Figure it's ok to mention this stuff since Dpreview did

| So Microscoft releases (essentially) a $199 Blackberry Playbook at
| $499?? And the Blackberry tablet was a sales flop.
|
|
http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/16/tech/g...html?hpt=hp_t3

The MS tablets will probably be a flop, too, but
they're not Blackberry's. The whole thing hinges on
Metro and MS online services. They want you to buy
Metro apps that they get a cut on, "consume" media,
get an MS email address, etc. At this point they have
very little to offer, and a lot of people are going to
be surprised when they find out that 1) they can't run
Windows software and 2) the only software they can
run is trinket apps from the Windows online store.

Personally I think the prices are absurd, but there
are millions of people paying similar to buy iPads.
So there seems to be a ...tablet customer ... born
every minute.

In article , Mayayana
wrote:

The MS tablets will probably be a flop, too, but
they're not Blackberry's. The whole thing hinges on
Metro and MS online services. They want you to buy
Metro apps that they get a cut on, "consume" media,
get an MS email address, etc.

imagine that, companies that want you to buy stuff. crazy!!

At this point they have
very little to offer,

actually they have quite a bit to offer, but the problem is that apple
and google have a lot *more* to offer, and for roughly the same price.

it's too little, too late.

on the other hand, microsoft is throwing a ****load of marketing behind
it, so maybe they'll find a comfortable third place.

and a lot of people are going to
be surprised when they find out that 1) they can't run
Windows software

so what? that hasn't affected ipads one bit.

in fact, not only can't ipads run windows software, but they can't run
mac software either, and ipad sales are through the roof.

and 2) the only software they can
run is trinket apps from the Windows online store.

there is much more than 'trinket apps' available.

Personally I think the prices are absurd,

the prices are competitive with similar products.

but there
are millions of people paying similar to buy iPads.

exactly.

So there seems to be a ...tablet customer ... born
every minute.

is there something wrong with buying a tablet?

for a lot of tasks and also a lot of users, a tablet is a much beter
choice than a laptop and certainly a desktop computer (how archaic).

It all ties in nicely with Microsoft and other companies who want to
create a computer universe (indeed, an entire multimedia universe)
where all media and media use is "rented" as a service and not owned.


Yes. That's partly why the prices seem so outlandish
to me. Not only is it a limited tool compared to a
[cheaper] PC. The whole point is to bring in income
from everything that people do with it. With that
strategy I would expect them to take a loss on the
hardware, counting on profits down the road. (30%
cut for all "apps" bought through their store, ad
income from Hotmail, etc. Not to mention a captive
audience that can be tracked more efficiently than
computer users can be.)

| and a lot of people are going to
| be surprised when they find out that 1) they can't run
| Windows software
|
| so what? that hasn't affected ipads one bit.

No, it hasn't. But those are two very different things. People
buy iPads for fun and swank... And because they're Apple fans
....And because they have money to burn. They associate
Windows with getting work done. It's *very* unlikely that
anyone will ever buy anything Microsoft for swank.

Microsoft know that so they're deliberately confusing people.
They're marketing the new line as a single interface across
devices, implying that people can have Windows everywhere.
MS has been clear in technical docs that Win RT is not the
same thing as Win 8, but their actions lead people to believe
otherwise. (Even much of the media mistakenly think Win RT
is a variant of Win 8.) Win 8 runs Windows software and has a
Metro screen tacked on to market MS services. Win RT is those
services, running on an ARM chip that can't handle Windows
software, with a sort of fake "Desktop" screen to confuse people.
(The Win RT Desktop only runs built-in Microsoft ARM software.
It's not a Desktop as Windows users know it.)

So why would anyone buy a Win RT tablet, which so far has
very few apps, when they can have an iPad for about the
same price (which now has, what, about 47 billion apps?) and
they can have a fashion statement in the deal? I submit that
many of those sales will be to people who have been misled into
believing that they're actually getting some version of
Windows + extras, when all they're really getting is warmed-over
MS online services and *maybe* an appealing app store. It's
yet to be seen whether the MS store will ever get an alluring
stable of apps.

Windows people are used to getting things free. Windows phones
have yet to sell. Windows tablets aren't even out yet. Anyone
who writes for Metro is basically writing trinkets that have to be
approved by MS, with MS getting 30% of the profits, and no
certain market. All of those factors work against developers wanting
to take a chance on Metro.
(I guess if you don't think a Facebook app, or a Find-me-a-
coffeeshop app, or an Angry Birds app is a trinket then we just
have different definitions of trinket. To me those are all simple,
small, trivial entertainment utilities.)

In article , Mayayana
wrote:

It all ties in nicely with Microsoft and other companies who want to
create a computer universe (indeed, an entire multimedia universe)
where all media and media use is "rented" as a service and not owned.

Yes. That's partly why the prices seem so outlandish
to me.

the prices are not outlandish at all. they're competitive with similar
products.

Not only is it a limited tool compared to a
[cheaper] PC.

for some tasks it may be, but for other tasks it's much more capable,
easier to use and a much more pleasant user experience, which means the
user is more productive.

more importantly, it's a totally different product, so you can't
directly compare prices or features.

The whole point is to bring in income
from everything that people do with it.

you're delusional.

With that
strategy I would expect them to take a loss on the
hardware,

they're not taking a loss on the hardware.

on the other hand, amazon and google are reportedly selling the kindle
and nexus 7 at or slightly below cost, depending on what story you
believe, with the profit coming from amazon sales or google ad revenue.

counting on profits down the road. (30%
cut for all "apps" bought through their store,

30% is actually much less than the overhead of traditional distribution
channels, but why let facts get in the way. from a developer point of
view, 30% is cheap.

at the end of the day, it's a whole lot easier for users to find and
install apps and keep them updated. when users buy a new device, it's a
couple of taps to reinstall everything and continue working.

ad
income from Hotmail, etc.

ads are how google and much of the internet works. people want stuff
for free and are willing to put up with ads in order to do that. those
who are willing to pay can have apps without ads.

also, you're behind the times. hotmail is eventually going away.
http://articles.marke****ch.com/2012...53385_1_hotmai
l-customers-e-mail-system-bgc-partners-analyst
Microsoft Corp. is replacing Hotmail, its Web-based consumer e-mail
system, with an expanded version of Outlook, the system widely used
by businesses.

Not to mention a captive
audience that can be tracked more efficiently than
computer users can be.)

nonsense.

just where do you come up with this garbage?

you're also paranoid.

In article , Mayayana
wrote:

| and a lot of people are going to
| be surprised when they find out that 1) they can't run
| Windows software
|
| so what? that hasn't affected ipads one bit.

No, it hasn't. But those are two very different things.

they're not different at all. the surface tablet is microsoft's version
of an ipad.

People
buy iPads for fun and swank... And because they're Apple fans
...And because they have money to burn.

nonsense. just where do you come up with this garbage?

most people who buy ipads and also iphones are *not* apple users, let
alone fans, and very few people have money to burn in today's economy.

ipads are being used in *all* sorts of ways for all sorts of things. of
course, some people do use ipads for fun, and there's absolutely
nothing wrong with that, while others use them for more productive
work. 94% of fortune 500 companies are using or testing ipads, and you
can be sure they're not doing that because they have money to burn or
for fun.

for example, many hospitals and commercial airlines are using ipads,
both of which are probably the farthest from fun and swank as you can
possibly get:

http://www.boston.com/business/techn...4/04/for_some_
doctors_the_ipad_is_claiming_a_key_spot_next_to_th e_stethoscope/
Last month, at the launch of the iPad 2, Apple showed a video in
which Dr. John Halamka, chief information officer at Beth Israel
Deaconess, said the iPad ³will change the way doctors practice
medicine.¹¹

It was a bold statement, and not the first lofty claim made about
technology. But this much is clear: Hospitals across the United
States and as far as Israel and Australia are embracing iPads.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2397629,00.asp
American is the first major airline to receive official approval to
use iPads. Dorr said there are few smaller, on-demand airlines that
have gotten the go-ahead, including N-Jets, Express Jet Management
(EJM).

Other major airlines are currently going through the operational
evaluation, including Alaska Airlines, United and Continental, and
Delta.

They associate
Windows with getting work done.

no, they associate windows with malware and support headaches.

It's *very* unlikely that
anyone will ever buy anything Microsoft for swank.

microsoft xbox.

people also buy windows pcs for gaming, sometimes *just* for gaming.

but that's fun, you don't do fun.

Microsoft know that so they're deliberately confusing people.
They're marketing the new line as a single interface across
devices, implying that people can have Windows everywhere.

having the same interface across mobile and desktop is actually an
interesting strategy. if it works, microsoft has a huge winner. on the
other hand, if it fails, they're screwed. they're well behind apple and
google, and this is really their only chance.

MS has been clear in technical docs that Win RT is not the
same thing as Win 8, but their actions lead people to believe
otherwise. (Even much of the media mistakenly think Win RT
is a variant of Win 8.) Win 8 runs Windows software and has a
Metro screen tacked on to market MS services. Win RT is those
services, running on an ARM chip that can't handle Windows
software, with a sort of fake "Desktop" screen to confuse people.
(The Win RT Desktop only runs built-in Microsoft ARM software.
It's not a Desktop as Windows users know it.)

there will be some confusion, but that should eventually sort itself
out.

So why would anyone buy a Win RT tablet, which so far has
very few apps, when they can have an iPad for about the
same price (which now has, what, about 47 billion apps?)

so you admit the price is not absurd.

also, it's just under 1 million ios apps have been approved since
apple's app store opened.

and
they can have a fashion statement in the deal?

what's with the fashion statement nonsense?

people don't buy ipads as a fashion statement.

I submit that
many of those sales will be to people who have been misled into
believing that they're actually getting some version of
Windows + extras, when all they're really getting is warmed-over
MS online services and *maybe* an appealing app store. It's
yet to be seen whether the MS store will ever get an alluring
stable of apps.

it remains to be seen just how successful windows 8 will be, and
whether or not it will end up being a vista 2.

Windows people are used to getting things free.

hah! you must be kidding!!!

that's the most ludicrous thing i've seen anyone write in a *long*
time. you don't actually believe that idiocy, do you?

Windows phones
have yet to sell. Windows tablets aren't even out yet. Anyone
who writes for Metro is basically writing trinkets that have to be
approved by MS, with MS getting 30% of the profits, and no
certain market. All of those factors work against developers wanting
to take a chance on Metro.

metro is certainly a smaller market than ios and android, but there is
still money to be made. some developers will take a chance, and some of
them will do quite well. some won't. there is plenty of opportunity for
killer apps. big fish in a small pond versus small fish in a big pond.

(I guess if you don't think a Facebook app, or a Find-me-a-
coffeeshop app, or an Angry Birds app is a trinket then we just
have different definitions of trinket. To me those are all simple,
small, trivial entertainment utilities.)

you clearly have *no* clue what an ipad can do. none whatsoever.

in addition to doctors and commercial airline pilots, there are *so*
many other examples that it's impossible to list them all.

here's another:
http://kevin.lexblog.com/2012/07/23/30-of-attorneys-use-an-ipad/
30% of attorneys in the U.S. are using an iPad per the 2012 ABA Tech
Survey performed by the ABA Legal Technology Resource Center. Lawyers
are seeing real value in the iPad, it¹s not only lighter than a
laptop, but also a more efficient and organized way to receive and
review news and information.

bottom line: ipads are rapidly replacing laptops for all sorts of
things.

In article
,
RichA wrote:

It all ties in nicely with Microsoft and other companies who want to
create a computer universe (indeed, an entire multimedia universe)
where all media and media use is "rented" as a service and not owned.

nonsense.

What better way to do it than releasing endless numbers of grossly
(compared to a decent home computer) tablets and phones.

grossly what? did you leave off a word?

like it or not (and you obviously do not), the future is with mobile
devices, which means tablets and phones.

nospam wrote:
bottom line: ipads are rapidly replacing laptops for all sorts of
things.

Hi,

At several classical music concerts that I saw recently, the musicians
used "sheet music" on an i-phone, rather than in paper form.

Mort Linder

Le 17/10/2012 15:38, Mort a écrit :


At several classical music concerts that I saw recently, the musicians
used "sheet music" on an i-phone, rather than in paper form.


i-phone?

i-pad I could understand...

jdd

On 2012-10-17 11:53:22 -0700, jdanield said:

Le 17/10/2012 15:38, Mort a écrit :


At several classical music concerts that I saw recently, the musicians
used "sheet music" on an i-phone, rather than in paper form.


i-phone?

i-pad I could understand...

jdd

In most cases the sheet music apps are for iPad. There is at least one
app available for the iPhone.

For the iPad:
https://itunes.apple.com/app/forscore/id363738376
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tune...368413919?mt=8
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pdf-...370142351?mt=8
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/scor...434815858?mt=8

For iPad & iPhone;
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/virt...322312746?mt=8


--
Regards,

Savageduck