Monday, June 18th 2012
Microsoft Announces Surface: New Family of PCs for Windows
Today at an event in Hollywood, Microsoft unveiled Surface: PCs built to be the ultimate stage for Windows. Company executives showed two Windows tablets and accessories that feature significant advances in industrial design and attention to detail. Surface is designed to seamlessly transition between consumption and creation, without compromise. It delivers the power of amazing software with Windows and the feel of premium hardware in one exciting experience.
Advances in Industrial Design
Conceived, designed and engineered entirely by Microsoft employees, and building on the company's 30-year history manufacturing hardware, Surface represents a unique vision for the seamless expression of entertainment and creativity. Extensive investment in industrial design and real user experience includes the following highlights:
Two models of Surface will be available: one running an ARM processor featuring Windows RT, and one with a third-generation Intel Core processor featuring Windows 8 Pro. From the fast and fluid interface, to the ease of connecting you to the people, information and apps that users care about most, Surface will be a premium way to experience all that Windows has to offer. Surface for Windows RT will release with the general availability of Windows 8, and the Windows 8 Pro model will be available about 90 days later. Both will be sold in the Microsoft Store locations in the U.S. and available through select online Microsoft Stores.
Contributing to an Expanded Ecosystem
One of the strengths of Windows is its extensive ecosystem of software and hardware partners, delivering selection and choice that makes a customer's Windows experience uniquely their own. This continues with Surface. Microsoft is delivering a unique contribution to an already strong and growing ecosystem of functional and stylish devices delivered by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to bring the experience of Windows to consumers and businesses around the globe.
Conceived, designed and engineered entirely by Microsoft employees, and building on the company's 30-year history manufacturing hardware, Surface represents a unique vision for the seamless expression of entertainment and creativity. Extensive investment in industrial design and real user experience includes the following highlights:
- Software takes center stage: Surface sports a full-sized USB port and a 16:9 aspect ratio - the industry standard for HD. It has edges angled at 22 degrees, a natural position for the PC at rest or in active use, letting the hardware fade into the background and the software stand out.
- VaporMg: The casing of Surface is created using a unique approach called VaporMg (pronounced Vapor-Mag), a combination of material selection and process to mold metal and deposit particles that creates a finish akin to a luxury watch. Starting with magnesium, parts can be molded as thin as .65 mm, thinner than the typical credit card, to create a product that is thin, light and rigid/strong.
- Integrated Kickstand: The unique VaporMg approach also enables a built-in kickstand that lets you transition Surface from active use to passive consumption - watching a movie or even using the HD front- or rear-facing video cameras. The kickstand is there when needed, and disappears when not in use, with no extra weight or thickness.
- Touch Cover: The 3 mm Touch Cover represents a step forward in human-computer interface. Using a unique pressure-sensitive technology, Touch Cover senses keystrokes as gestures, enabling you to touch type significantly faster than with an on-screen keyboard. It will be available in a selection of vibrant colors. Touch Cover clicks into Surface via a built-in magnetic connector, forming a natural spine like you find on a book, and works as a protective cover. You can also click in a 5 mm-thin Type Cover that adds moving keys for a more traditional typing feel.
Two models of Surface will be available: one running an ARM processor featuring Windows RT, and one with a third-generation Intel Core processor featuring Windows 8 Pro. From the fast and fluid interface, to the ease of connecting you to the people, information and apps that users care about most, Surface will be a premium way to experience all that Windows has to offer. Surface for Windows RT will release with the general availability of Windows 8, and the Windows 8 Pro model will be available about 90 days later. Both will be sold in the Microsoft Store locations in the U.S. and available through select online Microsoft Stores.
Contributing to an Expanded Ecosystem
One of the strengths of Windows is its extensive ecosystem of software and hardware partners, delivering selection and choice that makes a customer's Windows experience uniquely their own. This continues with Surface. Microsoft is delivering a unique contribution to an already strong and growing ecosystem of functional and stylish devices delivered by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to bring the experience of Windows to consumers and businesses around the globe.
125 Comments on Microsoft Announces Surface: New Family of PCs for Windows
I see you do not subscribe to the Microsoft Technet Newsletters then, because this is a recurring theme in those.
The iOS is easier to use than Windows 8 on any level.
No dancing involved, just real COMPANY statements about everything I have said in previous posts here in this thread. Personally, I don't care what people use, or think. But I won't deny that Microsoft is on to something here.
We could have an intelligent discussion, rather than arguing, too, but I guess not that, either, eh?
:toast:
But directly, yes, there have been companies that are looking for exactly that..an EVOLUTION to how they do busines, as long as it remains affordable, and profitable.
Damn, I did too much marketing today, I'm just in that mode. Time to go play some games. :laugh:
Now for it being a tool. It certainly is... However, I don't believe it's the best tool in the shed.
Things that I think will kill this tablet no matter how many testimonials and opinions and facts you give me:
I mean, I'm not one to tell peopel that if they want to buy something, they are wrong in doing so. There are benefits to be had with Windows 8 that other OSes don't offer without signifigant monetary and time investment. All that Microsfot is trying to do with SUrface, is to take a lot of that confusion about specs, pricing, and features, out of the equation, and offering a platform by which custom solutions can be designed, and then deployed.
The problem with iOS is that it doesn't offer that flexibility, nor does it have the large number of available properly-trained developers and existing applications that can be leveraged like Windows does.
It just seems like there is too much against the product right now in terms of the buisiness world and personal world, in my humble opinion.
and vmware also scales and has fault tolerance. not just a remote desktop, but a remote desktop that's scalable and fault tolerant. want more RAM? just log into vmware vsphere client and add RAM in a few clicks. You also get way more controls and security then using regular domains. each remote desktop is isolated and dedicated. way more secure then regular user/domains.
webhosts use this all the time.
and vmware is used by tons of companies of all sizes and it's actually more reliable to have a cloud server network, redundant SANs and thin clients then it is to have old school servers.
if you got a cloud then you just add the RAM, cores, etc with the vmware console rather then physically powering off a server and upgrading the RAM. and with vmware you can even upgrade the whole cluster by just adding a machine to it seamlessly. and if one server fails the vm is instantly moved to a different server with no downtime becuase the data is stored on the SAN.
(PLEASE NOTE: this is not the same "cloud" as file storage sites, this is private clouds managed by your company and not an external entity)
Most other businesses are sticking with what they know (desktops and laptops). They haven't ventured into tablets/netbooks/ultrabooks yet. They're the masses that will likely buy up Windows 8 Pro in droves.