Can the Surface be made to run Linux?
I’d probably spring for one at $199.00
Win 8(.1) and I have come to a settlement.
Not bad for tablet, bad for a PDA, terrible for a laptop/desktop.
Otherwise the thing was an oversize Palmpilot. Then again, I may be wrong and misunderstood him.
It actually turned a profit? Shocking.
Maybe that music they used in the new ads (”I am the best” - 2NE1) put them over the top.
Seems I recall that at least initially MicroSoft communicated that they felt compelled to produce the Surface in order to provide a platform to showcase Windows for touchscreen tablet, whatever that version of Windows OS is called, was it RT?
How many other devices elected to run this operating system? Very few as far as I can tell. Very few as in one. There’s a stray Windows phone from Nokia but no other Windows devices let alone tablets.
A very poor showing, imho.
BFL
I have the 2. Love it. Perfect for work or goofing around.
A friend of mine has the Microsoft surface and loves it.
A co-worker who owns all things Apple went out and bought a Surface tablet and really liked it. Brings it to work and uses it it in place of his mac. When he learned that microsoft was to stop support of the Surface he immediately put it up on Ebay to sell. He likes the Samsung Note 4 and is getting the 10” Samsung tablet as well. Once Windows 10 comes out I suspect he will find a laptop / tablet that comes with it.
It’s great for portable computing, but costs too much, especially since the keyboard is not included. Battery life is a lot better than a typical laptop though.
I’ll insert my own comment here: I own a Surface Pro 3, and have bought one for my wife and son.
We have the Core i5 (the high-end i5 memory-wise and graphics-wise). They make i3/i5/i7 surfaces, two types of each, IIRC.
We love them. They are not tablets (I’ve owned two iPads), but are actually LAPTOPS. They run MS Word/Office/etc. and run Windows 8.1 (which I don’t really like).
These things beat my iPad hands down. I have a list of pros/cons (very few of those) and the iPad simply cannot compete. (Disclaimer: I was a Mac pioneer. Owned maybe a dozen of them since 1985, and we used to be a Mac family.)
What won me over? Many things, but the final straw was THE PEN. The ability—for the first time on any machine, any phone, any device—TO WRITE BETTER THAN ON PAPER.
Call me out. Tell me I’m wrong. (I’m not exaggerating.) I hated the Samsung S-pen although it came closest to a good writing experience. Almost bought one, glad I held off, because the Surface came along. My God, what an improvement. WHY DIDN’T APPLE INVENT THIS?
It’s perfect for travel. Real Internet, real e-books, real MS Office, etc.—it’s a laptop. With a laptop/desktop OS.
Again, that pen: It’s a no-compromise thing. I am into calligraphy, colors, and A GOOD FEEL (no, not grope, you sick minded Freepers!).
My advice: Go out and write on the thing. You’ll want to buy one.
Sauron
doorgunner69:
“Then I found out that it could not do much of anything unless you had a “smartphone” and $$$ monthly data subscription.
We drove all around the island and he got internet most areas”
It sounds like this is a case of mistaken expectations. It is not a cell phone and is not intended to be. Wifi range is only about 300 feet. If you are driving around and expecting constant wifi coverage with a laptop or any other device, you will be sadly disappointed.
Jonty30:
“I dont view tablets as productive devices. Sure, you can get some work done and the fact that you can be near anywhere while doing some work is a huge plus.”
This is the primary difference between an ipad and Surface Pro. The Surface Pro can run all your productivity apps. The Surface 2 Pro’s screen was a little small for that, but quite usable. I bring it to company meetings. The superior display port out can be used for a standard vga or dvi projector input with a small adapter. When the Surface Pro 2 was released it was more powerful than over 80% of existing laptops. The Surface Pro3 with a bigger screen and better cpu should be awesome.
minnesota_bound:
“When he learned that microsoft was to stop support of the Surface he immediately put it up on Ebay to sell”
Only the initial Surface RT version was going to have support dropped AFTER four years. Fours years is considered the normal lifespan for computer hardware, because in four years technology has radically improved. Surface Pro support was not affected. Also just because a company stops support on something does not mean you cannot use it.
My girlfriend, a grad student, has a Surface Pro 3. What a great little device for teaching and work. Fits right in her bag and runs all her apps including Mathematica, Winedt, etc., can read pdfs from it and great for walking around of front of the classroom.
I don’t bother with tablets but half their gimmick is being a camera with a large LCD display. I was socializing at a restaurant yesterday and a friend whipped out an older iPad and started showing me photos on it. Flipping through quickly... Plus the fact tablets can take photos.
So they are part camera/part photo display/ part a crippled lap top
I have a Surface 2—love it! It is not a cellular device but rather a full Windows operating system with Microsoft Office 2013 bundled in. It has built in WIFI but you need—just as you would for your desktop or laptop—access to a WIFI network.
I use the Microsoft Wireless Arc Mouse ($35) pictured here:
And the Microsoft Wedge Bluetooth keyboard ($60), here:
It is a very awesome setup and allows me freedom to place the device in many different configurations, such as on an airplane, at a meeting, at home on the coffee table or breakfast nook, etc., etc. The cover for the keyboard also acts as a tablet stand however the Surface has a built in stand. I really like the cover though as it keeps the keyboard clean and intact while in my backpack. The Arc Mouse folds up and nicely, too. The whole setup is very light-weight and easily transported and sets up out of the bag in about 1.5 minutes. I do have the clip on flat keyboard pictured above as it was bundled for free--I don't use it except as a cover when I'm carrying the device.
My Surface comes with an HDMI connector and a MicroSD port that accepts 64GB MicroSD chips--which I keep movies and music on. Along with my Dr. Dre Beats Bluetooth noise canceling headphones--a great companion on long air travel routes!