Microsoft Surface Windows 8 Tablet to Arrive at First Without 3G/LTE- A Mistake?

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23 Jun, 2012 12:57 am

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Microsoft plans to release their Windows 8 Surface Tablet without 3G/LTE when it first comes to market. Microsoft has only mentioned that the Surface will be equipped with Wi-Fi and has omitted any discussion of a mobile broadband option. Unnamed business sources have said that Microsoft is hoping to popularize the Surface without 3G or 4G support. Analysts expect that this decision could diminish interest in Microsoft’s new tablet, but as always, there are many different opinions on the subject.

Microsoft is positioning the Surface as a high end mobile device that can serve the same function as a notebook. However many customers might also want to work where there is no Wi-Fi available and be at a disadvantage with the Surface tablet, according to Benjamin Bajarin from Creative Strategies. Other market observers have posited that Microsoft wants to forgo a 3G or 4G option to lower costs and avoid restrictions. The reason, according to Carolina Milanesi at Gartner is that tablet buyers prefer to use their devices at home and without mobile data networks, because they fear high costs associated with data plans.

What do you think? Does Microsoft risk disappointing their customers?

Source: Bloomberg


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  • disapointed

    Huge mistake as far as I am converned. The whole point of a windows 8 tablet is to do both, Mobile and at home, Entertainment and work. Without 4G, you are dead in the water when on the road or traveling…..

  • CyberGusa

    Full USB port means you can just add a dongle or use a MiFi, or even your Smart Phone that’ll most people would have already.

    Even with Android devices most are WiFi only, btw… doesn’t stop them from still being considered good devices.

    Some even prefer it this way as they charge extra for the build in modem and then they get tangled with carriers and the usual nonsense they add.

    While also consider the innards of these devices aren’t upgradeable and it’s a lot easier to just get a newer version of the alternate solutions I already mentioned while also many of the people who would ideally use these Windows tablets will be either at home or work most of the time and would have access to WiFi.

  • disapointed

    Agree to disagree.
    I am not buying a super compact and slim device to have to add and carry all kinds of extra apendices.
    The whole point of these devices as far as I am concerned is portability and mobility and without 3G, it is for me (but I suspect many others) a huge limitation, enough to make it irrelevant for my needs.

  • disapointed

    Agree to disagree.
    I am not buying a super compact and slim device to have to add and carry all kinds of extra apendices.
    The whole point of these devices as far as I am concerned is portability and mobility and without 3G, it is for me (but I suspect many others) a huge limitation, enough to make it irrelevant for my needs.

  • CyberGusa

    No one said you had to like the solution, but every solution has its pluses and minuses and just because this one doesn’t fit your needs doesn’t mean another company won’t provide something more to your liking.

    MS is after all only releasing two models and so aren’t from the start intending to cover the full range of possible device needs and MS usually focuses on its business users.

    While we’ve yet to see what many other companies would come out with and companies like Motorola, HTC, etc are more likely to offer a included modem option.

  • CyberGusa

    No one said you had to like the solution, but every solution has its pluses and minuses and just because this one doesn’t fit your needs doesn’t mean another company won’t provide something more to your liking.

    MS is after all only releasing two models and so aren’t from the start intending to cover the full range of possible device needs and MS usually focuses on its business users.

    While we’ve yet to see what many other companies would come out with and companies like Motorola, HTC, etc are more likely to offer a included modem option.

  • JD

    I already pay a monthly rate on my mobile phone. I don’t want to pay another fee for my tablet. With so many Wifi hotspots, 4G is not all that necessary.

  • bishop

    i agree with you 100%. in my part of the world, wifi is not a common thing you can find in homes and other public places. 3g is every where. So i need a smartphone with 3g and connect to the tablet in order to get internet even when i am on the go. How portable is that.

  • Rocco

    Using a free tether program, my phone is fine for a 4G Web connection and it’s better than having another data account.

  • Tu Pham

    They should at least provide a HSDPA modem option to give customers the choice. Or a propietary modem that can plug into the magnetic snap port.

  • Tu Pham

    No you can’t just plug in a 3G modem and expect the PC drivers to work. Windows RT uses an ARM architecture which is totally foreign to PC. The only way for it to work is for the modem vendors to develop a Windows RT driver.

  • QASE4U

    WINDOW8 IS BASED ON NETWORKING SO WITHOUT THE 3G THERE IS A BIG LIMITATION ON THE SURFACE MAY BE MICROSOFT IS GOING TO LAUNCH SURFACE 2 WITH 3G

  • Windows8WithMobileData

    “Microsoft wants to forgo a 3G or 4G option … fear high costs associated with data plans”, for corportate users the cost of 3G is nothing compared to the inconvenience of not being able to remotely connect to our servers. 3G/4G is essential, it has to be an option. You cannot expect people to turn on/turn off WiFi on their phones everytime they want to check emails/calendars or locate their next destination. If you leave WiFi on, your mobile phone battery life dies really fast, so leaving it on is not an option either.