Macbook Pro Retina to Surfacebook impressions and thoughts

[Boomwaller]

Hey all, I am still fairly new to the Surface Book, but recently traded my 2015 MacBook Retina for dGPU 256 Surface Book! I am loving it and first switched due to the new MacBook announcements being very underwhelming/more expensive. I have only had it for a month now, but now using Cortana more and more, the Surface Book makes me want to switch to a Windows Phone anyone else had this experience? I am hoping Microsoft showcases/surprises everyone with a Surface Phone when they show the Surface Pro 5 but who knows. Anyways anyone have recommendations on a Windows Phone to get my feet wet with? Thanks,

 

[petvas72]

I also switched back to Microsoft, coming from Apple computers that I have been using the last ten years. I understand the urge to try WIndows Phone, but to be honest, knowing the app situation in the Windows Phone ecosystem, and the fact that even Microsoft has stopped bringing new devices out (maybe in the future that will change), make me stay away from Windows Phone. I find Android devices much more appealing and functional.
If Microsoft brings a Surface Phone, and backs it up with a better ecosystem, then I might change my mind.
I would also like to see all big OEMs, like LG, Samsung, HTC and Huawei, start making Windows Phones. Unfortunately this is not the case.

But going back now to the Surface Book, it is interesting to see that there is a (computing) life after macOS. Apple still has some great products and macOS is certainly one of them, but I do not like the direction they are taking, so I stopped supporting them.
Windows 10 is certainly not perfect, but has some great features. The Surface Book is really great. I love the display and the ability to use the Surface as a tablet.

 

[Boomwaller]

Yeah I completely agree, it could be so easily adopted if carriers and other OEM's adopted/marketed it but sadly that is not the case, maybe innovative software/hardware on a Surface Phone device could swing users and apps to the market share plus UWP. I have always been in the boat with a Smartphone to do the basics of email, web, music, Bluetooth, and notes etc... Never been big with the flavor of the months apps, but I do see the app gap, for me that was never an issue. I will more then likely hold off or find a 2nd hand lower end Windows Phone to test and maybe make an app for. (Surface Book) just makes me wanna get more things to sync with it (Cortana sending SMS etc...)


Back to the Surface Book though I couldn't agree more while not perfect (what product is) is getting better and better, and finding a ton of use for the pen and overall versatility of the device is 2nd to none. Drew up a sketch for how I wanted to layout my Christmas lights. Anyone know what input output/ general specs are for the Surface Docks? I am looking to adapt/modify one or see if its possible to add USB C functionality through the Dock, or maybe Microsoft will add one in the future?!

On the Apple comment I am generally excited by the innovative/riskier take Microsoft has been going lately. I was the same Apple's current directions is so reminiscent of Steve Ballmer when he took over, sales/over profitability increased but became stagnant and slow to react. (iPhone and iPad only) Mac mini Mac Pro, and now the Airport Routers which I loved and own are dead, I was even hoping for a Steve Jobs moment this year of an Siri based home assistant (Amazon Alexa). Anyways I digress makes me sad. (Also sorry for the long post, breaks, tabs, spaces and general margins seem to not work on the forums which is why I used "/" to break paragraphs up.)

 

[Cane Prevost]

If you want to dip your toes in the water of windows phone I'd suggest a lumia 1520 if you want to do so on the cheap. It doesn't have continuum but everything else is brilliant and they can be had for around 200 or so. I love mine to death and won'tget rid of it despite switching to android a year ago.

 

[Boomwaller]

Thank you sir! I will check those out, may snag myself one to test and play with

 

[anthonyng]

Maybe try to Lumia 650 for 99$ black friday?

On my lumia930 (smaller 1520) I can't control my phone with the connect app from my surface pro 3. Actually I don't know for sure the 650 can...

I'm just thinking more of the windows10 features might be better supported on the newer hardware but I can't name one thing as a fact... lower cost of entry at least.

The neat thing for sure is how UWP and action center are working with w10mobile and w10 desktop. I can have a uwp app only on my phone, but reply on it from my surface pro 3 action center and I know they are working to make that you can do more things like that seamlessly with whatever device you happen to be looking at!

Like working on my sp3, oh I need to go for lunch somewhere! I can continue certain things on my phone while leaving the sp3 behind (ie: finish off an email, final paragraphs of a word doc, continue reading whatever I was reading in edge or news or something on my phone, etc... reply text by my band2...) Pieces of it are there and looking forward to more and more cloud unification with redstone 2 and 3.

 

[Boomwaller]

Thank you sir! I tried a 650 and man loved all my old data from 2012 came back sms and pics pretty impressive. I ordered a Lumia 950 now to see how Windows mobile 10 works on faster hardware. I forgot how much I missed it! Mainly checking if it syncs well with Surface Book which seems like it will!

 

[anthonyng]

Nice! Hope it keeps getting better for you

 

[hopmedic]

(Also sorry for the long post, breaks, tabs, spaces and general margins seem to not work on the forums which is why I used "/" to break paragraphs up.)

You do realize that because you have stacked so many forward slashes next to each other without spaces, that the rest of us have to scroll sideways to read everything in this thread, right?

 

[hopmedic]

I've never used Mac - other than on occasion at a job I used to have where people would ask me to go use the Mac for something because they were afraid of it. That was on one of those colored iMac (that's right, isn't it) computers that was all-in one - the CRT screen and computer in one unit, with only the keyboard and mouse separate...

Anyway, I read this thread because I wanted to see what a Mac user had to say about the Surface Book. As for a Windows Phone recommendation, that depends greatly on where you are. If you are in the US, are you beholden to using your current carrier, or can you switch if need be? In my own situation, because of where I live, I am stuck with Verizon. No one else has acceptable coverage at my home, and the others have lots of dead zones around the area. I tried switching to ATT and Sprint both, a few years back, so that I could get a better Windows Phone, but I had to switch back out of frustration. If you're on Verizon like me, the Icon is the best phone that has ever been on their network. I will use my Icon until the day it dies (and then I'll buy another one), unless they pick up a better phone next year.

 

[Boomwaller]

Thanks for the reply on the spacing hopefully that fixed it. Something was off with the website and Edge in developer mode causing spaces to not function correctly which is why I used "/" to represent the breaks lol. Anyways should fix the format for the thread. I actually worked for Apple for about 4 years before needing to re-locate and obviously Apple was not located in my new location. I have always enjoyed Microsoft's and Apple's OS's (iOS/macOS, and Windows Phone and Win10). Obviously working for them I was deeply engrained into the ecosystem (kinda had to not be), even though my 2 work iMacs had bootcamp and Windows 10 and 7 running on them.

I was always watching for the Surface line to mature, I will admit I did have the OG Surface Pro and Surface RT, enjoyed them a lot (nerd inside of me craving one machine to do everything). Microsoft just seems to be really focused on innovating/making staple devices for OEM's like Dell to follow, or Apple for that matter with the iPad Pro. Was going to jump on the latest MacBook's but after the announcement, kind of came away underwhelmed. Then Apple killing off the Airports made me check out the Surface Book.

Which having had it for about 2 months now I am loving it. Battery life has been great, touchpad is one of the best ones on a Windows laptop on par with Apple's, most my annoyances have been self inflicted thus far. (Hyper V for Ubuntu, and Syncing SMS via Skype using Beta stuff) Only thing I really notice is Edge is still not fully up to what IE 11 or Chrome is/are but that has nothing to do with the Surface Book.

On the Windows Phone side I hear you I was stuck on Sprint for an Apple promo when I worked there free iPhone 6s Plus for my wife and I, we moved and well Sprint's service has been pretty bad ever sense. Was shopping around and trying out smaller companies Circket (ATT towers) and Metro PCS(Tmo towers). Verizon has better service but lack of GSM supported phones and my general gripes with CDMA left me looking at those. The unlocked Lumia 950 I got 2nd hand has been great thus far, did not know my text from 2010 - 2012 were backed up via my Hotmail?!?! Anyways still have my iPhone 7 and Watch but time will tell.

Needless to say sorry for the long post, but all in all loving the Surface Book (don't see replacing it until it gives up the ghost), and enjoying my limited time on Windows Phone 10 trying to see if I can get/make some 3rd party apps with UWP (Amazon Music, Google Voice), and work with continuum.

 

[anthonyng]

I can get/make some 3rd party apps with UWP (Amazon Music, Google Voice), and work with continuum.

Omg if you get google voice working or even better, making calls with google hangout I'll throw all my monies at you

 

[Boomwaller]

That's the first one on my list to work on! As long as Google doesn't pull the APIs or block it looking to essentially make it a browser\app combo to skirt their rules