10-31-2012, 11:53 AM | #31 |
monkey on the fringe
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There's a Mrs tubemonkey? Wonder where she is? Must've happened while I partaking of a bit of primo dried banana peel. I just don't remember. In fact, there's much of my past I don't remember.
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10-31-2012, 12:18 PM | #32 |
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10-31-2012, 12:22 PM | #33 |
monkey on the fringe
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10-31-2012, 03:54 PM | #34 | |
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It will be updated for free, but I haven't seen any details re. Outlook. |
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10-31-2012, 05:51 PM | #35 |
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its Office Home and Student 2013. Home and Student does not include Outlook. There has not been any info suggesting Outlook will be added. Thats what the native Mail, Contacts and Calendar apps are for.
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10-31-2012, 08:38 PM | #36 |
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So, I’ve been playing around with the Microsoft Surface RT since Friday and believe it’s a great device that fulfills its promise as a tablet for both work and play. I’m typing this review on the Surface RT in MS Word, using the Type Cover keyboard and a Windows mouse and viewing it on my large LCD via HDMI output. I have Internet Explorer on the left side of the screen and am typing in MS Word on the right side, just like how I would on a laptop PC. Also, the color scheme is in high contrast mode to save my eyesight.
The real star is the O/S. “Live tiles” are so much better than boring icons, a GUI metaphor that has been around for 30 years without much change. Windows RT is a leap forward beyond both iOS and Android in several respects. One of the first things you will realize while using Surface RT is that Windows RT is practically a full blown desktop operating system, yet it also has a touch interface that works smoothly on a tablet form factor and allows the hardware to get 9 hrs of battery life (not as long as the iPad but it gets the job done). The response of the GUI is fast and smooth. After using the Surface, I found my iPhone to be very restricting because Windows 8/RT has so many natural gestures that give you full command of the computing environment. I was amused when I absentmindedly used Windows 8 gestures on iOS. Microsoft’s innovation with the Surface is that it “hits them where they ain’t” and leverages MSFT’s strengths in productivity to create something unique and hard to duplicate. The computing hardware in tablets is so powerful, doubling each year. Why not give them the tools and features to be productive? This is exactly what MSFT did with the Surface RT. It’s hard to justify spending $600+ on a toy, which is what the iPad is. Productivity tablets can greatly expand the penetration of the tablet market. The Surface RT is targeted at the home and student markets but has features that set it apart as a productivity tool. The majority of consumers could use the Surface RT as their only computer. Surface RT as a productivity tool: 1. Screen size is actually pretty important. The Surface is wider than other tablets and this provides the advantage of being able to attach a nearly laptop sized keyboard, something you can’t do with the iPad because of it being narrower. The wide screen also lets you have two apps open at the same time. Imagine reading a PDF or website on one side and typing in Word or Excel in the other. Imagine NOT being able to do that on a device and still trying to be productive. 2. Both the Touch Cover and Type Cover are revolutionary. This isn’t hyperbole. With the built-in kickstand and keyboard, you can get some serious work done. The Type Cover works just like a laptop keyboard. The Touch Cover is a bit awkward to use at first, but it is still way faster than typing on the screen. 3. MS Office RT is nearly indistinguishable from the desktop version, except for VBA and such things. It is compatible with other versions of Office you will likely interact with. The professional critics reviews didn’t put enough importance on Office RT, but it’s a huge selling point. 4. Windows drivers and a full sized USB 2.0 port: You can immediately print from your wireless network attached printer when turning Surface RT on for the first time. Also, you can plug in just about any mouse or other Windows 8 compatible peripheral into the USB port. My existing external hard drive is recognized when I plug it in and it works! yay! Try doing that on the iPad. 5. MicroSDXC: You can buy a 64GB MicroSD card for ~$64 to expand the memory of the Surface RT. This is beyond the wildest hopes and dreams of any iPad user. Lol. 6. Join your home network with the Windows HomeGroup feature…just type in the network password to have access to your desktop files. 7. High contrast color scheme option greatly reduces eye strain. Areas for improvement 1. Yes, there is a lack of Apps currently, but the user install base for RT apps should exceed that of iPad apps within a year since Windows RT apps work on Windows 8 machines. Over 350 million Windows 8 machines will be sold in the next 12 months, dwarfing the cumulative historical sales of all iPads. Using the websites works just fine. You don’t really need apps anyway. Most iOS apps are for play anyway. 2. The only real problem I encountered was network issues with the Store. Too much traffic the first weekend? 3. The keyboard-covers are great keyboards for the size but are lackluster covers. There should be a magnetic clasp of some sort to hold them shut. |
10-31-2012, 08:57 PM | #37 | |
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CNET has a candidate for you: http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/...-35454632.html You may be hearing from a Mr Ballmer soon. |
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11-01-2012, 09:07 AM | #38 |
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Why did Microsoft skimp on the display? It's only 148 ppi.
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11-01-2012, 11:48 AM | #39 |
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Truth? Making the price-point without selling at cost.
(They swore Surface would not unfairly undercut the OEMs, after all.) The choice was probably between a cheap fullHD screen and a quality WSXGA screen and they went with the latter. For productivity uses, that is just fine. It is in the mediapad functions that the resolution difference will most be felt and, realistically, that is *not* the target customer base for Windows RT. (Remember, Job one is: "Keep iPad out of the corporate market." Job Two: "Appeal to personal-productivity users". Job Three falls mostly to Win8Pro tablets: "If any tablet is going to replace a PC, that Tablet will be running Windows".) Appealing to the mediapad "video and gaming and maybe some ebooks" users is more of a target of opportunity. For now. Right now it is in Microsoft's best interest to have Apple and Google have it out as fiercely as possible, each undercutting the other, for at least another year. By then the Win8 Appstore will be fully stocked and the install base and the OEMs will be ready for the lower cost devices. MS is walking a tightrope with Surface. (Especially RT.) They can't make it *too* competitive or they'll squeeze the OEMs out. But they do have to make the price competitive or consumers won't show up. They need to grow the install base without killing the OEMs profitability. Surface Tablets exist both to showcase Win8 and to prod the OEMs into doing better products at better prices, not shut them out. Not yet. So far it looks like ASUS, HP, Sony, and Lenovo got the message and ACER didn't. Samsung... probably... At this stage of the Win8Tab game MS isn't pushing for rock bottom prices; they're merely pushing for not-insane pricing. Now, if in a year the OEM-friendly strategy isn't working, the gloves will come off. The future of Windows is more important than any single OEM or all of them combined. Worst case scenario, MS buys Dell or HP and goes full bore in-house. But that is the worst-case; best case is the OEMs start adding real value to the tablet space. (Like Sony's 20in tablet/desktop.) |
11-01-2012, 01:05 PM | #40 | |
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This has been "fixable" for years in previous Windows versions using a 'junction point' and the same changes work here on Surface RT as well. Two ways to change it are discussed in Engadget's article and Paul Thurrott's article |
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11-01-2012, 04:36 PM | #41 |
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Start Screen
I easily can change the Lock screen via "Personalize" menu.
Any idea how to change the Start screen? I find the existing background images a bit boring... But there's no "browse" option... |
11-01-2012, 05:10 PM | #42 |
Basculocolpic
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Also under personalize
On the top you have Lock screen Start screen and Account picture |
11-01-2012, 05:25 PM | #43 | |
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And for the Account picture you can browse for other pictures. But for the Start Screen, there's no browse option. You only can choose from the pre-installed Microsoft Start Screens, none of those very original or interesting in my opinion. |
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11-01-2012, 05:45 PM | #44 |
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There is not an option to choose your own doodle/picture/graphic for the start screen background. i would think the options available for it would expand over time but havent seen/heard of any yet.
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11-01-2012, 06:25 PM | #45 | |
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I hope, Microsoft changes this. After all, the start screen is what you see most... Not a biggy though, I still love it. |
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