microsoft stores have wifi? - Microsoft Surface

I just seen the Microsoft Surface in real life here in China. Wow, I stayed there for three hours playing with the thing until they closed.
But I wasn't able to check a few things like the store or internet because they didn't have wifi at the store. Do the Microsoft stores in the States, more specifically Chicago, have wifi so I can check the Store, IE10, etc...?
Also, does the surface sold in the states have the option to type in Chinese? Switch languages, not the system but just to type? People here normally download programs for PC to easily type in Chinese. But on the RT normal windows programs don't work. The Surface I was playing with in China had Chinese so I was able to switch. But the guy said there was no way to switch the system language to English. So that makes me wonder if Microsoft decided not to install a Chinese pack in the ones sold in the States. Which would screw me if I can't download it somehow.
I don't want to buy it here in China as they are too expensive, everything here is more expensive than the States.
Thanks,
lgnationrc
BTW, I was typing on the touchcover faster than I type on my fullsize laoptop. My fullsized laptop has flat smooth keys for fashion but its not good for typing. I was typing VERY fast. The store employee said, "你非常快!" "Your extremely fast!" I wasn't making anymore mistakes than I do on a normal computer desktop or laptop. So if you are worried about the touch cover, it was sooo comfortable and very nice. I still would like to try it on my lap though.

the microsoft store in los angeles has wifi, i've only been in when the store is fairly busy, so the speeds are pretty whatever, but it was enough for me to be able to setup my surface when i first bought it and download a bunch of apps i had purchased on my desktop at home.

Related

Tilt or iPhone?

I am in the market for a new phone(we are switching from Sprint to AT&T) mainly because of dropped calls and no service in many areas with Sprint. I have decided I am either getting the AT&T Tilt or the Apple iPhone. I will explain my usage habits and hopefully you readers can help me decide which one would be best for me.
I am a commuting college student who works part time. The degree I'm working on is in Computer Science. I get wi-fi access at work, school, and home. I still live with my parents and have two jobs. I am contributing 30% of one of my jobs' paychecks to a 401k and am about to make a large one-time investment into a Roth IRA for retirement. I have a good bit of time imbetween classes and it would be nice to have something to do either for fun or productivity. I will be getting $5/mo phone insurance with whichever phone I get. Another plus would be an easy-to-use calendar so I can get rid of my paper calendar. Using the T9 texting method to enter things into my current phone for the calendar function is just too tedious, so I don't even use it.
Apple iPhone:
-Nice touch screen interface
-Very intuitive and easy-to-use
-Good battery life
-Internet access should be easier to use than with tilt due to interface
-App store makes finding new applications much easier
-Can use one-handed
-Multi-touch technology
-Ambient light and proximity sensors
-It would be nice to have something in my life that "just works" without hours of tweaking
-Required to pay $30/mo for a data plan
-Phone Cost $200, Data plan $30/mo*2 yrs=$720, Final cost 2 yrs $920
AT&T Tilt:
-External keyboard
-Could take notes in class with Microsoft Office and an external bluetooth keyboard(wouldn't have to lug around my laptop or as many spiral notebooks)
-Okay battery life
-Could use wifi and not have to pay $30/mo for internet access
-Can take videos
-Many complain it's more of a two-handed phone
-Sucks at playing videos or gps navigation due to driver issue htc will not fix
-Takes time to learn to use
-If purchased, I would not get a data plan, although it would be nice to have internet anywhere, it's not necessary
-Phone cost $150(refurb) $300(new), Final cost 2 yrs $150, if there's a problem because it's refurbished after 3 months, $125 extra(insurance deductible)
Both have:
-Phone
-Music device
-Accelerometer
-Slide to unlock(could be downloaded for Tilt)
Other points:
-I know it may be going out on a limb saying this, but the iPhone is going to cost me $645-$770 more in the 2 years that I'd have a contract for it. Internet access anywhere would be nice, though(especially on vacation, long drives, and waiting).
-The refurbished tilt is currently "temorarily out of stock." I think it'll probably come back in though. If not, it'd cost me $300, making the iPhone $495-$620 more over the 2 years I'd have it under contract.
I know all of my information is a bit strown about, but which phone do you guys suggest I purchase and why?
Tilt. Because.
i don't think the tilt has an accelorometer... never had or played with a tilt, but i'm pretty sure it doesn't
I have been contemplating getting an I-phone because the newer version is very nice and since you only pay $30 for internet, I would interchange the sims and use the internet on my tilt. The tilt does ahve video but it usually sucks along with the camera unless you have the ideal lighting... The I-phone is limited in what is does such as taking pictures and sendign it to friends. Your friends have to log online just to see your photos. It's pretty sad... However even though the I-phone is limited, what it does do; it does very well. The MS office suite is very nice and has helped me out numerous times during college as well as the WiFi. So my bottom line answer is this. If you want to use it for work, business, college then I would go with the Tilt or even a newer version such as the diamond and use a different Rom. For fun I would go with the I-Phone. The downside is that you cannot change roms though. It is almost like getting a new phone everytime you put a new rom onto your Tilt which is still not utalizing all the drivers at this time. Thanks to the hard working people in in these forums, that is close to being changed. I hope this helped.
tilt...
only cause its the balls!
With the iPhone, what you see is what you get. It works very well, but everything comes from Apple.
The Tilt can do virtually anything. It may get buggy sometimes, but pretty much, if you can think it, you can do it.
honestly?
iphone.
tilt's old.
now if you ask "diamond or iphone", you know my answer.
Thanks for the insight guys. I decided to go ahead and get the iPhone simply because it'd be nice to have something that "just works," not to mention I don't have the time to mod it the way I want it. After running several linux servers and desktops, some of you may see where I come from(where nothing ever works like it should!). I ordered the iPhone from the AT&T store(business account, can't use apple store) and they said they'll email me when it arrives in 7-10 days.
It would have been nice to be able to get a wireless keyboard and type notes on my phone like I could have with the Tilt, but I think for a phone the iPhone fits my needs better. If I had the time, though, I'd get the Tilt in an instant. I'll probably be buying an Asus EEE for note typing so I don't have to carry my 15" laptop or a bunch of notebooks around all day.
This reply might be a bit late ... but ... what about the Touch Pro?
never heard of the touch pro until you just said something about it.. too expensive anyway though since it won't be subsidized by the cell carrier for a service contract

PLEASE convince me to not get the iphone

I won't lie. It's been hard avoiding getting the iphone. The number one feature I want is an app store full of crap I can impulse buy. I want to be out somewhere, bored, and be able to buy a video game or something. The number two most important feature I want is a good browser.
I've been holding out for the Fuze because I've traditionally always bought WM phones. I'm anxously awaiting WM7 because it potentially has a bunch of features I will be really excited about (ie. I am a Zune Pass subscriber, so I look forward to a Zune MP on WM phones) but I the commercials for the iphone keep teasing me... taunting me... telling me I can waste tons of time on it... I keep thinking I could buy the Iphone for use for the year and by the time WM7 comes out, there'll be all kinds of brand new WM7 ready phones that I could switch to.
I'll be honest with you, besides possibly erasing bloatware, I don't plan on doing a lot of modding or anything like that so that isn't important to me.
I want some honest opinions. Should I stand firm on my resolution to get the Fuze or should I take a dip in the iphone waters?
Reasons not to get an iPhoney
(in no particular order)
1. No MMS(picture messaging) when they say you can just email it to someone...how do you send a picture to your friend with a Razor? You can't
2.no Copy and paste(really, how did they leave out something so basic!)
3. can not shoot video (unless you jailbreak it, then you risk getting it killswitched)
4. can't listen to audio through bluetooth, so you can't pair a bluetooth headset to it, nor can you stream it to your cool car stereo(think MS sync in fords)
That's the 4 big ones off the top of my head, go read the iPhone bashing thread for more details.
My top 3 reasons not to get an iPhone:
1.no multitasking (its like I went back to the Palm OS days)
2.no copy and paste (very annoying as I need this for my day to day work)
3.no physical keyboard (Just cant get used to using on-screen keyboards. I like tactile feel of keyboards too much.)
I can list other reasons as to why but these are the main hurdles Apple will have to get over before I would ever consider one.
jblakk said:
Reasons not to get an iPhoney
(in no particular order)
1. No MMS(picture messaging) when they say you can just email it to someone...how do you send a picture to your friend with a Razor? You can't
2.no Copy and paste(really, how did they leave out something so basic!)
3. can not shoot video (unless you jailbreak it, then you risk getting it killswitched)
4. can't listen to audio through bluetooth, so you can't pair a bluetooth headset to it, nor can you stream it to your cool car stereo(think MS sync in fords)
That's the 4 big ones off the top of my head, go read the iPhone bashing thread for more details.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks but I've never send an MMS anyway, never thought lack of copy and paste was a HUGE deal, not being able shoot video does really suck, and not being able to listen to audio through bluetooth sounds sucky but I've never done it before anyway. Again, what really sucks is that there's no WM app store. Seriously. It's bugging me so much. And as I said, I expect WM7 will have one... but still... that's a year away and I'm impatient...
i have personally owned the new 3g....hated it, let me begin:
battery life sucks:
Why own a 3G iPhone if you have to turn 3G off in order to get a full day out of the battery. And if I even begain to turn the back light up a little then there goes the battery as well. I had one day that I charged teh phone 3 times (full times) to get through the day
you have to pay for apps:
I know you do with a lot of phones, but damn its like if you have an app market there needs to be more free. And almost all of the free one sucks. 1.99 here, 2.99 there add sup QUICK
price of the plan:
they rape everyone with the "iPhone" plan...whatever. I dont even need to say more.
Voicemail get erased:
when you get the "iphone plan" it erases your voicemail and you need to start it all up again. even if you have saved voicemails in it, BYE BYE....and they will not tell you this either
cannot download:
you cannot download ANYTHING on it. I had someone send me a file that I wanted to download onto my phone and run on a school computer that did not have internet hooked up to it. all it was was a .doc file....nope cannot do that
camera:
SUCKS. still in the 1999 era of "slightly better that vga"
acessories are $$$:
all the no name brand stuff is out there is cheap, and breaks easily. but then again a good incase costs almost $50...and then a screen protector is $15 for 2.
cannot copy and paste:
need i say more?
I can go on...
Get a G1, Android Market is sick, has plenty of applications now and it will grow very quickly.
Biggest reason for me not getting a iPhone was the lack of tethering.
(linking the phone to a laptop via say bluetooth so that the computer can use the phones internet connection)
I am a IT support guy and sometimes need to be able to ssh into servers, and tethering a phone is the way I was doing it at the time.
I then bought a HTC Touch Pro, and now do not even need a laptop, as I have pocketputty on the TP, it's great for a quick reboot/restart backup etc.
I'd not want to have to spend too long on the TP though, but it's great for freeing me to not have to lug everything round all the time.
GazzaK said:
Biggest reason for me not getting a iPhone was the lack of tethering.
(linking the phone to a laptop via say bluetooth so that the computer can use the phones internet connection)
I am a IT support guy and sometimes need to be able to ssh into servers, and tethering a phone is the way I was doing it at the time.
I then bought a HTC Touch Pro, and now do not even need a laptop, as I have pocketputty on the TP, it's great for a quick reboot/restart backup etc.
I'd not want to have to spend too long on the TP though, but it's great for freeing me to not have to lug everything round all the time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tethering is coming soon for the iPhone:
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/11/06/confirmed-iphone-tethering-plan-making-its-way-to-att/
Black93300ZX said:
Tethering is coming soon for the iPhone:
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/11/06/confirmed-iphone-tethering-plan-making-its-way-to-att/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great, but... thats the US, it'll probably take ages to filter down to us in the UK
GazzaK said:
Great, but... thats the US, it'll probably take ages to filter down to us in the UK
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So jailbreak it and do it for free. I don't like the iPhone very much, but there are ways around most of its lack of features. Jailbreaking can you get MMS, video recording, tethering...
copy and paste...so on and so forth we hear it all with iphone not up to WM...but iphone runs very smooth video, games, music...its basically an easy everyday use...if u looking for a more advance normal phone, iphone is the way to go...but WM phone like myself i used it for alot more than making calls, theres things WM wish it can do like iphone and like wise...its just how u use it everyday...i have the itouch and a kaiser...itouch basically fun to watch movies and play games and music...but i can do that with WM phone as well...its just iphone u can get to those thing alot faster with a bunch of shortcut than WM phone, yea i can create short cut on WM as well but with iphone/itouch its just seem more suited for entertainment...i connect my WM to everything though from laptop to cars and share file with basically every device but iphone...pros and cons to everything...theres a reason why every new phone that comes out claim they are the iphone killer...70 percent of people that owns WM phones dont even know how to use the damn thing...but the other 30 percent knows wsup. sounds like u already know whats each is capable of so you gonna have to make this decision on ur own
Lol, those that say iPhone is a lot faster should turn off multitasking in WM. I just don't want to hear them guys complain that they can't multitask any more as I don't hear them complain about the lack of multitasking in the iPhone.
Another thing. For those that want an app store, they should search for the Gecko Project on this forum.
Let me tell you why you should get an iPhone and why you shouldn't. If all you do is basic browsing and listen to music on your phone you should get an iPhone. The browsing experience is still, hands down, the best experience...when it works. I get lots of crashes because it doesn't handle flash at all and mishandles java. But it only happens when I'm viewing a memory intensive or java based web page.
I cannot handle the iPhone anymore and will replace it with the Fuze when it releases for one main reason. No multi-tasking and no turn-by-turn. Despite the problems with WM, which they have many, everything "works" when I want it to. I don't have to worry about Opera mini or skyfire crashing because it can't handle basic flash. If a website doesn't completely work on Mini it just doesn't load properly, it doesn't take you 5 minutes to load just to crash to desktop.
The turn-by-turn is an interesting one but let me explain why it's such a big deal. TomTom has had iPhone software ready for months but can't release it because Apple denies anything from entering the app store that is in "competition" with the base iPhone software. That's why Opera isn't developing mini for the iPhone anymore. Apple is so concentrated on blocking people that it breeds an air of exclusivity, which Apple uses as a marketing tool. While Windows isn't exactly a saint in this category at least the users have fully unlocked phones to be used for whatever you want. And Microsoft will never try to stop basic programs (like TomTom) from creating software for their devices.
What Apple has missed is that the more good software that is available, regardless of what it competes against, the more likely people will buy their product.
Additional problems with the iPhone include:
-no copy/paste
-VERY bad battery life, and I've used lots of 3g phones to compare
-No way to completely turn off ALL sounds for apps etc
-have to jailbreak to tether or do any program worth mentioning
-have to use iTunes. I freaking hate iTunes!
-no file browser (unless you jailbreak)
-have to jailbreak to even get access to your file system
-no flash support....period
Now, to be fair I will post what I like about the iPhone:
-music player is VASTLY superior
-sound quality is VASTLY superior
-basic browsing is smooth and truly better
-3.5" screen is very nice
-slim
-finding the software available is easy (see above for negative!)
-3.5mm headphone jack (some WM devices have, not most HTC)
All-in-all, if you are a basic phone user (which most people that spend time on the site aren't) the iPhone is phenomenal. If you like to do anything with your phone beyond what comes standard, avoid it like the plague. Even with jailbroken your options are still pretty much limited.
I suggest getting a windows mobile phone and use it until Android is ported. With Haret you can run to operating systems until you decide which you like better.
I was in the same boat for about the last month and was heavily thinking I'd be buying an iPhone in December when my upgrade is available. I even was playing with a friends and had myself convinced.
Luckily I came to my senses and have decided to get the Fuze when I can. Granted, the touch screen on the iphone is more sensitive...but I've tried using multiple good onscreen touch keyboards on the tilt and the second you get past a few words and want to type quickly you'll be wishing you had a keyboard.
Also, as another user mentioned the app store can add up and there is a reason most apps are free...because they aren't great. For every 1 good app there are a zillion useless novelty apps that are fun for a few minutes but nothing more.
I used to not fall for the sealed battery excuse until recently my 6 month old ipod nano proved to me exactly why I should care. I am not one of the people that carries multiple batteries and needs to switch during the day...but...my ipod nano when you take it off the charger is immediately down 2 pixel width's of battery so it's not even 100% after a full charge. Now what happens when that happens to your phone...you schedule a week of vacation so you can ship it off and not worry about work or actually using it
iPhone is a toy. I had it for 2 months, then gave it to my wife and went back to the tilt. iPhone is a fun device but it is not functional enough.
TaurenSnake said:
1.no multitasking (its like I went back to the Palm OS days)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it does have multitasking. what it does not have is a task manager.
why TP and not iphone?
- QWERTY
- WM si more mature, more apps, more tweakable
- copy/paste
- more RAM
- higher res
- HSPDA
- BT is not limited to A2DP
- etc
However iphone has it's own pluses, such as: faster CPU, better GPU AFAIK, dynamic UI, etc
Take a look at the HTC Touch HD (youtube it). Now that is waaaaay better than the iPhone.
If you want a keyboard and a smaller phone (width & height) like me, can't beat the Touch Pro.
johndango said:
I won't lie. It's been hard avoiding getting the iphone. The number one feature I want is an app store full of crap I can impulse buy. I want to be out somewhere, bored, and be able to buy a video game or something. The number two most important feature I want is a good browser.
I've been holding out for the Fuze because I've traditionally always bought WM phones. I'm anxously awaiting WM7 because it potentially has a bunch of features I will be really excited about (ie. I am a Zune Pass subscriber, so I look forward to a Zune MP on WM phones) but I the commercials for the iphone keep teasing me... taunting me... telling me I can waste tons of time on it... I keep thinking I could buy the Iphone for use for the year and by the time WM7 comes out, there'll be all kinds of brand new WM7 ready phones that I could switch to.
I'll be honest with you, besides possibly erasing bloatware, I don't plan on doing a lot of modding or anything like that so that isn't important to me.
I want some honest opinions. Should I stand firm on my resolution to get the Fuze or should I take a dip in the iphone waters?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me personally, the top reason is that it's not on Sprint my preferred carrier.
And then no real GPS app. I can't live without TomTom on my TP, no way, especially now that i've been gifted a car. Been using TomTom on my PDA phones since version 5.
My biggest peeve is the chokehold Apple has on it in terms of 3rd party customization. To me it's stifling. An app only gets in only if they sanction it. So an app like WMWifirouter would never make it into the app store then.
They rejected an app called Podcaster that allowed you to download audio/video podcasts over the air, and the reason given was because it competed with and duplicated the podcast features of iTunes. But it's been now revealed that the real reason is because they are putting in over the air podcast downloads (albeit limited to 10MB or less) in the upcoming 2.2 firmware and do not want any competition.
Read here http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/06/apple-adds-ota-podcast-downloads-to-iphone-firmware-2-2-continu/ .
Just imagine if you couldn't run any other browser but Pocket I.E (no Opera Mobile/mini, Skyfire, Netfront), or any other media player but Windows media player (no pTunes/CorePlayer/Tcpmp), all because they duplicate an already existing functionality in Windows Mobile.
For me, those are too important to give up. Think about it.
If you don't mind the size, maybe you should get a Touch HD, because it has bigger screen, and therefore slightly better browsing experience.
iPhone's resolution is too low for decent browsing IMO.

What do you use the G Tab for?

I have never owned a tablet before. I never thought I had a use for one. But once the iPad and Android tablets started flooding the market, I kept thinking, "man, those are cool". But I still didn't know what I would use one for.
So now I have a G Tablet, with all of the mods applied, but I still don't know why I need it, or want it. I do most of my computing at my desk. When on the go, I use my Nexus One. Right now my G Tablet is just an expensive Angry Birds console.
So, tell me what you use yours for, before I get bored and return this item.
BTW, This is not a knock on the G Tablet, I am very impressed with the hardware (except for the viewing angles) on this device.
personally i got it for my kitchen to have a laptop like device that isnt so big and bulky like a laptop for internet radio and to access apps and cooking apps for the wifey. plus something to quickly access the web in the kitchen without having to open the laptop or try getting to the browser on my phone.
also use it to control the lights throughout the lights since i have x10 lighting in my house.
I was like you, thinking that the combo of a desktop computer, a laptop, and my Nexus One meant that a tablet would be unnecessary. I'd almost always be on either my laptop or my N1 in the evenings while watching TV, just keeping an eye on e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Plus playing a lot of Angry Birds.
But, since I got my gTab, I've used my laptop maybe twice in five weeks. My phone just sits at my side in case I get an actual call (rare!). I use my tablet *all the time* when I'm on the sofa. It's great to have a much larger screen to look at (instead of my N1) when reading Kindle books or playing Angry Birds or just surfing. I also like typing on it more since I installed Thumb Keyboard, which in landscape mode has a split-keyboard to allow for easy thumb-only typing. I watch more streaming video than I ever would have bothered to on my N1.
And it's ergonomically much more comfortable than dealing with my laptop all evening.
It's also great to have when on the treadmill compared to an N1, again for Kindle or whatever.
I use it for music on the go around my home. I may be in the kitchen doing some cooking, or helping with laundry or cleaning. I do it all with music.
I use it to surf while on the couch watching TV, anything that pops to my mind...something relating to the show, etc.
I use it in the kitchen in the rare occasion I feel like doing something different. My wife is an awesome cook but she gets home at 5 or so, so sometimes I try to do the right thing and cook some dinnah...and sometimes I'm inspired enough to try a recipe from the net.
I use it in bed when I'm winding down to go to sleep. Music or maybe an episode of something; surf the web or read an e-book.
I use it to read...magazines, ebooks, whether I'm in the couch, on the balcony, etc.
So in the end, for me it's a great value. I just wish it worked properly without flashing additional stuff.
It's a really great notebook replacement when all you want to do are the lighter things like listen to music, watch tv, surf the web or read a book/magazine. Can you do these things on your PC or Notebook? Of course you can!, but if you're the type of person who doesn't like to sit behind a PC or under a laptop for 12 hrs then it really works out.
My 2 complaints, 1 major and 1 minor are how crappy the initial software is (major) and how heavy it is (minor)...the weight may be necessary as I suspect the battery to be the culprit, and almost all the Tegra 2 devices releasing currently are this heavy, but a nicer weight would have been 1lb vs. 1.55lbs which becomes weighty in one hand after a while. The Archos 101 is just around 1lb and feels very nice to hold.
Dashboard on my work desk for scrolling news, weather, to do list and email (work station stays on task-monitor my usage to your heart's desire It department!!!!)
Desk top digital picture frame
Surfing web on the couch.
Watching missed TV shows from my bed using Bluetooth headphones after the wife's asleep
Surfing these bulletin boards.
Kindle book reader
I don't social network but I hear twitter and Facebook are popular.
Watching news clips
Trying to figure out away to port my weekly Netflix movies to this for easy viewing while traveling
Thinking of trying to setup a way to get work email and edit spread sheets real quick.
Have yet to really figure out how well some of my ideas will work.
What is wrong with an expensive angry birds console
@allenfx, have you tryed using documents to go app for editing spread sheets
Based on my experience so far:
Aggravation !!!​
I used this to play emulators like Tiger Mame and Snes, I watch Justin TV, browse the web, a night clock...etc. The 10.1 screen is great for all of those things especially on long road trips like the one I took with my family last week. My kids were playing and watching videos for most of our trip. I love this thing!!!
They also used this to Vid chat. It was great because they got to say Merry Xmas to their grandparents face to face (sorta).
All of this and the battery was still at 30%+ after a 7 hr drive! That's frickin crazy...I think. Escpecially with the tablet running those tasks.
I like these ideas. Keep them coming.
I normally use my eee pc on the sofa and what not. I can see this is better solution for that, since it plays videos much better.
@dragonfly1113
I am interested in the home automation you mentioned. Can you describe your setup?
Thanks Everyone.
thewayne01 said:
@dragonfly1113
I am interested in the home automation you mentioned. Can you describe your setup?
Thanks Everyone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First you gotta look into x10 lighting which is special lighting for your house, the house i bought i was lucky enough it had the lighting in it already i just needed the "base". What happends is you get a "base" which sends signals out to devices lights/appliances/security systems for them to turn on and off. They reach out to modules which you add to a light, for instance you get a wall switch one instead of wiring the wires to a normal light switch you wire them into this x10 module which has dials on them you set the dials to a "channel" and thats how it communicates with the base. it sounds more complicated than it really is, a very easy affordable way to get it is with lamp modules which are the cheapest and they plug right into any wall outlet and have a female end on the other side where you plug in something like say a lamp. If you need anymore info on the actual setup of x10 just research on google x10 lighting and it will give you all the info.
for the app there are many paid apps out there you can get but your best off with the one thats free called autom8 its not on the market but there is a link for it if you search "autom8 android" in google you should be able to find it, it has a video attached to it of the kid doing it on his android phone, i have it on my droid 1 and now on my g tablet in the kitchen so i can turn on the lights before i even walk into the house
dragonfly1113 said:
First you gotta look into x10 lighting which is special lighting for your house, the house i bought i was lucky enough it had the lighting in it already i just needed the "base". What happends is you get a "base" which sends signals out to devices lights/appliances/security systems for them to turn on and off. They reach out to modules which you add to a light, for instance you get a wall switch one instead of wiring the wires to a normal light switch you wire them into this x10 module which has dials on them you set the dials to a "channel" and thats how it communicates with the base. it sounds more complicated than it really is, a very easy affordable way to get it is with lamp modules which are the cheapest and they plug right into any wall outlet and have a female end on the other side where you plug in something like say a lamp. If you need anymore info on the actual setup of x10 just research on google x10 lighting and it will give you all the info.
for the app there are many paid apps out there you can get but your best off with the one thats free called autom8 its not on the market but there is a link for it if you search "autom8 android" in google you should be able to find it, it has a video attached to it of the kid doing it on his android phone, i have it on my droid 1 and now on my g tablet in the kitchen so i can turn on the lights before i even walk into the house
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's frickin cool! haha. I didn't know that even existed.
I travel quite a bit for the company I own and I am just flat tired of hauling around a laptop around airports etc. Mostly what I do is keep in touch with email but occasionally have to get into one of the network servers. I tried doing this with my smartphone but it was just too tiny and too limiting that way so I kept on hauling around my laptop.
The tablet allows me to do these without the laptop hassle. If I have to answer an email it is still a minor pain with a screen keyboard but with the tablet its much less of a hassle. During flights I can use it to play games, compose emails for sending later, writing notes or even just reading.
Its a lot less weight to carry. It may not seem like much to some but after carrying around a leather case with a shoulder strap with a six pound laptop and another two pounds of other stuff I would get to my hotels with big red strap marks on my shoulder. Now the weight is reduced by well over half and it "feels" good.
R
This is interesting stuff. First, the autom8 android seems to be an abandoned app. But reading some forums there appear to be other alternatives out there that do the same thing and have an active developer.
The price of the x10 modules are incredibly cheaper when they came out years ago. I hadn't looket at it lately but I did when they first came on the market and I thought that they were crazy expensive and I never looked at them again. Now, you can buy kits that are just about dirt cheap.
Sounds like a fun plaything but I don't see much use for it myself. If I still lived in Los Angeles it would have lots of good uses for security. But, now I live out in the country in rural Kansas and when we went to Europe we forgot to lock the front door. No biggie, didn't worry about it and when we got back all was fine.
R
I am in the same boat not sure why I bought it at the beginning. I have a laptop (very light-weight 4lb + very fast CPU + 14.1 screen), a desktop and a couple of pocket PCs (HP iPAQ). Now, my g-tablet has a "real" purpose.. is to piss off my apple-addicted co-workers (most of my co-workers use Mac laptops + Ipads, Iphones, etc). Even my helpdesk dept does not like Android, linux or windows and they think Apple is the best. Anyways, I brought my G-tablet to work one day and showed them CNN.com with Flash and ran the Quadrant score.. hahahaha.
Fuzzy John said:
Based on my experience so far:
Aggravation !!!​
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hahahaha!
I know EXACTLY how you feel. You know how I see it? You can buy few other electronics for $350-$400 that are going to pull off what this can. It's a handheld computer - it runs better graphics than I think most netbooks at this price point and the only other electronics you will buy with $400 is maybe a mid end 32" LCD TV which let's face it - you probably already own something bigger/better, in fact maybe even 2 or 3.
So I mean....unless you're willing to WAIT until March/April for the more solid stuff to come with either 2.3 as the base or Honeycomb, at least you can get a few things done in the meantime with the newest stock s/w....and hopefully by the time they become mainstream we'll get an official update that even the devs won't feel necessary to mod too heavily to be workable.
I almost decided to return mine today when the screen became unresponsive and no amount of claimed calibration would work. But I calmed down, did a full wipe and now it's good. I think the hardware is pretty solid, it's just the software that is a total mess and the devs here are doing the best they can with what they have but in the end I think it's the people that sit down in labs and workstations that need to make at least a solid software core for things to be based upon and I don't think that's the case with the tnt software, zpad software or vega software. I think it's all based on some pretty crummy stuff. I still have high hopes for something better when Honeycomb comes, or something written from the ground up by the devs here based on 2.3.
man let me see......what don't you use the gtab for????? lol. I mainly use it while watching tv i can watch football and browse the web. i like the google finance app to check my stocks. its great entertainment when i have company i leave it on the coffe table so guests can play with it or surf the web... yeah i have 2 laptops even an ultra light and thin 11.6" screen 3.5 lbs but i still prefer this as my internet browser while on the couch... sure i can do all that on my iphone 4 but i cant even look at that small screen after getting used to my tab! i tether my phones internet to it so a long ride in the car goes by quick, when others are driving of course. i love the old school nintendo emulators also...again can do all that from my phone but why when i have a ten inch screen.
Sent from my VEGAn-TAB-v1.0.0b3 using Tapatalk (while on the couch waiting for MNF to start)
Travelling with less than two pounds... access to my brokerage account and virtually all the investment pages I tend to use... E-mail... news, sports, weather... Twitter feeds I follow... much easier to carry around the house than the laptop. An aside: the WiFi is very sensitive. On an Amtrak train, waiting to leave Chicago's Union Station and then at least for an hour or two heading West to Denver, I had the choice of a dozen or so connections available to me. About half were open networks from hotels and eateries. As the train picked up speed, available connections changed every few minutes. Crazy stuff. The December VS update just before Christmas was wonderful for this stock gTablet. The only fix I want now is video added to Skype capabilities.
Tom
3 movies on one charged battery..... Enough said...
jacindc said:
But, since I got my gTab, I've used my laptop maybe twice in five weeks. My phone just sits at my side in case I get an actual call (rare!). I use my tablet *all the time* when I'm on the sofa. It's great to have a much larger screen to look at (instead of my N1) when reading Kindle books or playing Angry Birds or just surfing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here. Chat, read email, browse the web, all on my sofa and much more comfortable. I use my laptop in the morning... to prop up my tablet.
-=Sent from my VS GTablet (VEGAn b4) using Tapatalk=-
I use my g tablet for everything the only time I use my PC was to download the new roms but now I have rom manager working my PC is just a dvr I also use the PC as dual boot 64 bit windows/linux. If I could use Linux on the g tablet my PC would be an expensive dvr only right now I'm using vegan beta4 and its pretty smooth

Htc 7 pro - warning - do not buy !

Hello
I just want to warn everybody that want to buy HTC 7 PRO. It has been 5 days since it arrived from UK. It is already packed and ready for a journey back to reseller. It suppose to be a business tool but it with that kind of battery life it is just a joke. But U can somehow manage the juice usage and it is not the worst part. The worst thing about it is sliding mechanism. There are "reviews" all over the internet saying that great and durable. But it is a lie. It is weak designed and the build quality is also not so good. It makes "spring like" sound when it tilts and what annoy me the most is that after 5 days front part of mechanism wobbles. The keyboard is awesome but in combine with such poor sliding mechanism it is not a thumb up at all. I can not imagine how this mechanism will behave after couple of months with heavy business usage and seriously I really do not want to know. If You will add to this poor built headset Windows Phone 7, which is in my opinion awesome but still have a lot missing the HTC 7 PRO it is not a good choice. And I seriously do not recommend to buy it. The most funny part is the HTC customer support. I shared my concerns with them and they replied:
"all I can advise you is to use both hands when sliding the mechanism"
I expected the answer like "we tested the mechanism in advanced tests and it is designed to take a lot of hard usage"
but noooo they just advised me to use both hands. I wasn't quite sure if I want to send it back, but after I read their reply I will send it back for sure.
Of course the HTC BH M300 which was free gift has to be sent back also
I do not care that I spend a lot for delivery both ways I do not want to have this phone in my pocket, it is not worth even half money it costs.
Cheers
Pawel
Thanks for the heads-up. Have been wanting a landscape slider and looked at the Quantum, but I couldn't type good with it so I passed it by. If not knowing the user experience of the 7 Pro, I like its looks well enough to consider it. But thanks to you, I can discard it.
marianoitalianoo said:
There are "reviews" all over the internet saying that great and durable. But it is a lie.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you ever think about the possibility that you've simply got a broken device?
I agree, I just got my hands on one and it's terrible... the battery life is at best on par with the HD7 and the keyboard though decently laid out feels cheap. the sliding mechanism is gritty and I do hear that spring noise...
I received mine from O2 Germany three days ago and I'd like to share my opinion that is much more favourable than the above posts.
On the hardware, I will not mention things that we all could miss such as a front camera, a micro SD card slot, I'll concentrate on what we have:
- tilt screen, I love this! You will hear a spring noise when sliding and tilting the keyboard out, yes. So what? Usage will show if it has been badly designed and cannot resist prolounged usage (and if so, it will be my pleasure to send it back to O2 during the warranty period to get a replacement phone).
- the screen is crisp, has a good contrast and is very responsive, I do not have any complaints here
- the sound is much better than past HTC phones I had such as Qtek S200, HTC Touch Pro, Blackstone and even HD2
- the material of the keyboard is of the type "grip" plastic and suits my taste. The keyboard is rather well designed, BUT we miss the ability to change language from within the hardware keyboard itself (the Touch Pro allowed this and it was very useful) and the ability to get CAPS LOCK - both issues very annoying. In comparison, the smileys key is really useless in a business phone and could have been replaced with a more useful feature!
- as far as the battery is concerned: as I am currently roaming, I have chosen to be in 2G mode, no wan access and with w-lan always on. I have the phone sync with 4 email accounts, three calendars, three contacts databses, and facebook + windows live. I managed to have the phone on with no recharge for two full days, with one hour of calls and approx. 40 internet pages browsed! I suspect that in 3G mode, with wan access an wlan on, this will drastically fall and result in the phone surviving less than a day on an intial full charge (same as with HD2 or similar devices, actually). I shall report when I have tested this.
- Before receiving the device, I was a little bit concerned about weight. Although it would be nice to have it 60 grams lighter, which would be quite a performance for its format, it is actually not an issue: the phone is simply big and I know this before buying it
- Speed is always very dependent on the OS. With WP7, it feels more responsive than a HD2 with Sense
- Mass storage: 8 Gb of which "only" 5.6 available is enough for my needs, but definitely too tight for those who want to carry 20 music albums and 5 full films with themselves (which is not an unreasonable expectation). The good surprise however is the speed at which files are being transferred from the PC to the phone (I did not measure it but it was definitely quicker than my class 4 SD Card with 64kb cluster size)
On the software (sigh):
- first feel of a system that is straightforward to understand and to use but...
- no copy paste. Other WP7 limitations such as lack of customization possibilities or lack of flash support or limited landscape support. We were warned. I personally can live with it.
- typical windows narrow-minded approach: exchange does not work if the certificate of the server is not matching its IP address, although iOS and Android support this with no problem, this makes me crazy!
- need to use exchange or windows live to replicate contacts and agenda, no active sync anymore. Lots of time lost to find a way to get Outlook synchronyze with the Phone via Outlook Connector. Need to copy paste contacts and calendar between Outlook main account and Windows live, no automatic synchronization between the two within Outlook - very very very poor design of the whole ecosystem
- need to use Zune. Cute programme but redundant with Windows Media Player WMC. MTS video format (used by my Lumix HD camera) seemingly not supported. Android does.
- only English, German an Spanish languages supported by the phone delivered by O2. I need more languages such as Italian and French
- no smart dial nor the possibility to jump to a contact by entering the first letters of it - you have to scroll the contacs or use the search functon, a real pain!
All in all, I think it is a good bit of hardware for business purposes, even if not at the forefront of the current possibilities (amoled screen, tegra processor, storage). You can live with the OS but it has to improve quickly to live up to its ergonomy promises. The reasons I did not buy the Desire Z were the processor, the three rows keyboard (instead of four) and the screen not tilting. The reason why I would not buy the HTC 7 Pro is... WP7. I've hesitated long and I've decided to stick to the device in the hope that WP7 improves soon, but I also hope that we will soon be able thanks to the XDA community to load other OS such as Android on it should Microsoft not deliver
Thanks,
I saw your reply and ended up with HD7. great device.
Prophete said:
Usage will show if it has been badly designed and cannot resist prolounged usage (and if so, it will be my pleasure to send it back to O2 during the warranty period to get a replacement phone)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I asked HTC what if in time the sliding mechanism will fail to deliver high usability let say and just break.
They said that warranty do not cover "wear and tear" , so if it will get damaged, You will get nothing from O2, maybe some stickers or key chain
it's the same thing htc singapore told me before
i went to replace the keyboard on my touch pro twice
the same keys failed both times (0, space bar, backspace)
guess what? they told me to use the onscreen keyboard more! if so, what is the point of buying a phone with a physical keyboard?
I am ashamed to say that It turns out that the only thing that actually works as supposed to is iphone :/
I have a love/hate relationship with HTC.
Most, if not all of their devices are very beautifully-looking. But I will always question their build quality, and that's ultimately their downfall, because it's ****. I mean, it's hit or miss with their devices. They either knock it out of the ballpark or fail at something that makes you scratch your head and wonder. For example, something as simple as their power buttons. But I won't get into it. I wouldn't be surprised if the keyboard on the HTC 7 Pro fails after prolonged use.
Hello All,
I just wanted to add my 5 cents...
I bought an HTC 7 Pro almost as soon as they were available from O2 Germany since they are not available in Luxembourg.
I have to say that the device is great!!
The tilt mechanism is smooth, and works really well. The battery life is fantastic!! I have sync with my exchange server running all day and with that, phone calls (not too many), using the GPS etc, I have so far never gone below 50% battery.
I wonder if HTC have manufacturing problem because you seem to be less happy, but I can honestly say that I find the phone to be GREAT and would HIGHLY recommend it!!
Hi, I also do not agree. The phone is great.
Indeed you need to slide with two hands, but a springy sound does not bother me. It probably is a spring If anything breaks than I expect normal warrenty.
WP7 is a blast! I needed to set my PC to US to trick Marketplace, but otherwise it is great. Many apps already and more on the way.
That was my 5 cts.
Maybe my problem is that I expected much more for the price. The price is only a bit less then Iphone 4 which costs in UK 510 quids. But the build quality of i device is a lot better.
I really like WP7 and iOS looks childish a bit
Just posted to Clove cheers
Just picked up mine from Sprint today and I have to say it is well built and I'm loving WP7 so far!
I to just got the Arrive and I have to say, it is definatly worth changing over from my Evo. I've been playing with this all day and havn't had to charge it yet (going off the initial charge it had from factory).
The keyboard works great, device tilts wonderful and while i'll admit, it's not the easiest to open one handed, it's still possible.
Nothing like the TP2 if anyone is wondering, it's alot slicker, feels better, works better.
WARNING!!!
Do NOT install and run the free HTC app "Connection Setup" with the Sprint Arrive.
I had to hard reset multiple times until I narrowed it down with Sprint Tech Support (who said they had an HTC Tech Rep on site during this launch). If you run it with Sprint as your carrier it will lockout your data connection until you hard reset (wifi will still work though). It took me a while to figure out which app screws up while on the phone with them, but it's definately this app and they confirmed it with an Arrive they had on hand. They still haven't removed it from the Marketplace yet, so here's your fair warning.
Hopefully this will save someone a lot of time and frustration after setting up your phone, only to have to redo it all over again. Cheers.
I am the Arrive advocate at my Sprint store, and I can confirm that I had the same issue with the HTC connection setup program. After hard resetting the phone my data connection came right back, but DO NOT download that program as of this point.
I was getting download speeds between 71kbps and 300kbps. I used the HTC connection setup and it also borked the data. It took me 2 hard resets and like 8 tries forcing data provision until it worked again.
I'm still getting piss poor download speeds and so it my TP2 that is on the same plan. I'm calling Sprint tomorrow to have an engineer look at my account settings. The Sprint store employee said he could do nothing if it was working at all. Had mine since 3/18.
Thanks Savage for the heads up! I was looking at that app until I read your posts.

Curious how the Best Buy and Staples sales are going this first weekend

Wondering how the Surface is doing for sales at BB and Staples now. I normally wouldn't care as I love my Surface but we all need it to be successful if we want to see some good app development in the Store and see growth in quality apps, which is currently lacking in the store.
I will tell you that over the weekend I was at South Coast Plaza mall in Southern California and the Microsoft Store there, which is big , was pretty busy (Maybe not Apple busy, but pretty good traffic).
Anybody have any info from BB or Staples personnel in the know or any other source?
I believe it is online only availability.
Stores have stock now. Was in a Best buy today. Surface was the 1st thing you see walking in the door.
lqaddict said:
I believe it is online only availability.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have read elsewhere that it has been spotted and purchased in Staples and Best Buy. I don't imagine a huge impact on RT sales until the Pro is out in the wild and attracting a lot more attention and awareness for the Surface brand.
Also, some of those cases where it is set up at best buy it has been said that they are not setting it up with the keyboard cover which IMO would draw much more attention.
We just got our Surface display set up at Staples, and a few people checked it out. But before we ever had them in store people kept coming in looking for the tablet with the "click" commercial, so i'd say the interest will be there and I love what the Surface does, so ill be glad to show it customers.
Sent from my SCH-R950 using xda app-developers app
conmanxtreme said:
We just got our Surface display set up at Staples, and a few people checked it out. But before we ever had them in store people kept coming in looking for the tablet with the "click" commercial, so i'd say the interest will be there and I love what the Surface does, so ill be glad to show it customers.
Sent from my SCH-R950 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
John Lewis now have them in physical stores in the UK.
Microsot surface rt hidden at best buy
I visited a BestBuy in Gainesville, Florida, with my son. I wanted to see the Surface RT even though I own one. I could not see one. Then I spotted it with the black cover among other portable products. The Surface RT is not displayed at any specific promotional spot as the other other products are. So, even though, BestBuy carries it, I do not think people will notice it.
I hope Microsoft will address the issue.
went into Staples on Sunday (Dec 16) after I found out online that they had them in the store on Saturday. Big sign at entrance advertising the Surface. When I purchased the 64Gb version of it I found out that I was the first person in this Store who bought one. The folks at Staples wanted me to report back to them whether I liked it. I told them I will surely like it (played with it for some time at a MS Store in Boston). They told me that they only found out Wednesday that they will have them in the Store on Saturday and thought it seemed rushed by MS.
anyway, glad I was able to buy it at a local store (next MS store is 1.5hs from here).
place of Staples: Beavercreek, Ohio (Dayton area).
I just checked at the local Best Buy. It was just tossed in with the other tablets, and they didn't have the full selection of keyboards (nor did they have a keyboard out with it).
Poor product placement? Lmao...I think people who want it, know about it and will get it. Other random people, most likely will get an ipad. Lol. I honestly thought they would have a MS rep in every major best buy location to hype it up. Or , even a special station where multiple Surfaces are setup allowing people to play with them...kind of like apple has its booth in every store. Hopefully MS will do good on sales, even with poor product placment because it is a very important and effective marketing strategy.
I need to go check out my local store. I was sure I wanted the Pro but after realizing that the RT does a lot more than i thought i decided i would get that. Then after reading up some more im not sure if I am up for a windows 8 tablet anymore, just because i am more familiar with android. So i went from being 100% to not knowing what tablet I want. They get old fast... :/
equisbox said:
Poor product placement? Lmao...I think people who want it, know about it and will get it. Other random people, most likely will get an ipad. Lol. I honestly thought they would have a MS rep in every major best buy location to hype it up. Or , even a special station where multiple Surfaces are setup allowing people to play with them...kind of like apple has its booth in every store. Hopefully MS will do good on sales, even with poor product placment because it is a very important and effective marketing strategy.
I need to go check out my local store. I was sure I wanted the Pro but after realizing that the RT does a lot more than i thought i decided i would get that. Then after reading up some more im not sure if I am up for a windows 8 tablet anymore, just because i am more familiar with android. So i went from being 100% to not knowing what tablet I want. They get old fast... :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Coming from Android as well, I find the Surface Rt way more customizable out of the box via registry tweaks and such. Something only possible via rooting android. I also find it much more stable than ICS (I cant comment on JB as I have not played with much on my wifes Nexus 7 since I got my Surface now.
At the Best Buy I visited (in KY), it was basically in the back where the cheap ipad covers were. The Kindle, ipad, android, and every other tablet got much better placement and the sales people weren't talking about them and knew almost nothing about them.
I think this whole plan was put together quickly and without any real prep.
I work at a staples in Oklahoma. All our documentation was about how big a win it would he for us to be the first retailer to have it on the shelf. The only spot we had open for the surface was the end cap with the nexus so they left all the nexus display stuff and accessories up for the first 3 days, but had the Surface model and tags in front... ugh. I guess technically we did have it first. Lol. They didn't work out the deal till like Wednesday of last week and we had stock by Thursday so in the corporate world that's crazy ass fast.
We sold 3 to one business guy with a startup that needed internet explorer and office and that's it. Other wise I've sold 2 to my personal friends that I told to wait and not buy online till they can come in to my store to buy it. Ha. Also, if you decide to take funny pictures of your face and perhaps other body parts, the photo app love tile will keep scrolling the pics even after you delete them... just a heads up. Lol
Sent from my SGH-T959 using xda app-developers app
bigwilly90210 said:
I work at a staples in Oklahoma. All our documentation was about how big a win it would he for us to be the first retailer to have it on the shelf. The only spot we had open for the surface was the end cap with the nexus so they left all the nexus display stuff and accessories up for the first 3 days, but had the Surface model and tags in front... ugh. I guess technically we did have it first. Lol. They didn't work out the deal till like Wednesday of last week and we had stock by Thursday so in the corporate world that's crazy ass fast.
We sold 3 to one business guy with a startup that needed internet explorer and office and that's it. Other wise I've sold 2 to my personal friends that I told to wait and not buy online till they can come in to my store to buy it. Ha. Also, if you decide to take funny pictures of your face and perhaps other body parts, the photo app love tile will keep scrolling the pics even after you delete them... just a heads up. Lol
Sent from my SGH-T959 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully MS will follow up and get proper displays for Staples and Best buy as it really is a great product (I have had one since launch and have done some awesome tweaks on mine (full flash, no lock screen, starts up when opened, networked, etc). Hardwarewise it is stable, and the OS is getting better -It just needs the developer community to get behind it, and that is only going to happen if they see users($$$).
After my good experience at the local Staples here in Dayton, Ohio I also went to BestBuy today. What a let-down. I couldn't find anything about the Surface. The only special place I found was the iMac stand that is placed pretty much in your face when you walk into the store. When I asked for the Surface a guy in the laptop section told me that "oddly enough, it's placed in the mobile section". Okay, when I walked over to the mobile section I found two or three tablets with Win8 (Asus Avivo, Samsung), but there was no Surface. When I asked again the BB guy told me that they are right there, pointing to the laptops I just looked at. Doh! I guess anything Windows 8 goes by Surface at BB at least in this store.
On the other hand I am not really surprised.....
Yeah the Surface at our staples is set up on and end cap, which isnt a terrible spot, but it doesn't quite jump out at you, and the end caps beside it are the Lenovo Twist and the new Samsung 23" All-in-one desktop, so its not terrible placement.
Sent from my SCH-R950 using xda app-developers app
Hey guys me again
I said that I wasn't sure about whether I wanted the Surface anymore after seeing all the android tabs and what not (because I have a lot of experience with the android OS.) I love android, I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 currently, and I was thinking of buying an android tablet so everything would be synced and what not. After thinking about it some more, and going to my local Best Buy, to play with the Surface, I realized that I definitely wanted it over anything else. I realized that I want something new, and all android has to offer are the same things I can already do with my phone, just a little bigger. I'm definitely going to go purchase this tablet in the next few days.
As far as product placement, my local Best Buy did an excellent job of actual physical placement. It is right in front of you when you walk in the store. I, somehow, still missed it and had to ask an employee to point me in the right direction. They need a banner or some sort of sign. LOL. They need to hire me as a manager, I'm sure I can put my BA Business and MSIS degree to good use
I was worried about the screen resolution, but in person, it is everything and more. I am not that picky about resolution, as long as everything looks good, and everything looks amazing on the tablet. Who cares if it doesn't have the crazy high resolutions, because it is perfect for what it is.
Also, played with the type cover because that is the only cover they had out at my local Best Buy. I couldn't test the touch cover, but the type cover is amazing. I played around with office, and I literally fell in love with the little device. I must get it. I think if everyone would stop being so bias and give it a chance, they will fall in love with it. I am an android fan, but I am giving this tablet a chance. Plus, the android tablet I bought last year, I ended up returning because all it was to me is an overgrown phone. Every time I wanted to do something I couldn't decide whether to do it on my android phone or my android tablet. LOL! So I just returned it to avoid the headache altogether.
Anyhow, I don't think the stores are doing too hot with sales. I didn't even see anyone else playing with the tablet, maybe because I was hogging the only one they had out, but who knows. Sucks because I really want it to do well.
equisbox said:
.....
Anyhow, I don't think the stores are doing too hot with sales. I didn't even see anyone else playing with the tablet....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Waiting on eye glasses repair...
Costco: guy asks "where is the old windows ?"
Lady asks "are there any windows seven laptops left?"
mom+kids "we'll just go get an ipad" (kids cheering, after trying to use the w8 demo unit for a few minutes)
Bestbuy:
Lady "where are the new ipads?"
Dude "this thing has awesome specs! Do you know how to put real windows on it?" (To his buddy)
Salesguy, "ya, I don't know about the surface thing. Doesn't sell. Can't believe they didn't have the pro ready for christmas."
All folks who might have considered a surface, maybe. Its not getting any serious attention from what I've seen.
I bought one from my local Best Buy, they just had it out with the other tablets, had the $499 32Gb, $599 32Gb with cover (One I got) and the $699 64Gb with cover.
I think Microsoft could really benefit for a better advertising campaign, also they should ship specific display models to stores that have a looping display on them. A black square with a black screen doesn't make one want to pick it up.
It's a nice device, build quality is awesome, OS is buggy though. Not sure if I'll keep it or not (have a month thanks to longer holiday return policy) or maybe get something like the 13" Lenovo yoga.
I still haven't gotten the white list hack to work, unless that was fixed not to in the latest update.
I still don't really get the hype or people waiting for the Pro, it's just a tablet computer, maybe it will be nicer in quality, buy really you can buy that now, the surface is great because of the battery life, size and for the most part a full OS, the pro looses most of that.
I do have to say I own a iPad mini and love the thing for size and weight but for the most part it's a gamming device, even my old full size ipad was just that also.
One of my first wishes for the surface is 4 rows of tiles instead of three, my start screen is getting kind of long!
Zytryx said:
I bought one from my local Best Buy, they just had it out with the other tablets, had the $499 32Gb, $599 32Gb with cover (One I got) and the $699 64Gb with cover.
I think Microsoft could really benefit for a better advertising campaign, also they should ship specific display models to stores that have a looping display on them. A black square with a black screen doesn't make one want to pick it up.
It's a nice device, build quality is awesome, OS is buggy though. Not sure if I'll keep it or not (have a month thanks to longer holiday return policy) or maybe get something like the 13" Lenovo yoga.
I still haven't gotten the white list hack to work, unless that was fixed not to in the latest update.
I still don't really get the hype or people waiting for the Pro, it's just a tablet computer, maybe it will be nicer in quality, buy really you can buy that now, the surface is great because of the battery life, size and for the most part a full OS, the pro looses most of that.
I do have to say I own a iPad mini and love the thing for size and weight but for the most part it's a gamming device, even my old full size ipad was just that also.
One of my first wishes for the surface is 4 rows of tiles instead of three, my start screen is getting kind of long!
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I also wish there were 4 tiles, and I also want the ability to group apps into folders on the start screen - I have over 100 apps installed and its a bit tough to manuevur, even with shrinking the size of the start screen shortcut.

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