Microsoft’s new Surface is a very durable tablet

[Master Devwi]

Microsoft’s upcoming Surface tablet is very durable. How durable, you ask? At a special Surface preview for two dozen journalists last week, Windows and Windows Live Division President Steven Sinfosky hopped on top of a Surface with four wheels attached and began riding it around like a skateboard. The device came away unscathed.

Now, the official Surface YouTube channel has posted a video of Panos Panay, the General Manager of the Surface team, dropping the device 30 inches onto the hardwood floor of the Surface Reliability Lab. The video shows the drop from the view of the Surface, which continued recording throughout the entire ordeal.

I for one, am excited to learn that Surface is not only beautiful, but quite durable too. The VaporMg casing lends it a large degree of protection, but I’d still be hesitant to test it myself. Would you?

[YouTube via Next at Microsoft | Steven Sinofsky (Twitter): 1, 2]

[Marvin the Martian]

Would I do it with my device? No way.

Along a similar line, I've heard claims by Otterbox owners that a phone in their Defender case is guaranteed to protect your device even if you throw it up against a wall.....but I have yet to see any of them actually try it.

My phone has Gorilla Glass, but I still don't put it in the same pocket as keys.

[The DarkSide]

I like these tablets. I'm waiting to get a 4G enabled one early sometime next year.

[El C]

I'm keeping an eye on this. I'm planning to go desktop+tablet eventually since there doesn't seem to be enough development in the laptop industry recently.

[musichound]

That is one beautiful looking tablet! If I were in the market for one this would surely be the one I would get.

[sideways]

I seem to recall that the weight on the surface tablets was getting up into the same range as the lightest ultrabooks. Not cool.

[Mikerman]

Nor is the pricing cool. Microsoft seems to think that it can be Apple in the field, without being Apple. A Zune situation redux, potentially.

[bikertrash]

Zunes problem was lack of marketing, I've already seen more Surface commercials than I ever did for Zunes. Anyway I wish Microsoft well on that, not that they need the money, but I do appreciate Windows.

[saratoga]

Originally Posted by Mikerman

Nor is the pricing cool. Microsoft seems to think that it can be Apple in the field, without being Apple. A Zune situation redux, potentially.

Hardware is basically the same as the Nexus 7 . . . but with a bigger screen, double the price and no apps. I don't get why anyone would buy one these.

Hopefully MS cuts the price, or at least starts bundling that keyboard cover (which looks really useful but is insanely overpriced).

[musichound]

Not sure if the price can be drooped by that much. MS is using VaporMG as surface treatment for it's casing, which is probably more durable than most metals or plastics. Being this is relatively unused by most OEMs, I don't think they will feel pressure to lower the price by that much. The keyboard is more or a less a gimmick to me, but being this is off the beaten path it might keep the price up also.

What MS should do IMO is make an entry level tablet minus the VaporMG and keyboard. That should reduce the price considerably.

[saratoga]

Originally Posted by musichound

What MS should do IMO is make an entry level tablet minus the VaporMG and keyboard. That should reduce the price considerably.

Yeah maybe that adds a lot to the cost. The intro model already doesn't include the keyboard though, which is kind of dumb. The keyboard is the one thing that really sets the Surface apart. Otherwise its just an iPad with a lowres screen and no apps.

[El C]

Saw a video of the RT version recently (can't remember the link). Unfortunately it seemed to have problems with basic things, like HD YouTube. Definitely staying away from that version.

[Master Devwi]

Originally Posted by sideways

I seem to recall that the weight on the surface tablets was getting up into the same range as the lightest ultrabooks. Not cool.

Believe it or not, it's actually just slightly heavier than the iPad. The new iPad comes in at 652 grams, and Surface with Windows RT is 676 grams. Of course, the Surface also has a bigger screen.

[sideways]

Originally Posted by Master Devwi

Believe it or not, it's actually just slightly heavier than the iPad. The new iPad comes in at 652 grams, and Surface with Windows RT is 676 grams. Of course, the Surface also has a bigger screen.

The Pro version (the one that is comparable to an ultrabook) is 903 grams compared to the 875 grams of the nec lavie z. Which has the keyboard attached. And a 13 inch screen.

I guess I am splitting hairs here. They are still pretty slim and trim.

[Olley]

Passing on the RT Surface. Why? Listed the top 10 apps I always download on a new PC and none of them will run on it.

The Surface Pro appears to be thicker, heavier, and includes a fan. If it's selling for $999 then I'll opt for something like Lenovo's Yoga IdeaPad or somesuch.

[kp-j3]

Originally Posted by Olley

Passing on the RT Surface. Why? Listed the top 10 apps I always download on a new PC and none of them will run on it.

The Surface Pro appears to be thicker, heavier, and includes a fan. If it's selling for $999 then I'll opt for something like Lenovo's Yoga IdeaPad or somesuch.

Yeah, I don't want to have to wait for people to decide to port to RT the stuff I usually run.

[JK98]

The Surface seems to be priced much too high at $499 and up. Only Apple can get away with charging such high prices, and even Apple might not be able to get away with it for much longer. Microsoft needs to compete against Samsung, Amazon, and the others. There is Apple, and there is everyone else. When will Microsoft learn this?
I hope this won't be a repeat of the Zune, however imo the high pricing will be a great issue.

[Mikerman]

Originally Posted by JK98

I hope this won't be a repeat of the Zune, however imo the high pricing will be a great issue.

I had predicted, earlier, that the Surface could go into Zunes-land . . . .

Microsoft doesn't seem to be overly realistic as to the market and its late entry into it--just like Apple with the overpriced iPad mini. Hubris is a sad thing for a company to develop.