The Windows 8 Thread - Surface Tablet Announced

  • Thread starter Robin
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So apparently Microsoft is set to make a big announcement today and its widely believed they are going to enter the tablet market with an own brand device running Windows 8 RT. Better have a retina esque screen and plenty of horsepower either wise it might not even make a mark against the iPad.....or I guess they could go the Kindle Fire route.

I was pretty peeved when it turned out Windows 8 on tablets is only related to Windows 8 on PC's by name and looks meaning they flat out lied to everyone for years and its not going to be a truly unified OS. I wanted to run legacy windows games and software on a tablet out of the box but no dice.... Metro Start screen only :yuck:

Let's hope this goes better than Zune!
 
I don't think I shall be using Windows 8. I'm sorry, but they are going the same way as apple. I still use XP and 7 (tried Vista for a while and just hated the way it consumed system resources). Windows 9 should be fantastic. SHOULD be...
 
Robin.
Let's hope this goes better than Zune!
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I have a Zune, Got it imported.

Shame MS never brought it outside the US cause I use to use my zune a lot.

It had better specs than the Ipod.

Like radio, Large screen, Wifi sync.

If MS do make a tablet it may be called the Zune Tab and be sold in you guessed it THE US.
 
I actually liked the Zune, especially the HD which basically became Windows Phone 7. Unfortunately it was never sold here in the UK and didn't want to risk incompatibility, warranty etc but would have probably got one if it had came out here. Pity MS had no confidence in it and now the Zune brand has basically been killed off.

Apparently the latest rumours about the announcement today are that it might be an Xbox branded tablet making this MS's portable console!
 
So it turned out as expected to be a Windows rather than Xbox tablet, looks pretty nice and I'm glad they have put proper things like a USB port on it and it has a cover keyboard.

Still not liking the next Windows logo though, its not clever enough and looks kinda fake.

 
gtone339
Surface vs. iPad: Microsoft's Getting Rusty Stealing from Apple:
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...

You do know the Tablet PC was introduced around 2002, by Microsoft, right? I'm not defending anyone, but you just can't steal something you invented first.
 
I feel the Surface is much better than the iPad from what I've heard so far. The higher end model is actually a computer (Intel i5) running proper Windows 8 so you will be able to run all your PC software and games. Plus Apple's refusal to have USB ports etc is getting old now and iOS looks old fashioned compared to Metro.
 
CPUs that run hot and use normal voltage in a small space=bad.

My 1" thick laptop gets to 95C when I put it under full load
And it has an i7 and a 520M GPU.
 
Robin.
I feel the Surface is much better than the iPad from what I've heard so far. The higher end model is actually a computer (Intel i5) running proper Windows 8 so you will be able to run all your PC software and games. Plus Apple's refusal to have USB ports etc is getting old now and iOS looks old fashioned compared to Metro.
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I am not psyched by Win8 in any kind (as already mentionned), but the tablet looks like one fine piece. If it is as open as a normal PC with the USB port, these things will sell (better than the win7 phones). I hated the tablets for being relatively closed systems (some more than others)
But as mentionned above, people are so stuborn on their preconcieved ideas (Apple invented the Tablet), that I hope it ill not hinder the Win8 tablet.
And for the masses, Win is not as hip as Apple. Sad but true.

I will look into these when more info releases (display used (TN, Ips,...)), release date and price.

Price as stated will be as competitors, so the Win8 will probably cost around 600€.

CPUs that run hot and use normal voltage in a small space=bad.
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It's probably underclocked. We need more specs,...
 
I've said it before and I'll say it again.

THIS is where Win 8 belongs. THIS is where it will pull away from any iOS or Android device. The whole feel of the OS just suits a tablet more, not on a desktop.
 
Grayfox
CPUs that run hot and use normal voltage in a small space=bad.

My 1" thick laptop gets to 95C when I put it under full load
And it has an i7 and a 520M GPU.
Click to expand...

This is likely to be no different to the mobile Ivy Bridge CPU's they have in other laptops and ultrabooks so heat isn't going to be an issue.

*ibo* S3 Racer
I am not psyched by Win8 in any kind (as already mentionned), but the tablet looks like one fine piece. If it is as open as a normal PC with the USB port, these things will sell (better than the win7 phones). I hated the tablets for being relatively closed systems (some more than others)
But as mentionned above, people are so stuborn on their preconcieved ideas (Apple invented the Tablet), that I hope it ill not hinder the Win8 tablet.
And for the masses, Win is not as hip as Apple. Sad but true.

I will look into these when more info releases (display used (TN, Ips,...)), release date and price.

Price as stated will be as competitors, so the Win8 will probably cost around 600€.

It's probably underclocked. We need more specs,...
Click to expand...

Its already been priced, $699 for the ARM version with Windows 8 RT and $999 for the i5 version with Windows 8 Pro. Yes it may seem pricey at first but remember its more like an ultrabook than a tablet. The screen is also very important to me, it better be comparable to the retina display in PPI.
 
My Sandy Bridge 2450M Core i5 doesn't overheat at all unless I play some games. Thus, I don't think heat should be an issue here and I'm pretty sure Microsoft knows better on this. I'm looking forward to this!
 
Maybe I missed something, but did anyone ever say they were going to use Laptop processors? They're probably going to use some crazy IBM chip or something like they do in smart phones and consoles?
 
tlowr4
Maybe I missed something, but did anyone ever say they were going to use Laptop processors? They're probably going to use some crazy IBM chip or something like they do in smart phones and consoles?
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The full Windows version WILL be running a mobile version of an Intel chip. There will however be the other version of windows which will run on an ARM processor.
 
bergauk
I just said that.

Windows 8 Pro will ONLY run on the Intel version of the tablet.

Windows 8 RT will be the ARM CPU tablet. There are two versions. NOT one.
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Yeah that's what I read today. I also read on Tom's Hardware today that the pro model will be priced at $1000... That seems far to expensive to me. Buy a laptop at that point.
 
CMvan46
Yeah that's what I read today. I also read on Tom's Hardware today that the pro model will be priced at $1000... That seems far to expensive to me. Buy a laptop at that point.
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It practically will be a laptop, just in a tablet format, the Pro version is meant to compete with ultrabook type notebooks anyways, and I think it'll do a great job at doing so. If these things last long enough for me to get a job, I'd definitely pick up a Pro model just to get rid of my laptop. I can actually stand Metro so it won't bother me at all when 8 is released.
 

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