Microsoft Surface Fatally Flawed, Says Source

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Microsoft Surface Fatally Flawed, Says Source

19 October 2012 2,107 views 5 Comments

The Microsoft Surface tablet will be dead on arrival,

The Redmond, Washington software maker’s long-hyped Windows 8 Surface tablet will be dead on arrival, according to a respected industry watcher. Sterne Agee’s Shaw Wu, an analyst best known for his pronouncements about Apple and its products, believes Microsoft Surface pricing “could prove to be a fatal mistake and relegate it to be a niche No. 4 or No. 5 player.”

With the base model sans keyboard tagged at $499, Wu certainly has a point.

In truth, the Redmond, Washington-based software maker’s recent record isn’t at all encouraging — products similar in scope and ambition, like the Zune media player and Kin smartphone, have all failed spectacularly.

Given Apple’s already dominant position and the $249 iPad mini due before month’s end, Microsoft needs to be more than just competitive. They need to make statement and $499 sends the wrong message.

According to Wu, a $299 Surface with keyboard would give it “a fighting chance in the highly competitive tablet market…”

Does the Microsoft Surface stand a snow ball’s chance or will it be dead on arrival? I’m guessing the latter…

What’s your take?

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5 Comments »

Paul Johnson said:

The feature of the Surface that might make a difference is the ability to use a USB flash drive to transfer files. I have found the file transfer system in my iPad 2 to be annoying and difficult. I understand the security reasons for making it difficult, but so far Android hasn’t been subjected to the kind of systematic attacks that some expected from a more open file system.

# 19 October 2012 at 4:19 pm

Jake B said:

I wouldn’t write MS off so easily. Agreed their pricing will not likely win new users over quickly, but if the build quality is there and the system comparably useful to the iPad, they will win a significant fraction of adherents –– particularly given the crazed Windows fans who have been pulling their hair out for the last few years.

The biggest problem signs are the sheer number of product introductions MS is doing now, suggesting that their corporate attention is overtaxed, and the disturbing comments one hears about product confusion (which may or may not be real).

A long-term 3rd-place position for MS would be an acceptable victory, all things considered, and probably good for the market as a whole. But if corporate interests repeat their role in the PC wars of years ago and put MS back in a monopoly position, we are all in for another 20 years of dreary copycat crap.

# 19 October 2012 at 6:20 pm

the rocr (author) said:

@ Paul “The feature of the Surface that might make a difference is the ability to use a USB flash drive to transfer files. I have found the file transfer system in my iPad 2 to be annoying and difficult.”

iCloud isn’t quite there yet. That said, the best way to transfer photos and images is Messages.

@ Jake “But if corporate interests repeat their role in the PC wars of years ago and put MS back in a monopoly position, we are all in for another 20 years of dreary copycat crap.”

Whether it’s Microsoft or Google-Android that claims the unit volume crown, we could be in for 20 years of… *shudder* copycat crap and, worst of all, copycat crap fan boys…

# 20 October 2012 at 1:04 am

John Davis said:

With the OS and Office install taking up 12 gigs, and the steady build up of garbage that the OS accumulates, the 32 gig model’s going to be pretty constipated after a few weeks of use.

It’s expensive, 100 dollars for a “keyboard” (no moving parts) brings it to 600 dollars.

I think there are going to be a lot of these on eBay very soon.

# 20 October 2012 at 10:48 am

ezzy said:

Deeply flawed in design, regardless of price.

A tablet should be light, portable, have massive battery time, and work instantly with just your finger, while being held in your hand, from any working angle.

A laptop should be powerful, flexible, highly expandable to mimic a desktop pc, stable, and packed with 4+gb of RAM.

In both modes — the surface appears to fail. “Appears” – because Microsoft won’t let anyone see one. No one, not even a single reviewer, so I am very skeptical of this product.

Taking 12+gb to run the OS is gonna fry that battery charge quickly. The kickstand won’t adjust angles, the keyboard latch will break regularly, and I can’t see this thing besting the iPad on anything but running office.

I personally have been using office compatible software made by someone other than MS for over 8 years.

# 22 October 2012 at 9:25 am