[Batwing]

Originally Posted by IvanIV

My favourite online shop has 350 laptops of which 2 have Linux preinstalled. Not much of a choice. Prices of Mac laptops are outrageous in comparison to Windows ones. I think we can safely say people will buy laptops with Windows 8 and if it bothers them that much, get Windows 7 on it.

The MacBook Airs are certainly competitively priced.

[dadioflex]

Originally Posted by LostFool

I really can't see that happening - and even if they wanted to them the competition authorities would be on to them immediately.

If they were to stop licencing Windows then what becomes of all of the PC manufacturers? I can't see Dell moving to only building machines with Linux!

I agree it's unlikely to happen - but there wouldn't be competition issues because if Microsoft switched to making PCs, laptops and tablets, there would be credible competition from Apple - in fact Microsoft would probably be making less hardware than Apple so if anyone had a dominant position it would be Apple not Microsoft.

Say, MS switches to becoming a boutique brand for business - they could continue to license Windows 7 to the myriad PC makers, while reserving Windows 8 for their own use - always keeping the box shifters one version of the OS behind.

YES, most people would be happy to buy a Dell with the old version of the OS, but if Microsoft have the best-designed most up to date PC hardware then they can leverage that to increase their profit margin and give their brand a much-needed spit-shine as well.

Anyway, all speculation and nothing that would ever happen with Ballmer in charge.

[Batwing]

Originally Posted by Helbore

Microsoft recently patented a new type of magnetic connector that also acts as both a power and data link. I'd put good money on that keyboard connector being that connector. Bluetooth would require the keyboard to have its own power source and that would be a poor design choice.

They did not patent it, they applied for a patent, which would be odd if they are granted something so similar to what Apple has been using for years.

[Batwing]

Originally Posted by Gormond

Air type ones for £300, that's just nonsence that you can get something equivalent to the air at that price.

Correct. I have an Acer Aspire One 722 that has the same screen as the 11" MacBook Air and maxes out at 4 gigs of ram but comparing it with the 11" Mac Air would be ridiculous.

My Acer runs a dual core C60 1 gig cpu where as the Air runs an i5 cpu, has an ssd many times faster and can have up to 8 gigs of ram. While I like my Acer foor the limited use I bought it for the 11" Mac Air outperforms my 24" iMac with a dual core 2,8 cpu. Simply in another league.

You get what you pay for and in this case the MacBook Airs are actually very well priced. MacBook Pros, excluding the new Retina model, are not nearly as well priced.

[alanwarwic]

You need to mention that Apple on the face of it is moving towards a 100% non upgradeable future.

The Macbook Air already has fixed soldered non upgradeable memory so it is best to buy the most expensive version. I think the new Macbook Pro takes things a stage further down that line.

[whoever,hey]

Originally Posted by Batwing

They did not patent it, they applied for a patent, which would be odd if they are granted something so similar to what Apple has been using for years.

What is it they have been using for years? Have you actually looked at the patents or are you just talking about the magnet power cable?

[Gormond]

Originally Posted by whoever,hey

What is it they have been using for years? Have you actually looked at the patents or are you just talking about the magnet power cable?

You must admit it is similar, also Apple filled a patent a couple of years ago for a MagSafe connected with data which is what this looks like to the laymens eyes.

Ofcoarse I'm no patents expert so the implementation may e completely different.

[chopoff]

Originally Posted by Gormond

You must admit it is similar, also Apple filled a patent a couple of years ago for a MagSafe connected with data which is what this looks like to the laymens eyes.

Ofcoarse I'm no patents expert so the implementation may e completely different.

It is one Apple patent I actually agree with.

An actual invention rather than 'swiping to the left to unlock the device'. How you can patent that I do not know. But they did.

I'm assuming it just looks similar but works very differently.

[Gormond]

Originally Posted by chopoff

It is one Apple patent I actually agree with.

An actual invention rather than 'swiping to the left to unlock the device'. How you can patent that I do not know. But they did.

I'm assuming it just looks similar but works very differently.

It would be good to see a standard connector work this way rather than Apple and MS proprietary connections.

[whoever,hey]

Originally Posted by Gormond

It would be good to see a standard connector work this way rather than Apple and MS proprietary connections.

Well i couldn't agree with that more.

This isn't a connector though. There is a lot more to patents than just saying oh its a magnet.

They'll be a lot of technical detail you could never see in just a video. I cant see how MS would even bother applying for patent if it didn't have something unique about it.

[alanwarwic]

Originally Posted by Batwing

Correct. I have an Acer Aspire One 722 that has the same screen as the 11" MacBook Air and maxes out at 4 gigs of ram but comparing it with the 11" Mac Air would be ridiculous.
My Acer runs a dual core C60 1 gig cpu where as the Air runs an i5 cpu, has an ssd many times faster and can have up to 8 gigs of ram. While I like my Acer foor the limited use I bought it for the 11" Mac Air outperforms my 24" iMac with a dual core 2,8 cpu. Simply in another league.

The SSD helps it 'outperform'. Insert a fast cheap SSD in the 722 and it will also 'outperform' in scenarios.
The new budget Pentium chipsets in 15" all-round laptops can outperfom the Air by using an SSD.

On topic, Magesium Alloy is far superior to Aluminium except in looks. So is the magnesium alloy tablet aimed at businesses and is this only in one Surface model?

[alanwarwic]

Not meant as a sleight(from me, not the Guardian) but this seems to confirm the hurried launch.
It looks like more Apple brownie points for the Guardian though.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology...-windows-video

Am sure lots of us expected a buy now or at least a pre-order date of something like next week.

[IvanIV]

So at least I know they watched the video, too. These things happen especially when the OS is still not final. It's how you handle a situation when something like this happens.

[dadioflex]

Rumours on the pricing:

http://hexus.net/mobile/news/tablets...prices-emerge/

Which will probably equate to £600 and £800 by the time they hit the UK.

So, I've lost interest in these altogether.

[Gormond]

Originally Posted by dadioflex

Rumours on the pricing:

http://hexus.net/mobile/news/tablets...prices-emerge/

Which will probably equate to £600 and £800 by the time they hit the UK.

So, I've lost interest in these altogether.

$100 more than an iPad 3 would be suicide, these prices can't be real.

[dadioflex]

Originally Posted by Gormond

$100 more than an iPad 3 would be suicide, these prices can't be real.

Well iPad 3 wifi 16Gb is £399 / $499

So to be charitable, let's say the Surface RT is actually £500 / $600 and the pro £700 / $800. I'm still not loving it, with release up to six months away. But I never really expected the price to appeal to me.

[Gormond]

Originally Posted by dadioflex

Well iPad 3 wifi 16Gb is £399 / $499

So to be charitable, let's say the Surface RT is actually £500 / $600 and the pro £700 / $800. I'm still not loving it, with release up to six months away. But I never really expected the price to appeal to me.

They will need to undercut the iPad if they expect people to take them seriously, it should be £300 max.

Also I can get a MacBook Air for £730 so I wouldn't pay £700 for an intel tablet.

[John259]

Originally Posted by Gormond

They will need to undercut the iPad if they expect people to take them seriously, it should be £300 max.

A lot less than that I think. Whatever your opinion of Win8, bear in mind that it will be a combination of version 1 tablet hardware and version 1 touchscreen software from a company who have never done either before.

[Gormond]

Originally Posted by John259

A lot less than that I think. Whatever your opinion of Win8, bear in mind that it will be a combination of version 1 tablet hardware and version 1 touchscreen software from a company who have never done either before.

You could be right as when we see the IPad 4 next march the current 3 will drop to around £300.

[IvanIV]

They will have to price RT more competitively, but as for pro, it's basically a high-end ultrabook, so ~ £700 is probably right. They may do well in business market with it.

[alanwarwic]

So they gave us a phantom like launch knowing Google's Kindle Fire beater was almost here.

[That Bloke]

Originally Posted by IvanIV

They will have to price RT more competitively, but as for pro, it's basically a high-end ultrabook, so ~ £700 is probably right. They may do well in business market with it.

I agree, the pro at around the £700 mark is quite tempting.

To be honest I'm not really feeling the love for RT. I just can't can't see any reason to buy it over the ipad / android tablets, and especially so if it's significantly more expensive than either.

[Batwing]

Originally Posted by alanwarwic

The SSD helps it 'outperform'. Insert a fast cheap SSD in the 722 and it will also 'outperform' in scenarios.

My Acer Aspire One 722 already has an SSD, a Crucial M4. The outperforming I am referring to is mainly to do with the far superior CPU and graphics in the MacBook Air, not to mention the Air's SSD runs quite a bit faster than the SSD in my Acer.

Originally Posted by alanwarwic

The new budget Pentium chipsets in 15" all-round laptops can outperfom the Air by using an SSD..

Outperform in what way? You are just making a general statement with no specifics. If you are going to say something is superior to something else then you are going to need to provide more than simply saying this is better than that because I said so.

Originally Posted by alanwarwic

"On topic, Magesium Alloy is far superior to Aluminium except in looks. So is the magnesium alloy tablet aimed at businesses and is this only in one Surface model?

Since there are many types of alloys made with magnesium and aluminum, and I doubt seriously that you know specifically the allow type, I would say that once again you are guessing.

I know very little about the vaporware Microsoft products so you may want to ask someone else your question.

[alanwarwic]

Originally Posted by Batwing

Outperform in what way? ......
Since there are many types of alloys made with magnesium and aluminum...

Outperform :- and now you ask.
2.3Ghz versus a low voltage 1.7Ghz is a head start............................
Alloys - Magnesium alloy is on the whole lighter but needs painting.
Black is probably only the norm because it is traditionally used for high end business laptops.

Microsoft has obviously chosen magnesium for weight and headlines. And yes, glass fibre, aluminium alloy, magnesium alloy and plastic can all be claimed as best on certain points.

[TheBigM]

Originally Posted by That Bloke

I agree, the pro at around the £700 mark is quite tempting.

To be honest I'm not really feeling the love for RT. I just can't can't see any reason to buy it over the ipad / android tablets, and especially so if it's significantly more expensive than either.

Because the RT is still a proper tablet PC even though it doesn't run Win32 applications? It has Office, it can multi-task (side-by-side snapped apps), it can print to ANY printer straightforwardly. Flash will be integrated into Internet Explorer for key sites - no flash at all for iPad.

We have an iPad at home, I see Windows RT as being meant to have the benefits of iPad - light, portable machines with good battery life; simple, easy to use UIs and apps; but fewer of the restrictions iPad has.