Hello from Rhode Island

[John M Beauchemin]

Hey guys, I'm new here. Been a loyal iPhone user/buyer since day 1 of the very first iPhone. I think in Android and Microsoft there are finally competitors with products strong enough to pull me away from Apple. I use Windows PC's daily for work and play, for decades, and am excited at the prospect of having a phone that will not only integrate with everything I do on my PCs, but also have the same interface. For that reason, I am now considering buying a Windows phone. I'm also considering Android (The screen on the Galaxy S6 is jaw dropping), but I'm waiting to see what Microsoft has to say on Oct 6th. Obviously, given my reasoning above, I'd prefer to have a Windows phone rather than buy another alien OS... but I do have my concerns based on Windows Phone performance in the past.

I also use an iPad2 as a daily driver, and have an ancient Dell laptop that needed to be replaced 5 years ago, and am looking to replace them both with either an iPad pro or a Surface Pro. I'm a digital artist, so I'm hoping Microsoft blows me away with their pen tech on the Surface Pro 4's because otherwise I'm going to have to buy an iPad Pro and ruin my grand designs of one OS to rule them all.

Anyway, I'm posting all this just to say I'm excited for the Lumia 950 phones as I think they're very attractive and have several features that I am wicked excited for, in particular the super high resolution OLED screen, USB-C connector, 20MP camera, removable storage, and replaceable battery! The battery on my iPhone only holds a charge for about 6 hours, and it shuts off at 30% and there's nothing the 'geniuses' have been able to do about it.

I'm looking forward to handling one of the new Lumias at an MS store pretty soon and maybe finally making the big leap away from iOS.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Hi John and welcome to WindowsCentral.

I'm glad you've joined our community.

 

[fatclue_98]

Welcome aboard John. Sounds like you've done your homework and your needs are clearly defined. If inking is high on your priority list I strongly advise you to stop at a brick and mortar and play with each device you're interested in. The Surface Pro uses N-Trig's technology which is not as precise as the older Wacom you may have used in the past. I have no idea what the Apple Pencil uses and I don't know how their palm rejection works.

Don't be a stranger.

 

[John M Beauchemin]

Yeah, I most definitely need to try before I buy when it comes to pen/stylus tech. Apple looks like they've really nailed it, but palm rejection was high on my list of concerns since the fact that everyone demo'ing it in videos keeps their hand entirely off of the screen, which is not how I draw. However, if the Surface Pro is decent enough, it might still win over the iPad since I would only be using the tablet to sketch, not to do finished work, since my workstation has a Cintiq22HD on an ergotron arm. Also, I'm primarily a 3D animator, so I wouldn't be using it for my primary job, just to sketch ideas and crit my own work. I tried and liked the Surface3's at best Buy a few weeks ago, so unless the Surface4 pen tech is actually worse than the S3's, I think I'm good.

 

[fatclue_98]

That's right, I forgot the Surface 3 also has pen support. That's probably a safer choice over the more expensive Pro series.


Sent from HP Elitebook 2730p on Tapatalk

 

[ven07]

Hey John, welcome

I use Windows PC's daily for work and play, for decades, and am excited at the prospect of having a phone that will not only integrate with everything I do on my PCs, but also have the same interface. For that reason, I am now considering buying a Windows phone.

I think this is the approach MS is going for as well, so I'm glad to see that it's working

but I do have my concerns based on Windows Phone performance in the past.

Trust me, even long time WP supporters are wary at this point

 

[John M Beauchemin]

That's right, I forgot the Surface 3 also has pen support. That's probably a safer choice over the more expensive Pro series.

Well, I meant SurfacePro3, but yeah. I tried both the regular surfaces and the Surface Pro (an i5 I think it was). While they both felt identical just browsing the web, the software I use to sketch would probably not run on the regular Surface's.

 

[Rose640]

Welcome bro. I wish you the very best experience on Windows platform if you switch.

 

[worldspy99]

Welcome to Windows Central John and thanks for the excellent intro. Always nice to see folks do their homework and not get into OS bashing at the outset

 

[rhapdog]

Welcome to Windows Central, John. I think as far as researching your options, visiting here can help you gain a lot of valuable info in order to properly evaluate the situation for your final decision.

fatclue_98 is right. I think you should try each one before you make the purchase. You'll want to test out the Surface Pro 4 and compare it to the iPad Pro. Find out which pen/pencil work best for your specific needs and the way you work. It's all about the way you work, not what someone else thinks about the OS or Hardware. It needs to fit you.

Something to consider when deciding between a Surface Pro 4 and an iPad Pro is that the Surface Pro 4, while it won't be as powerful as a $10,000 dedicated workstation, will be able to handle 3D modeling to a fair extent while the iPad Pro simply will not have all the capabilities that the Surface Pro will have. It's the difference between a tablet OS and a full OS that can also work on a tablet, and also a difference in the hardware specs.

 

[John M Beauchemin]

Yeah, I think Apple made a huge mistake in not putting OSX on the iPadPro. For that reason, it's not really a direct competitor to Surface Pro.

 

[fatclue_98]

Correct me if I'm wrong but OS X doesn't support touch. I can't believe Apple hasn't found a way to alleviate this situation. While they sit on their hands, the Surface line is eating Apple's lunch in the tablet sector.

 

[Indistinguishable]

Welcome!

I join in you in excitement for the Lumia 950 and 950X!

 

[RumoredNow]

Welcome to the board...

Not long now and we all will know more...

 

[Ed Boland]

Welcome to the site John. We're happy to have you on board!

 

[rhapdog]

Yeah, I think Apple made a huge mistake in not putting OSX on the iPadPro. For that reason, it's not really a direct competitor to Surface Pro.

Sorry for taking so long to respond. I've been rather unavailable with a "series of unfortunate events" that I'll try not to talk about here.

If Apple were to put OSX on the iPadPro, then it would be able to run OSX programs but not iPad Apps. A serious dilemma for sure.

They would basically have to do an entirely new mobile OS which would alienate all the current base of apps. A new OS that would allow apps to run on both platforms and provide touch to OSX. This is something Microsoft could afford to do because the market share was low and it didn't affect as many. With Windows 10, Microsoft will begin cleaning up in the years to come. Apple won't be able to catch up to this way of doing things without totally wiping out their current advantage. Since Android doesn't really have a desktop OS, it is possible that Android could be expanded to become one, but all current apps are made for smaller screens and do not adapt well to a large monitor, which means most of the apps on their store would be completely useless in a continuum situation.

Only Microsoft will be able to pull it off without clearing out the current apps, because it's something they started with 8.1. The future will be interesting to watch for sure.

 

[Bobvfr]

I am in the UK and I have to say Rhode Island seems the nicest part of the US and indeed the whole of North America, I would love to visit some day, maybe in the fall and become a leafer, and visit the Clam (Is Jerome still running the place), I would visit Spooner St but it could turn out a bit awkward as I really have a thing about Lois Griffin and would hate to cause a domestic but god she is one hot woman, are they all like that in Rhode Island, not many places in the world that would see me giving up warm English beer for, but I could just do with a pint of patriot just now, it's thinking about Lois, it's turning me to drink...................

 

[RumoredNow]

I am in the UK and I have to say Rhode Island seems the nicest part of the US and indeed the whole of North America...

Way to alienate the vast majority of a continent, including England Jr.: AKA Canada.

:winktongue:

 

[Implement]

My name is Jon and I am also from Rhode Island.

I DO believe in dopplegangers, but I don't think you are mine. At least I hope not.