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News Microsoft unveils Surface Book, Surface Pro 4

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by Gareth Halfacree, 7 Oct 2015.

  1. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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  2. ModSquid

    ModSquid Multimodder

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    A 1GB SSD? I'd fill that up in no time.
     
  3. yodasarmpit

    yodasarmpit Modder

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    I'm guessing a typo
     
  4. SchizoFrog

    SchizoFrog What's a Dremel?

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    It is a typo... It should be 1TB.

    @Gareth... I am thinking that the 'gap' when the Book is closed is to protect the screen from being scratched from the mechanical keys? Or the keys being damaged from being squished by the screen? Or a combination of both??
     
  5. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    Fun fact: I regularly use a 64MB RSMMC card... (But yes, that was a typo - fixed now, ta!)
    So the 'fix' for a problem shared by no laptop, convertible, or tablet in history is a gap which will fill up with fluff as you put it in your bag? I ain't convinced...
     
  6. ModSquid

    ModSquid Multimodder

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    Evidently the sound of my tongue being planted firmly in my cheek didn't come out in the text.

    What do you use a 64MB card for though, these days?
     
  7. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    Storing every piece of software ever written for the Sinclair ZX81 to load on-demand through a ZXpand module. And I still have ~60MB free...
     
  8. SchizoFrog

    SchizoFrog What's a Dremel?

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    How many laptops have mechanical switches for a start? Also, aren't the keys also made from the same Magnesium alloy as the shell? Wouldn't that make them far more prone to damage than the regular plastic keys?

    I was also thinking that the screen seems to be very 'flat', without a recess for the keys (most likely to keep it as thin as possible when in tablet form) and so the keys would actually damage the screen over time unlike standard laptops, convertibles or tables...

    Anyway, just coming up with ideas for possible reasons as the design team seem to have been very good at everything else so I would believe that there was a reason.
     
  9. Mister_Tad

    Mister_Tad Will work for nuts Super Moderator

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    HNNNGGGNGNGNGNG... want a surface book so freaking hard it's unbelievable.
     
  10. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    If you're talking 'mechanical' like Microsoft's talking 'mechanical', lots of 'em. Not even expensive ones, either. Scissor-action mechanical has been around for donkey's years. My laptop uses 'em.
    Last I checked, magnesium alloy was harder and less prone to damage than plastic. That's sort of why we don't make high-end laptops out of plastic any more...
    You don't need an inch gap to achieve that; two tiny rubber stand-offs on the body at the upper edge would keep the screen away from the keyboard just fine, without introducing such a large and ridiculous-looking gap. In fact, that's how laptops do it at the moment: mine has a tiny rubber lip around the edge of the lid, which rests against the base to provide a soft, safe and fully-closed finish that keeps the keyboard the millimetre it needs to be away from the screen to prevent damage. It's not like the keys are going to be jumping an inch or so up!
    I have no doubt that there is a reason; I'm just doubting it's a good enough reason to justify that ridiculous and almost-certain-to-cause-damage gap compared to a traditional hinge which allows the laptop to close fully or near-fully.

    Still, it's personal preference. I don't like the gap, and I worry it'll lead to damage in the long run (such as dropping something in your bag without looking and having it bounce around between the keyboard and the display, damaging the glass, or the squashing action of having it in a backpack causing undue stress on the hinge - remember the cracking Touch Covers on the original Surface?). People who don't mind the gap will buy it, and that's fine - I hope they enjoy their purchase. Plus, I guess you could stick it in a neoprene case when you're transporting it.
     
  11. Yaka

    Yaka Multimodder

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    Hmm if the pen is better than surface 3, then i think im gonna get the surface pro 4

    Sent from my SM-P905 using Tapatalk
     
  12. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

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    Well, it would prevent "MacBook keyboard screen":

    [​IMG]
     
  13. 13eightyfour

    13eightyfour Formerly Titanium Angel

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    The first thing that came into my head when I saw the hinge/gap was 'Great they're compromised the hinge just so they can have a tiny angle on the screen when in 'face out' mode'.

    The idea of it being there for the protection of the screen/keys never even occurred to me!
     
  14. SchizoFrog

    SchizoFrog What's a Dremel?

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    OK, I didn't look too hard at the 'mechanical' side of things so I take your point there.

    As for my comment about the keys, I meant it in the opposite direction, as in that the keys would be more prone to damaging the screen than standard plastic keys. I wasn't referring to damage of the keys themselves.

    Lastly, I can't get over the idea that someone spends that sort of money on a high end laptop just to throw it in a bag with other stuff that may bounce around and damage it. Even a £10 neoprene case would prevent that and if I was to have t Surface Book it certainly wouldn't leave the house without a case.
     
  15. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    Hah! Is that an older model? Mine's a 2013 MacBook Air, and I've never had that happen.
    Wouldn't have thought so: the keys will have rounded edges, so there should be no sharp edges that will come into contact with the screen - even if we accept that without the gap it'd suffer from the 'Macbook keyboard screen' effect pictured above.
    My laptop, which cost £1,000, goes into (the laptop section of) my backpack without a case. Makes it easier to get in and out, quicker to use, lighter, takes up less room, and because the external surfaces are metal I'm confident it won't get damaged. With the Surface Book - which is already thicker than something like the MacBook Pro, at 22.8mm compared with 18mm - I'd have to have a case for it.

    Fun fact: every single Surface advert you've ever seen shows the user pulling the device out of a bag without a case. You also won't see any pictures of a cased Surface Book anywhere in Microsoft's promotional material. Wonder why that might be?

    But, like I say, it's personal preference. I will, however, put down 'ere that in the next six to twelve months I expect to be writing a story saying how Surface Book owners are complaining about either damaged screens and keyboards or broken hinges - and if I don't, I'll donate £50 to charity.
     
  16. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

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    Well, can't be worse than the hinge on the MacBook Air v1... :p
     
  17. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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  18. David

    David μoʍ ɼouმ qᴉq λon ƨbԍuq ϝʁλᴉuმ ϝo ʁԍɑq ϝμᴉƨ

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    Mind the gap.
     
  19. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    I was terribly disappointed that nobody responded to my "people who don't mind the gap" crack with something about trains...
     
  20. David

    David μoʍ ɼouმ qᴉq λon ƨbԍuq ϝʁλᴉuმ ϝo ʁԍɑq ϝμᴉƨ

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    Your disappointment wasn't obvious, but I could sense it was there, just under the Surface.
     

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