Welcome to this week’s Tech.pinions podcast.
This week Tim Bajarin, Bob O’Donnell, and John Kirk debate the pros and cons of Microsoft’s new Surface Pro 3, discuss the potential impact of HP’s new $99 7″ Android tablet, and ponder Google’s announced plans to bring ads everywhere.
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Runtime: 20:27
There seems to be some exaggeration here. Someone said something like:
> Completely annexing the area … wiping out the licensing model for the Windows HW manufacturers
SP3 is a nice improvement over SP2, but IMO it still has the same problems. Despite all the rhetoric about being the Laptop Replacement, it still really isn’t as good at being a laptop (the main usage mode), as a standard clam-shell design. Keyboard is still mediocre and fiddly/fussy.
It is still a tradeoff device where you give up a great laptop experience, to get some tablet check boxes.
IMO something like a Lenovo Yoga 2 is a MUCH better convertible that gives almost nothing up in the laptop area, to give you some tablet check boxes.
The SP3 is a better tablet than the Yoga, but this is the minority use case and both are mediocre as tablets.
What you need to get PERFECT is the 95% use case; Being a laptop. SP3 still flops there for me. This is not a revolutionary device that will lay waste to Windows notebook OEMs.
I used the word annexing, Defendor, and I stand by my statement. I was referring to the hybrids. In my opinion, no hardware manufacturer is going to want to license Windows 8.1 from Microsoft and then attempt to compete against Microsoft’s Surface hardware in the hybrid (tablet/notebook) space.
So Lenovo is going to switch the (arguably better) Yoga convertibles over to Android exclusively?
I really don’t see that happening at Lenovo or anywhere else.
They may not like Microsoft competing against them, but OEMs aren’t going to abandon the market because of it.
It was the same with SP1, and SP2. A slightly less mediocre SP3 really changes nothing.
Well put. The real test would be if an OEM creates something very similar, with some added value, or lower price. I don’t think MS will sue them for “slavishly copying” the SP3. If they do it would be ridiculous, since they are basically saying “Here’s our paradigm, copy it!”.
We’re allowed to have different opinions on this, Defendor. 🙂 I’m pretty sure that Bob O’Donnell expressed a similar view to your own during the Podcast.
However, just because I respect your opinion, and even acknowledge that you, Bob, and others, may ultimately be proven right, does not mean that I have abandon my own beliefs and adopt your position.
It’s hard enough for an OEM to compete when they’re competing one against the other. It’s nearly impossible to compete when you’re competing with the very company that is licensing the operating software to you. The situation is just fraught with conflicts of interest and inherent advantages for the licensor (Microsoft).
I am just trying to understand the rationale. Is the SP3 fundamentally that much better that SP1/SP2 that is going suck all the air out of the room for OEMs. Has Microsoft made something that good? I am skeptical.
OEMs may not like it, but they won’t abandon the business unless sales abandon them first.
It isn’t like Android would treat them any better. Googles zero margin Nexus tablets are potentially even worse for would be customer/competitors. At least Microsoft is keeping margins high, which will allow it’s OEMs to potentially still make a profit at below Microsoft pricing.
Very nice blog post. I definitely love this site. Stick with it! .
You’re so awesome! I don’t believe I have read a single thing like that before. So great to find someone with some original thoughts on this topic.