Comments on: Microsoft inexplicably claims Surface RT tablet lower resolution screen beats iPad with Retina display

By: Imp

Imp — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 19:08:53 +0000

Well Jimmy Kimmel had an experiment and people were stupid enough to believe that what they’re holding is iphone 5 when it’s actually 4s.

I guess stupidity is everywhere, eh.

By: Jesse

Jesse — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 21:33:00 +0000

No. The new buzzword is “laplet.”

By: Jesse

Jesse — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 21:32:01 +0000

You usually use a pecker to peck.

By: Evan

Evan — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 04:21:04 +0000

How convenient that this summary of the article left out the reasoning behind Microsoft’s claim. If you read the actual article, you notice that Microsoft references the modulation transfer function, which describes focus/image sharpness in terms of pixel resolution AND contrast.

So whether or not the Surface does indeed have a better picture, which nobody in the public knows yet, perhaps understand that pixel resolution is not everything. Case in point: every 1080p HDTV has a 1920×1080 resolution and yet all HDTV’s do not have equal picture quality. Why? It also depends on the contrast of colors that the television produces.

By: Swordmaker

Swordmaker — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 03:20:38 +0000

I see… they have to sell their entire supply before Halloween… before the need for costumes disappears. Otherwise, their customers will have to wait until next Halloween or a convenient costume ball to use them.

Sorry… I couldn’t resist.

By: Swordmaker

Swordmaker — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 03:14:59 +0000

Ah! I see. This engineer has only NOW been let out of the basement lab where he has been sequestered with an iPad 1 since its release, attempting to better its screen resolution for Microsoft’s new Surface Tablet. That makes perfect sense!

By: Swordmaker

Swordmaker — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 03:10:44 +0000

Nah, it’s pronounced ‘bahl-muhr’

By: Swordmaker

Swordmaker — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 03:08:41 +0000

Since they are holding them with two hands, am I to assume they will be pecking their input with their noses?

By: Derek Currie

Derek Currie — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 23:35:45 +0000

As niche devices, they’re important. But I have no sense of them catching on with mass public appeal.

By: Delkinar

Delkinar — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 23:32:59 +0000

I see. I do agree, at least to date, these laptop hybrids have not turned a lot of heads. Innefficient touch input was a major isse and software wasn’t written to effectively support these devices. But, I no longer believe that is true. Having seen and read up on some of the newer capacitive touch devices coming out now, I’m pretty excited. Lenovo has a very interested solution in Yoga. Asus has some interesting entries as well. Depending on how they do, we may be able to see a similiar Apple entry in a few years. Time will tell.

By: Derek Currie

Derek Currie — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 22:59:35 +0000

I didn’t want to mention the laptops with touch screens. Typically they are for special use niches. I don’t know anyone who actually likes using them. A very solid hinge is required in order for them not to wobble around.

By: Sam

Sam — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 17:39:48 +0000

How exciting !! When can we begin to queue up outside “Microsoft” stores to buy this amazing revolutionary world changing device !! Hope they don’t sell out (ppl pls control ur laughters now

By: Delkinar

Delkinar — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 17:13:15 +0000

Only these are tablets not laptops. To your point, there are several devices coming out from other device manufacturers that are trying to be both. I also don’t think this is a bad thing. These experiments will eventually lead to new innovations and thats a good thing for everyone.

By: Delkinar

Delkinar — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 16:55:52 +0000

The laptop comment is not really true. There are laptops with hinges that are touch devices. There have also been devices before modern touch input that used stylus as their touch input. There’s even a laptop device out there now with a double sided screen that will take input from both sides. Interesting stuff still coming I’m sure.

By: Derek Currie

Derek Currie — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 13:55:51 +0000

Clamp-on wheel accessories. Or use it as a skimboard.

By: Derek Currie

Derek Currie — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 13:51:52 +0000

Really Robert. You need to work harder on pretending English is your first language.

Laptops with a hinge are NOT touch devices AND you don’t have to hold up the display in order to do your work. The display just sits in place while you do all your work on the keyboard with trackpad…. Or haven’t you ever used a laptop?

By: Derek Currie

Derek Currie — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 13:46:02 +0000

Hey, it works in politics! When what you have to say is total BS, turn to propaganda methods to overcome public sanity and force your point.

By: Derek Currie

Derek Currie — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 13:44:16 +0000

HAHAHAHA! Our new ZuneTang® has arrived.

Either that or we have yet another anonymous coward dumbass troll. So which is it ‘DPC’?

Real, actual competition with Apple is always welcome. But when MS pulls boner after boner after boner, it’s time to write them off as inept, to say the least.

By: Webmasters Apprentice

Webmasters Apprentice — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 12:08:11 +0000

Are you inferring that the Surface is optimized for ADA compliance and has assistive tech for persons with sight issues? I didn’t think so!

By: Iambeleaguered

Iambeleaguered — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 04:20:40 +0000

1. I have a Smart Cover and use it all the time as a stand. I use in in school to take notes, cafe to show my friends stuff, even to do my flight plans. I hate when I have it flat on a table. I always use the Smart Cover to give me an angle.

By: thethirdshoe

thethirdshoe — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 04:00:20 +0000

Microsoft copies, but has to do it backwards.
All a Surface is is a “Microsofted” netbook.
A netbook has the electronics under the keyboard, and that’s covered by the thin screen. (that stays up, supported by the keyboard)
Surface has the electronics behind the screen, and since they can not be bothered to optimize Office for a touch only device, it HAS to have physical Keyboard. (and since the screen is now so heavy, it has to have a Kickstand to stay up)
A Microsoft screwed-up Netbook! And we know how well Netbooks are doing…

By: Robert

Robert — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 02:45:42 +0000

You morons that think it has to be one or the other have issues. Seriously it’s a Surface, it can be used as either how hard is that to understand. Did you say the same about laptops that had a hinge to fold the touch screen back over the keyboard to be used like a tablet?

By: Cluster8

Cluster8 — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 02:12:51 +0000

I think MS knows that a majority of their costumer base are stupid enough to believe this statement. It doesn’t matter to them that its patently untrue.

By: Cluster8

Cluster8 — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 02:09:33 +0000

But you can roll it in glitter. That’s MS all over.

By: Ronel

Ronel — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 01:33:21 +0000

I use my 1st gen iPad on the table every morning. As I’m sure a lot of people do.

By: Little Phil

Little Phil — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 01:23:39 +0000

Truth is they made this to compete with iPad 1′s 1024×768 res but it took them 3 years and apple has steamed ahead. As usual

By: DPC

DPC — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 23:58:56 +0000

Surface will be Apple’s worst nightmare! Apple heads back to the borrow of the pile where it belongs!

By: jooon

jooon — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 22:59:45 +0000

This is how Microsoft’s own Surface commercial depicts using the Surface. Totally not awkward, at all. http://i.imgur.com/EhHoO.png

By: Jubei

Jubei — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 22:49:53 +0000

Check out the comments on CNUT from iHaters approving his explanation. They even try to technically prove he’s right. hahaha

By: Dave H

Dave H — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 22:33:57 +0000

“Bat-shite-cray-zee” from what he’s spouting.

By: Clasqm

Clasqm — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 22:13:19 +0000

Will you people stop with the negativity already? We’ve had a good run. We can afford to be magnanimous. I say let’s give a big MDN welcome to the Microsoft Suffice … Microsoft Suffers … Microsoft Sulphurous … oh, whatever.

By: AlpharettaEddie

AlpharettaEddie — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 21:59:21 +0000

All I can say is I want some of whatever they are smoking in Bellevue.

By: Ellis D.

Ellis D. — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 21:52:37 +0000

“Microsoft’s Steven Bathiche”

Is that pronounced ‘ba-tee-chi’ or ‘bath-ichy’?

By: Wp8!

Wp8! — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 21:43:18 +0000

Woohoo!! Getting ready for the $99 fire sell in a few weeks after launch!

By: Lars Brehmer

Lars Brehmer — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 21:24:33 +0000

The surface reminds me hilariously of a sketch on Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In in the 60′s. A hippie chick explained her new invention that conquered the drawback of contact lenses (new and very expensive at the time), namely how easy it was to lose them. Her solution was to put them in a teeny, weeny glasses frame and wear them like glasses!

Now, that seems to defeat the purpose of contacts, right?

So let’s replace our laptops with tablets, but make them laptops at the same time? With smaller screens, less horsepower and less storage capacity?

True genius!!!

By: DRMSSDB

DRMSSDB — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 21:20:47 +0000

“…we took a 3 pronged approach to maximize that perceived resolution and optimize for battery life, weight, and thickness.’”

…we found that lowering the resolution, increasing the weight, and increasing the thickness made observers perceive the Surface as having a super clear display and the weight and thickness of a credit card. We did not try to disentangle this effect from those of the massive bolus of LSD we provided each observer.

By: feral

feral — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 21:08:07 +0000

why can they NEVER do anything right?

By: Paul B

Paul B — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 20:58:51 +0000

Look at the Microsoft Surface as a laptop in tablet clothing then its design makes sense. The only orientation you ever see in pictures is landscape. When in use it’s on a desk. What is Microsoft calling it “the new PC era”?

By: hahaha

hahaha — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 20:48:26 +0000

What does contrast have to do with the perceived screen resolution? That doesn’t even make any sense. Is this guy totally clueless?

Oh wait, he’s a Microsoft engineer.

The answer is YES.

By: MBBM

MBBM — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 20:45:43 +0000

This guy is an idiot!

By: MBBM

MBBM — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 20:45:15 +0000

Lol

By: ChamFan

ChamFan — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 20:42:01 +0000

We have a phrase in Scotland that translates as “you can’t polish a turd”.

If you buy a surface because you believe this $hit, then you got what you deserve.

By: leodavinci1

leodavinci1 — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 20:40:12 +0000

Well… Apple does make their own, and sells them (and others) In Apple stores… and, BTW, I have one. Use it all the time.

Which is not say that I think MS made a smart move with their Kickstand. It’s just more of their sale old, same old. Trying to be all things to all people approach.

By: Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 20:37:23 +0000

Looking foreward to the sheninagans from Machine Gun Kelly on the surface launch

By: RastaMouse

RastaMouse — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 20:31:41 +0000

I want whatever that “engineer” is smoking.

Just a bit, mind, it’s pretty powerful stuff judging by the shite he’s spewing!

By: Harry4

Harry4 — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 20:26:37 +0000

It’s Micr$oft crying again .. let it be !

By: TimD

TimD — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 20:26:13 +0000

Don’t forget Windows RT takes up around 10GB of disk space.

By: critic2

critic2 — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 20:18:24 +0000

This engineer reminds me a bit of Spinal Tap: “But this goes to 11….”

By: DeRS

DeRS — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 20:09:23 +0000

+100500
))))))

By: jooon

jooon — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 20:08:56 +0000

No one is buying those hybrid laptop/ultrabook thingies. Sales have been described as “disappointing” in every article I’ve read about them. And the accessories that exist to prop up iPads aren’t exactly flying off the shelves either. Think about it…have you ever seen anyone actually using one?