Microsoft Surface 2 32GB Tablet $296 @ HN
Limit Of 1 Per Customer
Microsoft Surface 2 32GB Tablet $296 @ Harvey Norman In Store Only
730
Related Stores
closed Comments
- 1
- 2
"Surface Pro 3 (and the entire Surface Pro lineup) will update to Windows 10. We are working on an update for Surface, which will have some of the functionality of Windows 10. More information to come.” –Microsoft spokesperson"
I'll bet you Microsoft will upgrade this thing to Windows 10 ARM EDITION. All modern Microsoft devices will run windows 10 soon, phones, tablets, desktops, laptops, even the Raspberry PI!
Those that say Win RT is dead, so is XP, VISTA, 2000 but most of the devices can be upgrade to 7/8 and now 10.
Microsoft has officially discontinued all Windows RT lines under both Surface and Nokia brands, and all 3rd party OEMs dropped Windows RT a long time ago. A Windows 10 update for ARM Surface has been stated before the discontinuation but it is not unheard of for Microsoft to change their plans to do so. A lot of Windows Phone users were left high and dry with Windows Phone 7.x despite promises their devices will be Windows Phone 8.x compatible.
With the low market share of Windows RT devices which has already been discontinued, it might not be economically viable to release Windows 10 for ARM as it requires a lot of testing and will generate exactly 0 new sales.
There is a much higher chance of Windows 10 for phones and small tablets (which will be ARM based for devices < 8" screens) being scaled up to work with Surface/other Windows RT devices, if anything, as this is a lot less work than porting to a completely different architecture 1:1.
To be fair, Satya Nadella made a very public announcement regarding a free Windows 10 ARM7 version for the Raspberry Pi 2.
This is publicly advertised on their developers pages and blogs. I agree that this is by no means a guarantee but with the amount of focus this news has generated in the sector and by financial analysts, there is a strong incentive to pull through with it.
https://dev.windows.com/en-us/featured/raspberrypi2supportHaving said that the guess is that Windows is targeting Raspberry Pi 2 users to develop Windows for use in IoT. So this version of Windows 10 may not be as useful/practical for a tablet.
@Dbuiz: Yes I saw that, I'm guessing it will be very specialised/cut down, possibly just the .NET core from Windows 10 for mobile devices (i.e. The Windows Phone line) or maybe just a full copy of Windows 10 for mobile devices which allows unsigned apps, than a full port of Windows 10 x86/x64
A lot of Windows Phone users were left high and dry with Windows Phone 7.x despite promises their devices will be Windows Phone 8.x compatible.
Really? I seem to remember the promise being that some phones would receive an update (Windows Phone 7.8) bringing the Windows Phone 7 OS to being broadly similar in features to what windows phone 8 offered at the time. i.e. they got things like resizeable live-tiles etc.
@smalltime0: A few UI enhancements is nothing compared to not being able to support WP8 apps, and in an already dwindling software ecosystem the last thing a user of one of these handsets needed is to not be able to get future [3rd party] software/updates, which they were promised their phone would be made compatible (with WP8) to receive.
Under no circumstances did they ever promise to upgrade WP7.X to Wp8. Ever.
I almost fell for it. Then realized it was NOT the Microsoft Surface Pro 2.
Would've been a sweet deal for that Surface Pro 2!
I wanted to cry, I just bought my cousin's laptop for $350, then realized the same thing
Probably to do with the End of Windows RT
Unless you only use the web and email you are wasting your money with this thing.
DOH . Beat me to it.
Not necessarily.
As a media consumption device it's fantastic. The Plex App is excellent on it. This is Microsofts iPad basically. It's not meant to be an x86 PC.
yeah but an ipad with limited apps and no more coming. so not really an ipad at all
What do you mean 'no more coming'? They're still making apps for the store, and 99% of the apps in the store run on ARM/RT.
@walshy002000: no more coming any time soon, Windows Store is already moving at a snails pace from the start, compared to what the iPads have it is really nothing.
Windows Apps will actually start coming faster now with the Universal App push that will come with Windows 10, and Windows RT can run all of them.
Apps from the windows store can run on both the Surface RT and devices with the full version of Windows. Nobody said anything about installing Windows 10 on the Surface RT.
@MrFunSocks: Windows strength is it's vast backwards compatibility with decades of existing software. Slow adoption by consumers just doesn't make it appealing to rewrite for Modern UI/Windows Store. Most Windows 8/8.1 users don't even use Modern UI apps at all except the Desktop icon or have installed a Start Menu replacement. If they actually made Windows Store open to existing Desktop apps that may actually be useful to bringing customers back from iOS/Android.
you said "the Universal App push that will come with Windows 10". the universal push will be apps designed for all Windows 10 devices - from what i read, the surface 2 isn't getting windows 10.
for example - Plex has released a new app for Windows 10 which doesn't work on Windows 8.1. So if the surface doesn't get 10, how are these new apps that require 10 going to run?
If i'm wrong please tell me. This is just how i understand it.
94% of apps on the windows store are RT compatible. It wouldn't make sense to shun a large number of users and there's no reason to suggest developers will stop supporting RT.
i'm sure the apps will still be there but "no reason to suggest developers will stop supporting RT" is a laugh though. apps on windows are already behind compared to the ios and android versions in features and to think developers will continue to release updates to these old devices is a joke.
but hey - each to their own. go get one and enjoy the great apps available :D
@ideasman: The plex app on the store works on 8. Nothing about Universal Apps is Windows 10 exclusive. They are Windows 8.1+.
What I said was that Windows 10 will push development of Universal Apps, but Universal Apps don't require Windows 10. They run on 8.1 too. So Windows RT devices also benefit, as they get those apps.
Even for just web browsing I wouldn't get it since you are stuck with IE.
IE 11 is not that bad… I know I am going to get flamed for this, but they have improved a lot. I've been using it on my mum's ancient computers because they are relatively light and fast. Only reason that I am not switching to IE from Firefox is that I use a lot of add-ons like DownThemAll.
I think this review has benchmark scores showing that IE 11 is actually faster than Chrome or Firefox (though it's 1 years old, so it might be different now.)
Same, I don't hate IE but I use a lot of extensions. Even mobile browsers have extensions.
Screw the flamers, you're completely right. At this point it's tradition to pan IE but it really hasn't sucked for the past several releases.
IE11 on my SP3 is outstanding. People making 'lol IE' comments are right up there with people whinging about that paperclip thing from like a decade ago.
I do think know why splitting hairs on the speed of browsers matters any more. What counts is that it renders pages properly and you do that get half way through a purchase and then have to change devices. Firefox all the way for this reason.
IE11 is fantastic. Chrome and Firefox are both insane memory hogs now. The touch version of IE is seriously good.
Be mind full its windows RT and Microsoft are canning Windows RT.
This wont be getting windows 10. meaning it's a good bet there wont be any more Surface RT tablets made.
Making RT is a totally wrong decision.
Even though Microsoft will be releasing Windows 10 for Raspberry Pi http://www.engadget.com/2015/02/02/windows-10-is-coming-to-t…
I think even the windows 10 for raspberry pi will perform better than RT.
Windows 10 on the Raspberry Pi is a special Internet-Of-Things version. It is not a regular desktop version of Windows 10, and will be useless to 99% of people.
You are speculating MrFunSocks, so I shall too. Here is what we know.
- Microsoft is stopping production of multiple ARM devices.
- Microsoft claimed in the past there will be a Windows 10 ARM release.
- Microsoft has been working with the developers of Raspberry Pi 2 to release a version of Windows 10 on it.
- Raspberry Pi 2 CPU is ARM Cortex-A7 using instruction set ARMv7-A.
- Surface 2 CPU is ARM Cortex-A15 using instruction set ARMv7-A.
- Both Surface 2 and Raspberry Pi 2 CPU's both use the same instruction set.
- Microsoft developed the Surface 2, so they know that architecture very well.
Will they release a Windows 10 for Surface 2? I don't know, but I think they would.
@FabMan:
I'm speculating, but my speculation is based on history.Currently the Windows IoT (Internet of Things) version has no real UI. It's for hobbyists who are getting right in there and programming "to the metal". That's the point of Windows IoT. Do you think that they'll suddenly change this and make it a full blown consumer OS, and then give it away with a $35 Pi?
I'll tell you right now, no they won't. There would be no point to Windows IoT if that were the case. It'd have no reason to exist.
@MrFunSocks: They are announcing it as Windows 10 though which seems odd if it had no GUI or a radically different GUI.
@MrFunSocks:
No I do not think it'll be the full version of Windows 10, I imagine it will be an ARM version which would have less features than the x86 version.@FabMan: So like Windows RT? The smart money would be on it being like Windows 8 IoT, which has no GUI etc. It is designed to be used by people tinkering with Raspberry Pis for electronics, not to be used as a PC.
I quite like my RT. Simple, straight forward and does only what I need it to do. Shame I can't get this for the $200 education pricing like my existing v1 :(
Exactly - for what it is made to do it does a great job. Light Office document work? Fantastic. Web browsing? Fantastic. Media viewer? Fantastic. Email? Fantastic.
It's not made to play games or edit videos or to be your PC, and people don't seem to be able to understand that for some reason. You don't buy an iPad to use as your desktop PC, so why would you think you can use a Surface RT?
Fantastic Web browsing? Fantastic email? Luckily you didnt say Fantastic view and touch screen, otherwise i'll be confused with definition of "fantastic".
as do I! I've been using the first version RT at uni for the past few years and it is more than capable for note taking/lecture viewing/web browsing and researching.
It was lighter and had a better battery life than the first Pro, cheaper and more portable than a laptop and compatible with all my windows formatted documents - perfect for this sort of stuff!
So is my mobile phone… So is Android, both can be much cheaper and have ongoing have support and future updates.
Android unfortunately still doesn't provide a full desktop-like web browsing experience.
Yeah entering all your lecture notes and creating/editing Word docs on your mobile phone is awesome.
Surface 2 will be getting Windows 10, but it will basically be crippled.
http://winsupersite.com/surface/surface-rt-and-surface-2-get…No it will get some of the features of windows 10 but it will NOT be windows 10.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2873619/microsofts-surface-rt…
It's not so clear cut from their comments as they have only Shown the full blown desktop Windows 10 to date. In that context, Windows 10 for tablets would have "some of the functionality" of full Windows 10. Of course, it could be even more crippled, we just don't know..
Sorry I am missing the joke, what are you referring to?
Dude, thats some serious trick/vegeance!
What has HN done to you?
They were selling Win8 tablets on boxing day 2 years ago at about $300 each (down from about $1000) and then Gerry Harvey said it was a price mistake taken advantage off by Professional Buyers on OzB.
You didn't kick hurt Harvey Norman for this, you mainly just made his staff's day a little bit crappier.
Im sure you'll be able to hack on, the windows 10 version of choice a couple months after release
Nope
How would this be as a media player hooked up to TV? Instead of a NUC or the unreliable chinese android boxes?
These are no good as media players hooked up to a TV if your TV is less than 1920x1080 resolution, as many apps won't open at 720p resolution.
You'd be better off getting a Raspberry Pi and running OpenELEC on that.
The new Raspberry pi specifically. 1gb ram and 6* faster than the old one. So much better for openELEC.
True, the new one is much more powerful, but I don't know if OpenELEC is compatible with it right now.
OpenElec released a new version just a few days ago with specifically support for the new raspberry pi included.
I would imagine as a mobile plex player it would be great actually. Just keep the cable plugged into your TV/amp and you should be good to go.
We've used it for that when travelling with a $2 HDMI adaptor + cable to play stuff of a USB stick.
Can play full range of MKVs etc off a network share drive wirelessly.
Also recently used it to play to a TV wirelessly (Miracast support required).
You would be better off buying a $200 NUC box than Surface RT, it runs RT based apps unless you do some hacking and find ported apps.
In the end alot of effort for little return when other products are out there and are easier to use.Or buy a used Laptop and do it off that, since a media player generally is low CPU/Graphics load.
How does this compare to the HP Slatebook X2 64GB $200 @ Domayne in terms of casual gaming performance?
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/177446In terms of hardware, similar (Same SoC (Tegra 4), resolution, slightly smaller internal space), but basically they are on different OS, so it's like comparing an apple to an orange. Perfomance usually depend on how much OS is optimised, apps are optimised etc etc so in a different OS, it's hard to compare.
Many people hate RT, as you can see from the comment, as they have little to no apps. But if you want something that RT is designed for and go in expecting that, it may work out. But, don't go in if you think, oh it will be like an Android tablet.
My question was from a hardware point of view. Thanks.
But I think the MS store has improved a great deal, so not sure why there are so many complaints…I think it's because either people go in expecting a iPad/Android tablets or complete office machine.
Mostly from people who have never owned one but buy into the overwhelmingly negative media reporting. Shame really.
$100 or less is the sweet spot, like those $100 HP TouchPads with the then-recently abandoned WebOS. At least those tablets weren't locked and could be upgraded by the community somewhat. Surface RTs are locked down tight.
My HP Touchpad is even running Android Kitkat (4.4.4) these days. :) Hurray for firesales and an open-ish platform.
http://www.ubergizmo.com/2014/11/android-5-0-lollipop-rom-fo… :-)
I imagine that Surface RT would have sold like hotcakes if it were possible to load Android on. Wishful thinking me would like to see Microsoft put their investment in CyanogenMod to good use to at least at minimum release a Bing-flavoured Android compatible with SecureBoot/Surface RT. Another wishful thought is that the open-sourcing of .NET that Windows Store apps will become portable with a .NET runtime for Android, and Microsoft will launch a Windows Store for Android with it (As amazon do) that bundles a .NET runtime for Android, and will be preloaded with CyanogenMod devices.
I would say $200 is the sweet spot, $100 is quite low considering the build quality. Community support isn't a good indicator either until significant post purchase.
Parramatta Westfield JB Hi-Fi had some display models in good condition. These are stock owned by Microsoft and not JB Hi-Fi, but if there's a Microsoft rep in store you can ask for a discount for the display model Surface 2.
Got it for about $235, there are none left in the JB stores I've been to but if someone does come across it then it's worth enquiring.
Surface 2 has been out for a long time and so far community support looks extremely unpromising. The consensus seems to be that hackers don't seem to think that it's worth their time. The furthest they have got is to run some unsigned apps in Desktop mode that they specifically compiled for ARM. Hardly enough to replace the entire OS. With the discontinuation and not even a fire sale to get rid of mountains of stock/saturate the market it's hardly the environment to brew hackers. Well built for sure but it doesn't count for much if it can't do much.
I reckon MS should unlock the bootloader and let people install other OSes on it.
Where's the cheapest Touch Cover 2 keyboard?
Check out the bargain bins at the stores that used to stock Surface 2's.
I picked one up from JB Hi-Fi for 50% off the RRP because it used to be attached to the display model Surface 2's that are no longer in store.
From my recollection this was at Macquarie Centre store. There still some Touch and Type 2 covers left.
Just upgrade windows rt to window 10 if that's possible.
Damn its not pro wth
These things are the best.best screen the tegra 4 chip in these are quick real quick look on utube with the comparison with these and Samsung galaxy note 2014 these are quicker.i have had most of the tablets from the blackberry playbook.to all the big android tablets,this is better and yes you can run android apps check out bluestacks.com,I never thought I would buy a windows tablet but glad I did buy it u wont regret,love that screen
Punctuation fail
still waiting for a pro 2 deal again :D
WAIT FOR $99
95331140 said punctuation fail I think there was punctuation when I was at school long time ago unlike you school holidays have finished haven't they are you settled back in your new class I hope so oops 8.30 bed time for some
What?
Got this for 700~ including type cover last year feb. Windows store was seriously lacking in apps such as cisco vpn and a lot of games. I sold it after a month for 500.
At this price its okay but the major downfall is the windows store.
apps faps
Hmmm, I am going to post this as a food for thought link.
http://gfxbench.com/device.jsp?benchmark=gfx30&os=Windows&ap…
GFX benchmark of an Windows OS device with ARM processor (Snapdragon 805) with screen size of 10.1. It might be possible that MS is testing a new RT tablet or it might just be some random stuff from the net.
This is practically a large windows phone but without any cellular facilities. So basically worthless due to the non existant apps available.
- 1
- 2
Operating System Windows RT
http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Surface-32GB-Tablet-Touchscr…