QUOTE
Who is the Microsoft Surface for, exactly?
The new Windows 8 and Windows RT tablets could be a bridge for Windows fans... maybe.
by Eric Mack | June 18, 2012 9:26 PM PDT
Microsoft threw a surprise hail mary in Los Angeles today with the unveiling of its new line of Windows 8 and Windows RT tablet-laptop hybrids dubbed simply "Surface." But some big questions remain, like -- when? how much? and who is this for?
Surface is a bit larger than an iPad with an HD display, full-size USB port, Microsoft's next-generation operating system, a built-in kickstand, and a detachable cover that doubles as a flat keyboard and touch pad. That's what we know from today's unveiling, but there's much more that we don't know.
The biggest question mark -- the price.
The company says Surface will be competitive with comparable ARM tablets for the RT device and the Windows 8 Pro version will hold its own against ultrabooks with similar specs. OK, so that's maybe $500 for the lower-end tablet that comes with an RT version of Office Home and Student 2013. Sounds like a nice deal, until you realize that this extra is likely to ease the pain of the fact that your existing Windows applications aren't likely to run on the ARM tablet. That brings us to another of those questions -- who is this thing really for?
More answers at: http://news.cnet.com...ag=featureRiver
The new Windows 8 and Windows RT tablets could be a bridge for Windows fans... maybe.
by Eric Mack | June 18, 2012 9:26 PM PDT
Microsoft threw a surprise hail mary in Los Angeles today with the unveiling of its new line of Windows 8 and Windows RT tablet-laptop hybrids dubbed simply "Surface." But some big questions remain, like -- when? how much? and who is this for?
Surface is a bit larger than an iPad with an HD display, full-size USB port, Microsoft's next-generation operating system, a built-in kickstand, and a detachable cover that doubles as a flat keyboard and touch pad. That's what we know from today's unveiling, but there's much more that we don't know.
The biggest question mark -- the price.
The company says Surface will be competitive with comparable ARM tablets for the RT device and the Windows 8 Pro version will hold its own against ultrabooks with similar specs. OK, so that's maybe $500 for the lower-end tablet that comes with an RT version of Office Home and Student 2013. Sounds like a nice deal, until you realize that this extra is likely to ease the pain of the fact that your existing Windows applications aren't likely to run on the ARM tablet. That brings us to another of those questions -- who is this thing really for?
More answers at: http://news.cnet.com...ag=featureRiver
