Microsoft’s Hardware, Round 2: Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2

Re:Microsoft’s Hardware, Round 2: Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 by davidacoder on Monday September 23, 2013 @12:25PM (#6432049)

Why, oh why is there no version with 3G/LTE? That is by far the biggest bummer, imho. For people that are on the road a lot that makes such a difference, and pretty much all other tablets offer that option, so it seems really lame to not have that. Also, if I spent $1800 for a Surface Pro in the best configuration, I really would expect it to have the same connectivity as a iPad mini... Other than that, this seems like the perfect device (the Pro version).

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Re:Microsoft’s Hardware, Round 2: Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 by RyJones on Monday September 23, 2013 @01:42PM (#6432709)

Because a small fraction of people buy it, and a smaller fraction of purchasers turn it on.

I've bought (and given away) four iPads with Verizon LTE. Exactly 0 people activated it.

This is old data, but in line with newer data I've seen WRT iPad activation rates: http://tabletquest.com/2011/02/disappointing-apple-ipad-3g-a...

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Re:Microsoft’s Hardware, Round 2: Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 by luscious on Monday September 23, 2013 @02:44PM (#6433269)

There isn't a great story for dropping one more device - the phone. And that story is quite unlikely since you wouldn't want to carry your tablet with you on a night out, etc. I could see myself using this and dropping my phone if I never did things like out of band experiences. I'd eventually have enough situations per year where I wanted my phone, not my tablet, that I'd end up with a phone - but maybe I'd live with a 3-5 year old phone for that...

The wife would not like to see the tablet around 100% of the time since, with LTE, it'd be a physical extension more than PC's and the phone are now.

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Re:Microsoft’s Hardware, Round 2: Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 by davidacoder on Monday September 23, 2013 @02:25PM (#6433092)

Well, sure, for a consumer device that I use on my couch in the evenings, I certainly don't need LTE. But the Pro seems pretty geared towards business, right? For business travelers this makes a huge, huge difference, though. And it seems to me that the high end Pro version is probably exclusively targeted at business users, at its price.

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Re:Microsoft’s Hardware, Round 2: Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 by RyJones on Wednesday September 25, 2013 @06:50PM (#6447841)

I would have bought LTE with my surface pro, had it been offered. My iPad's LTE is so flaky I don't trust it.

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Re:Microsoft’s Hardware, Round 2: Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 by IanDrake on Monday September 23, 2013 @12:46PM (#6432189)

1) The hardware would cost more

2) It would cost money to add the device to your Mobile account

3) You can just use the mobile hotspot feature on your phone and connect through that. Its easy on my Nokia 928.

Hell, half the time I have my wife's iphone connected to my phone via WIFI because she has AT&T (for work reasons) and they suck most places we go.

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Re:Microsoft’s Hardware, Round 2: Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 by davidacoder on Monday September 23, 2013 @02:28PM (#6433128)

The top edition already is $1700, the cost of adding LTE must be a pretty small fraction of total cost at that point.

For business people your arguments 2 and 3 are actually incorrect: I don't want to use my personal data plan for my work. If the device has its separate LTE, it can just all go to my company and I'm done with the costs.

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Re:Microsoft’s Hardware, Round 2: Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 by philliphaydon on Monday September 23, 2013 @01:05PM (#6432349)

I actually think 3g on tablets is rather silly now. With basically all mobile phones having the ability to share internet, why do you need to pay additional money for another mobile plan...

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Re:Microsoft’s Hardware, Round 2: Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 by bcoates on Monday September 23, 2013 @01:18PM (#6432485)

Because I don't want to destroy my phone's battery and light my pants on fire.

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Re:Microsoft’s Hardware, Round 2: Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 by IanDrake on Monday September 23, 2013 @01:50PM (#6432773)

You must have an Android phone ;)

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Re:Microsoft’s Hardware, Round 2: Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 by motdiem on Monday September 23, 2013 @12:33PM (#6432102)

My guess is that"s why they're bundling a free 2yrs skype wifi with it - no 3G, but free access to many hotspots.

Not sure it's a worthwile tradeoff for everyone though.

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Re:Microsoft’s Hardware, Round 2: Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 by barista on Monday September 23, 2013 @06:56PM (#6434709)

It's coming early next year. http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1mz20e/hi_im_panos_pan...

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