Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
I have the original Surface Pro and it's a superb ultra-portable PC. What it's not, however, is a rival to something like an iPad. It's really too heavy to comfortably use as a tablet. But if (like me) you're after a very light-weight laptop that can be used without a keyboard when, for example, you're browsing the web or watching a movie, it's fantastic. It's completely replaced my older small-screen laptop.
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This is true, and the reason for the RT. The RT is a similar weight and size to the iPad. The additional capabilities of RT compared to other mobile OSs has made it a laptop replacement for my personal mobile use. It does not replace a PC completely though like the Pro can.
I think Microsoft's biggest mistake was the pricing/spec ratio. They went with lower specs or left features out completely in lot of key areas like screen, processor, camera, decent inking, GPS, LTE, etc. You can't ask the same price or more than your competition with so many shortcomings in your specifications. It doesn't matter whether or not the actual value is similar or better when you consider included software and capability or the quality of the hardware. Then they charge $119 for a keyboard? I still find that ridiculous. Keep in mind though they had to keep their other OEMs happy while also proving to them that a healthy profit could be made with Windows (unlike Android).
Surface 2 addresses a lot of the spec problems and with the price drop it is a much more appealing package. Combined with the included 200GB of SkyDrive, Skype landline calling, and of course Office, it's really a great value now. Whether or not the public sees it the same way will be another thing.
Edit: But back on topic, it's still not great for reading. There will be some more 8" Windows tablets over the next couple months that should be better for that.