I just published a NEW Rantatorial about my experience recently with a disappointment in Apple and my journey into a Microsoft store.
https://luminous-landscape.com/rantatorial/true-confessions-walked-microsoft-store/
I read You out and clear....
First of all, first timer here and fresh subscriber. Finally got bitten as seek for a more sensible content than usual locations. So Hi to everyone!
Okay, to the topic....
I am writing this from a Microsoft Surface 3 Pro (i3 model, 64GB SSD) that I purchased a three months ago for testing purpose, paying a $400 in used condition. Came with the pen + blue keyboard.
So how about this Microsoft Surface? I knew exactly what I was buying... A bad tablet, a bad laptop but a nice drawing tablet replacement. I was never going to pay a $899 for a new one when Surface Pro 3 was announced. I said so and I said that if I could get one below $500 I would buy one. So couple years later came by by accident a second hand offer and I standed up my words and bought it. Even when I disliked every thing in it that it standed for.
So why? I am not Apple customer. I dislike every Apple device myself personally. Every thing in their devices is what I don't like in my workflow. But that is my workflow, my needs and requirements. Yet I love how they have managed to keep things simple and efficient for people who don't want to use computers! I recommend Apple for most people who I love or just have met, if they are the person who fit the category "Apple profile".
Microsoft has never managed to do anything "well" but they have done "correctly" so things works. And the last things was really that Microsoft would release their Surface Studio instead Apple. But it was expected as 2004-2005 when Jeff Hong (or something, don't recall name correctly) started the company that build the big touch screens as USA defence contractor for data management etc, they got later bought by Microsoft and then came the "Microsoft Surface" coffee table. That was the thing that signaled that Microsoft has something special in their hands if they play their hand right.
And Surface was the thing... Almost... And it still is "almost" as it is just "correct".
Like look the Surface Pen... The pen in Surface 3 is great feeling! It has four buttons (tip, two side buttons, end button) and enough with 256 level pressure. It has nice separated bluetooth three function button at end (press, press+hold, double tap).
Now a artist is swiping hands together from joy, until you wake to reality... You can't program those buttons! Not what so ever!
Like what? That is the Microsoft idea of "graphical designer" device? Even Apple didn't add buttons to their Apple Pencil because they can't offer features!
Surface a terrible laptop because you don't have frictional hinge (needed for tight spaces like airplane table or auditory table that are small) that means you have 50% larger foot because the "support leg". You can't use device on lap, it is just terrible!
A terrible tablet because you can't use Windows 10 without keyboard, a physical keyboard! The graphical user interface is so far from the usability research findings that it is not funny even! But the physical keyboard wins every time the virtual keyboard for writing.
The small things are what destroy the Windows experience. It is like the missing good network capabilities. Missing user management (thing that Windows Vista brought well, that Windows 7 "polished"). And it is exactly opposite to the Apple. Apple produce products that are pleasant to use as long you need to do it one way, the Apple way. But need more, and it just say "Sorry Dave, Can't do that!". Microsoft are not pleasant to use for small things, but if you need to special way, you need to see effort but you can do it!
I want Microsoft to succeed with Surface line. But they are just toys so far. Even Apple knows that they can't mix iPad and iMac as it would be terrible! But I want Apple to add a touch and PEN to iMac... Really do! I mean touch control like swipe, rotate, pan for the content. Otherwise use pen for drawing/edit and everything else with keyboard + mouse.
It is amazing that in 30+ years, Microsoft and Apple has managed to hold back the innovations and true creativity. Not to allow the real progress to happen quickly and efficiently.
Instead they are there for business, to sell "Wow!" instead tools.
Like compare this from 1982 to anything today:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn4vC80Pv6QThat is what Steve Jobs got presented when he got VIP access to that system and He got that idea of Mouse and keyboard (the User Interface) and Graphical User Interface (GUI).
Mother of all demos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJDv-zdhzMYThat is from 1962... Even today that is a "WOW".
Even more wow are the ideas of 3D vector drawing and complex modeling decades ago!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB3jQKGrJo0I love Apple and Microsoft advertising's... They show so nicely the potential and ideas. But they just flip in many cases. IPad Pro with Apple Pencil is great, but you don't want to type on iPad without physical keyboard. But you don't want to carry one where ever you go!
Microsoft Surface Book is interesting idea, but it again just falls to the stypidity of missing ports and such.
How difficult it is to put a two USB port with enough space between them on both sides of device? A SD card slot and then do something for the easy charging (magnetic pulling cable) etc. Focus to make the GUI touch friendly and problems would start to vanish.
But you can't mix touch and mouse so well at all. You need two GUI that needs to swap on the fly. The GUI framework needs to support every widget scaled differently based what mode you use.
The Surface Studio is "dream", if it would just be a display with pen and puck. Let me build the computer to paired with it! So the Dell idea is nicer.
I love Surface Pro with Pen when I need to retouch the photos. Taking a 50 focus stack photo from a flower, using Affinity Photo to do great stacking and then retouch to remove small hairs etc and repair ghosting (blur of out of focus ghosts) by cloning etc. The Surface is so nice on table/bed/couch. But that is it.
Studio might work better, but same thing again with it. There are no tools to support what is needed to do. Like lets take a example what an artist can do with a few simple tools:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRtG5LJ6MZ0 You can't do that with Microsoft Surface with Photoshop or any... The touch screens are like designed for photographers with photo accurate images and tool.
I am considering to buy a new Surface Book, but it really needs better pen. Surface Studio I will leave to the stores as I take gladly a 12-13" display on my lap instead.