Windows 8 Released with Fanfare, But No Surprises
Forgive me if I don't show the requisite excitement over the formal announcement of Windows 8 and Surface tablets yesterday. Nothing new came out of the fanfare.
In the case of Surface, prices have already been revealed and orders taken. Why stop what we are doing and pay attention to what is
essentially a regurgitation of what is already known?
As for Windows 8, nothing has really changed since I interviewed you all a few months ago.
The events were held to reiterate the fact that Surface RT, the ARM-based tablet that doesn't run any existing x86-compatible apps (but does have a long battery life and solid state storage), and Windows 8 are now available.
It is no surprise that Microsoft is proud of Windows 8, and said so in a one-hour press conference in New York City. "Windows 8 PCs are the best PCs ever. The lineup is both diverse and stunning," boasted CEO Steve Ballmer.
Beside announcing its own Surface machines, Redmond showed wares from Dell, Acer, ASUS and Lenovo.
These OEMs' prices aren't much different than Microsoft's Surface prices. Around 500 smackers gets you a tablet with no keyboard, roughly similar in function and price to an iPad. An extra yard gets you that keyboard and the world of real functionality that comes with it (or you could use a cheaper, Bluetooth-enabled keyboard).
Are you eying a new Win 8 or Win RT machine? If so, spill the details at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 10/26/2012 at 1:19 PM