Deja Vu: Microsoft's 2015 Surface Book Ad and Apple's 2014 'Your Verse' iPad Ad 71
theodp writes: With its sweeping vistas and narration by the late Robin Williams, Apple's 2014 'Your Verse' ad dramatically showcased the many ways iPads might help people create, from making movies to calibrating wind turbines. So it's interesting that Microsoft's first ad for its new Surface Book (YouTube) bears a striking resemblance to the earlier Apple ad (YouTubeDoubler comparison). Which is probably only fair, since Apple's soon-to-be-released iPad Pro bears more than a passing resemblance to the Microsoft Surface. Hey, good artists copy, great artists steal, right? By the way, between the release of Microsoft's Surface Pro 4, Apple's iPad Pro, and Google's Pixel C, is the keyboard+touch interface poised to be a four-decade "overnight success"?
Computing in the 21st century is... (Score:5, Interesting)
editorialize much? (Score:1)
obnoxious summary links to youtubedoubler with the two commercials that have a slight resemblance in that they are both advertising tablets.
Re:editorialize much? (Score:4, Informative)
really all they have in common is they both switch frequently between life shots (most of which not incorporatin the product), with deadpan narration.
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Just because something is done all the time, it doesn't mean it's a bad strategy - in fact, it usually points to a very good strategy.
Surface has gouged out an entire market from under Apple's feet. People who use tablets with active stylus tend to love them ( and they use their fingers too, but sometimes, you just want a pen... ) - And Apple's contempt for pen-based input as a marketing strategy ( eg, Macbook Air will never feature touch/pen ) allowed Microsoft to just walk in and take the place without an
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Apple has always known how to innovate, the problem is it gets more difficult over a product's lifespan to find good, exciting new innovations. You start to "run out of steam". The best thing to do at that point is to come up with a whole
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I'm sure we'll see an MS Watch sometime in the next few years
And dollars to donuts its great claim to fame will be that it runs Office365, Watch Edition.
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It will also come in several different (subscription based) versions, offering a variety of features like Alarm, Daylight Savings, and chronograph, none of which will come with the starter version. If you don't keep your subsription up, it will start displaying "this time isn't genuine", and force you to watch an ad before it tells you what time it is.
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It may have taken, even needed, apple to make tablets cool enough for the market to seriously consider them, but they don't know how to innovate
You do realize, of course, that the above sentence-fragment is completely self-contradictory, right?
If Tablets existed before the iPad (which of course they did), and they were ALL non-starters UNTIL the iPad (which of course they were), then certainly Apple did some sort of innovation that suddenly transformed the entire idea of Tablets from "uncool" to "cool" (which of course they did).
Is not that the very essence of "innovation"?
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No, what Apple has always done is very good marketing, which is what they did with the iPad. The innovation had already come with the iPod and the music store innovation. An old, tired idea at the point where it became the "App Store." And really, they run repos for applications and charge you to buy them. That is innovation? No that is stealing the idea from linux and other unix derivatives and charging people for it. Charging people is not an innovation.
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No, what Apple has always done is very good marketing, which is what they did with the iPad. The innovation had already come with the iPod and the music store innovation. An old, tired idea at the point where it became the "App Store." And really, they run repos for applications and charge you to buy them. That is innovation? No that is stealing the idea from linux and other unix derivatives and charging people for it. Charging people is not an innovation.
You're so full if shit I can't believe you even believe your own bullshit.
You realize, of course, that you switched in the middle of your rant from the iPad to Linux (which actually IS the OS that stole from Unix, instead of BEING a Unix, like OS X) to the App Store, right?
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the OS X kernal was/is called Mach, which was a derivative of BSD. Linux, while considered by most to be a Unix variant, has taken the Unix base and built and built and built on it so that it now has evolved in many different directions. Yes, correct. This is good. Apple has also evolved OS X. Also good. But neither are adequate to meet the high standards you and I set for "innovation." My comment had to do with the "App Store" and the fact that it is just a repo with a price for the downloads. It is consid
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You probably got fooled because Microsoft created an advertisement that wasn't laughably bad. Of course you'd initially assume it was from Apple.
This [youtube.com] is more their style.
Exactly Identical (Score:5, Insightful)
I mean, they're both TV spots showing people using the product in a variety of settings, what a rip off. They even both have a narration!
Surface Pro vs iPad Pro (Score:1)
I'm not going to watch the stupid ads because fuck you, I block ads, but hey, since we're discussing tablets, might as well make some observations about the two.
First off I'd say that the Surface Pro 4 SHOULD kick the iPad Pro's ass for one simple reason: it's an actual computer, running an actual desktop OS. I have a Surface Pro 3 and the thing is GREAT as a tiny computer. It runs a real desktop OS so I end up using it as a little netbook. I can run real applications on it, which is really all I want to do
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So you love how Windows 10 can run real applications, is a true desktop OS, and you even consider its tablet mode "really nice". You never use handwriting, but because you think that's not as good, your conclusion is that Windows 10 "is so bad".
What?
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The tablet mode is abysmal. windows 10 normal mode is great, and luckily the recent updates fixed a lot of battery drain issues that caused the surface to stay on in your backpack and cook it's self.
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For some strange reason using desktop apps in tablet mode is harder than using them in desktop mode. I was under the impression "tablet mode" was for making using "classic" apps easier when using it as a tablet, but it flat-out isn't.
Let me explain. When the hardware keyboard is attached and the Surface defaults to Desktop Mode, you can bring up the software (touch) keyboard and the handwriting keyboard. Whatever - don't know why you'd want to do that when you can just use the keyboard, but it doesn't hurt.
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So basically you just didn't bother to do a simple Google search. Follow the steps below to enable keyboard in table mode:
1. Switch to tablet mode
2. Right click on the task bar
3. In the pop-up menu select "Show touch keyboard button"
4. Enjoy touch keyboard in tablet mode
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well they just made the mistake of !'ing the default value. you know, the same kind of mistake they did with checking the update to windows 10 optional update to be checked on by default. what a 'mistake'
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So basically in the same place as in windows 7 and 8. Still you'd think that if Microsoft were going to automatically toggle this button's appearance, they'd hide it when you plug in a real keyboard and show it when you remove the keyboard.
Sounds like the Tablet Experience team and the Desktop Experience team can't tell True from False.
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So if you are unhappy with Windows 10, downgrade back to Windows 8! Here are the steps to downgrade:
1. Go to "All Settings"
2. Click on "Update & Security"
3. Click on "Recovery"
4. Under "Go back to Windows 8.1" section, click "Get started"
5. Stop COMPLAINING!!
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Will they finally allow pairing a BT mouse with the iPad Pro?
I like my iPad 3 for infotainment consumption. I use a keyboard case and have always wished for the ability to pair a mouse, even if I could only use it with an RDP app. It's the one thing that might drive me to an ultrabook-type laptop, although I think I'd miss the simplicity of IOS for the things I use it for.
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First off I'd say that the Surface Pro 4 SHOULD kick the iPad Pro's ass for one simple reason: it's an actual computer, running an actual desktop OS
Right. Because the marketplace spoke SO loudly that that's EXACTLY what they wanted for the PREVIOUS DECADE that Windows-Based Tablets existed (but sold nearly ZERO units across several brands and form-factors) BEFORE the iPad waltzed in and INSTANTLY ATE THEIR LUNCH.
Face it, other than the Slashdot crowd, the MAJORITY of people do NOT want everything to be a full-featured computer. They already HAVE abundant choices for that. They want something that handles what they do MOST OFTEN (browse, email, look a
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Well, hmmm, not to make too big a point about this cause I am not the "ordinary" user.... well does anybody remember the WeTab? It was a 12"tablet from a German company (Titoo? I think) who made a tablet that could run Win 7, or Linux (I put Fedora on mine) or any number of other OSs. I bought a bluetooth keyboard and a simple little stand for it and had a pretty decent little desktop for a small investment. Fedora had touch pretty quick (had to bash around a bit the first time I did it, then it was standar
As a Tech Enthusiast (Score:1)
So its come to this, we compare marketing of two similar products aimed at the same potential customers, and Apple fanatics call copy to a montage of real world and exciting examples of their(not your) product being used.
Ironically all I thought was poor value devices to both. I miss Bill buying shoes.
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Ironically all I thought was poor value devices to both. I miss Bill buying shoes.
And I suppose you miss the Vista OS that went along with that campaign.
The OS that sucked so hard that MS stopped advertising the name "Microsoft" along with Vista, and just started calling it "Windows" (not Microsoft Windows)?
Re: As a Tech Enthusiast (Score:2)
But will the ipad Pro suck like the surface? (Score:3, Informative)
Having had to reinstall the OS yet again last night because Wifi goes out and will not come back because of a serious bug microsoft will not fix. They chose to use the super crappy "Marvell" chipset for their wireless in the surface 1,2,3 and it is highly common for it to wig out on you and you lose the drivers for the wifi and you have to uninstall the device and drivers, reinstall the old drivers and then reboot, or many times tell the surface to do a OS reinstall to get it back to working again.
So if the Ipad Pro does not do that, It's better. I wish Samsung would make a surface pro type of tablet so I can get away from the shit-quality that microsoft hardware has become.
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Yeah Microsoft will NOT cover it under warranty as a reinstall fixes it so it's not a hardware problem (what I have been told)
Honestly the next one is NOT going to be a Microsoft surface... I am hoping one of the other PC makers will have one that is made from premium parts and not crap like Microsoft uses.
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Sounds like a hardware problem. Have you tried getting it fixed?
Why would you even bother reinstalling the OS multiple times to fix the WiFi connection? Life is too short.
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Yes, microsoft refuses to "fix" anything as a reinstall brings it back to normal so they blame user error or whatever software I install. and it's a common problem the forums are full of the complaints about it and it spans all three versions of the pro.
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Sounds like an isolated case to me.
Posted by a happy Surface Pro 3 user who's WiFi has never drop out. Except that one time but it turns out the power actually went out and I didn't notice.
$3199 for a tablet? Seriously? (Score:2)
Microsoft's 1TB Surface Book will cost you $3199 (plus tax), which seems a bit steep to me.
Yes, it comes with a 1TB solid state drive, but honestly, who is going to fork over ~$3,500 for a tablet? Sure, I can see a few niche applications that might require this kind of storage, but damn...$3500?
You could buy several 128GB WiFi + Cellular iPads and still have enough left over for lunch, assuming you didn't need a full terabyte of HDD space.
Or you could buy an HP EliteOne 800 G1 (Core i7, 1TB, 3.2 GHz, 8 GB R
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Or you could buy an HP EliteOne 800 G1 (Core i7, 1TB, 3.2 GHz, 8 GB RAM) for about $1,400 per unit...
You do realize that is a desktop machine, not a laptop or tablet, right? The processor in that machine uses four times the power of the processor in the Surface Book. You might as well compare an iPod to the Surface Book.
Microsoft's 1TB Surface Book will cost you $3199 (plus tax) ... who is going to fork over ~$3,500 for a tablet?
The same people whose desktop has 2 30"+ 4k monitors, who drive a Tesla, and who live in a $600k+ house. No one who is budget conscious would buy it, but no one like that would buy the $10,000 Apple watch either. Yet these products still exist because some people out there don't care what t
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The same people whose desktop has 2 30"+ 4k monitors, who drive a Tesla, and who live in a $600k+ house. No one who is budget conscious would buy it, but no one like that would buy the $10,000 Apple watch either. Yet these products still exist because some people out there don't care what they cost.
There are actually quite a few people who don't drive Teslas or have $600k+ houses that work with multiple monitors. While there is a large market for budget conscious people, there is also a large market for professionals need a relatively fast machine but spend a lot of time on the road (or, at least, not chained to a desk) and don't want to carry a heavy laptop around.
I have three monitors - 2x20 and and a 30. I'll likely be upgrading to 2x42 with my SP4 so I can have two, full-sized architectural prints
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I still not get Microsoft's idea on a tablet. Most programs you need are Desktop version only. So you end up using your 'tablet' as a laptop. So why go through all the extra costs in development to make a laptop that can remove the keyboard, instead of just build a cheaper and nice to use tablet? Why do they build such an expensive netbook with a bad keyboard?
1) Some users don't want to carry around two devices. A Macbook Pro + iPad Air 2 weigh 6.6 pounds. A Surface Book weighs 3.34 pounds, essentially half the weight. With only one device you also don't always have to carry a case that can hold both. You can just carry the device alone.
2) Some users (like me) have gotten so used to touch screens that exclusively using a track pad on their laptop is a horrible experience. Although I concede I may be a minority with this gripe, I simply hate a laptop experience w
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[..] who is going to fork over ~$3,500 for a tablet?[..]assuming you didn't need a full terabyte of HDD space[..]
Umm, the one that really DOES need 1TB and desktop power in such a compact, light form factor???
If you're a designer/artist/... that is constantly on the move (in a factory, on a work site, at clients...) and this device allows you have all your stuff with you and you can do your work on the spot instead of aftherwards in the office this thing will pay itself back in no time...
But it's not intended for your avarage mobile user who only needs internet and some storage for mail, photo's and moderate video st
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Microsoft's 1TB Surface Book will cost you $3199 (plus tax), which seems a bit steep to me.
And people whine about Apple gouging for "commodity PC hardware"?
My God, the most expensive MacBook Pro will only set you back $2499. The equivalent Surface Book costs $200 more, but it still has the same integrated Intel GPU as the MBP.
And of course the MBP has an OS that both respects your privacy and knows that its a Desktop OS.
But I guess if you are trapped into the MS ecosystem (which you could also run on an MBP, if you wanted), then the 1TB Surface Book may be what you want... When it finally s
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I agree with most if not all of what you said.
For me, I think that unless I needed some tablet-only feature I'd probably just buy a nice laptop for ~$2000 and call it good. You can get a pretty nice laptop for $2K although I don't see very many with pressure-sensitive screens (a few are available, though).
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I agree with most if not all of what you said.
For me, I think that unless I needed some tablet-only feature I'd probably just buy a nice laptop for ~$2000 and call it good. You can get a pretty nice laptop for $2K although I don't see very many with pressure-sensitive screens (a few are available, though).
Well, the MacBook Pros have Pressure-Sensitive, Multitouch Trackpads about the size of an iPhone screen. Does that count?
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My God, the most expensive MacBook Pro will only set you back $2499. The equivalent Surface Book costs $200 more, but it still has the same integrated Intel GPU as the MBP.
Of course it costs more, it has an active digitizer and touchscreen so the price is about right relative to the MBP.
so maybe, just maybe, Apple hasn't been "gouging" all this time
Or more likely Microsoft is following Apple's playbook.
The MBP has an active, force-sensitive, multitouch trackpad. Pretty much as much cost as adding that to a display these days.
No. I think that my original statement about cost to do things "right" is correct. And I have several industrial control product designs under my belt to prove it.
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but honestly, who is going to fork over ~$3,500 for a tablet?
Rich people.
The same people that buy $5000 handbags and $15000 watches. If you're making $50k/week, and you need to buy a tablet, are you seriously going to get the $500 model that all the regular folk have?
That depends on what the definition of "is" is (Score:2)
As in "it IS identical" but in this case "is" doesn't mean "it is" it means "is nothing like it and I did not have sex with that woh-man."
E
Microsoft's ad is less annoying (Score:1)
Both showcase serious delusions of grandeur in cloyingly overdramatic fashion, but at least Microsoft only subjects the viewer to 30 seconds or so. That Apple ad made me want to start firebombing.
As a pen computer user from way back, I'm sad (Score:1)
The iPad Pro disappoints me for not having access to arbitrary / legacy / opensource apps (I need to be able to run things which aren't on Apple's App store: Macromedia FreeHand, FontForge, various CNC apps).
The Microsoft Surface 4 and Book don't suit my needs 'cause the hover distance w/ N-Trig is low, and it has jitter problems w/ slow strokes (which don't affect most people or typical usage).
Both of them disappoint me for not having a truly daylight viewable display --- I really want a vendor to build da