Renzatic on 20/5/2014 at 20:54
My idea of portable is very slightly different than yours. While you look at it as something to do while riding between places (which the handhelds would be superior for), I think of it as something to do when I've arrived elsewhere. With the Surface, it might be a little too big for using on a crowded bus, but if I'm driving out somewhere, I can hold it in my hand and lean back against a tree or on the couch for touchscreen games, or find a flat place to pop it up on and use a controller with it for something a little more complex. For my usage, it's the best of both worlds.
And that's why I've decided to get the (
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/05/surface-pro-3-sports-12-inch-screen-is-just-9-1mm-thick/) new Surface 3 over the 3DS or Vita. Cuz damn if that ain't the best piece of tech I've seen since the original iPad. I can't play the latest and greatest cutting edge PC games on it, but I can play everything else. Plus the screen is large enough, high res enough, and has a nice enough aspect ratio that makes it perfect for stuff like word processing, Modo, or Photoshop. It's addresses the one biggest problem I had with the old Surfaces. I thought a 10" 16:9 screen would be too cramped for real heavy use. But a 12" 3:2 screen? That's just about perfect. You could even use that in portrait orientation without it feeling clumsy.
So the Surface Pro has officially gone from being compelling with caveats, to an all around excellent purchase. I'm getting one.
Aja on 20/5/2014 at 21:23
And a steal at only ten zillion times the price!
Renzatic on 20/5/2014 at 21:38
Yeah, but considering what I can use it for in comparison...
Oh, and I can set it up on its side and play Q-Bert and Raiden in MAME. That's worth $1300 right there.
Zerker on 20/5/2014 at 22:54
Quote Posted by Renzatic
or find a flat place to pop it up on and use a controller with it for something a little more complex. For my usage, it's the best of both worlds.
You may find that more difficult than you think. I tried to play Super Meat Boy and Minecraft on a Netbook with a Gamepad in a hotel room a few years ago when on a ski vacation. The games RAN fine, but there really wasn't a good spot to put the device.
Renzatic on 21/5/2014 at 04:35
For the Surface, I wouldn't imagine it'd be much different than finding a place for my iPad when I want to type something using my bluetooth keyboard. Tablets have a smaller footprint than even the smallest netbooks, and are much more flexible in where they can be put. They're wider, but don't require nearly as much depth. It's almost like finding a space to pop a picture frame.
Malf on 21/5/2014 at 10:11
Regarding Surface, (
http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-gb/products/surface-pro-3) Pro 3 was just announced yesterday and has gone on pre-order today, starting at $799/£639 for an Intel i3 based machine.
I watched the live-feed over on (
http://live.theverge.com/live-microsoft-small-surface-event/) The Verge yesterday. It looked okay, but nothing revolutionary.
And for something that's geared towards replacing the laptop, well, my work machine's an i7 Macbook Pro. The cheapest i7 configuration comes with a 256GB drive and is £1,339.00. Yeah, significantly cheaper than a Macbook, but still quite far outside of my "BUY-IT-NOW", technolust threshold.
I dunno, maybe I'll get hands-on at some point and it'll become a must-have, but if I think about it for even the shortest amount of time, I can't see a place for something like this in my life.
However, if you're seriously considering buying one, this should serve as a heads-up that Pro 2 tablets will probably be dropping in price with the announcement of the Pro 3.
henke on 21/5/2014 at 14:10
You should try to get some hands-on time with the Surface Pro before making your choice Renz. I tried a Surface Pro 1 at work a while back and was thoroughly underwhelmed. Navigating it didn't feel as fluid and smooth as the iPad, and it's too heavy to simply rest in your hands and use for extended periods of time comfortably. The keyboard that doubles as a cover is a joke. It's completely flat so it doesn't offer any feedback and it's so far away from the screen that you can't even see what you're typing because you have to look at the keyboard to make sure you're hitting the right keys. It's actually worse than the iPad's on-screen keyboard. Apparently the battery time on the things aren't very good either.
I haven't read up on the new Surface Pro, so maybe it's a whole lot better, but you should still get some hands-on time before deciding. Because while it might work well to set up and play games on using a gamepad, you might find that that's the only thing it's good for. In which case you might be better off just getting a laptop. :erg:
Renault on 21/5/2014 at 16:48
I'll agree with Henke that you should definitely try one out before buying, but I would disagree on some of the finer points. While it is a bit heavier than your standard tablet, I got used to it quickly and it wasn't a big deal. I think the new Surface is even lighter than the originals too. Also, the built-in kickstand is great, you can just prop it up anywhere, including your lap, with zero effort.
As far as keyboards go, I mean it is what it is. A mobile keyboard, it's not going to be as good as a real one. That said, I have the KB that Henke mentioned, and it works fine for me (there is also a tactile version with real keys, which is probably a lot better). In any case, I didn't buy the thing to write novels, just to play games and serve as a mobile internet device. And agreed, screen navigation isn't as smooth as an Ipad, but you can't really expect that, it's running Windows after all. There's going to be trade offs with what you get.
For me personally, at slightly above the price of an Ipad or Fire HD, it's an awesome device, and has so many more possibilities than just your average tablet. But when you get up into the $1000-1300 range for the newest version, that's probably where I draw the line. I personally wasn't looking to spend that much on a mobile gaming thing.
And...allow me again to pimp the (
https://gameplay.gestureworks.com/) Gestureworks software I mentioned earlier in the thread. I ended up picking it up and I created a configuration for Thief that doesn't require any keyboard or mouse at all. You can play strictly in tablet form with full functionality, and I'm sure it'll work for just about any other game as well. It's a pretty slick program, highly customizable, and although it is still kind of a beta/early access thing, it works great and I'm sure will only get better. Was thinking about whipping up a demo vid on my Thief config, maybe I'll try to bust that out tonight sometime and post it somewhere.
Also - other mobile gaming options that no one has mentioned yet:
(
http://shield.nvidia.com/) Nvidia Shield
(
http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-edge-pro) Razer Edge Pro
(
http://www.razerzone.com/switchblade/about) Razer Switchblade (concept only)
(
http://www.wikipad.com/) Wikipad
Renzatic on 21/5/2014 at 17:04
The Pro 3 fixes practically every single complaint I had about the old Surfaces. See, the one thing I like best about the iPad is its aspect ratio. While I think 16:9/16:10 is perfectly fine for monitors over a certain size, they just don't work for anything below 15". The lack of vertical screen space means they're just not efficient for tablet sized devices. It makes reading websites and doing document work feel too cramped. And portrait mode? While it's practically the iPad's default orientation, and an absolute joy to use there, it's awkward as hell on any other tablet. Flipping a 16:9 screen on its side isn't exactly ideal for much of anything.
But the Pro 3? It's a 3:2 screen, only slightly taller and thinner than the iPad's 4:3, (
http://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/surface-pro-3-gallery-17.jpg) which means it's a nice fit for portrait. Reading webpages and books on this thing will be just about a nice an experience on it as it is the iPad. Weirdly enough, this is one of the major selling point for me.
As for the machine itself, yeah, it's heavier than the iPad (a quarter pound heavier than my iPad 3, and 3 quarters heavier than the Air), and it's bigger. Plus, the fact it's more a Windows ultrabook than a tablet means the experience won't ever be quite as streamlined and straightforward as the iPad. But the fact you can do SO MUCH more with it makes it worth the trade off. This thing is basically a portable Photoshop/Zbrush/Modo machine. Being able to use the stylus onscreen with 1ms lag makes it nigh perfect for that kind of work.
And yeah, I think the touch keyboard looks kinda dumb. I'll end up doing with it what I do with my iPad: buy a bluetooth keyboard and mouse/trackpad, and use it standalone. I like that setup better anyway, since I can position the screen and keyboard however I feel most comfortable with.
No, the thing isn't perfect for everyone, and I'll probably end up buying an iPad Mini at some point to complement it. But the Pro 3 is so well designed and engineered (if you look at the size, specs, and battery life, the thing is practically a marvel of tech design), and does so many things so well, I just can't resist it. It's just too damn good.
henke on 21/5/2014 at 17:14
Alrighty. I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of it. Must say I was tempted by a portable PC tablet myself back when they first announced the Surface Pro.
Quote Posted by Brethren
Was thinking about whipping up a demo vid on my Thief config, maybe I'll try to bust that out tonight sometime and post it somewhere.
Please do, I'd love to see that!
