Is Surface Pro more of a tablet or an Ultrabook?

[Rogifan]

I saw this article at ArsTechnica basically saying the Surface Pro is a confused device. Based on specs it's more of an Ultrabook than a tablet, but compromised with the small screen and keyboard/trackpad that's not as good as you get on an Ultrabook. Also because the form factor is very similar to the Surface RT many people will think of it as a tablet, but the price, battery life and weight don't really make it a compelling tablet (also IMO the fact it's rarely, if ever shown used in portrait mode).

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012...or-yet-another-tablet-pc/?comments=1&start=80

My question is, why didn't Microsoft plan it so the Surface Pro was released first, and the RT (with a better name) second? People wouldn't be thinking of the Pro as a tablet, but an ultrabook with a touch screen. Also they would have more time to work with developers on tablet apps, and maybe even work more on optimizing Office for touch. Most of the RT reviews I've seen ding it for not having enough good quality apps. Just seems to me Microsoft's rollout was backwards or they needed to differentiate the two products enough so people know one is mostly a tablet play and the other is mostly an Ultrabook play. What's the advantage of purchasing Surface Pro over a good touch screen enabled Ultrabook from Lenovo, Dell, Asus, etc.? Also what's the benefit of purchasing RT over Pro right now?

 

[spinedoc77]

IMO RT was a mistake, consumers got excited but then realized it was not a real OS. Microsoft tried to out-ipad the ipad, but they didn't even need to do that, and it is going to backfire on them unfortunately. What they needed to release was the cloverfield windows tablets, the ones that run full windows but have the same battery life, thinness and price as the ipad. Microsoft has some truly amazing stuff right now, it's just sad to see them take so many missteps.

 

[throAU]

As usual, ars are pretty on the money.

I actually think the RT version will do better than the Pro, mainly due to the battery life, and when used as a complementary device to a laptop. People will just use it as a regular tablet. 8 hr battery life is good enough for a work day worth of usage if you're say - using it for doing a stock take or light data entry whilst out and about in the field.

The surface pro is not good enough to replace a proper laptop, and fails as a tablet (no battery life - and it's party piece - running regular windows apps - whilst using it as a tablet will suck). I just don't see people replacing their laptops with it.

 

[Rogifan]

IMO RT was a mistake, consumers got excited but then realized it was not a real OS. Microsoft tried to out-ipad the ipad, but they didn't even need to do that, and it is going to backfire on them unfortunately. What they needed to release was the cloverfield windows tablets, the ones that run full windows but have the same battery life, thinness and price as the ipad. Microsoft has some truly amazing stuff right now, it's just sad to see them take so many missteps.

Yeah I don't get it. I've seen so many comments on different sites complaining about the battery life on the Pro when it basically gets the same battery life as a laptop. I still think right now Tim Cook is right about converged devices being too compromised. I think for the most part people are content with tablets being more consumption than creation devices and the segment Microsoft is going after to is small.

Also where's the evidence that enterprise is holding out for Surface Pro (or any other Win8 devices)? I know the Fortune 50 company I work at is just now rolling out Win7 and when it comes to tablets and smartphones the policy is BYOD. Barclays just announced an order of 8500 iPads for their front staff. Other Fortune 500 companies are creating custom apps. I think it's going to be tough for Microsoft to make a dent. Realistically how many people are dying to run Office, SQL Server or Visual studio on a device with a tablet form factor?

 

[throAU]

Yeah I don't get it. I've seen so many comments on different sites complaining about the battery life on the Pro when it basically gets the same battery life as a laptop.

Thing is, if I'm willing to be tethered to an AC outlet - I already have a laptop that can do that. A laptop that works a lot better than some clip on keyboard, and can actually be used on my lap.

Part of the tablet's "killer" feature list is being able to be away from a power point for extended periods of time.

A tablet that can't do that is less valuable. With 4 hrs of battery, the Pro version of the surface won't even last long enough for me to use on a pretty short domestic flight + waiting at the terminal to leave.

With 4 hours of battery, it likely won't even get through a typical person's morning to be charged at lunch time. Definitely not if they use it on their commute to work.

In an effort to be all things to all people, it has too many compromises. It is a crappy replacement for the devices it intends to replace. No one is happy when they move from a device that works well to something that doesn't do the job as well - and this is the experience people replacing their tablet and laptop with a single device will get.

 

[Rogifan]

In an effort to be all things to all people, it has too many compromises. It is a crappy replacement for the devices it intends to replace. No one is happy when they move from a device that works well to something that doesn't do the job as well - and this is the experience people replacing their tablet and laptop with a single device will get.

This. I see touchscreen laptops being more popular than Surface. Though I'm still not sold that touchscreen on a laptop or AIO is the way to go. Seems like Microsoft was late to the touch party and now is going hog wild with it. And their
OEM partners are just throwing form factors at the wall to see what sticks.

 

[coldmack]

This. I see touchscreen laptops being more popular than Surface. Though I'm still not sold that touchscreen on a laptop or AIO is the way to go. Seems like Microsoft was late to the touch party and now is going hog wild with it. And their
OEM partners are just throwing form factors at the wall to see what sticks.

False. MS and their partners have for over ten years been making fail boat convergence device using the very useful digitizer pen. Their biggest problem back then was the fail boat know as Wind'ohs, and the equal failure known as x86. All my tablet pc friends will tell you that the intel cpu in all cases was too fickey slow for the digitizer, which really led to some frustration. They, just like many, are just waiting for the day Apple gives us a high powered non-x86 iPad with a Wacom digitizer. That said these form factors are just a re-hash of what they did almost 10 years ago with their device, which my friends will tell you that some of those form factors were ahead of their time(& shockingly I would have to agree).