Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

chongsen

macrumors member
Dec 4, 2013
87
54
Yes..the new Surface Studio is stunning. It's everything Apple should've done with the iMac YEARS ago. And yes, looks like this new Microsoft is becoming the old Apple we used to love. But HOLY SMOKES it's under-spec'd and OVERPRICED.

https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Surface-Studio/productID.5074015900

The base $3000 model gets you an i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a GT965M GPU . 3 Grand and only 8GB of RAM and a mid-tier mobile GPU from 2014?!?!?

The one they were talking about and showcasing in the event is $4200!! Over $4000 for a computer with a 980M GPU? Again, it's pure robbery for that price!

The whole computer is stunning, and it's a lovely direction for home computers, but it's insanely expensive right now. This computer right now only makes sense for pure designers and artists. It's not a home computer at that price.

But Apple have got to reinvent themselves. Freaking Microsoft are outrunning them now.

For me, the spec is all right. 980m is still better than the GPU on top end iMac now.

And that sexy screen worth $3000 alone for me lol
 

DrMotownMac

Contributor
Jul 11, 2008
385
216
Michigan
Exactly feel the same way. Fantastic looking computer, and Apple should've done this to the iMac a while back, but priced like people grow money on trees.

Of course, I'm going to reserve all final judgments until after I see what Apple does tomorrow. They have the resources to make Microsoft look like a joke, and I think if Steve Jobs were still alive, that's exactly what he'd be doing tomorrow. My biggest worry is that it's Tim Cook's show now, and he thinks we should all be using iPads to replace our Macs. Ugh.
 

r03dz

macrumors member
Aug 5, 2014
69
69
Guys, price this thing out before you get too excited. If you compare to the 2015 27 inch iMac, and try to equalize the specs (processor, RAM, HD, GPU) as much as possible, you will see that it's a LOT more expensive. The fully loaded Surface Studio is a whopping $4,200, and that only comes with a 2 GB hard drive (the 3 TB fusion drive equivalent isn't even an option). Would you pay $4,200 for an iMac? If you get the $2,999 Surface Studio, you get an i5 processor, 1 TB HD and 8 GB of RAM. For $700 less, you get a similar iMac, but with the 2 TB fusion drive.

Yes, it's definitely cool to lay that thing down and write on it like your writing or drawing on an easel. But, if you're not an artist or an architect, isn't it just a $700 novelty extra, used more for impressing friends than actually doing anything useful? Yes, if you draw for a living, knock yourself out. But if not, what are you thinking? As cool as it looks, I just can't even consider it. PLUS, there are NO performance specs which are any better than LAST YEAR'S iMac!! It makes me more willing to buy the 2015 iMac after all!

Microsoft's target audience for "most" of their products is enterprise. An enterprise company is willing to spend $4200.00 for a Surface Studio if it means results. You all continue to forget that even the Surface lineup targets enterprise and the consumer market is simply spillover.
 

DrMotownMac

Contributor
Jul 11, 2008
385
216
Michigan
Microsoft's target audience for "most" of their products is enterprise. An enterprise company is willing to spend $4200.00 for a Surface Studio if it means results. You all continue to forget that even the Surface lineup targets enterprise and the consumer market is simply spillover.

You're right, I did forget that. And since I'm really much more a "consumer" than an "enterprise," I have to get my head examined for even considering jumping ship and buying a Microsoft Surface Studio! I think seeing that video presentation and then looking at the prices made me realize that I had temporarily lost my marbles. Thanks for the reminder!!
 

bandrews

macrumors 6502a
Jul 18, 2008
888
2,204
I am sat here using a perfectly good HP AIO desktop with a touchscreen. Except it might as well not be because I haven't touched the screen in about 2 weeks. Why? because the monotonous task of doing my business accounts is much easier done with a keyboard and mouse than getting my grubby fingers all over a screen.

The studio looks fantastic but for anyone who isn't a creative there is a limited use for it. I know we all like to think of ourselves as "creatives" - makes us sound edgy and individual - but lets face it, this is pretty niche.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ob81 and yegon

\-V-/

Suspended
May 3, 2012
3,153
2,688
I am sat here using a perfectly good HP AIO desktop with a touchscreen. Except it might as well not be because I haven't touched the screen in about 2 weeks. Why? because the monotonous task of doing my business accounts is much easier done with a keyboard and mouse than getting my grubby fingers all over a screen.

The studio looks fantastic but for anyone who isn't a creative there is a limited use for it. I know we all like to think of ourselves as "creatives" - makes us sound edgy and individual - but lets face it, this is pretty niche.
Then it's entirely not for you in any way, shape, or form.
 

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,682
43,740
Microsoft's target audience for "most" of their products is enterprise.
Unlike Apple, this is directed at the professional content creators so I agree, but I think the price point is too high. I'd love to get one, but not for 3k
 

convergent

macrumors 68040
May 6, 2008
3,034
3,083
Guys, price this thing out before you get too excited. If you compare to the 2015 27 inch iMac, and try to equalize the specs (processor, RAM, HD, GPU) as much as possible, you will see that it's a LOT more expensive. The fully loaded Surface Studio is a whopping $4,200, and that only comes with a 2 GB hard drive (the 3 TB fusion drive equivalent isn't even an option). Would you pay $4,200 for an iMac? If you get the $2,999 Surface Studio, you get an i5 processor, 1 TB HD and 8 GB of RAM. For $700 less, you get a similar iMac, but with the 2 TB fusion drive.

Yes, it's definitely cool to lay that thing down and write on it like your writing or drawing on an easel. But, if you're not an artist or an architect, isn't it just a $700 novelty extra, used more for impressing friends than actually doing anything useful? Yes, if you draw for a living, knock yourself out. But if not, what are you thinking? As cool as it looks, I just can't even consider it. PLUS, there are NO performance specs which are any better than LAST YEAR'S iMac!! It makes me more willing to buy the 2015 iMac after all!


"If you're not an artist or an architect..." I think you missed the point here. That is precisely the market this is designed for. It is a lucrative market, and one that Apple has pretty much owned. I doubt that a soccer mom is going to buy this to update Facebook with soccer pictures. But a professional photographer or graphic designer is a different story. My daughter just dropped over $3K for a year old spec'd MacBook Pro as a graphics design student. To get tablet ability with a Mac, she'd need to spend another $1K for an iPad Pro and pencil. So not seeing how their price is much different from Apple here.

Think of how far Microsoft has stepped up since Nadella took the reins from Balmer.
 

chongsen

macrumors member
Dec 4, 2013
87
54
I would spend $3000 on the base model to set it up as external monitor for my desktop PC.

If It can not be used as external monitor, I will get the high end model then.

I think price is always the least concerned, when you get into iMac forum. lol
 

\-V-/

Suspended
May 3, 2012
3,153
2,688
And with that mentality the Surface line will never be anything other than niche.
What mentality? That a $3,000+ machine with a professional-centric screen isn't for someone that's just checking e-mails and doing spreadsheets? If someone has money to just burn like that, more power to them. But that's exactly what this computer is for ... a niche market. Dunno what point you're trying to make.
 

v0lume4

macrumors 68030
Jul 28, 2012
2,533
5,231
$2999... that's what my daughter just paid a month ago for a year out of date MacBookPro.
Oooooooh.

Dang. $3000 is a lot for the Surface Studio. It is an awesome piece of tech, and I don't doubt that it costs a lot to make a touchscreen that large. But I feel that the Surface Studio is about $500 off the mark. I feel that $2500 appears to be much easier to stomach than $3000.
 

Macmamamac

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 21, 2015
220
205
This is only niche product because of price point. People don't have to use the touch or tilt functionality if they don't want to.

But, because the product is so expensive for what it is at this point, it most certainly is niche. Only creatives would bother buying it for the tilt and touch/draw functions.

That will undoubtedly change in the next few years as the novelty wears off and price comes down in relation to its specs.

However, this form factor, touch/pencil or mouse navigation, is undoubtedly the new standard in desktops.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Xeyad

\-V-/

Suspended
May 3, 2012
3,153
2,688
Oooooooh.

Dang. $3000 is a lot for the Surface Studio. It is an awesome piece of tech, and I don't doubt that it costs a lot to make a touchscreen that large. But I feel that the Surface Studio is about $500 off the mark. I feel that $2500 appears to be much easier to stomach than $3000.
It's the tech in the screen. It's nearly 5K with all those touch features. It seems reasonably priced to me. I'm sure if the product does well it will go down in price over time.
 

\-V-/

Suspended
May 3, 2012
3,153
2,688
Oh, I dunno, maybe trying to sell PCs in decent enough volumes to justify making them?
That doesn't make this not a niche market for professionals. It's the same as the Mac Pro. It's not designed for everyone.
 

bandrews

macrumors 6502a
Jul 18, 2008
888
2,204
That doesn't make this not a niche market for professionals. It's the same as the Mac Pro. It's not designed for everyone.

And that obviously sells really well - which is why Apple update it so often......
 

Traverse

macrumors 604
Mar 11, 2013
7,710
4,489
Here
Bahahahaha

If they are touchscreen, Apple's in deep trouble. Thank goodness they've had the discipline to not go that route.

While I don't believe anyone can deny that the innovation in the new Surface Studio far outpaces anything Apple has done with the desktop in recent years (aside from the 5K display which was brought to the masses), I do question the practicality of the touch screen.

Yes, for minor edits in photoshop I can see it, but MS' video showed the lady tilting the screen down and doing all this drawing with her arms all up in the air. I don't know about you, but I'd get tired pretty fast. It just doesn't seem practical.
 

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,682
43,740
I feel that $2500 appears to be much easier to stomach than $3000.
2k is my upper limit on a computer and so I agree. We can talk about how this is directed towards professionals or the enterprise sector till we're blue in the face, the fact remains - 3,000 is a lot and I can't justify that
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.