"I'll take a stack of #surface"...wow THANK YOU!!! sdrv.ms/R46eYA

— Steven Sinofsky (@stevesi) October 26, 2012

4 hours ago, blowdart wrote

OK who the heck wouldn't want a flying car?

Well, if in car mode it was unpleasant to drive and could only do five miles to the gallon, and in plane mode it was unpleasant to fly and could only do a few miles on a full tank, then I probably wouldn't want one, no.

Though it would look cool in the driveway, that's where it would probably stay.

17 seconds ago, Ray7 wrote

*snip*

Well, if in car mode it was unpleasant to drive and could only do five miles to the gallon, and in plane mode it was unpleasant to fly and could only do a few miles on a full tank, then I probably wouldn't want one, no.

Though it would look cool in the driveway, that's where it would probably stay.

Actually there were a few attempts at it in the 60s. The Boeing museum in Seattle has one

Errr. I'm not helping am I?

It wouldn't look cool in the driveway.

9 minutes ago, Ray7 wrote

Okay, I was wrong.

It wouldn't look cool in the driveway.

This one flew too.

1 hour ago, MasterPie wrote

Seems like Cook wants to pull a Ballmer and say that a certain device will never work...

There's a difference: Cook was asked at a conference call. Unless specifically asked, no one at financial conference call mentions the competition. For one thing, as Ballmer and Dell have proved time and time again, it is a great opportunity to say things that prove to be so very very wrong and are quoted as forum signatures forever more.

If I see another sig saying 'What would I do? I'd shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders'....

No, do not mention the competition unless asked.

Secondly, he didn't say it would never work. He said he hadn't used one but from what he'd read...

wired said:

a tablet of both compromises and confusion

The Verge said:

Instead of being a no-compromise device, it often feels like a more-compromise one

... the design of Surface might not give the best experience.

which is quite ironic as Microsoft had said they'd designed the surface 'without compromises'. The problem is that for Microsoft 'no compromises' means 'stuffing everything in' and Cook doesn't believe that is necessarily the correct way to look at product design.

Tim Cook said:

I suppose you could design a car that flies and floats, but I don't think it would do all those things very well.

Which is not to say that it won't work. I think the tech crowd will love it.

17 minutes ago, blowdart wrote

*snip*

This one flew too.

Much better, but is that large enough for a driver/pilot plus day luggage?

56 minutes ago, Ray7 wrote

Okay, I was wrong.

It wouldn't look cool in the driveway.

If you want one that looks cool in the driveway, I suggest this one:

Though I don't think it has ever really flown.

7 hours ago, magicalclick wrote

So it appears MS Surface is like flying car if it is a car. Confusing but it flies. From CEO of Apple at conferent.

People need to call bull**** on that one. Tim Cook is misleading people. the WinRT version of surface does not contain the desktop functionality, so it is a single UI paradigm. I would think that most users will buy this, once the software has been patched a few times, and apps are available.

The flying car is the surface pro, and Tim Cook is jealous, people will vote with their feet (or is that wallets)

17 minutes ago, vesuvius wrote

People need to call bull**** on that one. Tim Cook is misleading people. the WinRT version of surface does not contain the desktop functionality, so it is a single UI paradigm. I would think that most users will buy this, once the software has been patched a few times, and apps are available.

Sorry, but you're wrong about that. Windows RT does contain the desktop, including the regular desktop apps like Paint, Notepad, the command prompt, and even the ability to run IE10 in desktop mode. Additionally, Office for Windows RT can only run on the desktop, and there are a number of settings that can only be adjusted on the desktop, including IE settings (metro IE has no settings UI) and language settings.

The only thing that Windows RT cannot do is run third party desktop apps, as it's obviously not compatible with existing x86 software and MS has not provided any way to create desktop software for it. But it does contain the desktop.

I have not kept up to date too much on RT as I think this is just the beginning, and it will be good in the next couple of releases. Your post however, has clarified things....thanks

Honda's does fly.

8 hours ago, Ray7 wrote

Which is not to say that it won't work. I think the tech crowd will love it.

But he's essentially saying it's not going to work for the masses by considering it as something not so great and "confusing". You wouldn't make such a statement if you believed otherwise.

Or just maybe his opinion differs outside of a conference call and that he truly does feel it's a competitive device.

If I recall correctly, he was referring to Surface, which is going to have Win8 Pro version.

2 hours ago, wkempf wrote

Everything is a compromise. Apple thinks they've made the best compromises. Some of us don't agree. Other's do.

And a quick search on Amazon for "iPad keyboard" turns up quite a few products intended for those who think Apple didn't compromised in the right place.

This is (just one of the many reasons) why I love about my Surface... the keyboard is just a cover... until I need it... and then it becomes a great keyboard as well.

Cook also said that the iPad mini won't canibalise their iPad sales.

Either he is wrong, or he knows his customers will buy anything with an i regardless of whether they need it or even have a use for it.