More "news" on Surface pricing

[Ankh]

Originally Posted by teh603

It probably won't, or will take six to eight months for the hid-multitouch driver to get the proper device codes. You probably didn't see how long it took to get support for the Dell Duo, which could've been a poster child Linux tablet if Dell hadn't given it a defective BIOS and encryption chip.

The biggie is going to be whether or not GRUB can bootload for it or if the bootloader will be in the BIOS. If it runs like an Android device, then it'll probably be stuck.

As the things stand at this time, it will be impossible to run any other operating system on any Win 8 ARM machines:
http://www.softwarefreedom.org/blog/...ocks-down-ARM/

Any vendor that wishes to sell Windows 8 ARM on their tablet has to implement that UEFI requirement, and any Win8 ARM tablet will be locked to windows.

[StoryEnthusiast]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

I don't believe it, but if it really turns out to be $199 I will get at least 5 or more. One for me and the rest as gifts to friends and family.

I'll get ZERO tablet even if it turns out to be $199. I've learned over the years not to buy MS products before any Service Pack is released.

[teh603]

Originally Posted by Ankh

As the things stand at this time, it will be impossible to run any other operating system on any Win 8 ARM machines:
http://www.softwarefreedom.org/blog/...ocks-down-ARM/

Any vendor that wishes to sell Windows 8 ARM on their tablet has to implement that UEFI requirement, and any Win8 ARM tablet will be locked to windows.

Bleakh. No surprise at all, unfortunately, and now because of the whole "business runs on windows" sacred cow, they're probably going to wipe out Apple and Google in one shot.

And people wonder why mainland China has its own Linux distro.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by Ankh

As the things stand at this time, it will be impossible to run any other operating system on any Win 8 ARM machines:
http://www.softwarefreedom.org/blog/...ocks-down-ARM/

Any vendor that wishes to sell Windows 8 ARM on their tablet has to implement that UEFI requirement, and any Win8 ARM tablet will be locked to windows.

That would make sense if they actually do sell them at $199.-.

[teh603]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

That would make sense if they actually do sell them at $199.-.

How does price of hardare relate to strongarming people into only running one specific OS? Hardware is supposed to be software-agnostic. If anything, a company has to charge *more* to pay for the development of new anti-competitive practices, not less.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by teh603

How does price of hardare relate to strongarming people into only running one specific OS? Hardware is supposed to be software-agnostic. If anything, a company has to charge *more* to pay for the development of new anti-competitive practices, not less.

Why should SUBSIDIZED hardware be software agnostic? What about XBox and PS2&3? What about locked phones sold by the telephone companies? It is just another business model, subsidize the hardware and recoup your money by selling software, ads, and add-ons.

[Ankh]

Originally Posted by teh603

How does price of hardare relate to strongarming people into only running one specific OS?

Game consoles. When they came out, both XBox360 and PlayStation3 were sold at loss, Microsoft and Sony made money selling software and content.

It is fully closed and heavily guarded system, and I am curious to see how the developers and consumers will react to such an archaic concept. Hardware will be cheap, software... anything but, if I am not mistaken. If they (re)start the old money printing press...

[SeaKing]

Originally Posted by StoryEnthusiast

I'll get ZERO tablet even if it turns out to be $199. I've learned over the years not to buy MS products before any Service Pack is released.

I can amen that.

[Ankh]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

That would make sense if they actually do sell them at $199.-.

You did notice that the limitation is imposed on ANY vendor who will offer (at any price) Windows 8 ARM devices? The price of "Surface" has nothing to do with that business practice.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by Ankh

You did notice that the limitation is imposed on ANY vendor who will offer (at any price) Windows 8 ARM devices? The price of "Surface" has nothing to do with that business practice.

I see, I didn't pay attention to that distinction. Anyway, there is still the possibility they are subsidizing these ARM tablets with a big ad campaign and subsidies for promotional activities by the manufacturers. My guess is that MS will have quite a long haul before this becomes profitable. The last they would want is that all these tablets are being hacked to become Linux or Android devices.

If a manufacturer sees a market for a Linux tablet it should be quite easy to take the same or very similar hardware?

[teh603]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

If a manufacturer sees a market for a Linux tablet it should be quite easy to take the same or very similar hardware?

Dell could've cornered the market on Linux tablets with the Inspiron Duo. Instead, it only supported Win7 (which wasn't made for netbooks or tablets) and had a massively defective motherboard design.

Edit: Kubuntu or any KDE-based distro could've used the Plasma Netbook interface, which IMO is more designed for touchscreens than actual netbooks. The icons are large, the interface is frighteningly user-friendly for Linux, and you have theming controls that are out of this world. It also runs much faster than Win7, having run both on one. All you'd need is a package of scripts or even just a shell script to set up the touchscreen and the like.

Course Linux is its own worst enemy; there are way too many ways it could be a lot more friendly to a low-skill user but isn't because all the Linux programmers assume that everyone has the same skill level. As a result you have a lot of unintuitive processes, stuff relegated to the command prompt that should be handled in the frontend, three rival software management schemes (with a fourth that should be dead if it wasn't for a few die-hard fanatics), and the like.

[Top100EbooksRank]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology...?newsfeed=true
Yes, Microsoft can price the Surface for $199 and make a profit. Here's how

OK, and now consider this: $199 is an entirely feasible upfront price for the Surface. And Microsoft wouldn't have to lose a penny in the process.

How, you ask. How can that possibly be done?

genius!!!

[Belfaborac]

Originally Posted by teh603

Course Linux is its own worst enemy; there are way too many ways it could be a lot more friendly to a low-skill user but isn't because all the Linux programmers assume that everyone has the same skill level. As a result you have a lot of unintuitive processes, stuff relegated to the command prompt that should be handled in the frontend, three rival software management schemes (with a fourth that should be dead if it wasn't for a few die-hard fanatics), and the like.

QTF, as the cool kids say. I love the idea of Linux; the product, not so much.

[david_e]

.....

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by teh603

Course Linux is its own worst enemy; there are way too many ways it could be a lot more friendly to a low-skill user but isn't because all the Linux programmers assume that everyone has the same skill level.

A bit harsh.
LINUX is actually a great OS by programmers *for* programmers.

The only thing "wrong" with it is that some people keep trying to make it something else. And it doesn't "take". LINUX is what LINUX is. People should celebrate it for what it is instead of bemoaning what it isn't.