lame) and very expensive (see alienware's prices for examples, lol).

Technically, it really is (see this and this). I don't know about prices, but if their word on "competitive" holds true...

 

The touchscreen will be the surface of your desk.

 

Microsoft historically have been prepared to take a loss on hardware to gain market share and it seems to work for them long term.

 

What happened to the tablet pc introduced by Bill Gates 10 years ago?

 

"Microsoft Tablet PC" wasn't made by Microsoft - they gave that name to any PC following certain specs. Back then, Microsoft was making only the OS - XP Tablet Edition.

Anyways, Surface is cool, that piece of ... isn't... IMO, of course.

 

Rumored pricing of Surface.
ARM-based Windows RT variant reportedly aiming for $599
Intel-based Windows 8 Pro version would cost around $799

http://www.slashgear.com/microsoft-surface-reportedly-wifi-only-22235243/

With the new iPad $499-$829.
I predict if MS holds to these rumored prices the surface will be a big FAIL.


Oh yeah the Surface is supposed to be WiFi only.
There goes a couple million units MS could have sold with Cellular Contract subsidies.

 

Neowin reports a different prediction: http://www.neowin.net/news/what-we-know-and-dont-know-about-microsofts-surface

• Price: The ARM-based Surface will probably retail for around $500, while the Pro Surface for around $800-900

I'll hope for the best. They need to be smart with this pricing.