the beginning of the end of the surface?

[theecosystem]

Steven Sinofsky Leaves Post As President Of Windows At Microsoft

what do you think? i think microsoft has to be in this for the long haul, even willing to take losses for the sake of getting a foot in the door. jumping in and out is only going to piss off people. i'm already kind of pissed about zune, but i'm hopeful they'll release an xbox music player or something. sometimes i'd like o have music without having to be tethered to a phone.

 

[Michael Alan Goff]

I don't think this will hurt the Surface -at all-.

 

[Dos101]

Well according to Thurrott it's because:

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer claimed Sinofsky’s departure was a “mutual” decision but hinted that Sinofsky didn’t work well with others and prevented Windows from moving forward more quickly. These are charges that have frequently been directed at the divisive Mr. Sinofsky, who has many detractors inside the company.

Could be true, who knows. I don't think this will effect Surface, or even Windows 8. In fact, maybe Sinofsky was hindering the better ideas that some had? Time will tell though.

 

[mparker]

I think this is very good for Surface and very good for Windows 9. From what I've heard, Sinofsky was the one that forced WinRT over WPF and Silverlight, and decided that Win RT would not support the WP Silverlight-based API. This makes me much less pessimistic about the future of the WP7/8 API.

 

[Highdefjunkie]

That's my biggest fear. I bought it a week ago and I freaking love, love the device. Couldn't be happier, but I'm tempting to return it in fear that they won't support it or the sales are low. I don't want to be stuck with a worthless pad. What do you all think?

 

[NickA]

That's my biggest fear. I bought it a week ago and I freaking love, love the device. Couldn't be happier, but I'm tempting to return it in fear that they won't support it or the sales are low. I don't want to be stuck with a worthless pad. What do you all think?

I think you have a legitimate fear, but all signs point to Microsoft being all in on this. The Surface tablet is going to be pretty expensive, so I think the Surface RT is still going to remain popular for people looking for a tablet that runs Windows 8.

I'm in for 645.00 (including tax) for my 32GB Surface w/Touch cover, and when I see something like the Lenovo Yoga, or some of the Ultrabook Convertibles, I wonder if I should have just spent the few hundred more and got one of those. But then I'd feel like I was carrying around my laptop all the time, and as a developer I'm in front of a computer all day. So it's nice to step away and have a true tablet.

 

[Highdefjunkie]

I think you have a legitimate fear, but all signs point to Microsoft being all in on this. The Surface tablet is going to be pretty expensive, so I think the Surface RT is still going to remain popular for people looking for a tablet that runs Windows 8.

I'm in for 645.00 (including tax) for my 32GB Surface w/Touch cover, and when I see something like the Lenovo Yoga, or some of the Ultrabook Convertibles, I wonder if I should have just spent the few hundred more and got one of those. But then I'd feel like I was carrying around my laptop all the time, and as a developer I'm in front of a computer all day. So it's nice to step away and have a true tablet.

A friend of mind has the Yoga and in all honesty it's pretty heavy. I'd rather stick with my Surface. BTW - I paid for the same setup. Every single one of my Pro-Apple friends is in love with the Surface. They all say it makes the IPAD look old. That's the problem right now is MS needs to get the damn thing in stores. When people see it and hold it they are going to buy it. I have no idea why they won't put it more stores besides their own. Or bring the price down 100 bucks and it'll sell even more. Also, put it in more countries. WTF?!?!

 

[Digital Moe]

I don't think MS will throw in the towel with this, they have spent months hyping up the Surface they are in this for the long haul. Tablets are the new battle ground, in the mobile market they have a up hill battle but in the tablet market they have a chance to leapfrog Google and go after the number 2 spot.

 

[stephen_az]

You have eight posts and every one appears to be in some way negative. Quite frankly, this sort of post borders on a form of trolling. There is absolutely no logical connection between a senior person leaving and your inferred demise of a device that has been on the shelves for less than a month. This is the equivalent of asking whether the recent senior Apple departure signaled the end of the iPhone and iPad. Even your statement about having to "take losses" implies some negative situation where none exists. If people reacted to every management change at Apple or every Android mess by Google with half the level of negativity they direct at Microsoft, we would all be using rotary dial phones, TI (or HP) calculators, have the latest IBM Selectric typewriter on our desks, and some 8088 PC at the office running DOS, WordPerfect and Lotus 123.

 

[Highdefjunkie]

You have eight posts and every one appears to be in some way negative. Quite frankly, this sort of post borders on a form of trolling. There is absolutely no logical connection between a senior person leaving and your inferred demise of a device that has been on the shelves for less than a month. This is the equivalent of asking whether the recent senior Apple departure signaled the end of the iPhone and iPad. Even your statement about having to "take losses" implies some negative situation where none exists. If people reacted to every management change at Apple or every Android mess by Google with half the level of negativity they direct at Microsoft, we would all be using rotary dial phones, TI (or HP) calculators, have the latest IBM Selectric typewriter on our desks, and some 8088 PC at the office running DOS, WordPerfect and Lotus 123.

I don't think it has anything to do with him leaving MS today, I'm just worried about sales. I wish they would get the product out there already. Get in more stores and more countries.

 

[crystal_planet]

That's my biggest fear. I bought it a week ago and I freaking love, love the device. Couldn't be happier, but I'm tempting to return it in fear that they won't support it or the sales are low. I don't want to be stuck with a worthless pad. What do you all think?

I think you should dump it asap and run, don't walk to an Apple store to pick up an iPad4. Especially if you "couldn't be happier" with your Surface - makes total sense.

Fear is an awesome motivator.

 

[GoodThings2Life]

Most of you probably don't follow tech news (let alone Microsoft news and product cycles) the way I do as an IT guy, but this sort of thing ALWAYS happens after big launches. People leave. People come. People change roles. It's that "been there done that" mentality and also knowing that sometimes... something or someone isn't right for the role.

Sinofsky is a hugely talented individual. He brought a lot of discipline to the Windows team which was needed desperately after XP and Vista. He was also a bit of a jerk (so I hear). When you hear about alienating a few people, it's just people not agreeing with management styles. When you hear about whole groups of senior staffers and employees leaving and changing roles just to avoid him... something is wrong.

As I told someone else last night, you don't get to walk around life acting like Dr. House and expect to get away with it forever.

 

[mapexvenus]

In my opinion as a Surface owner who stood on line on launch day, I think that the device will go the way of the BlackBerry Playbook. I think that the other OEM's like Asus and Lenovo will figure out how to get Windows on a tablet and these will be the devices that sell. The Surface will be remembered as the catalyst that prompted everyone else to get on the ball, nothing more. Unfortunately.

 

[theecosystem]

You have eight posts and every one appears to be in some way negative. Quite frankly, this sort of post borders on a form of trolling. There is absolutely no logical connection between a senior person leaving and your inferred demise of a device that has been on the shelves for less than a month. This is the equivalent of asking whether the recent senior Apple departure signaled the end of the iPhone and iPad. Even your statement about having to "take losses" implies some negative situation where none exists. If people reacted to every management change at Apple or every Android mess by Google with half the level of negativity they direct at Microsoft, we would all be using rotary dial phones, TI (or HP) calculators, have the latest IBM Selectric typewriter on our desks, and some 8088 PC at the office running DOS, WordPerfect and Lotus 123.

in the last 3 weeks i've bought a 64gb surface and left a sprint contract to move to att for the lumia 920. my contract w/ att will cost me more per month than my contract w/ sprint did. i've also bought some nice custom leather cases for both devices. no one here is more on board w/ windows mobile and surface than i am. but honestly, i could not care less what you think about my intentions.

 

[NickA]

in the last 3 weeks i've bought a 64gb surface and left a sprint contract to move to att for the lumia 920. my contract w/ att will cost me more per month than my contract w/ sprint did. i've also bought some nice custom leather cases for both devices. no one here is more on board w/ windows mobile and surface than i am. but honestly, i could not care less what you think about my intentions.

Do you have a link or a pic of the leather case? I'm still searching for something. I picked up a cheap messenger type bag at WalMart last weekend and it works ok, but I wouldn't mind something a little more professional looking for when I got to meetings.

 

[theecosystem]

Do you have a link or a pic of the leather case? I'm still searching for something. I picked up a cheap messenger type bag at WalMart last weekend and it works ok, but I wouldn't mind something a little more professional looking for when I got to meetings.

sure! here it is. every person i contacted in etsy said they could make a case for the surface if i sent dimensions. just search ipad or macbook cases.

13 inch MacBook Air sleeve macbook Air 13 sleeve by santileather

 

[11B1P]

That's my biggest fear. I bought it a week ago and I freaking love, love the device. Couldn't be happier, but I'm tempting to return it in fear that they won't support it or the sales are low. I don't want to be stuck with a worthless pad. What do you all think?

Sales are low. You really should dump the Surface. I'll take it off your hands for $300 and heck, I'll even pay the shipping!

 

[GoodThings2Life]

Sales are low. You really should dump the Surface. I'll take it off your hands for $300 and heck, I'll even pay the shipping!

Really? What gives you that impression? Do you have an insider giving you sales figures? I've talked several people into picking them up for the holidays... including two cute, young girls at an Outback that were talking about getting new iPads. Once they saw mine, they were like, "wait, we can do all the same stuff plus our school work on it... that is soooo cool."

in the last 3 weeks i've bought a 64gb surface and left a sprint contract to move to att for the lumia 920. my contract w/ att will cost me more per month than my contract w/ sprint did. i've also bought some nice custom leather cases for both devices. no one here is more on board w/ windows mobile and surface than i am. but honestly, i could not care less what you think about my intentions.

Agreed. I have a Surface and Lumia 920, and they are catching more attention with my coworkers and friends than any other gadget, and I have spoken to a lot of people who are now jaded by the iPhone and iPad experiences they've had.

I hope Microsoft and Nokia and the carriers are going to start with a much heavier advertising campaign.

 

[DougB541#CB]

Really? What gives you that impression? Do you have an insider giving you sales figures? I've talked several people into picking them up for the holidays... including two cute, young girls at an Outback that were talking about getting new iPads. Once they saw mine, they were like, "wait, we can do all the same stuff plus our school work on it... that is soooo cool."

I think he was being sarcastic. No one but Microsoft knows the sales but NPD believes sales have been strong.

 

[Gken]

A friend of mind has the Yoga and in all honesty it's pretty heavy. I'd rather stick with my Surface. BTW - I paid for the same setup. Every single one of my Pro-Apple friends is in love with the Surface. They all say it makes the IPAD look old. That's the problem right now is MS needs to get the damn thing in stores. When people see it and hold it they are going to buy it. I have no idea why they won't put it more stores besides their own. Or bring the price down 100 bucks and it'll sell even more. Also, put it in more countries. WTF?!?!

Yeah I have multiple friends that were like OMFG I want that. Apple really got lazy with innovation honestly, I respect them for doing all the amazing things they do but still the same thing gets old. It's crazy to even say this but, Microsoft is pulling business away from Apple and will continue to do so slowly but surely.