Microsoft readies new $199 Win 8 laptop & $99 Tablets !

Article Title: Microsoft readies $199 Windows 8 laptop and $99 tablet to combat Chrome OS and Android: Will this plan work?

(I am posting selected paragraphs, please see the link for the whole story)

It appears Microsoft has finally admitted to itself that the Google Chromebook laptops are a real threat that could damage the Windows business more than how it is already damaged due to Windows 8. In light of Google's onslaught on Microsoft's core business, the company is hoping to keep ahead by having its partners release cheap Windows-based devices.

To fend off this latest threat, Microsoft is aiming to pull off the same tactic it did against Linux operating systems on Netbooks in the past. The company announced a plan with its partners to launch a $199 laptop that is designed to compete with Chromebooks, and a surprisingly $99 tablet that is designed to compete with cheap Android-based tablets that are flooding the market all over the world.

The $199 laptop is HP made, though Microsoft COO Kevin Turner, did not state the specifications of the device, only that we should see it just time for the holidays.

Furthermore, he mentioned that Acer and Toshiba will launch new laptops for just $249. The Acer device comes with a 15.6-inch display, 2.16GHz Intel Celeron processor, 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive, and Windows 8. On the matter of the Toshiba device, it is expected to launch with an 11.6-inch display, 32GB SSD drive, and weighs around 2.4 pounds.

Source: Microsoft readies $199 Windows 8 laptop and $99 tablet to combat Chrome OS and Android: Will this plan work? : PERSONAL TECH : Tech Times Posted at July 18, 4:35 AM yesterday, so this is very new.

I think this is HUGE and I want one of each! Cannot wait until they hit the market and hopefully they will stay true to that price tag! What say you EightForums members?
 
I already have two laptops so I don't need another one, even at that price. The 99$ tablet will likely run Windows RT, if so its not something I'd want either. I'm sure some will buy them, just not me.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
I'm with you about the RT part.. too restrictive as I like to disable UEFI/secure boot and run other dual booted OS's. I'm not a fan of Windows 8.1 either.. all the changes they made are changes I do not want or need.

Assuming the cheap laptop isn't RT I may try to install a full windows 8 onto it if I get one. I'd love a tablet heck both a straight Windows 8 tablet and a Linux Ubuntu tablet - don't want Android or need a phone, just Wifi but I want it to have the power at least of a small laptop.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64 bit
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavillion G7-2251dx
    CPU
    AMD A-8 4500M
    Memory
    8 Gigabytes DDR3 sdram
    Graphics Card(s)
    Discrete ATI Radeon HD 7640G with 2 Gigs
    Sound Card
    IDT Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3
    Screen Resolution
    1600x900
    Hard Drives
    500 gig
    Internet Speed
    3.5 mb/sec
It's not RT that's restricting you from doing what you stated, its the ARM processor. I do get your point though. For me its the restriction of not being able to use my other Windows software on the RT platform. It's just the opposite for me. I didn't like 8.0 but do like what they did with 8.1. Update 1 just made it better for me. I'm looking forward to what they may do with update 2 too.

Not much point in installing 8.0, IMHO. Support for 8.0 will end two years after the release date of 8.1. Microsoft have decided to treat it like a service pack and adjusted the support cycle accordingly. That's the way I read it anyway. I want performance so I bought an ASUS K75DE and replaced the factory hard drive with an SSD. It has two SSD's actually as it has dual drive bays. A 128 GB SSD for Windows and a 256 GB SSD for Data. A slow underpowered laptop would just frustrate the hell out of me. An el cheepo tablet would do the same. Your not going to get much for 199 or 99 dollars.

Still it will appeal to some with a limited budget, the same ones that by Netbooks or Chrome Books may buy these because they have Windows on it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
Amusing tag to the article:

It's a proven fact that people don't like Windows 8, we doubt they would come to like it on a $199 laptop, or tablet costing $99.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    7/8/ubuntu/Linux Deepin
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Amusing to some. If you hate 8. To each there own.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
You don't have to hate something to be able to laugh. You can love it and still laugh.

What a strange idea.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    7/8/ubuntu/Linux Deepin
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
True enough, your other comment just caught me at the wrong moment I guess. Depending on what mood your in its easy to miss read something. I meant no disrespect, my apologies.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
No worries.

I recently saw a hilarious short piece by an American lawyer. You need to know the back story to get the joke.

I don't think you do, given you are renting software.

Great to see at least some lawyers have a sense of humour. You can find laughs in unexpected places.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    7/8/ubuntu/Linux Deepin
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Cool! I hope it works out for Microsoft. :) I saw some reviews on these Chromebooks and I would still choose Windows 8 hands down though. Never thought they would be that big of a threat.

Here in my city (or I think country) people hate Windows 8 because of just the Start menu being in another window unlike its past predecessors where it just pops up while still on your desktop. They keep saying its the worst and its impractical. For me I think they generalized Windows 8 too fast with just that little detail. But hey, to each his own opinion. What ever floats your boat. :D I personally love Windows 8 in all aspects, its an upgrade from Windows 7 to me in all ways. :thumb:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook X202E-CT009H
    CPU
    Intel Core i3-3217u Dual-Core Processor @ Stock 1.8GHz
    Motherboard
    Intel HM76 Express Chipset
    Memory
    4GB DDR3 SDRAM @ Stock 1333 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000
    Sound Card
    ASUS SonicMaster (w/ Built-in Speakers & Microphone)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    11.6" Multi-Touch Backlit LED Screen (w/ Front HD Web Camera)
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012 2.5" SATA HDD @ 500GB (5400 rpm)
    PSU
    2 Cells 5136 mAh 38 Whrs Polymer Battery
    Mouse
    ASUS Smart Gesture Touch Pad
    Internet Speed
    PLDT DSL @ (3 Mbps ↓ & 0.75 Mbps ↑ )
    Browser
    Cyberfox
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Total Security 2015
    Other Info
    Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2013 | 1 x Combo Audio Jack |1 x VGA port | 1 x USB 3.0 | 2 x USB 2.0 | 1 x RJ45 | 1 x HDMI | 1 x SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC Card Reader | Integrated 802.11 b/g/n WiFi | Bluetooth 4.0+ HS | 10/100 Base T | 30.3 x 20.0 x 2.17 cm | 3.08 lbs | For School and General Use
Some quite large firms are using them. Big threat to MS monopoly.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    7/8/ubuntu/Linux Deepin
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
The best part about the Chromebook is fact that you don't have anything stored on it, you don't install anything on it, you don't get viruses on it and you can reset it back to factory defaults in less than 2 minutes. If you lose it or it's stolen, you don't lose data.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
The best part about the Chromebook is fact that you don't have anything stored on it, you don't install anything on it, you don't get viruses on it and you can reset it back to factory defaults in less than 2 minutes. If you lose it or it's stolen, you don't lose data.
Maybe thats why I dont think Chromebooks aren't that big of a threat because here in the Philippines, Internet is lightyears away from almost all countries. Internet speeds average around 1 Mbps download and 4G LTE has bad coverage here which would make Chromebooks like it was running on a Pentium II proccessor.

Some quite large firms are using them. Big threat to MS monopoly.
Really wow :shock: Even big companies here are still running Windows XP (not even on SP3) :p
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook X202E-CT009H
    CPU
    Intel Core i3-3217u Dual-Core Processor @ Stock 1.8GHz
    Motherboard
    Intel HM76 Express Chipset
    Memory
    4GB DDR3 SDRAM @ Stock 1333 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000
    Sound Card
    ASUS SonicMaster (w/ Built-in Speakers & Microphone)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    11.6" Multi-Touch Backlit LED Screen (w/ Front HD Web Camera)
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012 2.5" SATA HDD @ 500GB (5400 rpm)
    PSU
    2 Cells 5136 mAh 38 Whrs Polymer Battery
    Mouse
    ASUS Smart Gesture Touch Pad
    Internet Speed
    PLDT DSL @ (3 Mbps ↓ & 0.75 Mbps ↑ )
    Browser
    Cyberfox
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Total Security 2015
    Other Info
    Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2013 | 1 x Combo Audio Jack |1 x VGA port | 1 x USB 3.0 | 2 x USB 2.0 | 1 x RJ45 | 1 x HDMI | 1 x SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC Card Reader | Integrated 802.11 b/g/n WiFi | Bluetooth 4.0+ HS | 10/100 Base T | 30.3 x 20.0 x 2.17 cm | 3.08 lbs | For School and General Use
Back
Top