here, but basically, the support page pointed to some camera improvements in what was called a Surface Pro 3 tablet. Some took it as an indication that an upgraded version of the tablet was ready to be released. Because, really, typos can’t happen, can they, right? It figures they can, as a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed in this short post over at The Verge that it was just a typing error, and they have revised the support page to correct the mistake:
“An earlier version of the KB article included a typo. [We updated the page] to correct the typo and better convey the information as intended.”So much so that there is no mention of a Surface model now. Instead you get:
“The following supports will be added to Windows 8.1 to support the H.264 camera: Always use the dependent pin for capture. The dependent pin is based on the .inf file entry as soon as the capture is completed; Windows RT apps that are used for communication use the H.264 pin for recording. All other apps use the preview pin for recording.”Having said that, a Surface Pro 3 launch was always a long shot this early in the year, and more importantly, this yearly into the release of the Surface Pro 2. Now, while an Intel powered tablet might still be on at the Surface Mini launch event on May 20, we can tone down the Surface Pro 3 rumors for the time being. And rightly so. Rightly so.]]>
Article Categories:
Microsoft
All Comments
Makes sense. There was no buzz or speculation that surface pro 3 would be out anytime soon. I guess it was just a typo.
If it was a typo, why would they have removed the whole sentence? Also, windows 8.1 has support for the surface pro 2s camera.
Because it’s a change in their software. Even if the change was in part motivated by some planned or anticipated hardware change in the next Surface, that has nothing to do with the technical change itself! It would be analogous to a car manufacturer writing in their technical doc that the new fuel tank allows you to drive all from Paris to Oslo without stopping to refill, rather than stating the dry fact that its volume increased to 20 gallons. Sort of.
From the device driver’s point of view, a system has capabilities, and the system does not have any concept of a “product”. In this case, it may or may not have a H.264 video capture capability (that is, a camera that can itself create a compressed video stream, relieving the cpu/gpu from the work of tapping raw video and encoding it quickly enough not to create noticeable lag in, say, a Skype video call). Since the driver doesn’t relate to products at all it is simply incorrect to document it as if it does.
Of course you’re free to believe that this software change somehow must be because a Surface 3 will be revealed next week, but personally I see no reason to read anything into the article beyond what it actually says. The penalty for believing”I don’t know when Surface 3 will arrive, if at all” isn’t big.
Who’s editing this stuff? Terrible mistake to make unless it was intentional to build hype. If it was truly a mistake, the editor has to get in trouble.
Jeeze Louise! It was a KB article. That’s not quite the same thing as, say, a press release… For anyone to think Microsoft would announce a new surface in a sneaky reference in a technical document describing a known issue (and, usually, workarounds if the bug isn’t fixed via Windows update) is very, very silly.
What ought to be criticized is 1) bloggers and editors who are all too willing to make headlines out of nothing, reporting things with no regard to whether people will be misled, and with every regard to the number of clicks it will generate, 2) same peoples’ eagerness to repeat and exaggerate any story reported by someone somewhere without bothering to check sources or indeed any facts at all, and, above all, consumers sheep mindedness that powers the hubris cycle in the first place!
Every kid ought to be taught not to believe a word they read, anything stated in a “documentary”, anything said by a politician, perhaps anything at all, unless they have more solid reasons than the fact someone said so. Sadly what kids *are* taught is to regard their textbooks and teachers as absolute authorities (often for good reasons – at least in case of the books – but the reasons are never explored!) and not to make any trouble. In a world where information and misinformation is everywhere available, remembering the capital of X is nearly useless, but still the primary goal of “education” everywhere. It’s a disgrace, and it sets us up for a long time indeed with dysfunctional politics… Just think of climate change, for instance! The only reason anyone can get away with claims like “electric cars aren’t really any more environmentally friendly than fossil fuel cars” is that the public is incapable and/or unwilling to check facts at all, and the media therefore has no incentive to spend money doing it either. Of course this makes easier work for anyone interested in delaying or blocking progress, be it by claiming cigarettes aren’t dangerous or any other bullshit claim that serves their interests.