Heavy-Handed Critique of Surface RT

[pallentx]

The issue is all about the "legacy" apps. As many currently used x86 programs we take for granted haven't yet been ported to ARM (RT). WINDOWS has aways been able to run windows programs even if the manufacturer had to patch or update it. Now they need t re-write it to support new architecture.

Look at apples example OS X programs can't run on iOS they didn't confuse people by calling it os x iPad. Windows means windows programs not al windows apart from this variant. They can't even use RT as an example for differentiation as they used a 2 letter model with XP. Windows Phone is a good example they should have followed as its clear from the name that it runs software for a phone not a PC. Windows Tablet would have been a clearer descriptive name....

Although through all this the actual "windows" have Al but disappeared as all apps don't run in a window (except explorer and the office suite).

Having the Pro and the RT look the same doesn't make it any easier for the non techie community either..... especially now there are more affordable win 8 atom based tablets coming out.

Sent from the SurfaceForums.net app for Windows 8

Yes, but MS is not out to copy Apple, they are forging their own path. A path I believe is better. The whole point of Windows 8 is to merge tablet and desktop/laptop (and eventually phone) not keep them separate. The focus is one UI, one ecosystem on different screens. Legacy apps will continue, but they will be exclusive to the old school desktop world, but the point is to still have the unified layer on the desktop as well.

Its only confusing at the moment because this is a transitional phase. This is something completely new. In the future when there are plenty of apps in the store, it will make a lot more sense. I believe they have done a poor job communicating this new vision, and that includes the obscure naming, but in their defense, this is not the kind of thing that can be easily simplified down to marketing slogans and jingles. People are just going to have to get their hands on it to get it. The latest round of ads showing off the multitasking features is more on the right track.

 

[jnjroach]

I think in the next 18-24 months you'll see RT and Phone merge into a single ARM SKU especially as Office Gemini is released and matures. The 8.1 update fixes the portrait issues allowing it to be used on smaller screens, Gemini allows for them to kill off the desktop on ARM devices.

 

[guitar1969]

I love my RT and its mainly what I use at home surfing the web and such, using a desktop for heavier work, so its a great companion device, but do wish the app load times were faster - Seems like they take quite awhile to get going. Once they are open it is fine. I thought this would be addressed in Blue and hope it does, but based upon my 8.1 preview , not so sure. The point of apps is a simple, fast uncluttered interface, but its ridiculous when you have to wait 10 seconds watching that little wheel of dots spin around as it loads up. Now I have never owned an Ipad and never would because I do like to tweak things alot (And would go Android before Apple), so not sure if load times are slow on newer Ipads as well, but I thought buying a quad core tablet would be snappier load times for simple apps.

 

[pallentx]

Maybe its better on newer iPads, but on my iPad2 load times were very similar to what I get with RT. I had some games on the iPad that took forever to launch.

 

[R0bR]

Look at apples example OS X programs can't run on iOS they didn't confuse people by calling it os x iPad.

Let's look at what they are actually called:

Mac OSX - Runs legacy applications and now Apps.
Mac iOS - Runs Apps

Windows 8 - Runs legacy applications and Apps
Windows RT - Runs Apps

How is it that people are confused with Windows but not Mac? Just because RT has a desktop? Since RT was announced the media has complained about RT not running legacy applications, you go to buy an RT and the sales rep says it does not run legacy application. If that is not enough it says right on the box that it doesn't run legacy applications. So are these people confused or just sheep that regurgitate what the negative press says? The problem is not the product it is the negativity from the media towards anything Microsoft, that's all the consumers hear and read about so they don't give the products an honest look.

Sent from the SurfaceForums.net app for Windows 8

 

[Telstar1948]

Another factor is that many people don't want to "dig" into a product to learn all about it before they buy it. This is true whether it's computers, houses, cars or whatever. Too many people I see just want things to be simple with as little effort on their part as possible. Note that I said many not all. Unfortunately, when you have corporations improperly marketing their wares and/or misleading consumers, and consumers that don't want to truly compare products or services, you arrive at the place we're at today.

 

[Jglnaz372]

Another factor is that many people don't want to "dig" into a product to learn all about it before they buy it. This is true whether it's computers, houses, cars or whatever. Too many people I see just want things to be simple with as little effort on their part as possible. Note that I said many not all. Unfortunately, when you have corporations improperly marketing their wares and/or misleading consumers, and consumers that don't want to truly compare products or services, you arrive at the place we're at today.

Found this article which really sums up what a few have been posting. Very interesting article and I am sure this is happening to more then a few students this Fall term starting soon.

OMG! They?re using Windows RT! | ZDNet

 

[Ruffles]

The problem I have with PT is the tone of his articles. For someone who's bread and butter comes from reviewing Microsoft products, his articles are dripping with hate. His constant attacks destroy any sense of objectivity - even if what he says is true. For example, an objective reviewer might say something like "Occasionally, some apps experience a bit of lag on Surface RT" but PT will express the same observation with "As usual, because of Microsoft's ineptness at specing a device powerful enough to run their bloated software, opening some apps on Surface RT is a painfully slow experience".

Those aren't exact quotes but you get the idea. He never misses an opportunity to dig at Microsoft. He claimed the Kindle app was unusable because the text was in a single column across the wide screen. First, the app is perfectly usable - that is his personal preference. Second, he's an idiot because there is an option to enable multiple columns.

I actually asked about the hate in one of my post on his site and he claimed he had no idea what I was talking about.

 

[beman39]

Let's look at what they are actually called:

Mac OSX - Runs legacy applications and now Apps.
Mac iOS - Runs Apps

Windows 8 - Runs legacy applications and Apps
Windows RT - Runs Apps

How is it that people are confused with Windows but not Mac? Just because RT has a desktop? Since RT was announced the media has complained about RT not running legacy applications, you go to buy an RT and the sales rep says it does not run legacy application. If that is not enough it says right on the box that it doesn't run legacy applications. So are these people confused or just sheep that regurgitate what the negative press says? The problem is not the product it is the negativity from the media towards anything Microsoft, that's all the consumers hear and read about so they don't give the products an honest look.

Sent from the SurfaceForums.net app for Windows 8

EXACTLY! I have had my RT for 3 days now and I have put this device through it's paces and I gotta ask, WTH is with the hate? I mean really so it doesn't run legacy aplications then buy the bloody pro version! they made the RT so that some folks are content with just the apps aspects and doing a little surfing/music/movies (via joining a homegroup or Netflix) occasional gaming (which Halo Spartan assault rocks btw!) and I can even D/L my torrents when I want/need something so there is ALMOST nothing I can't do that I do on my laptop accept maybe heavy gaming which I have my desktop for! also I heard another (wanna be) critic complaining about the keyboard having no tactile feed back and its to flat yadda yadda yadda but for me I LUV the keyboard and the way it feels and works which is awesome! the only thing I can say the error in Microsoft part is that they over priced the tablet on the release day, it shoulda been from the start $350!! also they gotta work on getting more apps in the store! cuzz there isn't much to please the masses lol but suffice it to say this is the best tablet (for me anyways) that I have ever used! and I guess that's what counts in the end

 

[machistmo]

Looks like he had you in mind while writing his critique of the RT Krystal:

Some will try to tell you in the comments to this post that they love Windows RT and/or Surface RT and cannot for the life of them imagine why Paul, the big, bad, brutish Windows RT hater, keeps stating otherwise. My response is that 20 years of writing about technology and pretty extensive experience testing a wide range of Windows 8/RT hardware sets me up to understand this topic pretty well: Windows RT in general, and Surface RT specially, is not worth the investment. It’s like throwing money away.

He knew people would react as you have. In the end, he can say what he wants to about anything at all, we have to add that to the mix and then make our own choices in life. I did suggest to someone at work that they buy an RT right as they were launched and she has major buyers remorse now. I do think he is for the most part correct though. Hey when they drop them to 199 with a keyboard, I might buy one strictly to carry Judge Dredd and the other Zombies game with me. I really think they should be 250 for 32GB w/touch 275 type, 300 for 64GB touch and 325 type. Its a no brainer for parents at that price point, its the ultimate school accessory.

In General I tend to find this guy a little too self-involved to take too seriously, though he sometime says what no one else wants to say or won't say and that is not always a bad thing.

 

[machistmo]

Let's look at what they are actually called:

Mac OSX - Runs legacy applications and now Apps.
Mac iOS - Runs Apps

Windows 8 - Runs legacy applications and Apps
Windows RT - Runs Apps

How is it that people are confused with Windows but not Mac? Just because RT has a desktop? Since RT was announced the media has complained about RT not running legacy applications, you go to buy an RT and the sales rep says it does not run legacy application. If that is not enough it says right on the box that it doesn't run legacy applications. So are these people confused or just sheep that regurgitate what the negative press says? The problem is not the product it is the negativity from the media towards anything Microsoft, that's all the consumers hear and read about so they don't give the products an honest look.

Sent from the SurfaceForums.net app for Windows 8

I see what you are saying but first things first. People are used to having make allowances for Apples restrictions. God knows Apple and Microsoft could release IDENTICAL products and Apples could be %25 slower and still sell 100 million while MS sold 19. People have come to expect the Windows logo to mean 'legacy supported' to some degree or another so the vendors are being very careful to point this detail out specifically.

 

[kristalsoldier]

Looks like he had you in mind while writing his critique of the RT Krystal:

Some will try to tell you in the comments to this post that they love Windows RT and/or Surface RT and cannot for the life of them imagine why Paul, the big, bad, brutish Windows RT hater, keeps stating otherwise. My response is that 20 years of writing about technology and pretty extensive experience testing a wide range of Windows 8/RT hardware sets me up to understand this topic pretty well: Windows RT in general, and Surface RT specially, is not worth the investment. It’s like throwing money away.

He knew people would react as you have. In the end, he can say what he wants to about anything at all, we have to add that to the mix and then make our own choices in life. I did suggest to someone at work that they buy an RT right as they were launched and she has major buyers remorse now. I do think he is for the most part correct though. Hey when they drop them to 199 with a keyboard, I might buy one strictly to carry Judge Dredd and the other Zombies game with me. I really think they should be 250 for 32GB w/touch 275 type, 300 for 64GB touch and 325 type. Its a no brainer for parents at that price point, its the ultimate school accessory.

In General I tend to find this guy a little too self-involved to take too seriously, though he sometime says what no one else wants to say or won't say and that is not always a bad thing.

Lol!!! Yes, indeed! But in a pointed response to his "My response is that 20 years of writing about technology and pretty extensive experience testing a wide range of Windows 8/RT hardware sets me up to understand this topic pretty well: Windows RT in general, and Surface RT specially, is not worth the investment. It’s like throwing money away", I would have to retort, "20 years of experience using technology as an enabler - both for work and for play - sets me up in a position to assert that the Surface RT is indeed worth the investment and is serving me and my needs very well."

You see, I don't need Steve Jobs, Bill Gates or, for that matter, Paul Thurrott to tell me what works for me and what does not. I try things out. I assess how things serve my purpose (and fancy and purse). I evaluate. I exchange ideas and experiences with real-life users like you and other members in Forums like this. And, then I buy.