[vdek]

Gaming...yeah, it would be great to play some of my favorites (Portal Series, the GOG.COM games, my Amiga and C64 Emulators.) but I'll wait to see what the future holds.

I would love to play some older games on the Surface RT too, and it's got the horsepower to spare to play them! Sadly they have to be rewritten and recompiled so we won't be seeing too many of the older games on our Surface RT :( Some Freespace2 would be sweet.

[garak0410]

I would love to play some older games on the Surface RT too, and it's got the horsepower to spare to play them! Sadly they have to be rewritten and recompiled so we won't be seeing too many of the older games on our Surface RT :( Some Freespace2 would be sweet.

I did check with Amiga Forever, and Windows RT HAS been considered for a rewrite of Amiga Forever and C64 Forever but only in the consideration phase.

[vdek]

That would be great, also if we could somehow bring over a version of DOSBox for some more classics!

[Reflexx]

I'm not buying this. I've read so many blogs that say the the Surface RT is a "demo" to OEM's of what a tablet should be. Pretty expensive demo if that's the case. I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm saying it's unheard of to create and market a product, and it's only intent is for it to be an example. Doesn't make sense.

It's not a demo. It's a standard setter.

The Surface is still meant to be profitable. It is meant to create buzz. It's meant to earn some good money for Microsoft's stores.

But it's NOT meant to be some huge product deployment.

Surface is a showcase for Windows RT and Windows 8. MS wants OEMs to SUCCESSFULLY compete with Surface.

Why does this make sense? Because with Windows 7, OEMS were churning out crappy low quality hardware. What did typical users do when they got their hands on cheap hardware? I can tell you what they DIDN'T say.

They didn't say, "Wow. This netbook doesn't have the required processing power to properly run this OS effectively."
They didn't say, "Gee whiz. Look at this. The resources are being hogged up by all of this preinstalled extra software."
They didn't say, "It must be running bad because of all the free nifty cool software the manufacturer gave me!"

Nope.

Instead they said things like, "Windows sucks." or "Windows is slow."

Surface exists to hold OEMs accountable. Consumers can say, "How come it runs decently on Surface, but it sucks on this machine? This manufacturer must have made a crappy computer. It's not because of Windows."

This is what I agree with as well. Why advertise the thing so much and not make it readily available to everyone? If I'm a "normal" user, I'd see the commercial, and then wonder where I could at least look/touch one.

Windows 8 and Windows RT.

A consumer can walk into Best Buy and pick up an Asus tablet and think, "This is kind of like Surface."

Let's be honest. Consumers get excited about products, not operating systems.

Sure, there are cool Windows 8 commercials out there. But "Windows 8" isn't a cool item to buy for most people. All the Windows 8 ads do is make the transition look less scary and more inviting.

But real tangible products get people excited. Even if people don't actually pick up that particular product.

Think about what the Droid phone did for ALL Android handsets.

[Reflexx]

While I don't believe Surface needs a gillion apps to be successful, the Surface does lack some "killer" apps...the "must have" app to get people to come over.

I think that MS Office is a killer app.

Would I like more killer apps? Heck yeah.

But MS Office is pretty awesome.

[Reflexx]

I personally love Windows RT. I wasn't sure it would be enough for me at first, but I haven't turned on my real PC in quite a while.

I think what could increase RT adoption isn't so much just more apps, but better integration with other MS products and services. I'd like it to get to the point where it really feels like my XBOX, Windows RT tablet, and Windows Phone are really talking to each other.

[garak0410]

I think that MS Office is a killer app.

Would I like more killer apps? Heck yeah.

But MS Office is pretty awesome.

Agreed...Office is good...though since I work for a small business with HEAVY Excel Macro and VBA use, the Surface RT is starting to lose it's functionality for me. At least from a development sense.

[Reflexx]

Agreed...Office is good...though since I work for a small business with HEAVY Excel Macro and VBA use, the Surface RT is starting to lose it's functionality for me. At least from a development sense.

Oh yeah, of course. I'm sure that you know it wasn't meant for that though.

But now that you mention development... maybe I can use that as an excuse to buy a Surface Pro. I do really want to get back into learning programming. heh heh heh

[FinsUpDNC]

Windows 8 has sold 40 million copies (oem and consumer). Typical windows numbers means in a few years that there will be a few hundred million copies out there. Apps made for the metro style store will be made, and they will be made fast. Those are apps that can easily be made to run on RT. Even if msoft does not sell millions of surfaces, the device is going to get better and better.

[garak0410]

Oh yeah, of course. I'm sure that you know it wasn't meant for that though.

But now that you mention development... maybe I can use that as an excuse to buy a Surface Pro. I do really want to get back into learning programming. heh heh heh

And I wish I could GET AWAY from learning program. I am the sole IT guy for a multi-million dollar metal building company. While I've made this place more stable and safe than ever, they now want me to get in and maintain and perhaps build upon their Excel VBA sheets. Yuck! I guess having a Surface RT means it is for fun only! :)

[runamuck83]

Sounds familiar

[lennyk1313]

To me Surface is a productivity tool, not a toy like an iPad. When I had my iPad I always had to properly prepare before the customer meeting to make sure I had the right files and so on to do my presentations, take notes, etc. Now even if I forget something, I can still do everything I need to do, as I would with my laptop. I never found myself needing anything extra. Would I like some extra Apps for it, absolutely, but its not a deal breaker for me. Now with my Lumia 920, its a killer combo :)

[runamuck83]

To me Surface is a productivity tool, not a toy like an iPad. When I had my iPad I always had to properly prepare before the customer meeting to make sure I had the right files and so on to do my presentations, take notes, etc. Now even if I forget something, I can still do everything I need to do, as I would with my laptop. I never found myself needing anything extra. Would I like some extra Apps for it, absolutely, but its not a deal breaker for me. Now with my Lumia 920, its a killer combo :)

It really needs Cisco Anyconnect VPN though to 100% accomplish this

[lennyk1313]

Yes I would love Cisco VPN to get in to my work intranet, but in the mean time i log in to my home PC via Logmein or Team viewer to accomplish the same :)

[inteller]

Correction, surface is perfect. What's not is windows RT. Guys start getting this right, cos its becoming misleading for members trying to read facts before buying.

POST should read, does MS have the guts to make Windows RT a success?


EDIT: and people crying for apps when they have a full blown IE, what do i need a facebook app for when i can browse the .com,
i just need a torrent app, and a good media player and i wont visit the store again. All the apps i need are on my mobile.

who cares, once enough apps are in the Windows Store consumers won't know he difference. It is already starting to get that way for me. Just a few more top tier apps and I'll be taken care of.

[garak0410]

To me Surface is a productivity tool, not a toy like an iPad. When I had my iPad I always had to properly prepare before the customer meeting to make sure I had the right files and so on to do my presentations, take notes, etc. Now even if I forget something, I can still do everything I need to do, as I would with my laptop. I never found myself needing anything extra. Would I like some extra Apps for it, absolutely, but its not a deal breaker for me. Now with my Lumia 920, its a killer combo :)

Yes...with the 920, it is a killer combo. I do find myself using the 920 more than the Surface here lately though...

[jasqid]

While I don't believe Surface needs a gillion apps to be successful, the Surface does lack some "killer" apps...the "must have" app to get people to come over.

What app? That is just a blanket statement that is open to everyone's perception and need.

[inteller]

Facebook, Twitter, proper eBay and Amazon apps (the current ones are eye candy, functionality is a joke), more banking apps like Chase and Etrade. More game houses like Big Fish and Donut games titles.

[NickA]

Why do we need a Facebook and Twitter app for the Surface RT? They both are identical to running them in a browser.

[inteller]

uh no. Is the FB on windows phone identical to running in a browser? No. There are tons of touch optimizations they could make for a tablet app, JUST LIKE iPAD. For a twitter app I'm mainly looking for an app that isn't going to "run out of tokens" or whatever the ****. If MS would make the People app suck less I might relent, but it is a joke atm.

[NickA]

uh no. Is the FB on windows phone identical to running in a browser? No. There are tons of touch optimizations they could make for a tablet app, JUST LIKE iPAD. For a twitter app I'm mainly looking for an app that isn't going to "run out of tokens" or whatever the ****. If MS would make the People app suck less I might relent, but it is a joke atm.

No, FB on the Surface. Same for Twitter. There's no difference running on the Surface RT or running it in Chrome on my desktop/laptop.

[inteller]

wth?!?! I don't want to run FB in a browser. FB in a browser is NOT optimized for touch! Neither is twitter! And I'm TIRED of being told "just use a browser" when a proper app is not available. Just go use the Facebook app on iPad and then tell me that FB in a browser is the same.

[FinsUpDNC]

wth?!?! I don't want to run FB in a browser. FB in a browser is NOT optimized for touch! Neither is twitter! And I'm TIRED of being told "just use a browser" when a proper app is not available. Just go use the Facebook app on iPad and then tell me that FB in a browser is the same.

While your opinion seems to be the popular one, it is funny that even Facebook took forever to make an iPad app because they said just use the browser. I expect we will see a Facebook app soon just based on the Windows 8 installs (not just RT) as being in the store it will work on all devices.

[inteller]

that had more to do with Facebook's total lack of any kind of mobile strategy before. Their stockholders are pretty much demanding they get into mobile in a big way, so not having a Windows 8 app would be pretty dumb.

I also find this insinuation that no development should occur until install numbers go up to a certain amount as just utterly ridiculous. As if Windows is just going to "go away" or something. If you aren't development for the future footprint on Windows (metro/modern/whatever) I'm sorry but you are a fool because that IS the way Microsoft is going.

[mparker]

I also find this insinuation that no development should occur until install numbers go up to a certain amount as just utterly ridiculous.

Why? If they believe the market is too small to justify the development and support costs, why should developers waste their time and money on it? They aren't charities and those bills don't pay themselves.

As if Windows is just going to "go away" or something. If you aren't development for the future footprint on Windows (metro/modern/whatever) I'm sorry but you are a fool because that IS the way Microsoft is going

Maybe. That doesn't mean that we should be working on them anytime soon. Microsoft has been known to change their mind before. If developers followed Microsoft's every whim they'd never get anything useful done. If Microsoft does stick with WinRT then within a few years (sometime around the release of WinRT 3.0) it should be sufficiently mature to start doing serious work with it. Meanwhile I'll keep an eye on WinRT's progress, and if it starts looking significantly improved I'll reevaluate my stance.