Can Surface succeed as a consumer product?

[SwimSwim]

Microsoft made a wise choice in buying ad space during THE WALKING DEAD. I was watching last night's episode and there was a Surface ad during every other commercial break. And the ads were good not goofy. That's a great step in the right direction.

If they can generate consumer buzz this holiday shopping season (I still believe that they will), they will continue to build momentum.

Are the aforementioned ads available on YouTube? If so, links please? If it's just the Surface Frames commercial, then yeah, I'm in love with that commercial. I literally watch it once a day simply because I'm amazed at just how good it is, it's just as impressionable (in my personal opinion, obviously the impact will differ from person to person) as Apple's famous, "Here's to the Crazy Ones" commercial.

I love them, both, as they're both incredible and amazing. But it's stupendous to think the Surface Frames commercial came from Microsoft (which has long been infamous for awful marketing). Sure, the wedding and the play commercials gave a good laugh, and that strategy may work for Doritos, but Microsoft needs more of the new commercials (Surface Frames and Xbox: Come On). They leave people interested and excited about the product. Advertising seems to always be a hit or miss for Microsoft, but if they keep this new trend up, they could very well be paving their way towards success.

 

[SwimSwim]

I really am hopeful for the future of the Surface line. They are great products when you view them for what they are.

The Surface is what a tablet would be like in a world where tablets evolved from netbooks rather than smartphones. It is a tablet PC ccrafted with a different mindset and guiding set of principals than the iPad and the many android tablets out there.

Surface 2 is the greatest netbook ever made. It is the logical evolution of that type of computer into the modern age, but far higher quality than netbooks ever were.

Agreed. It's as I always rant about, the Surface isn't a tablet, and it isn't a PC. It's, simply put: a Surface. A tablet is for just consuming media, maybe doing a quick edit on the side in a Word Doc. A PC is for creating things, but it's not meant to be used for daily travel, to follow you where the road takes you.

The Surface is meant to allow you to be productive, creative, spontaneous whenever the urge occurs to you. It's designed that it can almost always follow you where ever life takes you next. I love it for that. It's so incredible to know I can get something done whenever necessary. The Surface isn't tablet, PC, or netbook. In a word, there's only one way to truly describe it in full detail. It's nothing more, nothing less, than:

Surface.

 

[Highdefjunkie]

Didn't they change PR firms recently?

 

[ohgood]

Yeah, the Surface 2 (RT) is becoming less of a joke and people are starting to get it. I honestly think that Chrome OS is helping it. They both are basically the same it does what it does very, very well, but people see S2 and think hell this does tons more and has office? No-brainer. People are embracing the less is more shtick.

You've actually heard people say " I want THAT tablet because it has office on it." ?


I know we're supposed to say nice things about the surface line, but if it was selling well, ms would be chest thumping and posting up sales records, having found the formula for selling slabs. And apple would be worried


Also..
Keep in mind each time you call it am S2 , you're steering people to Samsung Galaxy 2 smartphones from the search results.

 

[Highdefjunkie]

You've actually heard people say " I want THAT tablet because it has office on it." ?


I know we're supposed to say nice things about the surface line, but if it was selling well, ms would be chest thumping and posting up sales records, having found the formula for selling slabs. And apple would be worried


Also..
Keep in mind each time you call it am S2 , you're steering people to Samsung Galaxy 2 smartphones from the search results.

YES! Of course. I have users at work how get it to travel with (lighter then their laptops) because of office. This is a good business laptop replacement.

 

[WillysJeepMan]

I really am hopeful for the future of the Surface line. They are great products when you view them for what they are.

The Surface is what a tablet would be like in a world where tablets evolved from netbooks rather than smartphones. It is a tablet PC ccrafted with a different mindset and guiding set of principals than the iPad and the many android tablets out there.

Surface 2 is the greatest netbook ever made. It is the logical evolution of that type of computer into the modern age, but far higher quality than netbooks ever were.

Thank you for saying that. I've been saying the same thing for a while but people would prefer to make a direct comparison to the iPad instead. I believe THAT (Surface 2/RT vs. netbook) is a more accurate comparison to be made.

 

[ohgood]

YES! Of course. I have users at work how get it to travel with (lighter then their laptops) because of office. This is a good business laptop replacement.

So they're all buying the pro ? Which storage size?

 

[Highdefjunkie]

So they're all buying the pro ? Which storage size?

No Surface 2

 

[Polychrome]

I give a resounding maybe.

But I also think that outselling iPads isn't Microsoft's intent here.

Word of mouth is the biggest advertisement. And many users probably don't want/care about windows 8. If you like a shiny desktop, you might even prefer to leave that on windows 7.

Now, I had a surface pro from the start. I work in a call center filled with a bunch of android and apple fanboys, who a year ago would be re-buying whatever made their tablet look better than the other guys.

Since I got this thing, I've noticed that a lot of people see it... and want it. The usual reaction is "OMG, I can do everything I want to on a tablet?" I've seen surface pros show up, but I've also seen other windows 8 tablets turn up as well, including a variety of RT models, usually owned by folks who want a productivity device without worrying about viruses and the like.

So I see this thread... and people are saying that if Microsoft has to depend on word of mouth they're sunk. But that's exactly what they're doing. And like most things that go viral, they start up slow and build momentum.

I think the surface is a means to an end: To sell Windows 8. Competition is *exactly* what Microsoft wants. They want all these manufacturers making a plethora of win 8 devices. And look at the neat stuff happening. Since when does WACOM build PCs? Now they are!

 

[rebornempowered]

I think one of the major problems they are up against is that the average person does not see a tablet as an autonomous device.

Microsoft needs to come up with some sort of wireless sync app that lets people send their music, videos, ebooks, etc. to the device. Most people use their iPads as giant iPods and I have seen people confused at the idea of the Surface and not sure how to get their stuff on it. While Skydrive is very nice in 8.1 most consumers don't use it.

 

[Highdefjunkie]

I think one of the major problems they are up against is that the average person does not see a tablet as an autonomous device.

Microsoft needs to come up with some sort of wireless sync app that lets people send their music, videos, ebooks, etc. to the device. Most people use their iPads as giant iPods and I have seen people confused at the idea of the Surface and not sure how to get their stuff on it. While Skydrive is very nice in 8.1 most consumers don't use it.

I kinda agree but a lot of people use skydrive esp MS and Apple users. You'd be surprised.

 

[Highdefjunkie]

I give a resounding maybe.

But I also think that outselling iPads isn't Microsoft's intent here.

Word of mouth is the biggest advertisement. And many users probably don't want/care about windows 8. If you like a shiny desktop, you might even prefer to leave that on windows 7.

Now, I had a surface pro from the start. I work in a call center filled with a bunch of android and apple fanboys, who a year ago would be re-buying whatever made their tablet look better than the other guys.

Since I got this thing, I've noticed that a lot of people see it... and want it. The usual reaction is "OMG, I can do everything I want to on a tablet?" I've seen surface pros show up, but I've also seen other windows 8 tablets turn up as well, including a variety of RT models, usually owned by folks who want a productivity device without worrying about viruses and the like.

So I see this thread... and people are saying that if Microsoft has to depend on word of mouth they're sunk. But that's exactly what they're doing. And like most things that go viral, they start up slow and build momentum.

I think the surface is a means to an end: To sell Windows 8. Competition is *exactly* what Microsoft wants. They want all these manufacturers making a plethora of win 8 devices. And look at the neat stuff happening. Since when does WACOM build PCs? Now they are!

The thing about the pro is it seems to be catching on with artist types more than anyone else. Penny-arcade.com has been a huge Surface pro fan since day 1. So much so MS sent him a Pro 2 for free. i don't know how many he's sold on his tweets. It's ironic because these type of guys have always been mac guys. It just shows how versatile these things are. Good review: http://www.penny-arcade.com/2013/10/28/surface-pro-2

 

[rebornempowered]

I kinda agree but a lot of people use skydrive esp MS and Apple users. You'd be surprised.

Likely but a sync app of some sort wouldn't be a bad idea regardless. I have zero issues because I just navigate through my network but many people don't know to do that.

Syncing document files is a snap with SkyDrive but moving a movie over that way is far from ideal.

 

[Highdefjunkie]

Likely but a sync app of some sort wouldn't be a bad idea regardless. I have zero issues because I just navigate through my network but many people don't know to do that.

Syncing document files is a snap with SkyDrive but moving a movie over that way is far from ideal.

Just use the USB.

 

[rebornempowered]

Just use the USB.

Obviously you are not understanding my point.

The average person has an iPod mentality with a tablet. You hook the device up to your computer and you sync it.

For the Surface you have to either know how to send it over the network, use SkyDrive, or put your stuff on a USB drive of some sort (as you just suggested) and then connect that to your other device. You can't just connect the Surface to your PC, well, because it is one itself.

Somehow being able to sync over your network from a laptop or desktop would be a nice feature for people who have the iPod mentality for a tablet. I prefer to just send stuff over my network using Windows Explorer but I don't think the majority of consumers know how to do that. Having some system to automate that for people would be nice.

 

[Jas00555]

Obviously you are not understanding my point.

The average person has an iPod mentality with a tablet. You hook the device up to your computer and you sync it.

For the Surface you have to either know how to send it over the network, use SkyDrive, or put your stuff on a USB drive of some sort (as you just suggested) and then connect that to your other device. You can't just connect the Surface to your PC, well, because it is one itself.

Somehow being able to sync over your network from a laptop or desktop would be a nice feature for people who have the iPod mentality for a tablet. I prefer to just send stuff over my network using Windows Explorer but I don't think the majority of consumers know how to do that. Having some system to automate that for people would be nice.

correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the Xbox music app on windows 8 do EXACTLY that? I may have done something without realizing it, but when I got my SP2 and I clicked the Xbox music app, it told me it was syncing my music, then all of my songs popped up. Even songs that were exclusively on my phone. I didn't even have to plug my phone in, it just got my info.

 

[rebornempowered]

correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the Xbox music app on windows 8 do EXACTLY that? I may have done something without realizing it, but when I got my SP2 and I clicked the Xbox music app, it told me it was syncing my music, then all of my songs popped up. Even songs that were exclusively on my phone. I didn't even have to plug my phone in, it just got my info.

Sounds like something good. I can't test it as my only Windows 8.1 device is my Surface RT. Thinking I will upgrade my desktop to 8.1 in a few weeks. Then we shall see.

 

[Highdefjunkie]

Obviously you are not understanding my point.

The average person has an iPod mentality with a tablet. You hook the device up to your computer and you sync it.

For the Surface you have to either know how to send it over the network, use SkyDrive, or put your stuff on a USB drive of some sort (as you just suggested) and then connect that to your other device. You can't just connect the Surface to your PC, well, because it is one itself.

Somehow being able to sync over your network from a laptop or desktop would be a nice feature for people who have the iPod mentality for a tablet. I prefer to just send stuff over my network using Windows Explorer but I don't think the majority of consumers know how to do that. Having some system to automate that for people would be nice.

Gotcha. I can't remember the last time I synced my device to my computer?

I'm pretty sure it does all of this when you first set it up.

 

[svenhassel]

I suggest doing a little more research on the history of Microsoft's predatory monopolistic practices. Google has not engaged in any of that and therefore no legal recourse was required. If you wanted to draw a moral equivalency, you would have to show that Google forced phone manufacturers to pay a volume license fee for Android for every phone they sell, regardless of whether or not that phone handset shipped with Android.

Man, google has a long history of monopolistic practices in several fields, and is under investigation in several places, especially in the European Union.

They don?t even show their competitor?s results in searches: thenextweb.com/google/2013/04/25/google-agrees-to-show-three-links-from-rival-services-in-its-search-results-for-the-next-five-years/
This "don?t be evil" BS slogan from google has to stop.

Please, don?t bash other people telling them to "do research".

 

[WillysJeepMan]

Man, google has a long history of monopolistic practices in several fields, and is under investigation in several places, especially in the European Union.

They don?t even show their competitor?s results in searches: thenextweb.com/google/2013/04/25/google-agrees-to-show-three-links-from-rival-services-in-its-search-results-for-the-next-five-years/
This "don?t be evil" BS slogan from google has to stop.

Please, don?t bash other people telling them to "do research".

I apologize if your delicate sensibilities consider an encouragement to do some research as "bashing".

The fact is that although you might believe that Google "has a long history of monopolistic practices", to the best of my knowledge they have not been found guilty by any federal governments (as Microsoft was). BTW, I'm not claiming that they don't do those things.