Surface Reviews Thread

[cgk]

Great - someone has cut and paste the whole thing about half-way down this page in an easy to read form:

Surface |OT| - Page 3 - NeoGAF

In terms of its hardware and operating system, the Microsoft Surface with Windows RT is a very good product. It's very light, and powerful enough to run a version of Windows, so it's very attractive to Windows early adopters as well as business users who have plans to migrate to Windows 8. It's powerful enough to be a daily carry device for work, always with you on your commute across the state or across the country. It shares some programs and its main interface with Windows 8, which is a boon, provided you get used to using the new Windows UI. Users who haven't yet tried Windows 8 will have to get used to the new way of doing things, but since Microsoft has mandated that all new PCs come with either Windows 8 or Windows RT, you'll have to start using the new UI on new Windows PCs and tablets eventually.

 

[power5]

I love how he lists the proprietary mag safe power port as a con on a surface, but everyone LOVES the proprietary mag safe power port on the MBs.

 

[SlickShoesRUCrazy]

the only negative thing that engadget had was apps.

 

[Vallos]

Engadget
The Verge - 7 out 10
Cnet - 3.5 out of 5

 

[SlickShoesRUCrazy]

verge = 7

gizmodo said no buy( not really surprised though. They hate anything Microsoft)>

 

[the_thunderbird]

BGR Review

" But even as it stands today, the Surface provides a terrific experience right out of the box and it will only get better over time."

 

[joeynox]

The verge review complained that the kick stand can't be used on your lap .

The platform has few apps

Complained about not being able to use legacy apps

These aren't things that should hurt the review. Every review I've read complained about the legacy applications . It's like people are forgetting the RT is not windows 8 its IOS

 

[ironsoulreaver]

Gizmodo

This is a horrible review... He talks about Windows RT like it should launch as a fully evolved echosystem. While there are some really weird quirks about this system when it comes to file management and Office running in desktop mode (I don't mind because it allows for good multitasking) he treats the lack of a populated app store and being incompatible with x86 software as if it's an unexcusable failure for a 1st generation Operating System. This guy is deffinately someone who I would never trust for reviews.

 

[the_thunderbird]

All Things D

"Microsoft’s Surface is a tablet with some pluses: the major Office apps and nice, optional keyboards. If you can live with its tiny number of third-party apps, and somewhat disappointing battery life, it may give you the productivity some miss in other tablets."

 

[jmerrey]

One consistent thing that is coming from these reviews, besides the lack of apps which we already knew, is performance issues. I really hope MS cleans these up quickly.

I will say, I really wish MS could have knocked this out of the park. As it stands, they obviously didn't.

 

[1101x10]

Microsoft?s first stab at a tablet: Surface reviewed | Ars Technica

 

[joeynox]

I love the windows 8 UI and want a good tablet and an RT with IPad performance wasn't asking too much but it looks like Microsoft dropped the ball. There's no excuse for the surface to feel sliggish or IE loading we pages up 9 seconds longer than safari on the ipad3.

 

[Grimlock]

I'm surprised none of you linked the Anandtech review- best review I've come across

AnandTech - Microsoft Surface Review

"The Windows RT experience, in many senses, is clearly ahead of what many competitors offer in the tablet space today. Multitasking, task switching and the ability to have multiple applications active on the screen at once are all big advantages that Microsoft enjoys. For productivity workloads, Surface is without equal in the tablet space."

 

[bobsentell]

While I'm holding out for the HP ElitePad, these reviews are on par with what I expected. Engadget, I believe, made the best point when they said that app developers would be stupid to ignore Windows 8 RT. Whatever you think about Surface itself, Windows 8 RT has the potential to outshine the iPad in terms of marketshare.

While iPad may do better than any one W8 tablet, as a whole Windows 8 RT will grow fast. So the app issue will fix itself.

As for the battery, I find it interesting how one reviewer says "battery sucks" while another will say "battery about as good as iPad".

As for Gizmodo, they are the literal definition of Apple fanboys. I'd have been worried if they did like it.

 

[the_thunderbird]

It sounds like there were some fairly substantial bug fixes during the review period from Microsoft. While perhaps a bit unfortunate from a potential-consumer perspective reading reviews, it is nice to know there is immediate action to correct issues with the device. Given most of it seems to lie with software it does not seem like a huge issue to me. Even BB sorted out the PlayBook, at least to an extent. All Things D recognized that all but one issue was fixed within this week.

 

[smoledman]

The verge review complained that the kick stand can't be used on your lap .

The platform has few apps

Complained about not being able to use legacy apps

These aren't things that should hurt the review. Every review I've read complained about the legacy applications . It's like people are forgetting the RT is not windows 8 its IOS

#1 - Agreed - the form factor is awkward and nigh unusable in either orientation. I can't believe Microsoft failed to perform ergonomic studies. There is a certain width that you hold your arms apart that crosses a threshold into causing fatigue and it seems this device crosses that boundary. I bet everyone in the Surface group though this thing looked really cool and did ZERO ergonomic studies. Yes the kickstand is useless except for desk usage.

#2 - The average consumer will see "Windows" and be confused as to why it has a Desktop but it can't install VLC. Another branding FAIL. Should have called it Zune RT or something.

Anyways I think Windows RT is an innovative OS, but the form factor kills it.

 

[smoledman]

Gizmodo

This is a horrible review... He talks about Windows RT like it should launch as a fully evolved echosystem. While there are some really weird quirks about this system when it comes to file management and Office running in desktop mode (I don't mind because it allows for good multitasking) he treats the lack of a populated app store and being incompatible with x86 software as if it's an unexcusable failure for a 1st generation Operating System. This guy is deffinately someone who I would never trust for reviews.

#1 - ever hear of a spellcheck? You made 3 spelling errors.
#2 - Why should all reviews be done my MS sycophants? I want to hear the opinions of Apple fans. Steve Jobs would take the criticism in stride and seek to improve the Surface, not get all defensive and insist everything is fine. But Steve Jobs is dead and he never would helm Microsoft. Steve Ballmer is not Jobs. His RDF is 100x bigger than Jobs' ever was.

 

[bobsentell]

I'm surprised none of you linked the Anandtech review- best review I've come across

AnandTech - Microsoft Surface Review

This sentence in this review is what I have been screaming ever since someone brought up the issue with backwards compatibility.

The lack of backwards compatibility is a bit of a concern, but if you?re cross shopping between Surface and an iOS/Android tablet you?re not going to get backwards compatibility anyway making it a non-issue.

Thank God someone finally printed it.

 

[blahdre]

NY Times

 

[doomtuba]

I always go to Anand for reviews. They are always unbiased and go really in depth. I trust them the most.

Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express