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With the Surface Book Laptop/Tablet hybrid, Microsoft is taking the game to Apple
The Guardian ^ | 10/07/2015

Posted on 10/07/2015 7:21:15 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

Microsoft did something shocking last night. It launched something people might actually lust over, something sleek, something powerful, something innovative. The Surface Book.

At an event in New York rammed with press and industry types and live-streamed to the world, Microsoft confidently and defiantly unveiled its grand vision of Windows 10 devices.

Some of the products the company unveiled were expected: an updated Surface Pro 4 tablet, the second generation of the company’s Microsoft Band fitness tracker and two new Lumia smartphones. But it was the Surface Book, Microsoft’s first laptop and a big bet for the company, that drew the Apple-like whoops, gasps and applause.

Microsoft did something shocking last night. It launched something people might actually lust over, something sleek, something powerful, something innovative. The Surface Book.

At an event in New York rammed with press and industry types and live-streamed to the world, Microsoft confidently and defiantly unveiled its grand vision of Windows 10 devices.

Some of the products the company unveiled were expected: an updated Surface Pro 4 tablet, the second generation of the company’s Microsoft Band fitness tracker and two new Lumia smartphones. But it was the Surface Book, Microsoft’s first laptop and a big bet for the company, that drew the Apple-like whoops, gasps and applause.

The Surface Book stole the hearts and headlines of the tech press, but what was most striking from Microsoft’s presentation was the confidence and exuberance with which it all played out.

(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: apple; macbook; macbookpro; microsoft; microsoftlaptop; surfacebook; surfacelaptop; surfacepro
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To: SeekAndFind

My Surface Pro is a stellar piece of technology. It’s my device of preference. It’s drawbacks are all associated with its size. There is simply not enough screen real estate for some software (Quickbooks) nor enough storage for software dependant on large databases stored locally. I am no particularly fond of Windows 8 and would not go to Windows 10 until it is more mature.

I think the new Book might cover that gap so far as hardware goes.

I have a gaming desktop, an i7 laptop and an android tablet in addition to the Surface.


21 posted on 10/07/2015 7:52:47 AM PDT by Roses0508
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To: SeekAndFind

Overpriced like Apple product....

funny reading some of the other comments on this thread

the Apple users that used to have all these viruses in Windows ...

I run Windows machines and I never run in to virus problems

Or, You have to pay these kind of outrageous prices to get truly powerful machines

I run really powerful machines and never pay these kind of outrageous prices... I shop.. meaning I’ll take some trade-offs

the reality is you pay these premium prices for the cool designer factor...that you must have the hot new cool thing that generating the buzz

if you see computers as a tool and not a toy/status symbol

just like if you see a car is a tool and not a toy/status symbol ...

You can get a lot for a lot less money


22 posted on 10/07/2015 7:55:59 AM PDT by tophat9000 (King G(OP)eorge III has no idea why the Americans Patriots are in rebellion... teach him why)
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To: ImJustAnotherOkie

The specs need to be on the web site for all builds. There is a huge performance difference between a low end nvidia GPU and a high end one. What chipset? What size cache? What type of RAM? What are the battery specs/options? Power users want to know this kind of info.


23 posted on 10/07/2015 7:57:52 AM PDT by Kirkwood (Zombie Hunter)
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To: Kirkwood

They are using their own chipset, that I read elsewhere.

As you know, with computers it’s the little details, and that’s not quite there yet. I’m waiting until the end of the year to make my purchase. Plenty of time to see teardown reports and benchmarks.

If I bought a laptop last week I’d be a little sad.


24 posted on 10/07/2015 8:04:09 AM PDT by ImJustAnotherOkie
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To: ImJustAnotherOkie

I’m not sure what you are trying to claim here, skylake is an intel processor, has nothing to do with MS, its a commodity anyone can stick in their hardware. I would assume next macbook pro update will have them, as they update to the latest processor every generation... so I’m not sure what you are trying to claim here, other than they put out a piece of hardware with it first, but hardly is it an exclusive thing etc.

Apples Ecosystem is playing long ball, don’t believe me? I’ve been in IT for nearly 30 years, just 10 years ago goign to a developer conference, finding someone with a Mac was an overwhelming minority, today, its the majority. There is a reason Apples computer sales continue to grow while the rest of the industry is contracting.

Windows 8 put the death knell into windows for the developer beyond the MS developer as far as I’m concerned.. and it was slowly dying before that.

I don’t think MS is going anywhere, but the fact MS has had to go from we won’t support our software on anything apple, to being a main presenter of their products on the new Ipad at the dev con this year, shows you who’s leading and who’s reacting.

MS got arrogant, and missed huge opportunities and frankly Gates and Ballmer may have created a lot of share holder value, but completely destroyed MS as a driving force in tech. Azure is a fustercluck, they are working on it, but ever major outage (and there have been many) is just another reason to not trust it... etc etc.

MS isn’t going away, but I’m not sure how anyone thinks they are the ones playing long ball.


25 posted on 10/07/2015 8:05:21 AM PDT by HamiltonJay
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To: HamiltonJay

Time will tell.

Apple is just asking for too much monitoring of my personal life for too much money to make me comfortable.


26 posted on 10/07/2015 8:08:29 AM PDT by ImJustAnotherOkie
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To: tophat9000

The only strong argument left for a windows machine these days is low cost, there really isn’t any strong argument left for it otherwise.

Windows 8 was it for me, I am done, any company so tone deaf to its user base to release that crap onto the world, does not deserve any other chances.

So while the mac pro laptop is expensive, (though for a comparably speced windows machine, the price isn’t that much less) I will not do my normal, buy the cheapest machine that can do what I need and use it until it dies my next upgrade.

I will be moving all my development environments and code from my windows 7 machine to a Mac next upgrade, and just bite the bullet and be done with MS forever. The price savings isn’t worth the headaches.


27 posted on 10/07/2015 8:10:33 AM PDT by HamiltonJay
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To: ImJustAnotherOkie

If you are worried about privacy, don’t look at the windows 10 user license... or the android license etc..

Reality is, if you want privacy, you have to completely disconnect... either that or go buy an old 8 bit machine with a network card, and do whatever you need to do online that way.

Maybe something like a c64/128 with a 64nic+ card... of course you better be able to code, because I am not aware of any text web browsers for them, let alone graphical ones.... let alone ones that support javascript, but you’ll not have to worry as much about data collection from your OS.


28 posted on 10/07/2015 8:14:50 AM PDT by HamiltonJay
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To: Kenny

I hear that a lot. As a Windows user from before the Windows 286 days, I have yet to get a virus which probably means I’ll have ten of them before I reach this period.


29 posted on 10/07/2015 8:18:19 AM PDT by Lx (Do you like it? Do you like it, Scott? I call it, "Mr. & Mrs. Tenorman Chili.")
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To: ImJustAnotherOkie

You’re right. The specs will come out. This is the first laptop in a long time that I’m actually interested in, provided the specs are good, particularly the GPU specs. The monitor size is a bit skimpy, but I could live with that. The price seems OK if the specs live up to the hype. I would also be concerned about overheating and a short lifespan, but someone mentioned the other day that it is liquid cooled.


30 posted on 10/07/2015 8:20:05 AM PDT by Kirkwood (Zombie Hunter)
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To: HamiltonJay

Well, at least they have to dig a little bit. It’s not all sitting under one domain ready for the taking.


31 posted on 10/07/2015 8:21:20 AM PDT by ImJustAnotherOkie
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To: Kirkwood

I was a little taken aback by the 13.4” monitor but 90% of the time I’m using dual’s anyway.

When I do make it to-go 12+-hrs battery is pretty darn long. Especially with all that horsepower.

I’m sure a 15 incher is in the offing sometime but $2,600 is really my upside.

The best part will be seeing what the competition comes up with. That’s a pretty high bar.


32 posted on 10/07/2015 8:25:50 AM PDT by ImJustAnotherOkie
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To: Kirkwood; ImJustAnotherOkie

RE: . There is a huge performance difference between a low end nvidia GPU and a high end one. What chipset? What size cache? What type of RAM? What are the battery specs/options? Power users want to know this kind of info.

________________________________

Here is a more technical comparison of the hardware specifications and performance of the Surface Book vs the Mac Book Pro:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2989727/laptop-computers/how-microsofts-surface-book-compares-to-apples-macbook-lets-play-cpu-detective.html


33 posted on 10/07/2015 8:29:28 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

What they didn’t mention was the impact DDR4 will have. I assume that’s what really pushes The MS Book performance.


34 posted on 10/07/2015 8:36:35 AM PDT by ImJustAnotherOkie
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To: SeekAndFind

Apple will respond maybe in 2 years with less for more money : )


35 posted on 10/07/2015 9:00:00 AM PDT by minnesota_bound
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To: SeekAndFind

That’s very helpful! Thanks!


36 posted on 10/07/2015 9:51:10 AM PDT by Kirkwood (Zombie Hunter)
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To: SeekAndFind

not really.....


37 posted on 10/07/2015 9:48:15 PM PDT by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds)
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To: Kenny

true that


38 posted on 10/07/2015 9:48:37 PM PDT by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds)
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