Why does Microsoft keep insisting on laptop/tablet hybrids?

[SuperMillionaire]

Why does Microsoft keep insisting on laptop/tablet hybrids? Laptops and tablets are two very different devices, with very different functions, yet Microsoft still insists on merging them together. It keeps on marketing its Surface tablet as "the tablet that can replace your laptop." No, tablets cannot replace laptops, because they are two different devices. A laptop is a smaller and more portable version of a desktop computer, whereas a tablet is a larger, but still portable, version of a smartphone, minus the phone parts. Apple has success in both tablets and laptops, and has never tried to merge them together, because they are two different devices. The reason why Microsoft has little success in tablets is because of their trying to merge tablets with laptops, and it's not working. When is Microsoft going to realize that tablets cannot replace laptops?

[Mirage]

I'm typing this from a Surface Pro 2 and it is the best laptop i've ever had''

and it's a tablet

stop being a hater

you've never used any of them, have you?

[escobert]

Seems to me like youre making a big stink over nothing. I have a laptop that almost bever moves from its spot next to my eesktop. If I had one of these bew fancy tablet surdace thingys id use that all the time instead of my phone.

[Spuuky]

A smartphone is just a very small computer with a different operating system on it.

[Old Manus]

Somewhere in there you're making a legitimate point. Mouse + pointer interfaces aren't really suited to touchscreen-oriented design, but you're seeing it happen more often these days (Windows Metro comes to mind). On the other hand, laptops and tablets are both means to the same end in portable computers, so being able to attach a keyboard to your tablet and use it as a laptop can be useful.

[edczxcvbnm]

I have a Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro. It is one of those convertibles where I can fold the keyboard back and use it like a laptop. I use it more like a laptop than a tablet because most of what I do tends to be me typing a lot and I find that the realestate gets destroyed by those on screen keyboards (I really with high end smartphones came with a slider keyboard option). I do however use the touch functionality quite a lot to scroll and open things up because it can be quicker depending on what is going on.

I really like the combined world because it can be what you want it to be. These convertibles are also only going to be getting thinner and lighter as intel continues to improve their chips. The next chip coming out Q4 or Q1 will have fanless options for portables which can help to get rid of some of that bulk.

We should be getting a preview of Windows 9 sometime soon (rumored for Q4 RTM already) and hopefully it solves some of the problems with Windows 8.

To me this is like video game consoles that play movies, stream music and have lots of other functions besides just playing games. If the hardware is there then why shouldn't it do those things? I want it to do those things because it is one less thing I need to buy. Save me money, time and space.

[Mirage]

That's essentially how I use my SP2 anyway. I mostly keep the keyboard attached and use it as an ultraportable laptop, but if I just want to do some reading, browsing, or watch something while on the go, I just detach it and use it as a tablet.

Not to mention, it comes with a pretty accurate pen, which makes for lots of photoshop funtime.'

It cost a lot more than a tablet, but at the same time, I saved a lot by not needing two devices. It is a bit heavy as a tablet, but I'm a big guy, I can handle it. Luckily, the SP3 is both lighter and thinner, while also being more powerful and having a bigger display. I'll probably skip that generation, but if they keep improving like they've done so far, I'll probably buy the SP4.

It also has greater battery life than any laptop I've had before. You can *actually* browse the internet for 7+ hours on this thing.

[Slothy]

Apple has success in both tablets and laptops, and has never tried to merge them together, because they are two different devices.

The reason Apple hasn't tried to combine them is because they're still making a killing selling them separately to the gullible.

When is Microsoft going to realize that tablets cannot replace laptops?

There's absolutely no reason to believe tablet/laptop hybrids can't replace laptops. Gaming laptops maybe, but those tend to stretch the limits of credibility when it comes to offering laptop style portability anyway. But what do most people use their laptops for? Surfing the internet, maybe typing a document here and there? What about attaching a keyboard to a tablet can't accomplish the exact same thing in a much smaller form factor?

Of course these things can replace laptops. They're smaller, lighter, have plenty of power for those purposes, generally have equal or better battery life, etc. I'll outright say I think they will replace laptops completely eventually. Not gaming laptops, or things which require equal amounts of power for professional purposes, but for the average user dedicated laptops are on the way out and rightfully so.

[Mirage]

The only real issue with tablets for typical laptop-use is the lack of a physical keyboard. But hey, there are tons of third party keyboards that can be attached to a lot of tablets, and some tablets have first party attachable keyboards that actually are really good. Such as the Type Covers for MS Surface Pro 2 and 3. The Type Cover 2 is actually really nice to type on. I don't feel that it's inferior to the typing experience of regular ultraportable laptops, which is the laptop segment the surface pro series competes with anyway.

Furhtermore, because the hardware isn't beneath the keyboard, the keyboard never goes warm even with heavy processor use, and if you spill a cup of water into it, you can replace just the keyboard instead of the entire machine. Also, did i mention that it is backlit? It's backlit.

I challenge you, SuperMillionaire, to name one single thing that a normal ultraportable laptop can do, that my Surface Pro 2 can't do.

[Shiny]

You can't edit 5K video, sound design video, create 3D motion graphics, and render it effectively and on any tablet that Microsoft or Apple provides. I'll stick with my strong and capable computers to do the things that they were made for. I think the only thing in my field tablets can be effective at his painting and illustration. It would be nice for them to one day offer support for things that I do on something super mobile.

[Mirage]

Is that something you do on an ultraportable laptop, though? I don't think anyone is arguing that any tablet can replace a proper workstation.

MS' laptop/tablet hybrids are in the 10-12" size range, and is made as an alternative to other laptops and tablets around that size, not as an alternative to an i7 quad core workstation with a high end GPGPU, 32GB RAM and 3 monitors.

[Slothy]

You can't edit 5K video, sound design video, create 3D motion graphics, and render it effectively and on any tablet that Microsoft or Apple provides. I'll stick with my strong and capable computers to do the things that they were made for. I think the only thing in my field tablets can be effective at his painting and illustration. It would be nice for them to one day offer support for things that I do on something super mobile.

I don't think anyone was suggesting that they could or that they should even try. Obviously for the situations where more power is needed, you're going to need something other than a tablet. It's something that should really go without saying.

But the majority of laptop users will never do anything with their laptops that requires the sort of horsepower you're talking about. Which is why I stand by my assertion that for the vast majority of computer users, laptops have effectively been rendered obsolete.

[Old Manus]

Which is why I stand by my assertion that for the vast majority of computer users, laptops have effectively been rendered obsolete.

I wouldn't go that far. Two demographics off the top of my head that I can think would find laptops more useful than tablets (with or without a flimsy keyboard attachment) would be university students who move about a lot, and people who travel around to work and need to type things up. At the moment the keyboard peripherals tend to just be a handy attachment rather than an actual heavy-duty typing tool.

[Mirage]

The one for surface pro 2 is actually really good. It's just as good as the keyboards on my previous laptops.

[Slothy]

I don't think I've ever encountered a laptop with a keyboard I'd describe as a heavy duty typing tool. Most of them are absolute crap frankly.

But I still don't see students needing a full blown laptop to take notes. Hell, myself and pretty much any sane student would prefer they didn't because nothing is more annoying than one or more people typing during a lecture. As for people who travel around for work, again, unless your job requires more power there's no benefit to carrying around the extra weight and bulk. And they hardly make up the average laptop user. Most people required to travel for work are provided a computer by their employer unless they're self employed. And even then, the majority will never use it for anything a tablet can't handle.