Support NeoGAF

[crozier]

Tablets aren't productivity devices. If I need to type something out, I'm using my laptop or desktop.

 

[SPDIF]

And it will be as long as keyboards are the fastest way to type. So you connect a bunch of junk to it and you have what's kinda a laptop but less neat. Different devices do different things well. The biggest misconception in technology is that devices are converging. Ask yourself do you own more or less devices now than 5 years ago?

I'll soon be owning less actually.

Tablets aren't productivity devices. If I need to type something out, I'm using my laptop or desktop.

That's what you may think for now. Give it a few more years.

 

[cbox]

And it will be as long as keyboards are the fastest way to type. So you connect a bunch of junk to it and you have what's kinda a laptop but less neat. Different devices do different things well. The biggest misconception in technology is that devices are converging. Ask yourself do you own more or less devices now than 5 years ago?

I think it's more my software package just won't run on that type of device, nor would I ever want to to work on such a small screen. For me, tablets and phones are devices made for consuming content where my desktop is for creating. I thankfully own less devices nowadays because of my iphone. It's really a great device, but then again all smartphones are considering where we were many years ago.

 

[Ken Masters]

iWork isn't bad, and I'm glad it's free for new devices, only app I hadn't already paid for was Numbers


I open up power point presentations using numbers all the time, there are some compatibility issues but it gets the job done

 

[border]

So, when I see Apple drop the price of their struggling, lightweight productivity apps, I don’t see a shot across our bow, I see an attempt to play catch up.

Of course it's a shot across your bow, dummy. If you don't get off your ass and put Office on the iPad you're going to lose access to the 100+ million possible users. All for the sake of propping up a flagging product like the Surface.

 

[sixteen-bit]

Cognitive dissonance.

 

[Shpeshal_Ed]

If only the Apple productivity suite was the only threat to Microsoft cash cow. The free Mac OSX update move from Apple could be far more threatening to MS in the short term. It reinforces the perception an OS should be free.

8.1 was free.

 

[muddream]

Google is the main threat to Office, free iWork won't change a damn thing.

 

[Replicant]

Said the company who released Surface a few years too late to catch up with Apple, Google, and other companies. Stay flopping, MS!

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

That it's not full Office. Excel lacks proper macro and VB script capability, and the OS as a whole lacks Active Directory support so it's hopeless at connecting to corporate networks.

Microsoft's point is entirely correct. It's just a shame they have hashed up the execution.

So... How is Microsoft clueless when Apple is providing even less then? People keep saying how amazing the iPad is and how much more in tune they are yet say the surface sucks for something their device can't do either. Yeah, I wish they would improve it too, but I doubt they will, it's still leaps and bounds ahead of anything apple does. The goddamn desktop version of numbers doesn't even have half the shit you usually need when doing spreadsheets.

I said that the desktop is crippled because it can’t run all Windows apps. It’s useless on RT aside from having Office on there.

I said that iWork was more interesting than Office. not better. I chose that word for a reason. iWork on iOS allows a user to edit docs with an interface designed for the hardware. it has limitations but is still very capable. You can use it in pretty much any position you use an iPad. Keynote on the toilet? GO NUTS.

Office on RT is the real deal and if you got a company spreadsheet with 10000 rows, it’ll handle it but requires the user to sit down at a desk, break out a mouse and keyboard and use the Surface like a laptop to get the most out of it.

My comment is not new. It’s that consumers have pretty much rejected the RT because the need for full Office, implemented as MS has done so, doesn’t seem to be a device seller and MS’s idea of switching between touch and desktop modes on a tablet device is unappealing to most and introduces unneeded complexity.

No, you said better. Again, I'm quoting you:

"And, yeah, of course the Office juggernaut is going to be better than iWork at some things."

Please stop with these stupid ass semantics already. You said Office is only better at some things meaning iWork is better at the rest. I already asked in what ways it's superior to office since office is only good at some things which is a huge understatement IMO.

Somethings are better designed for touch in regards to iWork vs. Office from what I've seen but they're not some great thing. You're still typing and treating 99% of things exactly the same between the two. If I'm missing something about the earth shattering developments in pages or whatever that makes it so much more useable than office on a tablet please point them out because I don't see it. Again, there are some, but they're pretty much all pretty negligible. Plus I'd argue the pen makes working in office a lot better than using your fingers in iWork. In the current setup, pen will be more productive than your fingers.

And you statement is not new but it's usually not explained and thrown out by ignorant people. You still haven't explained by it's so inferior. They reject the RT because they need full office but yet none of you knock the iPad? Seems like they're both not reaching this insanely popular market and the reason the world as a whole has rejected them according to you. What do you mean switch between touch and desktop? What desktop are you switching to exactly? You keep mentioning this and avoiding answering it at all.

Nonononono let's be serious here... people says RT is bullshit because it's neither a tablet nor a desktop.
It has a desktop OS (with no apps) with all the gui designed to be used with a mouse but the hardware has the primary user interface of a tablet and more than other it has the power of a tablet...
It's essentially the worst of both world, neither fish nor meat, no one knows where Ms is heading with RT and maybe not even them knows.
The Surface Pro makes a lot more sense because it's Microsoft response to Ultrabooks and a very good one imho.

This is a joke post right? Metro is designed to be used with a mouse? Everyone hated Metro because it's only good with touchscreens. You have no clue what you're talking about if you're arguing it's a mouse UI for RT. And please explain how it sucks at both, don't give the bullshit hand wave answers like others, say how it sucks. In what way do the apps not work like apps just like on other tablets? It's a tablet that works like the other tablets.

 

[ringwaldhaze]

The biggest misconception in technology is that devices are converging. Ask yourself do you own more or less devices now than 5 years ago?

Yes? My smartphone has replaced my camera, camcorder, MP3 player (and regular phone), my tablet has replaced my laptop, and my laptop has replaced my desktop. I imagine that's the case for most people, no?

 

[Fantasmo]

Hey Microsoft, why do you suck so bad at reading nearly all your markets?
I don't WANT a tablet that does everything. I want a home tablet for web and whatever else, a smartphone for everywhere, and a laptop for work.

Do you fools realize that most companies shun or lock out gaming on a work device? Nevermind the whole part where they can track what I do and where I've been because I'm using a work device.

You're a work company, if you want to be cool, you need a non-work device and it needs to be better than Google or Apple for me to even think about it.

If your actual goal is to edge out the laptop market, well, good luck with that. It's definitely not happening overnight.

 

[Mindwipe]

So... How is Microsoft clueless when Apple is providing even less then? People keep saying how amazing the iPad is and how much more in tune they are yet say the surface sucks for something their device can't do either. Yeah, I wish they would improve it too, but I doubt they will, it's still leaps and bounds ahead of anything apple does. The goddamn desktop version of numbers doesn't even have half the shit you usually need when doing spreadsheets.

I didn't say Apple were clueless. Indeed, I agree with you. Again, I said Microsoft's point is correct - the iPad is a horrible productivity device. But the Pro doesn't actually include Office and the RT which does has mashed up the execution of what should be a clean victory.

 

[Shpeshal_Ed]

Microsofts biggest problem in the phone and tablet space is timing more than anything.

They were just too LTTP on both counts.

 

[outunderthestars]

Yes? My smartphone has replaced my camera, camcorder, MP3 player (and regular phone), my tablet has replaced my laptop, and my laptop has replaced my desktop. I imagine that's the case for most people, no?

Agreed. I have a smartphone, tablet, laptop, and Vita.

in 2005: PC, laptop, phone, camera, mp3 player, camcorder, and pda.

How has the market NOT converged?

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

I didn't say Apple were clueless. Indeed, I agree with you. Again, I said Microsoft's point is correct - the iPad is a horrible productivity device. But the Pro doesn't actually include Office and the RT which does has mashed up the execution of what should be a clean victory.

If you thought for a second they would give away free office 2013 then you're delusional. They'll never give that away free with the insane amount of money they make off of office and considering how crappy iWork is, they don't have to give office away for free. Making office RT isn't a mashed up execution anymore than every other productivity app on any tablet.

Agreed. I have a smartphone, tablet, laptop, and Vita.

in 2005: PC, laptop, phone, camera, mp3 player, camcorder, and pda.

How has the market NOT converged?

Because it's probably a younger poster. At their age they didn't have camcorders, pdas, etc. They had a smartphone and a laptop and nothing else. They now have at least 3 devices, a tablet, laptop, and smartphone. For them it's expanding, not converging.

 

[outunderthestars]

If you thought for a second they would give away free office 2013 then you're delusional. They'll never give that away free with the insane amount of money they make off of office and considering how crappy iWork is, they don't have to give office away for free. Making office RT isn't a mashed up execution anymore than every other productivity app on any tablet.

Honest question: Is there really a large market for Office/productivity apps on tablets?

 

[rrs]

The biggest issue with the Surface isn't the GUI, (it's quite nice) it's a lack of programs/games you could get on other devices and as a bonus it's locked down so programs that compiled for ARM have to go through their store unless you mess with it. Also as a long time iPad user, 10" widescreens feel weird to use.

And it will be as long as keyboards are the fastest way to type. So you connect a bunch of junk to it and you have what's kinda a laptop but less neat. Different devices do different things well. The biggest misconception in technology is that devices are converging. Ask yourself do you own more or less devices now than 5 years ago?

Yes, so so yes.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Honest question: Is there really a large market for Office/productivity apps on tablets?

It's large enough considering the amount of tablets being sold and will probably only grow in time. More and more people seem to be moving from laptops to tablets and companies are implementing tablets over laptops more and more which is more "people" entering the market and making that market grow. So yes, I think plenty of people want it and will probably be one of the last things that make people leave laptops. Specs on tablets currently are good enough for most IMO.

 

[SPDIF]

Hey Microsoft, why do you suck so bad at reading nearly all your markets?
I don't WANT a tablet that does everything. I want a home tablet for web and whatever else, a smartphone for everywhere, and a laptop for work.

Do you fools realize that most companies shun or lock out gaming on a work device? Nevermind the whole part where they can track what I do and where I've been because I'm using a work device.

You're a work company, if you want to be cool, you need a non-work device and it needs to be better than Google or Apple for me to even think about it.

If your actual goal is to edge out the laptop market, well, good luck with that. It's definitely not happening overnight.

But why? Maybe right now you may have a good reason. But in a year or two when you can get a good inexpensive tablet with fantastic battery life and good performance, that can run whatever you want; well, why wouldn't you want such a device?

 

[LeleSocho]

This is a joke post right? Metro is designed to be used with a mouse? Everyone hated Metro because it's only good with touchscreens. You have no clue what you're talking about if you're arguing it's a mouse UI for RT. And please explain how it sucks at both, don't give the bullshit hand wave answers like others, say how it sucks. In what way do the apps not work like apps just like on other tablets? It's a tablet that works like the other tablets.

Metro is unintuitive as fuck and no one uses it, people at the demo stations that stop to try the Surfaces they go away within seconds because they don't understand how to do stuff, hell even i still can't understand how the hell it works and I am more tech savvy than the average person... therefore what you are left with is the old classic desktop mode and guess what? touchscreens on the desktop sucks monkey balls.
Why it sucks at both? You must be blind to not see why, it sucks at desktop because it doesn't have any of the legacy software and even if it had it the power to run a lot of them isn't there.
As a tablet it sucks because the gui is horrible and therefore forced to either stay hours and hours to learn how to use it (which defies completely the concept of tablet) or as i already said use the traditional gui.
Microsoft should either put WP8 on that thing (which i would appreciate a lot) or ditch it completely for a Pro only future.

 

[DopeyFish]

The biggest issue with the Surface isn't the GUI, (it's quite nice) it's a lack of programs/games you could get on other devices and as a bonus it's locked down so programs that compiled for ARM have to go through their store unless you mess with it. Also as a long time iPad user, 10" widescreens feel weird to use.



Yes, so so yes.

the biggest issue with surface is not the lack of apps. The reason apps exist in the first place is mainly as direct replacements to websites. Surface RT has very good website comparability, why compromise?

the biggest issue with surface is people aren't actually trying out the device... because the issues people have really don't exist

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Metro is unintuitive as fuck and no one uses it, people at the demo stations that stop to try the Surfaces they go away within seconds because they don't understand how to do stuff, hell even i still can't understand how the hell it works and I am more tech savvy than the average person... therefore what you are left with is the old classic desktop mode and guess what? touchscreens on the desktop sucks monkey balls.
Why it sucks at both? You must be blind to not see why, it sucks at desktop because it doesn't have any of the legacy software and even if it had it the power to run a lot of them isn't there.
As a tablet it sucks because the gui is horrible and therefore forced to either stay hours and hours to learn how to use it (which defies completely the concept of tablet) or as i already said use the traditional gui.
Microsoft should either put WP8 on that thing (which i would appreciate a lot) or ditch it completely for a Pro only future.

How is Metro so confusing that people don't know what to do. You have internet explorer and an appstore with apps you launch. Please explain the complexity of metro that is not present in any other tablet OS.

 

[outunderthestars]

the biggest issue with surface is not the lack of apps. The reason apps exist in the first place is mainly as direct replacements to websites. Surface RT has very good website comparability, why compromise?

the biggest issue with surface is people aren't actually trying out the device... because the issues people have really don't exist

Not true. At least not for me.

 

[SPDIF]

Metro is unintuitive as fuck and no one uses it, people at the demo stations that stop to try the Surfaces they go away within seconds because they don't understand how to do stuff, hell even i still can't understand how the hell it works and I am more tech savvy than the average person... therefore what you are left with is the old classic desktop mode and guess what? touchscreens on the desktop sucks monkey balls.
Why it sucks at both? You must be blind to not see why, it sucks at desktop because it doesn't have any of the legacy software and even if it had it the power to run a lot of them isn't there.
As a tablet it sucks because the gui is horrible and therefore forced to either stay hours and hours to learn how to use it (which defies completely the concept of tablet) or as i already said use the traditional gui.
Microsoft should either put WP8 on that thing (which i would appreciate a lot) or ditch it completely for a Pro only future.

It really isn't. Not on a touch screen. What's so unintuitive about it in your opinion?

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

How is Metro so confusing that people don't know what to do. You have internet explorer and an appstore with apps you launch. Please explain the complexity of metro that is not present in any other tablet OS.

There are no visible controls.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

There are no visible controls.

As far as? Settings? Or?

 

[numble]

I'm in China right now and a co-worker complained about buying a Surface in the past, thinking it would be useful for business trips, and not being able to install her most used apps (they are Chinese-specific Windows apps). She said she felt lied to/cheated about the Surface.

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

As far as? Settings? Or?

Almost anything. How do you start multitasking? How do you close something? How do you get to settings? Even things like how do I get the IE tabs or a right-click menu to show up. These interactions are hidden and need to be learned. People have no incentive to learn this OS.

 

[tbm24]

Microsoft still has a fundamental misunderstanding of people want and expect from tablets.

I'd argue Microsoft knows exactly what people want and expect from a tablet at the moment, they just aren't going in that direction and doing something else.

 

[tbm24]

Almost anything. How do you start multitasking? How do you close something? How do you get to settings? Even things like how do I get the IE tabs or a right-click menu to show up. These interactions are hidden and need to be learned. People have no incentive to learn this OS.

You could apply the exact same thing to iOS. Nothing is telegraphed. You just get a feel of the thing.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Almost anything. How do you start multitasking? How do you close something? How do you get to settings? Even things like how do I get the IE tabs or a right-click menu to show up. These interactions are hidden and need to be learned. People have no incentive to learn this OS.

What was the incentive to learn the other OSes? It's not like they're unintuitive and take weeks or months to learn. iOS and Android don't have visible controls either by your logic, if anything android is the only one that does since it has buttons to press instead of a single do all button on iOS. This is exactly what I don't get, your complaint should be a knock against all of the tablet OSes but instead it magically just means the surface is shit?

 

[CharminUltra]

I don't know if I own more devices nowadays than I used to, but I sure as hell carry WAY less of everything when I travel.

10 years ago:

Cellphone
Laptop
GBA
Portable CD player plus at least 3 CDs
A couple of books
DVD player plus at least 3 movies
Video game magazine

Now:
iPhone
iPad

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

You could apply the exact same thing to iOS. Nothing is telegraphed. You just get a feel of the thing.

iOS, at least when it first came out, was stupidly simple. Nothing was hidden. There were top and bottom control bars and basic list preferences all over the place.

What was the incentive to learn the other OSes? It's not like they're unintuitive and take weeks or months to learn. iOS and Android don't have visible controls either by your logic, if anything android is the only one that does since it has buttons to press instead of a single do all button on iOS. This is exactly what I don't get, your complaint should be a knock against all of the tablet OSes but instead it magically just means the surface is shit?

I haven't said Surface is shit. I'm backing up another person who said you will see people just get frustrated/bored when trying demos. It's true, and you're projecting a lot of feelings here.

 

[DopeyFish]

Not true. At least not for me.

like?

 

[BertramCooper]

I'd argue Microsoft knows exactly what people want and expect from a tablet at the moment, they just aren't going in that direction and doing something else.

So they're either obtuse or prescient?

(My money is on the former.)

 

[ringwaldhaze]

What was the incentive to learn the other OSes

When iOS first came out, there wasn't really anything else around that was on that scale so learning a new interface was the only option. Android built from the principles of iOS so it made potentially switching from one or the other less obtrusive. Windows, though, was both LTTP and went in another direction with the metro interface. By the time it rolled around, people could already get great products from the other guys that they were used to so there's less incentive to make the switch.

Maybe. I'm mostly attempting to play devil's advocate.

 

[rrs]

the biggest issue with surface is not the lack of apps. The reason apps exist in the first place is mainly as direct replacements to websites. Surface RT has very good website comparability, why compromise?

the biggest issue with surface is people aren't actually trying out the device... because the issues people have really don't exist

yeah no.

I mean actual programs/games, not browser shells or shitty bare bones versions of the website's experience.

 

[juliushandle]

Microsoft does actually "get it",but they are focused on the corporate side of things and trying to convince IT provisioning departments that Windows tablets are useful productivity tools for the mobile workforce. This was largely hampered by limited x86 compatibility, overall slow Windows 8 adoption (corporate IT standards and infrastructure need upgrading, etc.), and lack of real convincing that the tablet form factor was better for some workers than an ultrabook/desktop replacement or complementary enough to said ultrabook/desktop replacement.

As overall Windows 8 corporate adoption increases, so will Windows tablet adoption increase. Microsoft , as always ,is looking out for their major OEMs, and those OEMs will make their biggest business of corporate, not to-consumer, sales.

It's a slow burn that looks embarrassing more often than not, but the long term strategy is pretty sound.

The BYOD movement isn't really as much a factor here, unlike on phones. If someone wants to BYOD an iOS tablet device, you basically handle that much like you would a phone.

you get it, I get it, Microsoft gets it. Unfortunately, they're doing a piss poor job at educating the public about their vision.

 

[LeleSocho]

How is Metro so confusing that people don't know what to do. You have internet explorer and an appstore with apps you launch. Please explain the complexity of metro that is not present in any other tablet OS.

You open an app and what happens? sometimes it throws you out of metro and must use the old ui, hell even trying to change some settings requires you to change the gui...
Ok now that you painfully ended to use that app how do you return to metro?What if you actually want to go the the desktop gui? People can't even figure that the Windows logo is a soft button.
Multitasking is pretty random too, you swipe left to right and suddenly you find yourself two apps alongside. And these are only the things on top of my head that i noticed.
Seriously the RT os philosophy is a trainwreck and it's actually a shame because the hardware is sexy and can really compete with Apple and destroy Androids. I'm fairly convinced that they should put their phone os and leave Win8 to the Pro.

 

[Via Purifico]

You open an app and what happens? sometimes it throws you out of metro and must use the old ui, hell even trying to change some settings requires you to change the gui...
Ok now that you painfully ended to use that app how do you return to metro?What if you actually want to go the the desktop gui? People can't even figure that the Windows logo is a soft button.
Multitasking is pretty random too, you swipe left to right and you find yourself two apps alongside. And these are only the things on top of my head that i noticed.
Seriously the RT os philosophy is a trainwreck and it's actually a shame because the hardware is sexy and can really compete with Apple and destroy Androids. I'm fairly convinced that they should put their phone os and leave Win8 to the Pro.

So basically you are saying they should dumb down the os because people are too stupid to know how to navigate, you now have 5!!! start buttons you can use on the surface, the windows logo on the surface itself, the start button in desktop, start button on your keyboard, start button if you swipe from the right (which is something that is shown the first time you boot up the machine and with 8.1 you have a tutorial which SHOWS you how to do it). How hard can it be, use metro for touch mode and desktop for laptop mode. There is no better way to introduce an app like UI and still be able to retain the legacy desktop.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

iOS, at least when it first came out, was stupidly simple. Nothing was hidden. There were top and bottom control bars and basic list preferences all over the place.

I haven't said Surface is shit. I'm backing up another person who said you will see people just get frustrated/bored when trying demos. It's true, and you're projecting a lot of feelings here.

No, I'm stating what other people have said in this exact thread... And why would they get frustrated with surface but not the other tablets? You still haven't answered that. Again, it can't be a negative for the surface but not the others. If learning new things was such a deal breaker than the ipad sales wouldn't be where they are today.

You open an app and what happens? sometimes it throws you out of metro and must use the old ui, hell even trying to change some settings requires you to change the gui...
Ok now that you painfully ended to use that app how do you return to metro?What if you actually want to go the the desktop gui? People can't even figure that the Windows logo is a soft button.
Multitasking is pretty random too, you swipe left to right and suddenly you find yourself two apps alongside. And these are only the things on top of my head that i noticed.
Seriously the RT os philosophy is a trainwreck and it's actually a shame because the hardware is sexy and can really compete with Apple and destroy Androids. I'm fairly convinced that they should put their phone os and leave Win8 to the Pro.

Again, joke post? If you're brain can't handle how to get back to metro from an app then you don't have the mental capacity to use any of the tablets on the market today since they all return to their homescreen the same way. You still haven't proven how it's horrible.

 

[DopeyFish]

yeah no.

I mean actual programs/games, not browser shells or shitty bare bones versions of the website's experience.

which apps?

 

[ringwaldhaze]

which apps?

Omnifocus, Clear, Reeder, Elements, Zite, Downcast, Tweetbot, Soulver etc. Numerous games and photography apps.

 

[btrboyev]

Apple is still being Apple though in that you have to buy a new IOS device to get those apps. It's not free for those who stick with the older models.

 

[Somnid]

Ok so I guess people just kinda took the narrow view of what I said. The number of classes of devices is diversifying far faster than it ever has, and the cumulative number of devices sold across all categories is increasing. The average person owns far more computational devices now than ever before but perhaps it's not obvious.

Do you own: A PC? Laptop? Tablet? Smartphone? Game Console? Portable Game Console? eReader? TV? Blu-ray Player? Streaming box? Cable Box? DVR? Smart-watch? Smart-glasses? Fitness tracker? Other wearable? Modern Appliances (Fridge, coffee maker, laundry machine dryer etc?)? Alarm Clock? Modern Printer? Smart Thermostat? Smart Smoke detector? Sprinkler System? Radio? Car (and car accessories)? Smart lighting? Smart locks? Robotics (Roomba etc)? Toys & Games?

Essentially everything you own is becoming a generalized, programmable device. If you can add the word "smart" to it then it's another type of device. And it's important to understand because these are connected, run software and conceivably run apps. It's no different than your dumb phone becoming smart, and many of these are incorporating screens and internet connectivity the same way. You own more, a lot more, but you probably don't even think about it because they seem uni-tasky but when we talk about the need for multiple computing machines a tablet doesn't cut it, we need use a bunch because they do something others can't or don't do very well.

 

[LeleSocho]

No, I'm stating what other people have said in this exact thread... And why would they get frustrated with surface but not the other tablets? You still haven't answered that. Again, it can't be a negative for the surface but not the others. If learning new things was such a deal breaker than the ipad sales wouldn't be where they are today.



Again, joke post? If your brain can't handle how to get back to metro from an app then you don't have the mental capacity to use any of the tablets on the market today since they all return to their homescreen the same way. You still haven't proven how it's horrible.

Everyone knows that iPad's incredible success is given because tens of millions of people already knew how it was used because it was/is essentially a blown up iPhone.
As i said people can't figure out that the WIndows logo is a button because they look at what it is... a Windows logo, unlike others there isn't anything that makes you think that the thing is a button. Apple has a single very noticeable hardware button, Androids have either soft buttons where icons actually gives you an hint what it does (an home, a back arrow, a magnifying glass etc.) or a mix of the hard and soft buttons.
But still even if you remove this problem there are the others that i and others listed. The fact that opening certain apps switches you between the two GUIs alone shows how Metro is clearly an afterthought or at the very least badly designed.

But i'm sure that for you this is a joke post and that people can't be so stupid that don't want to/can't use a Surface. At this point I'll stop here because clearly we are going full circles.

 

[Fantasmo]

But why? Maybe right now you may have a good reason. But in a year or two when you can get a good inexpensive tablet with fantastic battery life and good performance, that can run whatever you want; well, why wouldn't you want such a device?

Because for travel or productivity I prefer the laptop form factor/weight/shape/keyboard/price, and I already have my Nexus 7 which is my preferred tablet. I'm sure it's great for someone, but that someone isn't me.

 

[BlastProcessing]

Everyday Microsoft doesn't put Office on the devices that people actually want to use, is another day they are training people to live without Office.

 

[jstripes]

Here's the thing:

Pages isn't Word. That's absolutely for sure.

BUT.

If you're a student writing an essay, Pages may just do everything you need it to. Most people don't use 95% of Word's features.