Future Surface tablets planned in 'multiple aspect ratios and sizes'

[Spaniard]

Future Surface tablets planned in 'multiple aspect ratios and sizes,' LTE versions on AT&T | The Verge
Microsoft's Panos Panay says Surfaces with 'multiple aspect ratios and sizes,' LTE are on the way

Microsoft has long been rumored to be preparing a Surface "mini," and the company's tablet creator has revealed he's working on multiple new Surface devices. Speaking at a special Surface event at Microsoft's Seattle store last night, Panos Panay didn't answer Surface mini questions directly, but he did confirm different shapes and sizes for the future. "We have a lot of great things that we are thinking about and working on, and there are multiple aspect ratios and sizes and awesome things to come from Surface," he said. "That’s the best answer I have for you."

In a recent interview with The Verge, Panay merely hinted the team was "working on a lot of stuff" that would be released in "various shapes and sizes" without specifically mentioning different aspect ratios. Microsoft's Surface tablets use a 16:9 ratio, making it difficult to use the device in portrait mode due to the length of its display. The rumored Surface mini tablet is expected to include a 7.5-inch display with a 4:3 ratio that will make it easier to hold in portrait.

NO SURFACE PRO 2 WITH LTE

Geekwire also reports that Panay also confirmed that Surface 2 LTE versions will debut early next year on AT&T in the US and Vodafone in Europe. Panay had previously revealed that the Surface 2 would include LTE variants, but he also clarified that there won't be a Surface Pro 2 version with LTE.

 

[Spaniard]

Microsoft, I know that you read this forum. I want a Surface Pro 3 with 16:10 ratio! It's the best ratio because it's between 16:9 videos to watch in landscape mode and golden-ratio documents (A3, A4, A5) to read in portrait mode. (MacBook Air 13" display is 16:10):
Display size - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[kristalsoldier]

A Surface with a 4:3 ratio would be my dream machine - it should be light and have at least two killer apps - one a full featured PDF reader/ editing app; an ePub reader; and one killer functionality - active digitizer with a pen (quite like what the SP 1 and 2 have)!!!!

 

[Spaniard]

4:3 - 16:10 - 16:9 (iPad - Nexus 10 - Surface Pro)

 

[kristalsoldier]

Microsoft, I know that you read this forum. I want a Surface Pro 3 with 16:10 ratio! It's the best ratio because it's between 16:9 videos to watch in landscape mode and golden-ratio documents (A3, A4, A5) to read in portrait mode. (MacBook Air 13" display is 16:10):
Display size - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Well, I agree that a 16:10 ratio is excellent to watch movies on - I will be doing so in about 15 mins from now!!!! It is also excellent for surfing the web (though the 16:9 ratio of the Surface is also quite good). But for reading, to me, nothing beats a 4:3 aspect ratio (which is why I also own an iPad4).

 

[oion]

For snap multitasking, nothing beats the widescreens (16:9/16:10). I have two widescreens at work and one at home, and having documents/applications side by side is rather necessary for many work environments.

Also, Kristalsoldier, you should read the threads about Surface 2's Tegra 4 passive pen capabilities; I'm willing to bet NVidia will continue to support the DirectStylus in their Tegra processors, so adding an active digitizer like Wacom's (more licensing cost and probably power draw) would be redundant and unnecessary on a Surface RT-type device.

 

[jnjroach]

I would want at least 1400x1050 if its going to be 4:3 if its 1024x768 it will be a step in the wrong direction....

 

[Spaniard]

Well, I agree that a 16:10 ratio is excellent to watch movies on - I will be doing so in about 15 mins from now!!!! It is also excellent for surfing the web (though the 16:9 ratio of the Surface is also quite good). But for reading, to me, nothing beats a 4:3 aspect ratio (which is why I also own an iPad4).

Ok, lots of books are almost 4:3, even 5:4 so really you have to decide:

Do you read all the time? Get the 4:3 Surface Pro
Do you read very much but watch a lot of movies too? Get the 16:10 Surface Pro
Do you watch movies all the time? Get the 16:9 Surface Pro

 

[kristalsoldier]

For snap multitasking, nothing beats the widescreens (16:9/16:10). I have two widescreens at work and one at home, and having documents/applications side by side is rather necessary for many work environments.

Also, Kristalsoldier, you should read the threads about Surface 2's Tegra 4 passive pen capabilities; I'm willing to bet NVidia will continue to support the DirectStylus in their Tegra processors, so adding an active digitizer like Wacom's (more licensing cost and probably power draw) would be redundant and unnecessary on a Surface RT-type device.

From what I understand, it is up to MS to activate that particular feature. I really don't care how they do it, but I do care that they do it - that is one feature on a 4:3 aspect ratio Surface that I would love to have - it would be very convenient to mark-up PDFs in an efficient manner and to take quick handwritten notes (in my case, legibly) in meetings etc.

 

[kristalsoldier]

Ok, lots of books are almost 4:3 so really you have to decide:

Do you read all the time? Get the 4:3 Surface Pro
Do you read very much but watch a lot of movies too? Get the 16:10 Surface Pro
Do you watch movies all the time? Get the 16:9 Surface Pro

Well, at last count, I have approx. 8.5K books (about 27 GB in size) and over 300 movies/ documentaries/ TV shows (all put together) taking up about 500GB of my external HDD. So, you can see why I am partial to the 4:3 and 16:10 aspect ratios!

Edit: Sorry, that would be around 1TB of space taken up by my movies/ etc. Just checked!

 

[Spaniard]

Well, at last count, I have approx. 8.5K books (about 27 GB in size) and over 300 movies/ documentaries/ TV shows (all put together) taking up about 500GB of my external HDD. So, you can see why I am partial to the 4:3 and 16:10 aspect ratios!

I just discovered that the last book I read is 5:4, probably 4:3 is the best for reading...

are books 5:4? magazines and newspapers are golden-ratio?

Is there an app that checks all your docs and pdfs and gives you the average ratio? :cool2:

 

[demandarin]

Well, at last count, I have approx. 8.5K books (about 27 GB in size) and over 300 movies/ documentaries/ TV shows (all put together) taking up about 500GB of my external HDD. So, you can see why I am partial to the 4:3 and 16:10 aspect ratios!

Wow...that's alot of content.