Possible schwag to be given out at Build

Windows 8 slate. Quad core, nonetheless.

http://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-shows-off-quad-core-windows-8-slate-device-giving-out-devices-soon

That slate looks kind of thick.  With the iPad3 around the corner they need to look at the iPad2 and think 30% thinner as a baseline.

Looks kinda fat indeed. Also I've seen enthousiastic demos of Windows slates before. They all had terrible touch responses and so so battery life. Maybe the ARM support will change that, but I can't say I'm blown away yet.

The iPad 2 is much thinner than that and looks fantastic. Don't hardware manufacturers look at competitors products anymore?

It really isn't hard to see why Apple is #Win. Taking my iPad out of its box was to be savored. Even the plastic they use to was perfectly designed and gave a feeling of sheer quality removing it.It took 20 minutes before I put the sim card in as I did not want to scratch or break it.

Then again, if anything it's a dev device, and those are always kinda clunky.

@vesuvius: Maybe you should wrap it up in cotton wool too in case you hurt the poor thing in future xD

Seriously though, it appears it's already getting written off because, well, it isn't an iPad, or is thicker than an iPad...

I'm far too interested in what this means for Windows 8 and the future of my skills investment as a developer, than to give a rats * about how thick it is compared to an iPad. Regardless of what plastic they use in the box. 

Functionality first, form can always come later. 

Now, are we nearly there yet... \\BUILD

Functionality first, form can always come later. 

While that's nice in theory, that attitude is why Apple gadgets are so much more popular with non-devs.

@CaRDiaK:I think you are missing the point. If Apple had demoed a new tablet, it would make the 6 o'clock news and be in all the papers. The net effect is people would swarm to the shops when they become available.

Half the battle with mobile devices is beauty hence attraction. This is Microsoft's biggest issue with a lot of their new products, in that look like they were developed first and then designers added afterwards whereas Apple look like they design first and then develop after.

If that bit of hardware had been at least as attractive as an iPad 2, then the news would have been about the iPad Killer, which is exactly the sort of news Microsoft want promulgated.

This was a missed opportunity, your reasoning is logical and a back-end server mentality, but certainly not how you sell products in their millions.

I also wouldn't worry too much about the future of your skills investment. If Microsoft make a dogs breakfast of things at Build, you can move onto another technology, it's not that hard, just make sure you don't put all your eggs in one basket in the future, that is what I have decided to do. I have Microsoft, Apple and Google software and they all excite and interest me in different ways. Choice is always a good thing. Windows is my mother tongue but I am a software developer first and enthusiast after.

Functionality first, form can always come later. 

The problem is that the 'form' usually fails to show up at all. Unless Sony is involved then that's probably the look and shape we'll be left with.

@Ray7:++

I cannot think of anything that makes me have the awe that Apple products have apart from Sony. I decided not to get a Macbook pro because I could get something that looked as good, plus far better hardware. Just had a quick look at the Dell website and their laptops (even XPS) are as ugly as anything you could imagine (or cannot imagine).

 Frequently I face customers, and a little while ago, I went in with my Acer and one of the two customers (with iPhones) gave me that cheapskate look. This is as hollow as can be, but I have actually found that it isn't just about conspicuous consumption, it is quite pleasant having nice things where form and function have equal importance, people respond to you differently.

Was there actually a cheapskate look, or was that just in your head? Hard to tell sometimes.

@Bas: I agree it is difficult (sometimes to get rid of the voice you have to be a sucker and payout), in one instance there was a grimace then nonchalance followed by a look at my kitted out Lenovo Thinkpad,

I find this type of practice odious, but there comes a time where you just have to play the game. I was sat on a train with some engineers from BAE systems a while ago. His laptop bag's strap had snapped, and he had craftily used some metal thread to fix it, lime green shirt clever as hell. It is these people that actually make the world go round (or bang) and not some pinstripe suited manicured finger-nailed pompous tosspot from the city. I know you know but I had to say it anyway.

@CKurt: Didn't know about that one but that does look very very nice - I would love to have one. I am looking to get a laptop to use with Traktor but need to save a little more, that is a contender for sure. Looks like hardware manufacturers are finally stepping up their game.

Did you guys forget THE iPad killer that swept the world recently... It wasn't thinner than the iPad 2, the hardware is more like the iPad 1 and no longer supported, its OS has been discontinued... People LOVE the HP TouchPad... not for its form factor... but for its price...

There's no way a W8 Tablet could be selling for $99 of course... but what about $250 compared to the $700 iPad 2? You think people think about the few mm and oz?

14 minutes ago,Minh wrote

Did you guys forget THE iPad killer that swept the world recently... It wasn't thinner than the iPad 2, the hardware is more like the iPad 1 and no longer supported, its OS has been discontinued... People LOVE the HP TouchPad... not for its form factor... but for its price...

But even with the lower price, its sales didn't come anywhere close to the iPad. So are you absolutely sure that people loved it all that much?

All stock sold-out within 1 day of the $99 announcement... They only have 250,000 units... but people love a bargain

4 hours ago,vesuvius wrote

The iPad 2 is much thinner than that and looks fantastic. Don't hardware manufacturers look at competitors products anymore?

It really isn't hard to see why Apple is #Win. Taking my iPad out of its box was to be savored. Even the plastic they use to was perfectly designed and gave a feeling of sheer quality removing it.It took 20 minutes before I put the sim card in as I did not want to scratch or break it.