2 out of 3 ain’t bad. I said this in my initial post about the Surface, ” It has the power of a desktop machine, the portability of a laptop, and the convenience of a tablet.” Well Surface does not have the convenience of a tablet. It falls short in this area in a big way. Surface is simply too big.
I complained a lot about Windows 8 but my complaints are really about a new operating system. I like where Microsoft is going with this OS but I fear it may be too little too late. My initial thoughts about not wanting to use the tile interface was way off. If Microsoft can improve multi-window use straight from the Start screen then they can dispatch with the traditional Windows desktop. It’s simply not needed anymore. There is a lot of room for improvement with consistency in behavior between the tile interface and the desktop. Solving this alone would help but I still feel the desktop can go.
All gripes aside, I really do like this device and if it came out 2 years ago I would have said that this is the only portable computer I need. But in the last two years I pared down what I carry to only my cell phone (a Samsung GS3) and have freed my self from carrying around a computer. I did this because of the bulk. I don’t want to be carrying around a bag or a computer in a case where ever I go. Smartphones are at the point where they perform more than enough tasks for those 30 minutes to an hour when a person is going from one place to another. The only time I carry a traditional computer is when I travel and then I bring a laptop. Sadly the Surface will fill that role. I say sadly because I really was hoping to be able to use this device day in and day out as my primary machine. It’s just not there yet.
Here’s what I want, and it would need to come out this year in order for it to be relevant. I want a Microsoft Surface, even with all its flaws, in a 7″ or 8″ form factor (7″ is my preference if you’re listening Microsoft). This would be a computer I could see myself carrying around everyday. It would also need space, inside the device, to store the pen. It can look the same as the Surface Pro and use the same build materials but it really needs to be small. The laptop and the large form tablet are dead. That’s yesterday. Devices like the iPad Mini and the Nexus 7 are the now and the future.
Here’s my personal plea to Microsoft; Figure out a way to put real Windows in a 7″ form factor, make available a docking station for when a full monitor, keyboard, and mouse are needed, and make it happen before the end of the year. I may actually wait in line for something like that.