Oh I see now. Then I propose we need to retire Global Positioning System in favor of global positioning system.

So if I kidnap you and drop you out of a plane at a random location in the world with nothing but an atlas of the world, how do you tell me your location to the nearest 10 meters just using a map?

Maybe. When I think of the word "system" it usually implies automation to me. Humans are unreliable, use a lot of intuition, and often give different outputs for the same inputs, so they are usually not a good idea to incorporate into any sort of "system" you want to be reliable and consistent.

Capital letters are used to denote any acronym whether it's a proper noun or not. IMU refers to any inertial measurement unit, for instance.

This is only true because before the array of satellites deployed by the US military, there was no other system for finding your global position. With the advent of new technology that does the same thing, GPS should be generalized to refer to any system that does the same, not just one particular system.

Cartography produces a map, not a localization.

A map is not a system.

Then it's a "Global Positioning System"... GPS.

But do you? I put myself through undergrad and 6 years of gradschool using all forms of digital ink devices, including the Galaxy Note, which was the smallest and by far the worst device for the purpose. I've seen others with the Note start the semester using them, only to invariably fall back to pen and paper after it gets too cumbersome. The full version of OneNote is a killer application in this area.

That's easy, handwriting notes in class. As a recent Slashdot story helpfully points out, handwriting notes helps with retention of facts. Even if it didn't, some notes like equations or diagrams cannot easily be typed. Can't do that with a phone or a desktop.

Something I do with my Surface Pro is use it as a ground station for a UAV. You can use a laptop for this purpose, but this requires a lap, or desk. Out in the field while flying, these require either a chair or a table to be carried with us. With the Surface Pro, I can just hold it in one hand and control the UAV with the other. Can't do this with a laptop or desktop or smartphone or 7" tablet or any Android tablet or iPad. Can only do this with a Windows tablet.

Oh I know. I've used them for many years. One of the worst things about them is the disconnect between writing on a horizontal table while the viewing surface is vertical. That's why Wacom came up with the Cintiq line, where you write directly on the screen. The amusing thing is, these devices actually cost *more* than an entry Surface Pro, and require you to tether to a desktop.

I'm not sure if you realize this, but Surface Pro 1 and 2 both use an active digitizer with Wacom tech, pressure sensitivity included. The new one uses N-Trig tech, also with pressure sensitivity. These aren't the same stubby styluses you find for Android and iOS.

When is the last time you painted a picture with your keyboard or mouse? People make different content. Obviously the content you make it with a keyboard+mouse, sitting down at a desk, in an office probably.

And smaller phones and desktop computer can't do things a 12" tablet can. My Cadillac vs. Toyota line was more about the specs of the device. 7" tablets are slow as hell. Surface Pro 3 is the most powerful tablet available. Saying $799 is too much needs qualification. It's too much for a 7" device, but it's enough for a 12" powerhouse.

Because 90% of tablets are used for content consumption. One may say that this is a feedback loop, people consume content, tablets get smaller, so all people can do is consume content.

Microsoft is saying they want to make a tablet that is good for content creation. That's why it's bigger. That's why it comes with a pen. You say 12" is way to big, and I ask for whom? For me, 12" is the size of my paper notebook, and the Surface 3 would work well in that application while a 7" tablet would not. You say $700 is too pricey, but when you compare specs you're talking Cadillac vs. Toyota. People still buy Cadillacs.

It's also the point of diminishing returns. The difference between a 7 hour device and an 8 hour device is huge; you can get through the whole day with one and fall an hour short with the other. 8 to 9 is not as much of a gain. Anything more and you're charging it after work anyway.

You can say that the Surface costs less than the Air, but you cannot say they are the same. Surface includes more tech than the Air. I also left out things like two mics, two cameras (one of which is 5MP while the best on the Air is 720p), gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer. Fact is if you want the thinnest, lightest, laptop with the best display, and latest tech, it's not the MacBook Air. Compare the price of the two, but be honest about what you're actually comparing.