Discussion on:

How Microsoft can convince me to ditch my iPad

I'm a total newbie on Apple and pads, but I'm about to return my first-ever iPad for the following reasons:

1) It doesn't have any way to look at my home network (all Windows) on wifi - there is no equivalent to Network Neighborhood or Explorer that lets me see shared home folders, use the iPad to play or work on the shared files, or copy such files into the iPad. Importing files via iTunes is a pain.

2) Apple will not play avi's. Why not?

If I'm in error re the above, please let me know. In the meantime, after I return my iPad to the Apple store, please let me know if anything is ever developed that does iPad plus the above.

Why don't you try a good Android tab, for example Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1? Get it from Costco, see if it will fit your needs, and return it back if it doesn't.

1) there are several good apps to "explore" windows pc, and share or download files between the iPad and pc , like fb(file browser) or good reader or I you wants media explorer, you can see avi , MTV, mp4, etc.
The only regrets is the safary don't see flash videos, but that is a "old technique " they are changing to html5 .

Microsoft have invested so much effort in making it hard for anyone other than Windows to talk to Windows. Apple have also started to follow a similar path as they feel if Microsoft can work towards a non Industry standard total vendor lock-in, they should be able to as well.

Mind you I don't use Apple either, nor do I have a iPad or tablet as I don't need one.

Interesting... Especially in light of the fact that Apple broke SMB and FTP sharing with Windows on OSX Lion which worked in 10.3-10.6 versions. Apple does not care about interoperability unless they feel that they need it to sell their "shiny" products.

Before anyone judges my motives. I own 2 iPods. a 60GB iPod classic, and a 16GB Nano. And I actually do prefer iTunes for music management. My problem with Apple is that they have a fancy GUI on an Open Source code and standard hardware (at least internally) and yet they charge a premium to sell or service it. They were still selling Core2Duo MacBook Pros for $1800 when Windows Laptops were coming with 2nd Gen i7 QuadCores for less than $1200. They are beautiful and stylish, they work well, and are completely overpriced. Are they better?... Sure. Are they 50% to 100% better (based on pricing for similar hardware)?... No. They did some good when they went to Intel chipsets and processors, but now they are going back to their proprietary hardware roots, and dictating to the public what they "need" and what they do not. I actually saw a post on the Apple Support forum that there is "NEVER" a reason for anyone to use FTP, so Apple should have gotten rid of it completely, not just made it all but impossible to configure and use. What about LAN communications with legacy apps and hardware.

Apple's niche is people looking for shiny new tech that looks pretty. They are not "Business" class machines.

- Apple's niche is people looking for shiny new tech that looks pretty. They are not "Business" class machines. -

I know many people who work in graphics arts and they all say that the Apple Mac has been THE industry standard system for graphics arts work for about two decades. I don't know, I don't use Macs or do graphics arts as a living, but I've been seeing them in certain industry fields for two decades.

If that was the case, MS wouldn't use SMB/CIFS. Nearly every other network OS has support for CIFS. MS just hasn't gone out of their way to support other protocols. Linux distros are good about supporting many file systems and network protocols because being more in the minority, they need to fit into other environments.

Our company is largely a Microsoft shop. I use a Mac, iPad and iPhone. I have no problem connecting to our servers, not just mail, I can access our servers so that I don't have to download files.

in the first place. I don't, so I won't be buying either. I suspect a very large proportion of tablet owners buy them just to have the latest gadget, not because they meet a real need.

One of my main reasons to buy, was so I could join the wife in the loungeroom rather than being stuck in the study sitting at a desk.
(I tried a laptop, no good for me in the 'lap' only good on the kitchen table)

one with short legs to sit over your legs and give a stable place to put a meal - some TV dinner trays are similar but smaller.

Usually cushioned on the bottom with a hard surface on top. Usually 18-20" wide by 12-16" deep, often with a built-in cup holder.

I am wondering if the full blown x86 tablet will be like those XP netbook bombs.
They were great when they fist came out, very light and portable, not that powerfull, but very handy (on trains, cafe's etc) However after Microsofts 'update' team got to them 'fixing' windows they slowly ground to a hault in no time flat.
Will the same happen, how future proof will the new surface pro be?
Or will Microsoft take a different apporach to the holes that will be found in windows 8
and actaully fix their code, rather than add a ton of extra baggage and blote them into oblivion.

A concern of mine is pricing for apps for the x86 Surface. Traditional Windows applications are an order of magnitude more expensive than the iPad apps in the App Store. That will be a major disadvantage for Surface until new, less expensive, apps are made available. That may become a chicken or the egg problem if developers wait for a market to develop and the market doesn't develop because of a lack of inexpensive apps.

Requirement 1. Ubiquity
I am assuming that the USB port on the Surface Pro acts like any other USB port and supports a USB laptop docking station. If so, this option already exists and could become popular in hotels.

Requirement 2. Fast and light
The Surface RT will probably have good battery life because it runs lightweight apps like the iPad.
The Surface Pro will be more processor-intense as it supports the full feature programs we are used to on a desktop or laptop.
I hope wake up from sleep is as fast on the Surface Pro as it is on Win 8 RP is on my 3 year old convertible tablet.
Reboot is still reboot but it might be quicker with an ssd hd.
I am also hoping for a fast RDP to my desktop where my bigger programs will remain.

Requirement 3. Apps
The Surface RT is mostly a consumer / media consumption device and should not be touted as an Enterprise computer. I hope people don't get confused and expect to bring them into work and expect them to work on an Enterprise network.
Most IT Departments who decide to purchase a Surface will choose the Surface Pro for its AD integration and GPO support.

Requirement 4. Pen input
YES! I agree with you completely on this one. I use a pen on my current Android and Win 8 tablets. They are so much better than any fat spongy capacitive stylus.
I use OneNote extensively on the Win 8 tablet and EverNote on the Android. The ability to take searchable handwritten notes synchronized across all of my computers is a huge plus.

Requirement 5: Mobile data
is not a major concern of mine. I can get away with tethering my device to my Android phone or the company MiFi.

I did 3 hours worth of work in an hour before leaving home this morning on an Acer IconiaTab running Windows 7 Pro. Battery life sucks but being able to enjoy my coffee and the news and knock 3 hours off my work day on a tablet with full Windows capability, including RDP to access desktops, other networks and other Exchange servers can not be beat. Absolutely handy and useful device but the battery, the way I use the tablet, is maybe 3.5 - 4.5 hours. I also would just like a bigger screen. I help a doctor purchase an Asus Eee Slate B121 (Windows 7 Pro again) and was so impressed I purchased one for my brother who travels a LOT and needed this exact type of device for working on the road. Again teh battery life isn't great but with a little bit of management and care it get's him from charge to charge.

I Microsoft can better those, I'm definately a potential customer!

Because I wouldn't consider ditching a two-year-old, functional device that cost me several hundred dollars unless someone else was paying for the replacement.

1 Decent amounts of storage. 64GB is inadequate. This, of course, means a disk drive, and a substantial increase in weight, but without adequate storage a machine is pretty much a toy.
2 Abitlity to drive a decent-sized monitor at the resolution the monitor actually supports, not just the resolution of the inherent screen spread over a bigger surface.
3 Ability to use an external keyboard and pointing device.
4 Ethernet port for high-speed networking.
5 Infra-red two-way interface (so it can replace my many remote control units!).
6 HDMI I/O.

Pretty much, a machine that can do what a desktop does, or disconnect from peripherals and still be useful. The built-in keypad and stand are attractive, but it needs to interconnect with other devices without requiring a docking port to be carried around.

so most of your requirements are addressed.
I doubt you'll get #5.

I run one note, in fact all of office 2010 pro plus on a generation II i5 processor tablet (800gms). It has hdmi, ethernet and extra usb on the dock. I use widi for big video and it's perfect. I got rid of my ipad and use this device for all work. As it is a full windows machine(64bit windows 7) I have the functionality of a full desktop.
Battery life, you ask! 4 hours minimum but usually 6hrs before I need to plug in.
Will I upgrade to Windows 8? Maybe, the current system (Samsung 700 T1A) is fast enough for me to develop on Excel os Access, running SQL Express.
I use full Outlook including tasks and colour coded projects.
I think that the suggesions here have been addressed by this system already. The only thing to add would be the metro interface if you wanted it.
Oh, by the way, the touch sceen is capacative AND pressure sensitive to 1,000 levels as designed by Wacom so my signature looks reall rather than a single thickness line.
NOTE: I do not work for any of these companies. This is a comment from a user of great technology.
thanks fir reading

Graham

Doesn't a Windows Tablet need to be better than an iPad? I don't own a tablet and will likely buy a Windows or Android one with a stylus using either OneNote or its equivalent.

As for no lock in on Apple, don't forget the App Store. The only way to get apps on an iPad (or music or videos for that matter) is through Apple and they get a piece of the action for all of it. That has proven to be a huge source of revenue and absolutely locks in users.

Under Apps:

...Microsoft users have long been able to assume compatibility, which is no longer the case with Surface and Windows 8."

Untrue. Windows 8 and Surface Pro will be compatible with Windows apps.

Surface and Windows RT are not compatible with Windows apps. Windows RT will require Metro apps.