hector

I think they still have the RT but its RT 8.1. At least when I got the SP3 the regular Surface models had the Win RT 8.1 OS, not the Win 8.1. As I understand it the Surface is the tablet (about $500) while the Surface Pro is the hybrid (or 2in1) for much more $$$$.

For my needs the T100 was perfect but how can you refuse a gift from your mother?

The SP3 has actually lived up to the task of reducing time using more than one machine as I use my desktop less now. Plus its quite a bit more portable and practical than a laptop in the field for my use.

From reading online reviews though, don't expect it to actually replace a laptop. People who game, compile, and use CAD or other such software have huge complaints about performance. Even when splurging for the $2k i7's.

Given time though, I cant imagine this platform wont develop and evolve to be the standard for tablets in the future.

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

I was under the impression that the Surface 2 (non-pro) had been disconfirmed, but you're right, it does appear that you can still buy it directly from Microsoft. There does not seem to be a non-pro Surface 3, so I assume that MS is winding down that product.

I'm not sure what you mean by "hybrid" in this context. The difference between the two classes of machine (those running regular Windows vs. those running WinRT) is the CPU architecture. The Pro version, with regular Windows, has an x86-class CPU (specifically a Core-i series), while the Amateur version, running WinRT, uses an ARM7- architecture CPU (Nvidia Tegra.) The Pro version will not run applications compiled for an ARM CPU, nor will any of the other tablets based on x86 processors (mostly Atoms.)
Likewise, no tablet with an ARM processor (Snapdragon, Tegra, etc) will run applications compiled for an x86 CPU.

As a matter of policy, MS encourages authors to dual-compile their apps for both processors much as Apple did during the transition from Motorola PowerPC to Intel Core CPUs in the Macintosh a few years ago. Not all authors are in compliance with this, and it is not mandatory.

hector

Joe something tells me that MS is keeping some sort of tablet only OS as well as the Win 8.1 so they can compete with Google and Apple. Whether it be RT or something new as tablet only systems are much cheaper and Im sure outsell the 2in1's by a huge margin. Pure conjecture on my part of course but given their investment already it doesn't make sense to back out now.

Obviously apps for the MS OS are down in comparison but I believe that any app that works for Win RT 8.1 will work for Win 8.1. This is not fact, just what I remember from reading. So if this is the case, why get rid of RT.

And by hybrid I mean it has apps that are apps, and apps that are not. Example, you can have two One Notes, an app version and a full Win 8.1 version. Also, apps and full Win 8.1 can run at the same time. You can swipe from one to other seamlessly so it works quite well. Since I'm not a tech geek I can't explain it better that that.

Mazduh

I don't think the Surface is going away. But I think Microsoft is re-evaluating RT and Windows 8. Since 9 is due next year, I'm sure we'll see some different iteration of the surface. Supposedly MS was going to bring out a surface mini, but bailed last minute. Seems like MS just can't make a viable mobile platform that sticks. Although I've seen Windows Mobile being released on things like the HTC One which is normally a Android phone. So maybe that's were MS is headed, opening up their mobile OS for any device.

y8s

iTrader: (8)

Intel integrated graphics are simply a bad choice for gaming and CAD. Doesn't matter what processor they are bottlenecking.

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

It was a mistake for MS to introduce two products which looked the same and had nearly the same name, but were in fact completely different in terms of capability, price and performance. This created a massive amount of confusion, tarnished the "Windows 8" name, and turned a lot of people (myself included) into Android fans.

Microsoft already has a perfectly serviceable Tablet OS. It's called Windows Phone, and it's been shipping on multiple hardware platforms for about two years now. If MS wanted to go head-to-head with Goople in the lightweight casual-computing market, then they should have done the same thing those companies did and port their existing phone OS to a tablet.



Fixed that for you.

Of course, this depends upon one's definition of "gaming." I don't have any data to back this up, but I strongly suspect that the mobile-gaming market massively out-earns the desktop and console market at this point. Doesn't take much in the way of graphics horsepower to grow virtual carrots.

y8s

iTrader: (8)

No need to fix in the context of MS Surface product lineup. I know MS wants the surface to replace all your gadgets bigger than a phone but it never could without some serious time and space magic.

Schuyler

iTrader: (1)

hmm. I want to mount my surface pro so it can removed for street driving, but can show oil pressure and temp in big, bold, quickly glance-able numbers on track. Suggestions? I've thought about bolts through the transmission tunnel with two arms on either side, holding the tablet in front of the stereo. The a third arm back to the windshield, with a suction cup providing a third point of contact to reduce vibrations. Pure speculation, no clue what rules SCCA etc. have against this stuff. Also, holes in my trans tunnel, heat, eh. With the three points of contact, maybe super strong magnets on the inside of the trans tunnel, with steel squares on the mount? idk. 1:45 speculation when I should be studying for a Fluid Mechanics exam. kbye. #Didn'tProofReadThisMess

Gauge layout like this: (ignore launch and flatshit. Fillers until something better)

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

I used to have a bracket which mounted my old tablet in front of the radio and offset toward the pax side at an angle. A piece of square tube with a foot that bolted to the front left pax seat bolt, with an arm that attached with the side-screw on the center console.

There will be pix of it somewhere here from 2006-7. I can't really search for them as I'm in the head at the moment.

bahurd

iTrader: (8)

I used a mount from Proclip for my Nexus 7. The Surface Pro is quite a bit bigger + heavier so maybe something off the seat mount bolt? Actually, they have mounts for the Surface Pro 2 and 3

Look through the offerrings: Car Phone Holders and Dashboard Phone Mounts---ProClip USA

Schuyler

iTrader: (1)

Little pricier than I'm looking for, but I'll definitely keep it in mind. Thanks!

I found a post you made linking to the thread, but it seems to be dead.

https://www.miataturbo.net/showthread.php?t=6966