WrkInProgress

A couple of notes to your points ...

2.) There are two Surface models, one is the Surface RT (which this article is talking about) and the other is the yet to be released Surface Pro.

The Surface RT is slightly heaving than the latest generate iPad.

The Surface Pro is supposed to be 2 lbs., which is lighter than the smallest Macbook Air and with the exception of form factor, it is every bit a real computer as is the Macbook Air.

3.) There is no start button in Windows 8 or Windows RT, so I don't know what device you were demo'ing.

Bada outsold Windows Phone in one quarter in 2011.

Samsung didn't release a single new Bada Phone in 2012.

Windows Phone 7 had a horrible start in it's first calendar year for a plethora of reasons (at one point Windows Mobile 6.5 was still selling almost as much), but after Nokia started their development in earnest, sales have taken off (well, "taken off" relative to previous years)

I haven't watched the whole video but I'm on his first point which is "Control" (or rather the lack of it) which he says is his biggest issue with Windows 8.

His example was that he tried to google how to do something and he was launched into the weather app. His accompanying screenshot was that of the charms bar with search and he typed in the word Barcelona AND selected the third option for him (which is the weather app). He spends the next 40 seconds talking about "goblin farts".

I mean seriously .... what kind of garbage critique is that ?

He is not even close to "being spot on" from the first ten minutes of the video and I doubt I should even bother watching the last ten minutes.

While I think this is more a shot across the bow of Windows Phone (no support for cardDav and calDav, and no GMail app from Google), I don't think iOS users get away scott-free either.

I was under the impression that GMail uses their own version of IMAP? The built in iOS mail client does not provide push e-mail via IMAP but instead uses P-IMAP for push e-mail via iCloud.

What phone/tablet are you using ?

I'm able to get into the pictures loaded feed under 5 seconds on 3G and under 4 seconds on WiFi. And I get about 10 articles before I have to refresh (which takes less than a second) to see more.

I'm using a HTC One X.

I particularly liked the approach they took with the "first run" experience, or rather the second approach after they learnt their mistakes.

I can't count the number of times I've downloaded an app and have been smacked in the face with the exact same screen of two text boxes (username, password) and two buttons (log in, sign up).

What about the Gmail app that is available to everyone that is on ICS and greater ?

A bunch of screen shots included in the link, tablet view as well.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.and...

But these same lay people are going to create html and css files ?

I'm not trying to obtuse but I'm having a hard time seeing the value proposition of something like this.

Maybe I just don't get it, but who is the target audience for something like this ?

It has the same battery life as the 11 inch Macbook Air and very similar specs across the board.

In what way is it not a proper ultra-book ?

- Swipe to dismiss notifications (Windows Phone also employed this from the get go).

- WebOS Cards in terms of multitasking is pretty similar to the current ICS/JB task switcher and swiping to close an app.

Edit: I read your intial comment again and I realize my response doesn't address your initial issue.

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I think Apple / Google will continue to innovate (i.e. Siri vs Google Now) but to expect them to bring forth major fundamental changes to a stable, developed platform with a large user based is asking a bit much.

Looks pretty promising.

Would be helpful if you could expand on the code templates and code workshops, since it effectively costs double the price of just the book.

Best of luck.

It looks pretty identical to me ....

I'm curious as to how this isn't as good (on paper) as something like a Macbook Air or a PC Ultrabook ?

Fired up IE9 to take a look.

One click on the search icon in the address bar and Bing and Ask.com (really?) are listed as two default search providers.

There is an Add button which takes me to an Internet Explorer Add-On page. DDG and Google are highlighted as popular options. Click on the "tile" and another click to install.

So 4 clicks for IE9.

It's 4 clicks in Chrome (Menu - Settings - Settings - Manage Search Providers, to get to the "Manage Search Engines" screen but DDG is nowhere to be found. YOu have to manually add it and it isn't very clear how to do it because the textbox is truncated for the actual url.

HTC One X using Chrome on ICS.

1.) The video just does not load up for me both on cellular data and WiFi. 2.) The Create submenu is cut off. I see "Create a Ree".

I am of the belief, that the latter is what we will prevent migration to a new platform but not the former.

Perhaps power users would rather not repurchase dozens of paids of apps; but for the average user, the amount of money invested into apps would probably be on par with the amount of money invested into a case for said phone.

How did you determine using Windows was a mistake from the information presented in the article ?

I believe it was Elop who said it is now a war of ecosystems. And he was very right.

I don't think having the best web browser is going to do much beyond making life a little easier for early adpoters.

Some key points -

1.) 11 database servers. 1 app server 2.) Not redirecting http to https 3.) not stress tested or apparently tested in any way 4.) users got their first taste of the system the morning of the election.

They do touch on it.

"The trendiest items are made closest to home, however, so that the production process, from start to finish, takes only two to three weeks. Inditex’s higher labor costs are offset by greater flexibility — no extra inventory lying around — and on faster turnaround speed."

I can't speak for Windows RT and Windows 8 because I haven't had a chance to use either extensively but I have used Windows Phone 7(.5).

In the past six months I've gone from a Samsung Focus to a HTC One X to a iPhone 5 and back to a HTC One X.

Despite running on seemingly antiquated hardware, the Focus and Windows Phone 7.5 was just as fast and reponsive, if not more so than the other two devices.

I wish they had also taken video of them selecting Jill Stein to see if the entire machine was calibrated incorrectly or just the Romney/Obama section.

Hence the keyboard and trackpad.

There is a benefit of having both the desktop and "Metro".

I think if I was still using a Galaxy Nexus, I wouldn't feel a pressing need to upgrade but I'm not so sure about the Nexus S.

What version of Android do you have running on your device and if it is the latest (Jelly Bean), how is the performance ?

Are there any official sales figures on the Fire ?

This article is talking about Windows 8, not Windows Phone 8.

And Windows Phone has had OS level integration with Facebook from day one (i.e. the launch of Windows Phone 7).

The $299 version is the 8GB version.

The 16 GB version is $399.

I'm curious, in what way does iMessage not work ?

Agreed

With as much fan fare as they have given to the two keyboards and their prominence in the first commercial, it seems like a missed opportunity to not include it.

I don't know the retail logistics, but they could have at least put together some sort of "savings bundle", so that they people could choose their keyboard colour.