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And it begins...The First Surface Ad.

I likes the advert, for its choreography and style but...

Noticeable the lack of showing you what exactly the surface tablet features though.

I think Microsoft will shake up the tablet (and touch screen laptops and desktop monitors going forward) markets but without a defined and extremely clear distinction between Windows 8 and Windows 8 RT I still believe there is going to be some seriously confused and annoyed consumers. they will buy a windows RT device expecting to be able to install their own software (it being Windows after all ), but disappointed and frustrated when they realise that they can't, and that it indeed is locked down as much as android and IOS.

At least you can't really confuse iOS & Mac OS - the two are very clearly different. Windows 8 & 8 RT look for all intents and purposes until you poke around identical.

Not 100% convinced yet. I'd like to see an advert explaining the two versions of Windows rather than the pretty colours, for the sake of the end consumer. I realise most staff in electronics shop just want to push the hardware often with a lot of misleading or 'selective' information and even with a demonstration of the surface hardware with RT, the small time a consumer spends hands on still doesn't completely clear up that they are locked down and very different beasts to normal Windows 8 devices.

Also yet to be convinced on price with expectations now that the cheapest surface will be $599, add nearly $79 for the smart keyboard it puts it very clearly into same price bracket as a the Windows 8 atom tablets tha even though are basically netbooks (god I though we had thankfully seen the last of the atom) but at least can run proper Windows 8 albeit with netbook performance. Surface pro I don't imagine will be anything less than $999 at this stage.
 
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I don't get what's so great about this ad. All it focused on was the magnetic cover and the kickstand. No focus on the software at all. Heck, didn't even show anyone typing on the keyboard. At the surface launch back in July no one from the tech press was allowed to try out the keyboard. The fact that this device is 2 weeks from launch and we still have no prices and very few specs, the fact that no one outside of Microsoft has actually used the touch cover keyboard and the fact that Microsoft is focusing more on the products design than the software functionality doesn't give me much confidence that this device is ready for prime time.
 
I am really excited about this. As long as the smoothness of windows 8 on Surface pro is on the level of iOS, and the screen resolution is not lower than full HD, I am in. Surface pro is a true computer, in contrast to other tablets such as the iPad.

This ad clearly focused on the keyboard and the built-in stand. We'll see what the Surface can do in upcoming ads, hopefully.

This ad is not awesome. But I sure hope Surface pro is. It is too early to make a judgement though. We'll see.
 
Not a good ad IMO. All I saw was a music video...so what exactly is the benefit of the Surface now? Didn't get that info from the music video :rolleyes:

At least they don't insult the customer like Samsung does!
 
Well how is this any different from the new iPod commercial? It's a stupid song, with a bunch of choreography, and it does not demonstrate the UI, OS, or anything else except the fact that you can snap a keyboard on to it and it has a kickstand. I wouldn't really call that demoing the "hardware" but I guess technically it is.

I want to see the Surface doing the tasks I most often do with my iPad. And then I want to see the specs and the price. Then I can make an informed decision. A bunch of people dancing does nothing to sell me.

I think Windows 8 and WP8 look really cool, and I really am eager to try them so I'm not trying to bash MS here. But if I see a 30 second commercial and I am no more informed or coerced by the end of it, the commercial has failed.
 
b166er said:
Well how is this any different from the new iPod commercial? It's a stupid song, with a bunch of choreography, and it does not demonstrate the UI, OS, or anything else except the fact that you can snap a keyboard on to it and it has a kickstand. I wouldn't really call that demoing the "hardware" but I guess technically it is.
Click to expand...

Though the iPod is a defined product that anyone is free to look up mountains of information on how it works and most people have used one before. The Surface and its operating system are both completely new products that we know next to nothing about.
 
I'm super excited for this as a potential replacement for both my iPad 2 and Macbook Pro. College portals, online textbooks I've used, and the likes have been a slight pain but generally find on the Macbook Pro, though I have had some oddities with the size of the window with flash based textbooks and printing things out.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHcxMKDKCiU
 
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The pricing is announced:

$499 for 32 GB RT
$599 with Touch Cover
$699 for 64 GB with Touch Cover

So I would definitely need the $699 model. Those prices seem a little steep, I think they should've been $100 less.
 
zbarvian said:
The pricing is announced:

$499 for 32 GB RT
$599 with Touch Cover
$699 for 64 GB with Touch Cover

So I would definitely need the $699 model. Those prices seem a little steep, I think they should've been $100 less.
Click to expand...

Wonder what the surface pro will go for then?

Those covers are quit expensive - $119 and $129. They better be awesome. Anyone know what battery life supposed to be like?
 
russgold said:
I'm super excited for this as a potential replacement for both my iPad 2 and Macbook Pro. College portals, online textbooks I've used, and the likes have been a slight pain but generally find on the Macbook Pro, though I have had some oddities with the size of the window with flash based textbooks and printing things out.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHcxMKDKCiU
Click to expand...

That video gives me a headache. I'm sure its nice for some but looks like a massive ball ache to me.
 
Wow so this has a lower screen resolution than iPad and no LTE option. I'm guessing some of the OEM's will probably have a more attractive offering.
 
MacRumorUser said:
I likes the advert, for its choreography and style but...

Noticeable the lack of showing you what exactly the surface tablet features though.
Click to expand...

My thoughts too, except the "like choreography" part. Didn't made me curious at all. Didn't say anything about the product, other then keyboard and display are detachable.

Not a good start IMHO.

(and I write this as somebody who's really positive about Surface)

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zbarvian said:
Those prices seem a little steep, I think they should've been $100 less.
Click to expand...

Shelf prices are usually lower. Just wait.
 
blackbelter said:
Surface pro is a true computer, in contrast to other tablets such as the iPad.
Click to expand...

Most people who want or need a 'true' computer buy one and will continue to do so, especially given the Surface Pro's potential pricing.

The market for people who want a tablet that does what an iPad can't (Flash, run Office, whatever else) and who don't want to buy a laptop is small and dwindling.

EDIT: You could have replaced the Surface in that ad with a Coke, a shoe, or any other commodity and it wouldn't have made any difference. I found it embarrassing and forgettable. It's called 'trying too hard'.
 
So this keyboard/cover, which really seems to be the focal point of the device, costs you a lot more than getting one without. What is this, a car commercial now?

I know MS will release office apps for iOS and Android. It's a matter of time. Buying a surface just to get in to the Office suite on a tablet is stupid. Not to mention there are numerous substitutes in the mean time that are available for the other platforms. I think the Surface seems really cool, and I think everything MS is putting out this year seems cool, but those prices are just to high. Their not competitive enough vs an iPad, which is still dominating the tablet market, has a nicer screen, and offers 4G to those who want it.

I think Windows 8 is really going to thrive on a phone more so than on a tablet or on a PC. But that's just me. There are some cool PC's on te horizon that are "built for Windows 8" so we'll see. Then again new iMacs are finally starting to look promising.

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Kauai said:
Though the iPod is a defined product that anyone is free to look up mountains of information on how it works and most people have used one before. The Surface and its operating system are both completely new products that we know next to nothing about.
Click to expand...

Which is what I went on to say.
 
Carouser said:
Most people who want or need a 'true' computer buy one and will continue to do so, especially given the Surface Pro's potential pricing.

The market for people who want a tablet that does what an iPad can't (Flash, run Office, whatever else) and who don't want to buy a laptop is small and dwindling.

EDIT: You could have replaced the Surface in that ad with a Coke, a shoe, or any other commodity and it wouldn't have made any difference. I found it embarrassing and forgettable. It's called 'trying too hard'.
Click to expand...

Of course you are right as it is. But what I meant is that surface is a true computer WHILE it can be a tablet. The problem with other true computers is that games are not really optimized for them. So they are either small and light, but have mediocre performance in every simple task, let along games, or too heavy to be carried around. On the other hand, surface has games optimized for it, AND it is a true computer, which can do things when I need it to. So far no other tablet or computer has these two tags at the same time.

And I already have a mbp (which is very heavy) and a high end desktop, so that I do not need to rely on surface when I can't.

I meant surface pro, of course.
 
Rogifan said:
I don't get what's so great about this ad. All it focused on was the magnetic cover and the kickstand. No focus on the software at all. Heck, didn't even show anyone typing on the keyboard. At the surface launch back in July no one from the tech press was allowed to try out the keyboard. The fact that this device is 2 weeks from launch and we still have no prices and very few specs, the fact that no one outside of Microsoft has actually used the touch cover keyboard and the fact that Microsoft is focusing more on the products design than the software functionality doesn't give me much confidence that this device is ready for prime time.
Click to expand...

Can you name any difference between what you just stated and what Apple has done with previous products?

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Carouser said:
EDIT: You could have replaced the Surface in that ad with a Coke, a shoe, or any other commodity and it wouldn't have made any difference. I found it embarrassing and forgettable. It's called 'trying too hard'.
Click to expand...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlHUz99l-eo

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVSyp9OUM1s&list=UUGS474QoP8SCnSo6hOCaayA&index=1&feature=plcp

Put an Apple logo on it and people would cream themselves.
 
russgold said:
I'm super excited for this as a potential replacement for both my iPad 2 and Macbook Pro. College portals, online textbooks I've used, and the likes have been a slight pain but generally find on the Macbook Pro, though I have had some oddities with the size of the window with flash based textbooks and printing things out.
Click to expand...

If this tablet can replace your Macbook Pro, you never needed a MacBook Pro in the first place. An 11" MacBook Air would have been a much better choice.
 
NewbieCanada said:
If this tablet can replace your Macbook Pro, you never needed a MacBook Pro in the first place.
Click to expand...

I know. Everyone hates these meme images, and I'll probably deserve a lifetime ban for posting it. But this is pretty fitting, so...

aXGf8.jpg
 
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