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Whats up with all those new processors

Im mad about this 2011 tablet status.... i thought they where going to settle so apps will run anywhere with icecream sandwich but when it comes out we will have 4 diferent processors.
Nvidia in the tech demo for kal-el they say "using nvidia dualcore is to sloooow " i mean wtf!? its not even 3 months after they released it and its old now? my problem its not that the xoom is getting old my problem is that when this quadcore comes out we will end up having only 10 apps for tegra because people will start developing for the new tegra.
Also theres the other processors coming out...how will they manage to make apps compatible will all of them? will we have like an app store for tegra, then for snapdragon,etc.
Im not angry it happens all the time with tech and i get it that they have to move on. But isnt this making it worst for app developers and users.
ps. sorry for my bad english...im learning

The situation with android tablets isn't anything to worry about.
It's really no different than the PC world where there are at any given time multiple generations of PCs out there, which developers use the tools of a standard API (in the PC's case, DirectX or OpenGL) to scale the performance across the target platforms.
Since everything PC is x86, unless you're -really- trying to squeeze every bit of performance out of your game, or unless a company has paid you to target their specific GPU/CPU's extensions, you don't have to worry about specific architecture.
On Android tablets, everything is ARM in one flavor or another, and you're writing to OpenGL ES 2.0. You'll be able to use specific extensions in OpenGL ES to target newer rendering features so you can scale up your graphics for newer GPUs, but since it's a standard API, you should be able to have one apk for all target platforms.
The premiere game engine for Android, Unity, makes this especially easy.
tl:dr don't worry, newer games will still work on your Xoom after the next generation tegra/OMAP/whatever come out. You just might not have all the rendering features in the game.

You are becoming familiar with whats known as Moores Law (linky). We are in a time where it is accelerating very rapidly. And what seems to us like great strides are actually very small in the grand scheme of transistors. Primarily because we have been so used to getting a new processor every 1-2 years on a desktop scale for the past 15 years, with small .1 ghz improvements farther in the past, too recent additions of whole processor cores.
Pretty much, unless you have tons of $ to drop on devices, you will no longer be able to stay cutting edge for long, (+/-6 months of growth for new platforms to hit the market). Especially in the hot world of mobile devices.
You can almost count on the day the release the QuadCore NVidia or OMAP chips, that 6 months down the road is a new chip that A) Has More Power B)Uses less Power C)Cost less - Pick two - that will be the new "in thing" for mobile.

Kcarpenter is dead on.
Tablets are even more hot right now because companies have seen how well Apple is doing with the iPad.
They want a piece of the market-share, so are throwing lots and lots of R&D dollars at newer, better, faster tablet tech.

Honestly, there is only a small handful of good looking games/apps made for 3.1. Devs should take advantage of the current gen single core phones/tegra 2 before moving on to quad core. It's probably going to be like the pc, it takes awhile for devs to actually take ADVANTAGE of the hardware. I still boot up some games and they only max out a few threads out of my core i7.
tl;dr: You have at least a 8 months - 1 year on the xoom.

I think it's more market forces than Moore's Law. The tablet platform is wide open, and no company wants to get left behind. Unlike the desktop where Intel had a lock on the x86, many competitors are gunning for SoC slot. Nothing revs up a product cycle faster than the threat of competition.
It's the same for device vendors and OS vendors. Take Microsoft. It took them 6 years to go from XP to Vista, and 3 years to Win7, for really fairly minor evolutionary changes. Why? Because they had no competition. We'll see how fast Ballmer can make his EGRs dance, now with his Windows cash cow on a hook. I'd be shocked if Win8 doesn't show up by next year.
Some MS dude is supposed to give a "state of Windows" address soonish at Computex. We'll see what tidbits he can serve up. From the rumor mill, it sounds like MS want to go the Apple route, buying Nokia's phone biz for 19 bils, and dictating what hardware vendors can build.
Likewise, I'd be shocked if Moto & co won't have a refresh to their line-ups this year. The Xoom never sold well, and sales won't get any better. (The eBay thing is probably to clear out inventories.) Back-to-school and Xmas are the two largest buying seasons of the year. There'll be many shiny new toys for kiddies to ask Santa for.

jerses said:
Im mad about this 2011 tablet status.... i thought they where going to settle so apps will run anywhere with icecream sandwich but when it comes out we will have 4 diferent processors.
Nvidia in the tech demo for kal-el they say "using nvidia dualcore is to sloooow " i mean wtf!? its not even 3 months after they released it and its old now? my problem its not that the xoom is getting old my problem is that when this quadcore comes out we will end up having only 10 apps for tegra because people will start developing for the new tegra.
Also theres the other processors coming out...how will they manage to make apps compatible will all of them? will we have like an app store for tegra, then for snapdragon,etc.
Im not angry it happens all the time with tech and i get it that they have to move on. But isnt this making it worst for app developers and users.
ps. sorry for my bad english...im learning
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Click to collapse
Nvidia is a hardware manufacturer and they are betting the farm on Tegra. If you look at their roadmap they are aiming to make each new version of Tegra obsolete within less than a year of it being released. They want to maintain a high demand for the latest and greatest chips and they can't do that with just incremental improvements (see the current state of PC gaming).
Tech demos are always going to push the limits but most games are going to aim lower. Most will target Tegra 2 and add features if Tegra 3 is available.

@Zanshin Thank you for the explanation on architecture. I posted a question on another thread here asking if this situation has the potential to become a true successor to the PC market, with all kinds of machines running *basically the same Android OS; from many price/quality brackets. What are your thoughts?
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abowlby said:
@Zanshin Thank you for the explanation on architecture. I posted a question on another thread here asking if this situation has the potential to become a true successor to the PC market, with all kinds of machines running *basically the same Android OS; from many price/quality brackets. What are your thoughts?
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I'm guessing that Ice Cream Sandwich is a step in that direction.
One OS for tablets and phones and GoogleTV sounds like an attempt to bring write-once, run anywhere to developers, which is what will allow the ecosystem to grow unrestrained.
As much interest as there is in Android, there really aren't that many developers taking it seriously. I expect that'll change if ICS is what I think it will be.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/01/microsoft-reveals-arm-powered-windows-8-prototypes/
already prototypes of the newer tegra procs oh no

Also, keep in mind that Tegra 2 is last year technology. It's not just "a few months old".

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/02/nvidia-kal-el-development-platform-hands-on-video/

Tech buyer is a catch 22, and it is people like us who power it.
We buy hot new tech Product 1 with a hot new Mach 2 processor. We have now identified ourselves as the sort of person who will buy hot new gadgets. However we already bought this one, so they can't make more money from us...or can they?
They use the money we paid them to create hotter, newer Product 2 with a hotter, newer Mach 4 processor...and some new screen voodoo...and less weight. They ramp up the hype knowing the same things that made us buy Product 1 will make us buy Product 2 and feed into that same hype, making Product 2 a must have product, even for people who resisted Product 1. "LOOK...Even people who bought Product 1 are eager to buy Product 2!! They must know something..we must ALL need one!!!!" Our embracing of something ensures that it will be replaced by a better version in a year.
Who has made this process into an art form?
Well...replace the work Product with iPad....
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HP touchpad

I am guessing that HP is going to sell the touchpads for practically nothing. Anyone thinking about picking one up just or the hell of it?
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Depends how low might get in he missus one lol
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I might get one at $200 for my mother...
No more than that...

I really want one!

I will only get one of they decide to Open Source the OS. Otherwise I won't because I don't think there will be any developer support for it and new apps coming out.

I hope you live in a supported country.
I had one and sold it within a week.
It really sucks, and its slow.
My advice save the 200 and get something else.
There's a lot of great android tablets available for 200 usd.
The touchpad has done nothing for me except make me use webos gestures on my sgs2 and the xoom......
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HP's biggest mistake was putting WebOS on it. I guess they learned nothing from the failed attempt called the Palm Pre.

Hey speaking of which, the Touchpad sounds like it will be pulled from the market completely. I suppose they were embarrassed when WebOS ran faster on the iPad when they gave it a test run. They are said to be working on another tablet, a 7 inch tablet I believe. Since it most likely will not be running WebOS, and since the only open source OS is Android... I think I know what will happen next! Hmmm...
I would personally never touch any tablet that isn't running the Android OS. Not the Playbook, the Touchpad, and definitely not the iPad!
Open source+Android+Google=Win.

diablo2224 said:
Hey speaking of which, the Touchpad sounds like it will be pulled from the market completely. I suppose they were embarrassed when WebOS ran faster on the iPad when they gave it a test run. They are said to be working on another tablet, a 7 inch tablet I believe. Since it most likely will not be running WebOS, and since the only open source OS is Android... I think I know what will happen next! Hmmm...
I would personally never touch any tablet that isn't running the Android OS. Not the Playbook, the Touchpad, and definitely not the iPad!
Open source+Android+Google=Win.
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+1 We think alike.

Android on Touchpad
Those tablets have an open bootloader, they can run android. It might be time to start a forum for doing just that?

The official line is that only the hardware side is dead, and the platform will continue for development & licensing. But no doubt an outright sale is preferred, given the strategic direction change with the $10B+ planned acquisition of Autonomy. Either way, WebOS will be mothballed for the foreseeable future, with no dev support.
The common line among pundits is that HP muffed the tablet & phone launches, with mediocre hardware and half-baked software, and decided to cut its losses. IMO, WebOS never had much of a chance, even if the launches went off well. On one side, there is the iPad with its polished UI and many apps. On the other, you have a legion of low-cost Android tabs. There is no breathing room.
HP's announced strategy for WebOS adoption was to piggyback on Windows as a shell in HP PCs & printers, where its vast market share is a strength. But WebOS' chance went from slim to none the moment MS announced that Win8 would encompass tablets, has a touch-friendly GUI, and run on ARM. The rationale to include it as a Windows touch-GUI was no longer viable. Thus the sole chance of WebOS penetration rests on the tablet doing well, which it didn't. But the tablet was never the main plan for WebOS, the PC was.
The bigger impact by far to HP's stock walloping is the announcement of exiting the PC market. Not sure what the thinking is here, to announce it way before it had a deal lined up. HP PC sales will suffer, especially going into the all-important back-to-school and holiday shopping periods. Apotheker has a lot to answer for.
The other shoe left to drop is when RIM would cry uncle with the Playbook.

HP should license the OS or certain features in it if they arent going to make it Open Source. The OS is awesome but they didn't put any money into hardware. Can you imagine a 4 in+ HTC device running WebOS? That would be awesome. The software is awesome but the hardware, marketing and acquisitions direction was horrible.
The purchased may have been for the patents since it was a steal. If we are lucky Google makes an offer they can't refuse on those patents.
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$99 new price starting tomorrow
I should buy like 3 and give out 2 for christmas.

Wow Epic Fail. Maybe I should buy .one for modding purposes.
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Funny that the processor and gpu are great, seriously. It's a slight variation on the Qualcomm in the HTC Sensation/Evo3d, and I'm not sure there's anything in the mobile market (released) that outdoes the Adreno 220.

TouchPad fire sale at $100 (sold out for now)
http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=3220862
In the thread, people are buying them by the dozens, no doubt to fleabay them afterward. If you want one, be fast.

Does anyone know if Netflix is on this (homebrew/exploit/etc.) this would a partial dealbreaker (although I already bought it)?

I ended up ordering two 32gb TouchPads, the total cost came to $269, I could not go wrong for $134.50 for a device priced at $599 not even a year ago? It looks like they are all gone on HP's site now though.

the specs of the touchpad are not that impressive plus it boots very slow.. and its webOS not Android..and its the heaviest slate around !!
you can get an Android based tablet with the same specs for a better price.. unless someone ports Android to touchpad and HP will sell it for $150 or lower then it would worth spending the money on it.

pflorin said:
..and its the heaviest slate around !!.
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You mean theres a slate heavier than the Xoom??

[Q] Why is the tablet so cheap?

I don't understand, it feels like.I'm missing something. What's the major drawback?
The specs are fantastic for the money, but why is it so cheap? How are Google making a profit?
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Competing with the Kindle Fire that's why. Don't worry about Google making money, they always do.

Google is just too good.

Darnell_Chat_TN said:
Competing with the Kindle Fire that's why. Don't worry about Google making money, they always do.
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exactly. its priced to sell and that's a good thing. now others will have to model this. you get a 1280x800 Tegra3 tablet for only $199-249. you can't beat that. this will surely eat up kindle fire sales and put a dent in Ipad sales also. This is Google's attempt at going more mainstream. This may be the beginning of Android takeover in tablet sector.

I think they're trying to expand the market for android tabs to compete with the ipad's market share by offering a good, low cost alternative. That's what got me. I'd been looking for a tab for a while and couldn't justify the cost.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

olyloh6696 said:
I don't understand, it feels like.I'm missing something. What's the major drawback?
The specs are fantastic for the money, but why is it so cheap? How are Google making a profit?
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Click to collapse
should worry about asus making money, the more tablet that sells, the more money google makes from ads and app sales..i highly doubt this was subsidized tho..manufacturing cost is probably under $150

What about other android tablet manufacturers, e.g. Samsung ? Do you guys think this will hurt their profit and make them leave android? Not that I think they are not overpricing their tablets.

resol341 said:
What about other android tablet manufacturers, e.g. Samsung ? Do you guys think this will hurt their profit and make them leave android? Not that I think they are not overpricing their tablets.
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It hurts at least a bit as I took a galaxy tab 2 back to Costco tonight and preordered the nexus 7

resol341 said:
What about other android tablet manufacturers, e.g. Samsung ? Do you guys think this will hurt their profit and make them leave android? Not that I think they are not overpricing their tablets.
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Sure it will hurt their profits, I'm sure a lower priced competitor entering the market worries them. Especially when the competitor is essentially the creator of the OS that their tabs are running. Let alone the fact that the Nexus 7 has JB when the other brands may be bragging about ICS. Will they leave the market? Who knows. The competition has two choices, leave or compete. But to compete they will have to lower their prices or to justify higher prices, or they will have to offer a substantially better product. All the while competing with the author of the OS.

resol341 said:
What about other android tablet manufacturers, e.g. Samsung ? Do you guys think this will hurt their profit and make them leave android? Not that I think they are not overpricing their tablets.
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I was kind of thinking the same. Everyone is calling it competition to the Kindle Fire but I see it just as much competition to tablets like the Galaxy Tab 2 7in. Maybe it's just me?

olyloh6696 said:
I don't understand, it feels like.I'm missing something. What's the major drawback?
The specs are fantastic for the money, but why is it so cheap? How are Google making a profit?
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Think about what they are selling. Yes, they are selling the device but the real profits come from content(ads included)
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Man, are you worried about saving money?

Nvidia Kai's platform is why this is so cheap
http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatsp...orm-makes-low-cost-android-tablets-a-reality/

Google isn't currently looking for a big profit with the tablet. It probably costs between 150 and 190 bucks to make the tablet. But their main purpose create a base for Google so that they can grow the Google Play store to be able to compete with amazon and possibly apple.
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im sure the tablet costs under 200 bucks, so google is making a few bucks off of it. A teardown should give us a estimated price, plus the more they make, the less the tablet costs no? lol
so im guessing around 50+- a few bucks

I am a little confused about this so mentioned competition between Samsung and google, When I think nexus is made by Samsung as well.
Am I wrong?
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The reason the Nexus 7 is so cheap is to ensure its sales success and popularity. Android tablets have not sold well at all, period. I'm an Android fan myself and every time a tantalizing new Android tablet comes out I just think "but do I really want to spend $500?". As much as I don't like Apple, the iPad has dominated the expensive tablet game. Dominated. The vast majority of consumers see no reason to buy an expensive Android tablet. The reason the iPad does well is because consumers pretty much know (based on popularity) that they will enjoy an iPad if they get one. They aren't sure (because of a lack of popularity, successful advertising and pushing, and simply general information about Android) if they will like an Android tablet, so they make the easy choice to get the iPad. Here's the thought process:
Best Buy guy: "You ever consider an Android tablet?"
Consumer: "Hmm, not really, but they look decent."
Best Buy guy: "Do you want to give one a shot? Android offers a lot that iPad doesn't."
Consumer: "Well, Android tablets might be nice, but I know for sure that the iPad is good, and I'm just a generic consumer that doesn't know anything about specs or anything, and I don't care to actually look into things, so why don't you just ring me up for the iPad I know for sure is good."
The Kindle Fire showed that the place to compete is not to compete in price at all with the iPad. It just can't be done, at least not at this time. This low price range is where people (and by people I mean the generic consumer Google so badly needs) will actually consider a tablet other than an iPad. Google desperately needs a tablet product to actually become very popular just to establish itself in the game. You may say Android tablets are already established based on their quality, but the established that Google is looking for is a level of popularity, respect from the general consumer, and willingness to become a repeat customer. Google is not looking to extract maximum profit from this tablet. It's trying to put a flag on the tablet hill. And it needs to. The Surface is coming this year, and I seriously believe (as do many) that Android tablets may be relegated to 3rd place. If Android tablets don't become a part of the mainstream public tech consciousness before the Surface comes out, they may become entirely irrelevant.

The Janitor Mop said:
The reason the Nexus 7 is so cheap is to ensure its sales success and popularity. Android tablets have not sold well at all, period. I'm an Android fan myself and every time a tantalizing new Android tablet comes out I just think "but do I really want to spend $500?". As much as I don't like Apple, the iPad has dominated the expensive tablet game. Dominated. The vast majority of consumers see no reason to buy an expensive Android tablet. In the first place, you're lucky if they are even aware what those tablets are. In the second, you're lucky if they are willing to give these tablets a look. In the third, you're lucky if they will then research tablets. Finally, you're lucky if after all these things they choose the Android over the iPad. The reason the iPad does well is because consumers pretty much know (based on popularity) that they will enjoy an iPad if they get one. They aren't sure (because of a lack of popularity, successful advertising and pushing, and simply general information about Android) if they will like an Android tablet, so they make the easy choice to get the iPad.
The Kindle Fire showed that the place to compete is not to compete in price at all with the iPad. It just can't be done, at least not at this time. This low price range is where people (and by people I mean the generic consumer Google so badly needs) will actually consider a tablet other than an iPad. Google desperately needs a tablet product to actually become very popular just to establish itself in the game. You may say Android tablets are already established based on their quality, but the established that Google is looking for is a level of popularity, respect from the general consumer, and willingness to become a repeat customer. Google is not looking to extract maximum profit from this tablet. It's trying to put a flag on the tablet hill. And it needs to. The Surface is coming this year, and I seriously believe (as do many) that Android tablets may be relegated to 3rd place. If Android tablets don't become a part of the mainstream public tech consciousness before the Surface comes out, they may become entirely irrelevant.
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If the surface runs MS Office well, MS will end up dominating business sales in this area.
For home, I plan to have a desktop for the foreseeable future for "big computing" needs like video conversion and storage, but I got to tell you, my next "laptop" will most likely be a Surface rather than something like a transformer prime. I want real MS Office and seamless networking.

guys - they are subsidizing it or making little to no money off it. The Goog is sitting on a boatload of cash, and people (read: other companies) are screwing up the android tablet market.
subsidizedhttp://www.thefreedictionary.com/subsidized

I'd say $199 price is just right. There's a huge psychological difference between sub-$200 and $200+ devices.
Unfortunately, this will be my most expensive tablet. I have firesale TP and nook color. Can't wait for mid-July.

Where on earth can one buy a Surface tablet?

How is the Surface tablet supposed to be popular and give the iPad a run for its money if places to buy it are limited?
You can buy an iPad online, Apple stores and select retail stores.
Mircrosoft have a handful of Microsoft stores in the US ONLY. Is the only option to buy online direct from a Microsoft store?
Mircrosoft seriously needs to make the Surface table easy to purchase from a wide number of sources if it has any chance to great sales figures.
I for one can't wait. Upgrading to Windows 8 on my desktop, purchasing a top Windows 8 handset and a 16gb Surface RT tablet. This combined with Skydrive makes an awesome integrated OS - just like Apple with the iPhone, Mac OS, iPad and iCloud.

tboy2000 said:
How is the Surface tablet supposed to be popular and give the iPad a run for its money if places to buy it are limited?
You can buy an iPad online, Apple stores and select retail stores.
Mircrosoft have a handful of Microsoft stores in the US ONLY. Is the only option to buy online direct from a Microsoft store?
Mircrosoft seriously needs to make the Surface table easy to purchase from a wide number of sources if it has any chance to great sales figures.
I for one can't wait. Upgrading to Windows 8 on my desktop, purchasing a top Windows 8 handset and a 16gb Surface RT tablet. This combined with Skydrive makes an awesome integrated OS - just like Apple with the iPhone, Mac OS, iPad and iCloud.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take a chill-pill and wait for an announcement of Microsoft...?

Donny1987 said:
Take a chill-pill and wait for an announcement of Microsoft...?
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Click to collapse
Which chill pill do you recommend?

Yeah, calm down man. You wrote this as if you already know that Surface will be difficult to find. Just wait till you actually hear something about where it will be available. Here's betting that-just like Apple-it will be available in MS stores, online, and at retailers like Best Buy. So relax.

Ok I will calm down I am sure I heard in the Keynote that you could only buy it through Microsoft. The thing is there are no physical Microsoft stores in Europe and that needs to be fixed.

tboy2000 said:
Ok I will calm down I am sure I heard in the Keynote that you could only buy it through Microsoft. The thing is there are no physical Microsoft stores in Europe and that needs to be fixed.
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i think it will be available in every store as are other tabs, laptops etc.
it might not beat ipad sales but will surely give a run for its money...
this is the only tab that i think has the power to take down ipad eventually....

If you truly can't wait, I then get a Samsung Series 7 Slate and load Windows 8. It's pretty close to a Surface, which is also made by Samsung.
It's pretty slick.
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How is the Surface tablet supposed to be popular and give the iPad a run for its money if places to buy it are limited?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Considering the surface is the equivallent of an ultrabook in tablet form.... It's safe to say that it is beyond comparison to an ipad, unless said iPad was running OSX and the same Intel hardware as a MacBook.
Next time try not to say something so blatently idiotic.

Surface RT is only going to be on 6 models for the first 6-9 months. If I read correctly each chip maker was able to hand pick 2 companies to work with to make the first release of RT.
Now I am sure Microsoft and the 6 will have more then enough ways to feed the hunger for a Windows Tablet with and Arm chip.
Come the fall, you are not going to be able to find a place where there is no Windows RT available.
Yes right now, who knows where it's going to be sold, how much it will be.....
I am sure come Launch you will see a live event that will have all that information.
As it is right now.....everywhere I go I can not avoid the "Upgrade to Win8 for $15" ads, posters, radio spots.......
It's only 2-3 months away from Launch.......wait, be calm, don't panic....after your going to see how silly your words were!!!!

JSLEnterprises said:
Considering the surface is the equivallent of an ultrabook in tablet form.... It's safe to say that it is beyond comparison to an ipad, unless said iPad was running OSX and the same Intel hardware as a MacBook.
Next time try not to say something so blatently idiotic.
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Click to collapse
I think you are the one who said something idiotic - not I. There are TWO Surfaces or have you forgotten? Surface RT is not equivalent to an ultrabook and can be put up against/compared to an iPad. Surface Pro is on par with an ultrabook as it has full blown windows under the Metro skin.
No need to jump down my throat

i secont that... RT is in direct competition with iPad where as Pro one, which will come out late, is an ultrabook

JSLEnterprises said:
Considering the surface is the equivallent of an ultrabook in tablet form.... It's safe to say that it is beyond comparison to an ipad, unless said iPad was running OSX and the same Intel hardware as a MacBook.
Next time try not to say something so blatently idiotic.
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Click to collapse
I'm fairly sure microsoft is making surface in house, There may be samsung parts in it, but I do not think it is assembled by samsung. At least as far as ive read.

OrangeTang said:
I'm fairly sure microsoft is making surface in house, There may be samsung parts in it, but I do not think it is assembled by samsung. At least as far as ive read.
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if I recall correctly, and please correct me if im wrong, but MS doesn't have manufacturing lines, all their hardware is outsourced to other manufactures.

dazza9075 said:
if I recall correctly, and please correct me if im wrong, but MS doesn't have manufacturing lines, all their hardware is outsourced to other manufactures.
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Yeah...
it can easily be a rumor but i found this:
http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsof...-windows-surface-tablets-ipad-supplier-196106

tanush said:
Yeah...
it can easily be a rumor but i found this:
http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsof...-windows-surface-tablets-ipad-supplier-196106
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that would make perfect sense, a manufacture that is already pumping out these things wouldn't need a massive change of direction to run another production line of a similar nature.
anyhow, wait until one pops out then we can rip it apart and look for point of origin signs

tboy2000 said:
How is the Surface tablet supposed to be popular and give the iPad a run for its money if places to buy it are limited?
You can buy an iPad online, Apple stores and select retail stores.
Mircrosoft have a handful of Microsoft stores in the US ONLY. Is the only option to buy online direct from a Microsoft store?
Mircrosoft seriously needs to make the Surface table easy to purchase from a wide number of sources if it has any chance to great sales figures.
I for one can't wait. Upgrading to Windows 8 on my desktop, purchasing a top Windows 8 handset and a 16gb Surface RT tablet. This combined with Skydrive makes an awesome integrated OS - just like Apple with the iPhone, Mac OS, iPad and iCloud.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you might want to wait and see what surface sells like?
the surface presentation looked like a soft launch of alpha class stuffs for market testing...it wasn't even as solid as the wp7 early debut. "Limited supply" screams low commitment or low expectations from Microsoft.
Just sayin
---------- Post added at 08:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:50 PM ----------
Greywolf_Ghost said:
As it is right now.....everywhere I go I can not avoid the "Upgrade to Win8 for $15" ads, posters, radio spots.......
It's only 2-3 months away from Launch.......wait, be calm, don't panic....after your going to see how silly your words were!!!!
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Take pictures, post them here... it would be neat to see some marketing again from Microsoft.

Most places like Best Buy and Futureshop have the deal on, I know I even saw it on the MS website.

Except for a tiny link on most sites, you would think Windows 8 was not going to happen anytime soon.
Windows 8 Metro relies HEAVILY on touch or high end trackpad support. PS/2 trackpads that are on the vast majority of laptops don't cut it with their pseudo-multitouch.
I am going to get a Samsung 7 because I am excited as an avid Mac and Windows Phone user that something so elegant and powerful is coming to the desktop.
Current hardware basically stinks to high heaven for getting a good Windows 8 experience because even RTM makes using the desktop difficult because desktop apps are hidden by default. This is a completely new OS, not at all an upgrade.
Sent from my PI39100 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App

I never did get an apology from JLEnterprises
Anyway, what sucks about the 14.99 windows upgrade is that the special price is only valid if you have purchased a PC with Windows 7 from June 2, 2012 to January 31, 2013. If you have a PC with Windows 7 prior to June 2012 (as I have), I guess we have to pay the full monty for it. Ho hum!

RT can't be compared to iPad because it doesn't have nor could it have the same amount and quality of apps.

(Q) Am i tight or has win 8 rt priced itself out of the game

I realize all the greatness about windows 8 etc, look at all my other post and you will see I am full blooded fanboi. However I am a poor fan and so price is something I have to consider. I thought when I saw the Surface price that it was really miles to steep but then it was really top end hardware and so was to be expected. However what I didn't realize is that it wasn't an expensive windows rt tab at all infact it was very competitive. For example here in the UK the Ativ tab with less fancy hardware is more expensive (32gb ativ = £457 32gb, surface = £399). Am I being funny here or can you not get same spec Android for about £100 less? I know RT smashes Android BUT its still got its problems - lag, app unreliability, lack of native apps though bluestacks has this covered but then as I was pointing out if you want droid go for an actual android tab. Is it wrong to want decent hardware RT for around the £350 mark? Or am I just a tight old man?

lumpaywk said:
I realize all the greatness about windows 8 etc, look at all my other post and you will see I am full blooded fanboi. However I am a poor fan and so price is something I have to consider. I thought when I saw the Surface price that it was really miles to steep but then it was really top end hardware and so was to be expected. However what I didn't realize is that it wasn't an expensive windows rt tab at all infact it was very competitive. For example here in the UK the Ativ tab with less fancy hardware is more expensive (32gb ativ = £457 32gb, surface = £399). Am I being funny here or can you not get same spec Android for about £100 less? I know RT smashes Android BUT its still got its problems - lag, app unreliability, lack of native apps though bluestacks has this covered but then as I was pointing out if you want droid go for an actual android tab. Is it wrong to want decent hardware RT for around the £350 mark? Or am I just a tight old man?
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It's not wrong at all to want decent hardware RT cheap especially when the Google Nexus 7 32gb when released will be £249.99. Ms seem to be going down the Apple route and overpricing there tabs instead of competing with Android. Windows 8 RT is after all the full Windows 8 optimized for Arm CPUs, I'm curious to what the Price of the Surface Pro will be as It's a better spec than RT with a propper Intel Processor and full Windows 8 with the ability to load regular PC apps so you'll have the choice of Office apps that you want to use other than Microsoft Office.
I want a Tab but cant decide wether I should save for a Google Nexus 7, Microsoft Surface RT or Microsoft Surface Pro?
Roland

lumpaywk said:
I realize all the greatness about windows 8 etc, look at all my other post and you will see I am full blooded fanboi. However I am a poor fan and so price is something I have to consider. I thought when I saw the Surface price that it was really miles to steep but then it was really top end hardware and so was to be expected. However what I didn't realize is that it wasn't an expensive windows rt tab at all infact it was very competitive. For example here in the UK the Ativ tab with less fancy hardware is more expensive (32gb ativ = £457 32gb, surface = £399). Am I being funny here or can you not get same spec Android for about £100 less? I know RT smashes Android BUT its still got its problems - lag, app unreliability, lack of native apps though bluestacks has this covered but then as I was pointing out if you want droid go for an actual android tab. Is it wrong to want decent hardware RT for around the £350 mark? Or am I just a tight old man?
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no i think they missed the mark, i suspect it was OEM presure, they would perhaps have promised to release low priced parts in x months, we do see that with other hardware, top end gets released first, then back ported to lower end gear.
but yes i agree,it is stupid,MS would have done well to use some of that $40 billion surplus it has to support a low price and gain some traction in the market rather than start from 0 with relitively high prices...
but who am i to argue

It's $100 cheaper than the iPad for the same storage, and when you look at it the Surface really does scream quality. Everything about the hardware just seems so precisely designed.
I think Microsoft are planning to go after Apple rather than Google. Apple is more of a competitor, as it offers the same services as Microsoft with that distinct Apple twist I despise.
They also don't want to undercut OEMs.

aegixnova said:
It's $100 cheaper than the iPad for the same storage, and when you look at it the Surface really does scream quality. Everything about the hardware just seems so precisely designed.
I think Microsoft are planning to go after Apple rather than Google. Apple is more of a competitor, as it offers the same services as Microsoft with that distinct Apple twist I despise.
They also don't want to undercut OEMs.
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absolutely as a long term plan, but the more pressing problem is short term market traction,Android holds the cards there and shouldnt be dismissed, dispite it being a crap product compared to Apple and MS

dazza9075 said:
absolutely as a long term plan, but the more pressing problem is short term market traction,Android holds the cards there and shouldnt be dismissed, dispite it being a crap product compared to Apple and MS
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MS should price Surface RT & Surface Pro mid range so its:
Android, budget Phone/Tablet for people on a tight budget/Linux users.
Windows Mid Range All Rounder, Desktop/Phone & Tablet for people that want a complete affordable package of Desktop, Phone & Tablet with everything working as one semlessly.
Apple premium All Rounder high end Desktop/Phone & Tablet for people that can afford to pay for style and want everything seamlessly synced between all there devices.
Android tablets may be cheaper than Apple Tablets but Android is scales properly on an Android Tablet compared to iOS where the icons are spread appart as if Apple has taken iSO from an iPhone and just flashed it to the iPad.
Hopefully Surface Pro with Windows 8 Pro will be more successfull than Windows XP Tablet Edition, I can't recall ever seeing any resonably priced Windows XP Tablet Edition Tablets advertised.
Roland

Yeah its not like I am saying that there shouldn't be top end hardware at a top end price but where is the middle ground.
And now I also want to know where are any of these tablets. Its launch day the big bang of there tablet push and I cant find ANY for sale anywhere bar the surface and that's on a 3 week wait. I have been to PC world, Commet, Currys and nothing but old Laptops with the os put on it and not a single tablet. Its a joke! How do they expect to make big profits if people that actually want to buy cant find anything anywhere. Then to top it off we have the most preview locations in Europe but they are all in London! So once again some Americans thing England is well London.

If you buy what you really need, the price might be right

lumpaywk said:
Yeah its not like I am saying that there shouldn't be top end hardware at a top end price but where is the middle ground.
And now I also want to know where are any of these tablets. Its launch day the big bang of there tablet push and I cant find ANY for sale anywhere bar the surface and that's on a 3 week wait. I have been to PC world, Commet, Currys and nothing but old Laptops with the os put on it and not a single tablet. Its a joke! How do they expect to make big profits if people that actually want to buy cant find anything anywhere. Then to top it off we have the most preview locations in Europe but they are all in London! So once again some Americans thing England is well London.
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your closer to London than i am!! Marketing has always been MSs downfall, hardware is something they often do very well,but alas you may be right on this one

aegixnova said:
They also don't want to undercut OEMs.
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Exactly this. With the pricing that they have they are trying accomplishing 3 goals
1. Placing the surface in everyones mind as a "Premium" product
2. Not annoy their OEMs
3. Give them room to drop the price if they want later.
I REALLY want a Surface pro but I know that it's going to probably be 900+ (based on RT prices) and I can't justify spending that much when I already have a perfectly working Acer w500 with windows 8 and nice i5 @ 4ghz, 16gb ram self built PC that runs pretty much anything decently. I think MS is targeting those consumers that have money to burn and the oems can fight over the 'bargain hunters'.

thundr51 said:
Exactly this. With the pricing that they have they are trying accomplishing 3 goals
1. Placing the surface in everyones mind as a "Premium" product
2. Not annoy their OEMs
3. Give them room to drop the price if they want later.
I REALLY want a Surface pro but I know that it's going to probably be 900+ (based on RT prices) and I can't justify spending that much when I already have a perfectly working Acer w500 with windows 8 and nice i5 @ 4ghz, 16gb ram self built PC that runs pretty much anything decently. I think MS is targeting those consumers that have money to burn and the oems can fight over the 'bargain hunters'.
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Yes, but nobody is fighting for the bargain hunters, the acer and the Samsung tablets are more expensive then the surface (at least here on pre-order prices). All the windows pro based tablets are stupidly expensive like + £900. I know there are a few that could fill the cheap market but where are they? There is nothing available for launch! Its the worst launch I have seen in a long long time and is like launching the next xbox without any games. Whoever was in charge of making sure oems had products really dropped the ball on this one big style and by time they get anything to market the momentum of launch will have faded.