
Microsoft Surface Mini to debut in mid-May? - Brajeshwar
http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-surface-mini-to-debut-in-mid-may-7000028744/
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sz4kerto
If it has a proper digitizer and if it's not _extremely_ expensive then it's
an instant buy. The reason is OneNote. OneNote + ultraportability + high
quality (as every Surface so far) + digitizer = unique, killer product. At
least for me.

~~~
bananas
I thought this for a bit. Had a pile of shit (100+ notes) in OneNote on
OneDrive and then suddenly WHAM half my notes disappeared out of the blue.
Fortunately I had a backup but I'm not going to trust it again. If you're
offline you're probably OK though.

Gone back to a lab notebook and space pen for the mean time.

Side issue: does anyone know where you can get decent lab notebooks in the UK
- shipping them from the US is expensive?

~~~
wlesieutre
> If you're offline you're probably OK though.

Isn't the recent OneNote free version only able to work with the MS syncing?
Copies coming with Office packs probably aren't limited that way (corporate
users wouldn't take it), but your average Joe consumers are stuck.

~~~
bananas
That is correct.

You don't have to sync if you paid for anything from Office 365 Home and
above.

However it bugs you constantly to do it and all the save dialogs in Office
2013+ promote saving to "The Cloud". It's terribly irritating.

~~~
tanzam75
> _However it bugs you constantly to do it and all the save dialogs in Office
> 2013+ promote saving to "The Cloud". It's terribly irritating._

File - Options, Save, Save to Computer by default.

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Pxtl
> Microsoft execs also announced at Build 2014 that Microsoft would be making
> Windows free on Windows Phones and tablets with screen sizes of nine inches
> and under.

I wonder if this could be applied to a dongle type device? A winRT HDMI stick
combined with a nice keyboard/mouse presenter would be a nifty platform, since
WinRT has a better track-record for keyboard/mouse support than Android.

~~~
anonymfus
Microsoft used language construction "available at zero cost" instead of
"free". They also said that they have plans to make "Windows for Internet of
Things" as a special version of Windows for enthusiasts who want to create
experimental devices, also "available at zero cost".

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devindotcom
I thought I saw one of these under this Bing for Schools "earn a surface"
page, second pic down, but I could be wrong and it might just be a ref design
from someone:

[https://www.bing.com/explore/rewardsforschools](https://www.bing.com/explore/rewardsforschools)

Mirror:

[http://imgur.com/lANCUd8](http://imgur.com/lANCUd8)

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tn13
Microsoft Surface is amazing. Only MS would simplify development of this
platform.

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act9
Netbooks, round 2?

~~~
commandar
The stylus/digitizer is really the killer feature for me. I'd looked at the
Surface Pro, but it's just too bulky for what I want.

A 7-8" Windows device with a 1080p display and stylus would be perfect for me
during meetings. I'd be able to leave my similarly sized 5x8" notepads in the
office _and_ have access to my systems when needed.

EDIT:

I had previously looked at the Note Tab line, but couldn't get over the cheap
build quality and god awful Samsung software.

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mikelat
So they're just now jumping on the mini-tablet train? Wasn't the time for that
like two years ago if they wanted to get into the market? They really need to
get their act together and figure out how to be at the front of innovation,
not always years behind.

~~~
michaelbuddy
In some regard, they were on the front of innovation on tablets, if you
definite it as getting tablets out to consumers early on. Unfortunately that
burned them for years because the tech was not there, not the batteries, touch
screen or OS. This is a better move, especially if affordable and has real pen
input, that would make it unique. hopefully it's an 8 inch tablet. That seems
to to be the sweet spot for work, weight and portability.

~~~
mikelat
My point was that the nexus 7 and ipad mini have been highly successful in
these markets for a while now. I want to see competition but they're coming
kind of late.

