CNN Commentators Using Surface as an iPad Stand
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I am guessing that they did not think this through very well at all. If Microsoft just gave me a Surface I would certainly have little to no use for it. Sure, I might find a use for it while sitting on the couch from time to time but just being a free device would not be enough to make me want to use it in place of my existing laptop for travel work and iPad for mobility work. It just fails to replace either of those well. No amount of "having one" would encourage me to use it. I would need a use case created that would make it make sense. That's more important than a free device. Make it really useful to me and then I will take a serious look at it.
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I've got a Surface RT which is basically a PDF reading device right now... no real other use for it especially after they locked it down with 8.1. The Surface Pro series though has been fantastic and we have been purchasing those for our sales people for almost two years now.
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As I have said before it's a great device, but due to how I generally need a device it's not that useful to me. I do love that it is full windows Pro but in order to use it in a moving vehicle I had to buy a lap desk and it's still not super stable like my laptop is. For a tablet it's too heavy and bulky. Now I do love it in my kitchen it's great on the counter for reading recipes and answering emails etc.
For a sales team I can see the full use case for me well it's just not that useful. Luckily I got it for free.
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@Minion-Queen One of the things that our sales team universally loves is how easy they are to use on an airplane. Setting them up on a seat-back tray is much easier then using a full fledged laptop;.
We've cheated a bit though, all the sales people are setup with a USB 3.0 port replicator and dual monitors at their "office". Which makes it much more like a desktop replacement then a true convertible laptop. Although the unplugging one cable and going thing is another point they all universally love.
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@coliver said:
no real other use for it especially after they locked it down with 8.1.
What do you mean locked down? The RT is an ARM processor - you can't run the full version of 8.1 on that platform. The only real alternative option would be to install Linux assuming you can disable the locked down BIOS/UEFI.
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@coliver said:
@Minion-Queen One of the things that our sales team universally loves is how easy they are to use on an airplane.
That's surprising, that's one of the reasons that I don't like it because of the lack of the stable keyboard for use in airplanes, trains and cars. (Not so much cars, that would make me sick quickly.)
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@Dashrender said:
@coliver said:
no real other use for it especially after they locked it down with 8.1.
What do you mean locked down? The RT is an ARM processor - you can't run the full version of 8.1 on that platform. The only real alternative option would be to install Linux assuming you can disable the locked down BIOS/UEFI.
Windows RT 8 there was a jailbreak that allowed you to run ARM apps not on the store on the RT. It was actually useful to run Notepad++ and OpenTTD on trips. They disabled that loophole in Windows RT 8.1.
@scottalanmiller said:
@coliver said:
@Minion-Queen One of the things that our sales team universally loves is how easy they are to use on an airplane.
That's surprising, that's one of the reasons that I don't like it because of the lack of the stable keyboard for use in airplanes, trains and cars. (Not so much cars, that would make me sick quickly.)
I could understand this from the touch-keyboard perspective but the type-keyboard is very usable... not sure about stability I don't think I've ever had an issue with them moving around... although I've never used it on a plane, in a car and on a train though I had no issues with.
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@coliver said:
I could understand this from the touch-keyboard perspective but the type-keyboard is very usable... not sure about stability I don't think I've ever had an issue with them moving around... although I've never used it on a plane, in a car and on a train though I had no issues with.
It's that thin, hinged keyboard resting on the lip of the airplane tray or having to sit on my lap on a train that makes it awkward.
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The keyboard is attached very well but it is not super rigid so it makes it awkward.
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It's not a stiff hinge like a laptop has. From a lap perspective it's a major pain, I wouldn't expect the use of the SP3 on an airplane tray to be difficult.. but a lap on a train, yeah that would suck.
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@Minion-Queen said:
The keyboard is attached very well but it is not super rigid so it makes it awkward.
And it has a loose hinge. So when on an uneven surface it will bounce when really typing.
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@Dashrender said:
It's not a stiff hinge like a laptop has. From a lap perspective it's a major pain, I wouldn't expect the use of the SP3 on an airplane tray to be difficult.. but a lap on a train, yeah that would suck.
Plane would be better and if there is no lip on the tray probably fine. But most have a lip.
