Tech Pron Lust (work safe)

[far-trader]

I've been drooling all evening, watched the event live earlier and still want it bad... NOW!

Of course that's probably just the old early adopter tech lust in me The warm fuzzy feeling may wear off as details come out.

"What are you going on about you nutty old trader?"

Oh, yes, of course. Not only work safe but in many ways work ready if not required (shh, I'm trying to sell it to myself ).

I'm talking about (though not really advertising) Mic ro softs new Surface:

http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en/us/default.aspx

This may be the Model/1 (the RT version) and Model/1bis (the 8 Pro version) Handcomp I've been waiting 30+ years for

So, if any of you more connected, less frugal, more gotta have it first folks score one when it comes out I'd love a review

 

[BytePro]

...
"What are you going on about you nutty old trader?"

Oh - a heavier iPad with lower resolution, internet vulnerabilities, and performance issues.

Hehe - seriously though, I'm sure I'll end up with one of the Pro versions (after they've worked out the initial bugs). For one, I love MS handwriting recognition.

Though I wish all these idiots copying each other would innovate more... starting with the freaking display. (Though I give Apple credit for finally having the brains to use a resolution approaching the original laser printers!)

For crying out loud, I've been using touch screens for over 30 years. Ones you could - a) use with dirty fingers, b) that didn't reflect everything, and c) [as in see in daylight]! Diffuse display surface takes care of a & b, a reflective foil takes care of c. Its not rocket science, nor cost or tech prohibitive.

And then there is the durability factor. Apple built a curvy metal case you could hold in your hands - but didn't concern themselves one iota with you dropping it... and , instead of making it water proof, put in a sensor to detect this out of coverage condition. I've got an external drive that handles all of that (to MIL specs) - its quite doable, especially with the resources of these companies.

And power plugs... geez can we finally start using induction...

I'm sure MS hasn't improved on these aspects one bit [pun]. :nonono:

<rant mode off>

 

[far-trader]

Oh - a heavier iPad with lower resolution...

Lower? Dang I thought I'd seen somewhere it was as good or better.

For crying out loud, I've been using touch screens for over 30 years. Ones you could - a) use with dirty fingers, b) that didn't reflect everything, and c) [as in see in daylight]! Diffuse display surface takes care of a & b, a reflective foil takes care of c. Its not rocket science, nor cost or tech prohibitive.

Yeah, I've never gotten that myself either.

Per durability I'm hoping between the Gorilla Glass and fancy magnesium case it has a bit of drop survivability. Hands on reports were it had good strength feel. fwiw

The water exposure sensor, well, what are you gonna do, it's got to have holes to plug things in (joking, agree again, it could/should be made at least water resistant).

Not a fan of induction power myself but Apple's (since you're comparing ) magnetic connector should have been adopted as a universal ages ago. How they got an exclusive patent on it, something that's been in use in other areas for years, speaks volumes about the whole patent business. How they refuse to license it speaks volumes about the company itself. Why no one can equally "innovate" a mag connector baffles me. Too many lawyers is the only reason I can see.

I'm sure MS hasn't improved on these aspects one bit [pun]. :nonono:

Sadly you're probably right, I just want to dream a little longer that they have

Will definitely be watching the development and hoping. And yeah, the 8 Pro will be the way to go, albeit a little heavier way.

 

[BytePro]

That lower resolution bit is based on the larger screen size, the HD vs Full HD spec difference between the two Surface versions... I expect something more along the lines of 1920x1600 for the Pro. (But would be pleasantly surprised if MS stepped up to the 'Retina' pixels per inch domain!)

Drop-ability is more about how the corners are engineered, than using Gorilla glass and metal (or psuedo-metal) cases. Drop the flat of a glass or thin metal/plastic on a steel spike - all bets are off. But a stationary drop from hand level to a surface with no other impact objects should be survivable with a decent design (and that doesn't even need Gorilla glass or metal cases...). It an engineering problem more so than a materials problem.

Apple's MagSafe connector is not induction. Its got pins (they just work both ways by using 4 rather than 2). I've fixed a number of these - the wire/shield frays and burns at its weak point just past the minimal strain relief...

The idea of using a magnet to allow quick release probably has no prior art in the U.S., unfortunately. Hence the patent. (However, IIRC, Japanese appliances had them years ago...)

Induction cooking has been around for ages and induction battery charging used in electric shavers, etc. for decades. Better yet would be meter plus distance (wireless) induction ala that MIT experiment a few years back...

 

[BytePro]

P.S. - I might go for the ASUS Tiachi instead... an ultrabook with displays front and back (so it folds shut to use as a tablet).

You can use both sides at the same time - in other words -> idea for gaming as you could be looking at your screen with keyboard - while your players are seeing the screen on the back, er, top, of the ultrabook!

(TBH that sounds really wasteful and silly for the mainstream - turn around displays have been around for years...)

P.P.S - looks like Intel announced wireless auto-recharging of a smartphone when placed near an ultrabook! (Computex 2012 in Asia).

 

[Rigel Stardin]

If we're talking about lust here then why not be honest. We all know that phone, computer and tablet are going to be intergated at one point. So when that happens, I want something that is durable enough to hit a guy over the head, then call 911 without having to worry about breaking it. I want to carry it to my car during a rain storm and not have to let it dry out for seven days and still have water damage. I want to see my screen in harsh sunlight without covering my head with a towel.

Of course this is just a few of the things we want in our future tech devices but it will be thirty years from now before we see it. Hopefully my casket has a wifi connect....

 

[Fritz_Brown]

I want something that is durable enough to hit a guy over the head, then call 911 without having to worry about breaking it.

Exactly! Or to shoot him with it, while calling 911.

I want to see my screen in harsh sunlight without covering my head with a towel.

But, you will still carry a towel, right? For safety?

 

[Andrew Boulton]

The keyboard makes it an iPad killer for me, shame about the Fisher-Price GUI...

 

[BytePro]

You can get various keyboards for the iPad, some that attach in similar fashion, IIRC - but I don't think anything that sports the 'gesture' features alluded to...

 

[aramis]

The keyboard makes it an iPad killer for me, shame about the Fisher-Price GUI...

It'll run android...
Or linux...

 

[DangerousThing]

You can get various keyboards for the iPad, some that attach in similar fashion, IIRC - but I don't think anything that sports the 'gesture' features alluded to...

I have an iPad case with a built-in bluetooth keyboard. I like it for forums.

 

[saundby]

Surface does look nice. Pro, definitely, but I'll wait until others have documented how to manage/roll back the Win8 UI.

There's some HP kit coming that's going to look good, too, if they don't choke before it's out the door. They are trying to rediscover industrial engineering there.

Money soaked into my company this year means I'm looking at a Chinese Android pad for now, though. I can swing one based on an MTK mt6575, though, so I'll have ICS on a 250mm screen. I've been wanting a bigger screen for technical PDFs for a while, now.