Microsoft's Surface turns first profit in 2 years

MIS Asia ^ | 10/26/2014 | Gregg Keizer

[dennisw]

I don’t bother with tablets but half their gimmick is being a camera with a large LCD display. I was socializing at a restaurant yesterday and a friend whipped out an older iPad and started showing me photos on it. Flipping through quickly... Plus the fact tablets can take photos.

So they are part camera/part photo display/ part a crippled lap top

[dennisw]

great review! thanks. Can it translate what you hand write into text

[kevkrom]

It actually turned a profit?

Sort of. Subtract advertising costs (not included in the numbers above) and they're probably back in the red.

[Alas Babylon!]

The amount of incorrect statements by FReepers on this subject is truly amazing!

I have a Surface 2—love it! It is not a cellular device but rather a full Windows operating system with Microsoft Office 2013 bundled in. It has built in WIFI but you need—just as you would for your desktop or laptop—access to a WIFI network.

I use the Microsoft Wireless Arc Mouse ($35) pictured here:

And the Microsoft Wedge Bluetooth keyboard ($60), here:

It is a very awesome setup and allows me freedom to place the device in many different configurations, such as on an airplane, at a meeting, at home on the coffee table or breakfast nook, etc., etc. The cover for the keyboard also acts as a tablet stand however the Surface has a built in stand. I really like the cover though as it keeps the keyboard clean and intact while in my backpack. The Arc Mouse folds up and nicely, too. The whole setup is very light-weight and easily transported and sets up out of the bag in about 1.5 minutes. I do have the clip on flat keyboard pictured above as it was bundled for free--I don't use it except as a cover when I'm carrying the device.

My Surface comes with an HDMI connector and a MicroSD port that accepts 64GB MicroSD chips--which I keep movies and music on. Along with my Dr. Dre Beats Bluetooth noise canceling headphones--a great companion on long air travel routes!

[minnesota_bound]

Microsoft looks to be stopping production
http://www.ubergizmo.com/2014/10/microsoft-may-stop-producing-arm-based-surface-tablets-report/

Switching to Intel based instead. Windows 10 is suppose to work on desktops, laptops, tablet and phones so it makes sense they are discontinuing.

[Alas Babylon!]

I think it is important to point out that the Surface based on Windows RT will no longer be produced—HOWEVER, the Surface based on Intel-based processors will continue.

Windows RT-based Surfaces are only a subset of the overall Surface family.

The ARM CPU is only used for the operating system known as “Windows RT”. Surface Pro devices all run Windows 8 and Windows 8.1—not RT.

[miliantnutcase]

Correct, the “RT” model actually used their mobile windows OS used in the phones.

[Jonty30]

Yes.

With about a 95% success rate, on average.

[dennisw]

Similar to ye ol OCR in scanners which I have not used in years. Thanks! This is a interesting useful legitimate advance that Microsoft got to first before Apple

[Jonty30]

However, it would be a lot more convenient than an ocr, because you can translate your writing into text as you go along and save it in One Note as a word document any way you have written it.