“So Microsoft unveiled its Surface 2 tablet on Monday and there were absolutely no big surprises,” Brad Reed reports for BGR. “The device is priced at $50 less than the original Surface RT at $449 but overall this is basically the Surface RT with better specs and a presumably improved Windows RT 8.1 operating system. It goes without saying that this will once again not end well for Microsoft.”
“Microsoft has done virtually nothing to add consumer appeal to the Surface 2,” Reed reports. “Throughout its presentation on Monday the company kept stressing that the Surface 2 was a tablet for people who want to be ‘productive,’ and emphasized that it came with the full Microsoft Office Suite… People who need to use Office at home can do so by bringing their laptop home with them. What they will not do, however, is spend $450 on a tablet for their own personal use just because it comes with Office. In fact, they are probably buying a tablet for their own personal use as a way to escape Office and other work-related productivity software.”
“The Surface 2′s other problem is Windows RT itself… The Surface RT was a commercial flop, OEMs fled from Windows RT and app developers are less than enthusiastic about making apps for it,” Reed reports. “Simply making hardware upgrades and implementing very small a price cut to the Surface 2 would have been an acceptable strategy if the original Surface RT had been even a modest hit. But it wasn’t a modest hit: It was a massive bomb that forced Microsoft to write off $900 million.”
MacDailyNews Take: Captain BallmerFlop 2. Balmy’s still in charge and he’s back for more! In theaters this Friday (on DVD later that same evening in Costco’s nationwide).
Actually, this isn’t Flop 2, it’s actually something like Flop 8 (and that’s being charitable; we’ll leave out MS Bob and some other fiascos).
Only Microtanic would ram the iceberg at full steam once (Vista), then back up and repeatedly slam its battered, broken hull again (Zune), and again (Kin ONE), and again (Kin TWO), and again (8ista), and again (Surface RT), and again (Surface Pro), and again (Surface 2)… Sink already, eyesore.
Any random person picked off the street could run that joke of a company better (except for Stephen Flop, er… Elop, which is why he’ll very likely be Microsoft’s next CEO).
Hey, unlike the Surface (any flavor) I actually like the concept of the Pontiac Aztec! If it were designed (or re-designed) as cool as it’s name, it would have been a huge hit.
You’re right. The Pontiac Aztec was indeed ugly. Though what you seem to be missing is that it had such incredible intent. Looking at it, you can see where it perhaps could have went if the designers weren’t so tentative (or if Pontiac/GM management were bolder).
It should have been amazing.
I wish this company would just die already. It’s bad enough that BlackBerry died because of the BS CUD that MicroCock said about them. It’s a shame, because QNX is possibly one of the best Operating Systems out there, but everyone up here has that stupid M$ garbage. And ShamShame had to bring out those stupid GagLaxitive Tablets out too. Can’t believe M$ and Shamscum have more popular garbage when BlackBerry has objectively better products. It seems like good companies like Apple and BlackBerry can’t get a break because of lies spread by filthy stockbrokers. You americans will eat up any piece of trash thrown at you.
Aren’t those ads hilarious? They’re so pathetic — they’re the textbook example of “trying too hard”.
My favorite part is when Fake Siri says “Oh no, I don’t have a USB port.” Why the @#$% would she need one?
Those ads are the most hilariously pathetic ads by an Apple competitor since that ad for an iPhone-killer where the CG alien has a literal on-screen orgasm when he sees the (gasp) physical keyboard slide out of the phone.
If you’re talking about the phone ad, no, because I can’t remember the manufacturer (HTC?). It was in heavy rotation several years ago. Candy-colored blob creatures are fascinated by the phones that descend from the sky like monoliths. As the narrator describes the phones technical specs, the creatures display fascination with the devices (which are as big as they are). Finally, as the narrator describes the keyboard, the keyboard extends, and one of the creatures eyes go wide, he shivers and falls over backwards.
Surely I can’t be the only one who remembers this. It was on all the time for at least a month.
——RM
And when Siri mentions that she doesn’t have a click-able “real” keyboard I can’t help but think why Microsoft didn’t think of a Bluetooth keyboard, like Apple did.
Well, it lame that a USB flash drive cannot plug into an iPad to transfer files, even with the effing camera kit’s USB adapter !!
It would have been useful to me on several occasions. But instead we can have Wifi HD app to upload files, which is only useful if we have wifi when we want to copy/transfer files from a friend. Sigh…
It seems to me their only path to “success” for RT is to buy their way in. Giving away RT tabs far under cost (more than now) , throwing large sums of money at developers (more than now). I don’t know how legal that would be though.
Well, technically, MDN does not practice journalism here. He just aggregates online news from all possible sources, with a brief summary of the original text, and usually provides his own take on each story. MDN is not a journalist; he is just a news aggregator, and commentator.
Yep. I’m glad too, so that we have one place to find all the idiots as well as the good stuff to catch up on. The best part is finding the idiots so that we can go march on over and correct them…politely. 😉
Oh and the comment about Office being included is dead on. I remember the Ballmer quote about how people really wish they could get Office on their tablets. That right there reveals his entire delusion in a nutshell. Windows 7 and a windows 7-ized 8.1 are okay “truck” platforms, though they cost too much as a license. But Office is necessary for a continually shrinking group. Trouble lurking for the “Cash Cows”.
I can imagine the meeting at Microsoft discussing the $1B write off on the surface RT.
“Well people, we took a MASSIVE loss because the world doesn’t want our iPad wannabe. Any thoughts/ideas?? Im looking for pie in the sky ideas just like google”
“How about we make a surface 2, address none of the problems people complain about but add new features that no one wants? Then we can double down on iPad bashing ads cause everyone knows Apple customers are easily tempted into changing sides”
“Sounds like a plan, you’re heading for a promotion”
Follow up question at board meeting at Microsoft: “Can anyone explain we never see the people who get our free concert tickets ever again? Might I suggest hosting a SECOND free concert to “clinch” customer loyalty. Surely this would be all that would be necessary to entice the consumer dufuses out there…”
Yeah how nasty a legacy Ballmer is leaving by forcing his replacement to live with the conditions Uncle Fester and his faulty leadershit is setting up, leaving them a lot less wiggle room to undo the damage. What a fsckhead!
Who? What? Don’t care! All I know is I can’t wait to get my hands on the new iPad mini w/retina display debuting next month. Microsoft makes a tablet? Who would of thunk it?
Really sick and tired of computer fanboy ism’s! Each and every platform brings things good and bad to the table. I own ALL the main platforms today and each one is GOOD & BAD…
BTW. Love IOS-7!!! Best IOS EVER!!! Already nit-pickers are at it…Sick and tired of them as well…
So you admit to buying a slavish copy, AND buying software that is buggy beyond belief, and may have set technology back a decade? Now you are trolling. I just wish you said “iOS7 sucks” instead of saying you like it. It could have made you even more of a troll and less of an ass missed.
I believe M$ Titanic sank when they touted the BS Courier tablet. They had no idea then nor do they have any idea now how to build a proper tablet, let alone a iPad killer. Captain and crew are adrift on the Sargasso Sea.
Mr. Ballmer, before you leave and after another 900Million Dollars blown on Surface 2. Can you please build Surface 3 and try to go over 1 Billion write off? You gotta break your record….please!
yeah thats stupid, last gasp for air from a drowning company. Apple giving away iWork with new devices was a stroke of genius. I hope they do the same with Mavericks, iWork on iCloud isn’t the same
To be honest, Surface hardware is not completely terrible. I strongly prefer the MacBook Air.
Not only is Apple hardware more refined, but Windows 8 is hideous when installed on any hardware.
However, the unfortunate truth is that Windows 8 has more users than ALL Mac OS X versions combined. I am disappointed that Cook doesn’t seem to care about this.
You really think Apple, one company, can make hardware for 51% of the world’s computer users? Love to see it happen. Not holding my breath.
And I’m also not worried, because once you take business users out of the equation, i.e. all those Windows computers on office desks, OS X’s share looks a lot better.
It has Windows RT on it. It’s incompatible with all Intel software. Developers don’t care about Windows RT. No significant applications are going to be made for it.
Therefore, why would consumers give a rat’s about this loss leader?
BUT! My brother who is trapped-in-Windows did buy the original Surface RT for $250. He wanted it for Office. He got Office. And they always make great garden paving stones.
Hey, it has a two-position kickstand. Who hasn’t been screaming for that technological and ergonomic breakthrough?
Oh, swell. Now I can flutter my jazz hands as I dance on tables.
Pathetic. Like holding an event for the Pontiac Aztec 2.0.
Event? How about early funeral and get it so over with.
Don’t need 10 more early reviews of the impending death.
Hey, unlike the Surface (any flavor) I actually like the concept of the Pontiac Aztec! If it were designed (or re-designed) as cool as it’s name, it would have been a huge hit.
You cannot say the same of Surface.
The Aztec had functional merit. But it was butt ugly and a Pontiac, which combines to at least a few strikes.
You’re right. The Pontiac Aztec was indeed ugly. Though what you seem to be missing is that it had such incredible intent. Looking at it, you can see where it perhaps could have went if the designers weren’t so tentative (or if Pontiac/GM management were bolder).
It should have been amazing.
I wish this company would just die already. It’s bad enough that BlackBerry died because of the BS CUD that MicroCock said about them. It’s a shame, because QNX is possibly one of the best Operating Systems out there, but everyone up here has that stupid M$ garbage. And ShamShame had to bring out those stupid GagLaxitive Tablets out too. Can’t believe M$ and Shamscum have more popular garbage when BlackBerry has objectively better products. It seems like good companies like Apple and BlackBerry can’t get a break because of lies spread by filthy stockbrokers. You americans will eat up any piece of trash thrown at you.
I don’t know how you can possibly blame Microsoft for RIM’s failure to compete with the iPhone.
-jcr
And the Norm Crosby Malaprop award goes to…
You have the amazing talent of making long winded rants without saying a single swear word. Sadly, that’s the only thing you are good at…
You capitalize Microsoft, but purposely keep the letter “A” in “American” lowercase? It sounds like you are more anti-American than anti-Microsoft.
MDN: don’t forget Songsmith… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oGFogwcx-E
I guess we can expect more ads comparing the Surface 2 to the IPad 2 running IOS 5.
Do you still think I’m pretty?
Siri is gorgeous.
Is it wrong that I find Siri’s voice sexy?
Surface ads: Mindless & pointless Click-dancing Part II.
Aren’t those ads hilarious? They’re so pathetic — they’re the textbook example of “trying too hard”.
My favorite part is when Fake Siri says “Oh no, I don’t have a USB port.” Why the @#$% would she need one?
Those ads are the most hilariously pathetic ads by an Apple competitor since that ad for an iPhone-killer where the CG alien has a literal on-screen orgasm when he sees the (gasp) physical keyboard slide out of the phone.
——RM
You got a link?
If you’re talking about the phone ad, no, because I can’t remember the manufacturer (HTC?). It was in heavy rotation several years ago. Candy-colored blob creatures are fascinated by the phones that descend from the sky like monoliths. As the narrator describes the phones technical specs, the creatures display fascination with the devices (which are as big as they are). Finally, as the narrator describes the keyboard, the keyboard extends, and one of the creatures eyes go wide, he shivers and falls over backwards.
Surely I can’t be the only one who remembers this. It was on all the time for at least a month.
——RM
And when Siri mentions that she doesn’t have a click-able “real” keyboard I can’t help but think why Microsoft didn’t think of a Bluetooth keyboard, like Apple did.
Well, it lame that a USB flash drive cannot plug into an iPad to transfer files, even with the effing camera kit’s USB adapter !!
It would have been useful to me on several occasions. But instead we can have Wifi HD app to upload files, which is only useful if we have wifi when we want to copy/transfer files from a friend. Sigh…
It seems to me their only path to “success” for RT is to buy their way in. Giving away RT tabs far under cost (more than now) , throwing large sums of money at developers (more than now). I don’t know how legal that would be though.
They did the same exact thing in the mid 90s by bundling Internet Explorer with Windows 98 for free. Look how that ended up for M$…
Oh MDN…what wonderful journalism! Mind you it is the very least we can expect from the belly of Apple fanboyism.
Well, technically, MDN does not practice journalism here. He just aggregates online news from all possible sources, with a brief summary of the original text, and usually provides his own take on each story. MDN is not a journalist; he is just a news aggregator, and commentator.
Yep. I’m glad too, so that we have one place to find all the idiots as well as the good stuff to catch up on. The best part is finding the idiots so that we can go march on over and correct them…politely. 😉
If you want to find idiots you’re at the wrong place. Go over to Android Authority for decisive idiocy.
I still think Windows Source has the most idiots. They actually say the are “WINners”! Get it? WINdows, WINnners! So pathetic!
Excellent suggestion. “WINners” in the Bizarro World sense of course.
There was a time when Microsoft charged consumers $500 for a copy of Office.
Now they pre-load it as a free extra on their tablet, and they still can’t get rid of them.
Oh and the comment about Office being included is dead on. I remember the Ballmer quote about how people really wish they could get Office on their tablets. That right there reveals his entire delusion in a nutshell. Windows 7 and a windows 7-ized 8.1 are okay “truck” platforms, though they cost too much as a license. But Office is necessary for a continually shrinking group. Trouble lurking for the “Cash Cows”.
I can imagine the meeting at Microsoft discussing the $1B write off on the surface RT.
“Well people, we took a MASSIVE loss because the world doesn’t want our iPad wannabe. Any thoughts/ideas?? Im looking for pie in the sky ideas just like google”
“How about we make a surface 2, address none of the problems people complain about but add new features that no one wants? Then we can double down on iPad bashing ads cause everyone knows Apple customers are easily tempted into changing sides”
“Sounds like a plan, you’re heading for a promotion”
And through in a pair of Justin Bieber tickets too. They’ll stand in lines a mile long to get into the store.
You can THROW in a pair as well. 🙂
Follow up question at board meeting at Microsoft: “Can anyone explain we never see the people who get our free concert tickets ever again? Might I suggest hosting a SECOND free concert to “clinch” customer loyalty. Surely this would be all that would be necessary to entice the consumer dufuses out there…”
All you gotta do to make the Surface a Success is release a video of Ballmer TWERKING in a Man Thong! I can see it now…so hot!!!
Not a sight for the weak of heart.
Sick, very sick.
The Surface 2 is Ballmer’s way of saying that line of the ships Captain from the movie Titanic…
“I’ve just ordered the remaining boilers to be lit. We’re speeding up!”
Ballmer has little time left to do his dirty work…
Yeah how nasty a legacy Ballmer is leaving by forcing his replacement to live with the conditions Uncle Fester and his faulty leadershit is setting up, leaving them a lot less wiggle room to undo the damage. What a fsckhead!
Ha ha ha. Dark ages of technology … with a kickstand.
Who? What? Don’t care! All I know is I can’t wait to get my hands on the new iPad mini w/retina display debuting next month. Microsoft makes a tablet? Who would of thunk it?
It’s kinda freaky the way the Captain’s eyes follow you around the desktop!!
Really sick and tired of computer fanboy ism’s! Each and every platform brings things good and bad to the table. I own ALL the main platforms today and each one is GOOD & BAD…
BTW. Love IOS-7!!! Best IOS EVER!!! Already nit-pickers are at it…Sick and tired of them as well…
You own ALL platforms? Even obscure ones such as BeOS and Syllable Desktop? Tell us more about how much of a power user you are…
Are they main platforms?
It really is a testament to the house that Gates built that it has survived ten years if Ballmer. It’s amazing when you think about it.
Looking forward to the new adverts featuring break dancing Catholic School students demonstrating the new two position kickstand.
It’s like watching 2 retards trying to hump a doorknob.
Main ones: Apple/Google/Microsoft
Each one has its strengths and weaknesses…
Get over it Apple FANBOYS! Apple is NOT perfect…
Again: I do LOVE IOS-7!!!
So you admit to buying a slavish copy, AND buying software that is buggy beyond belief, and may have set technology back a decade? Now you are trolling. I just wish you said “iOS7 sucks” instead of saying you like it. It could have made you even more of a troll and less of an ass missed.
I LOVE NOT LIKE IOS7!!! Can’t you read, LOL And Apple is not buggy?!?! Another, LOL
are you lost?
I believe M$ Titanic sank when they touted the BS Courier tablet. They had no idea then nor do they have any idea now how to build a proper tablet, let alone a iPad killer. Captain and crew are adrift on the Sargasso Sea.
Mr. Ballmer, before you leave and after another 900Million Dollars blown on Surface 2. Can you please build Surface 3 and try to go over 1 Billion write off? You gotta break your record….please!
let us not forget that “comes with Microsoft Office” means you’ll be dropping $100+ per year to subscribe to Office 365.
yeah thats stupid, last gasp for air from a drowning company. Apple giving away iWork with new devices was a stroke of genius. I hope they do the same with Mavericks, iWork on iCloud isn’t the same
well the improved specs of the Surface 2 does bring improvements, one of them is when Windows crashes, the ReeBoot now will be faster 🙂
To be honest, Surface hardware is not completely terrible. I strongly prefer the MacBook Air.
Not only is Apple hardware more refined, but Windows 8 is hideous when installed on any hardware.
However, the unfortunate truth is that Windows 8 has more users than ALL Mac OS X versions combined. I am disappointed that Cook doesn’t seem to care about this.
Wow, “Mike” is disappointed. Stop the presses.
You really think Apple, one company, can make hardware for 51% of the world’s computer users? Love to see it happen. Not holding my breath.
And I’m also not worried, because once you take business users out of the equation, i.e. all those Windows computers on office desks, OS X’s share looks a lot better.
——RM
It has Windows RT on it. It’s incompatible with all Intel software. Developers don’t care about Windows RT. No significant applications are going to be made for it.
Therefore, why would consumers give a rat’s about this loss leader?
BUT! My brother who is trapped-in-Windows did buy the original Surface RT for $250. He wanted it for Office. He got Office. And they always make great garden paving stones.
Come on now fellas, the surface is so great all it needs is to be renamed for complete success!
Surface DOA.
Microsoft Sh!tface because you’d need to be to get one.