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You are here: MacNN Forums > News > Tech News > Sinofsky: Win 8 PC a better deal, iPad mini 'recreational'

Sinofsky: Win 8 PC a better deal, iPad mini 'recreational'
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Oct 26, 2012, 02:25 PM
 
Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky believes the forthcoming lineup of Windows 8 devices represents a better value proposition for consumers than do any other comparably-priced devices on the market, including the iPad and similarly-sized gadgets. Speaking shortly after the official launch of Windows 8, Sinofsky characterized the Windows RT platform as "really a PC for everyone" and said that Microsoft's new devices, including its apparently hot-selling Surface tablet, as much better suited for productivity as well as play.

While not mentioning the device by name, Sinofsky seemingly dismissed Apple's newly announced iPad mini as a "recreational" tablet outstripped by lower-priced Windows 8 PC offerings. Sinofsky's comments were delivered to AllThingsD, which reported that Snofsky praised the new wave of Ultrabooks from makers such as Dell, Acer, and Lenovo. Such devices, the Microsoft exec pointed out, are priced lower than Apple's ultraportable offering, the MacBook Air, and are not "netbooks or bargain-basement machines." The new line of low-cost ultraportables, Sinofsky believes, should appeal to college students in particular, who can "get a computer good enough to last a student through college" at a low price. Sinofsky's comments are but the latest in what appears to be a growing war of words as the battle between Microsoft and Apple platforms heats up again. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently espoused the belief that many PC buyers "would be much better off buying an iPad" or a Mac than signing on to Microsoft's new platform. Microsoft's new Surface tablet fared no better in Cook's estimation; the Apple exec dismissed it as a "compromised, confusing product."
     
testudo
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Oct 26, 2012, 03:28 PM
 
What? An executive at a company says his product offerings are better than the competitions?

OMG! What has this world come to. In my day, it was hard to get a company executive to even dare admit his product was in the same class as the competition, that you'd be stupid to buy his company's product, but if you did, he'd appreciate it.

Heck, do you remember those classic TV ads promoting Coca Cola? Mean Joe Greene. "I'd like to buy the world a Coke". They were all paid for by Pepsi! "Give it to Mikey! He hates everything!"? Paid for by Kelloggs. I mean, these companies did everything they could to help out the competition.

Now, it seems they're all in it for the buck!
     
Geoduck
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Oct 26, 2012, 04:30 PM
 
I seem to remember similer articles and quotes about the Zune.
Though I did not know the place, I set out for the land of my dreams
When I arrived at the land of my dreams, I found I did not know the place
     
Foe Hammer
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Oct 26, 2012, 05:27 PM
 
Did Microsoft announce something?
     
Jubeikiwagami
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Oct 26, 2012, 06:32 PM
 
This is the best ever!
     
agno3
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Oct 26, 2012, 06:39 PM
 
My Wife is getting a windows 8 computer. She spent time with it like 2 hours at the store and she likes it better then her Mac Running Snow leo. I think its a better tablet os then IOS by a long shot. Way better then android for sure. IOS is starting to show its age I think. Win 8 is pretty slick. As I type this on my Mac Pro with my Mac book pro sitting right next to me. With a Windows 8 preview disk stuck in the mac pro.
     
Zanziboy
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Oct 26, 2012, 07:40 PM
 
A tablet OS is not intended to mimick the activities of a desktop or ultra book. A tablet provides quick access to Internet content and media on the fly. For extended work, a MacBook or desktop is far more appropriate. Tablets lack the display size and resolution required for hard core document creation. This lesson was learned the hard way with the failure of netbooks. However, Windows 8 itself has no impressive features beyond Windows 7 as a desktop OS and is rather clumsy as a tablet OS. Once all the advertising hype is over, I think we'll find Windows 8 succeeds at being a poor tablet OS, but will prove a marketable, mediocre update to Windows 7.
     
Spheric Harlot
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Oct 27, 2012, 03:48 AM
 
Originally Posted by Zanziboy View Post
A tablet OS is not intended to mimick the activities of a desktop or ultra book. A tablet provides quick access to Internet content and media on the fly. For extended work, a MacBook or desktop is far more appropriate. Tablets lack the display size and resolution required for hard core document creation. This lesson was learned the hard way with the failure of netbooks.
No.

Netbooks failed because their single goal was to be a really cheap, small laptop. Turned out that this automatically resulted in a CRAPPY laptop. That market was wiped out by the iPad at the low-end, which took care of the users' needs there, and the MacBook Airs at the high end, which offered the smallness without compromising for shitty.

The idea that a tablet is only useful for "providing quick access to Internet content" a.k.a. "Tablets are for Consumption, not Creation" is tired and IMO short-sighted.

Anybody who's used iPhoto on an iPad 3 gets a good idea of what will be possible eventually.


The Surface portmanteau is a failure for different reasons, mostly because Microsoft insists upon combining two completely disparate and irreconcilable interface concepts.
     
davidlfoster
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Oct 27, 2012, 05:59 AM
 
To be fair most readers may not know who Steven Sinofsky is. Thus I believe the head for this article should lead with the word "Microsoft's."

This piece sort of crosses the line between being news and advertisement.

How about an article entitled "Cook: Microsoft's Surface a compromised, confusing product."
     
Spheric Harlot
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Oct 27, 2012, 06:20 AM
 
I think "Tim Cook: PC buyers are 'better off' getting an iPad" comes pretty close.

http://forums.macnn.com/0/forum/494020/tim-cook-pc-buyers-better-off-buying-an-ipad
     
SockRolid
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Oct 27, 2012, 09:10 AM
 
Hey Sinofsky: STFU until Microsoft has sold, say, 30 million Surfaces.
They the world will notice. Until then, Surface is just a "hobby."
     
SockRolid
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Oct 27, 2012, 09:15 AM
 
Originally Posted by davidlfoster View Post
To be fair most readers may not know who Steven Sinofsky is. [...]
Oh yeah, Sinofsky. He's the bald guy whose Surface crashed during the demo, right?
Had to run over and grab the backup unit.
Because the first one froze while he was simply trying to use the browser.

Here's Sinofsky's Surface-crash-moment on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QRWa68MtLc
     
pairof9s
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Oct 28, 2012, 07:35 AM
 
This from the same team that dismissed the iPhone and iPad before their launches...and now markets that Microsoft is so desperate to try and be relevant in. Just shows the worth of their words!

Hey, I'll give them props for creating Windows 8 (instead of ripping off iOS like Android does), but the traction to this new OS will take time, even on the PC end. I can't imagine a large segment of the public will buy into a Surface RT when so many have already invested in either Android or iOS smartphones/tablets. Microsoft has a LARGE mtn to climb to even make an impact in this arena.

And it couldn't happen to a better bunch of blowhards!!
     
   
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