RatherBeOnATrain

Hahahahahaha.... Microsoft pulled a Skymiles devaluation:

Win8Apps.com:
Microsoft Ships Surface Pro 2 Tablets with Wrong, Slower Processor
March 24, 201

A short quote:

Bobedi

In the Seattle Airport there is a large Delta desk dedicated solely to Microsoft. I doubt that it is a coincidence that the iPads are being replaced by Microsoft Surface tablets.

Sabai

Maybe the boys from Renton can help Delta.dumb upgrade from Windows NT.

motytrah

That has zero to do with it. The Surface Pro is the tablet for companies without the means, ability or desire to write/re-write their applications in Objective C (iOS) or Java (Android).

DL is hardly alone in taking this approach in terms of older companies.

Aloha1

And that is a sad thing. Perpetuating obsolescence ultimately leads to higher conversions costs down the road.

Mishap

What applications are you talking about? The apps that pilots use are bespoke since I don't believe they were ever equipped w/ laptops in the cabin. If Delta had a history of being a big .NET shop there'd be some precedence but having worked w/ a few former Delta software engineers, I think they skewed Java.

The highly subsidized/partnership approach is more likely. MS probably offered to write some of the apps for them or some cut rate model. Handing MS devices to every FA gets their product in front of a lot of fairly well paid frequent flyers.

motytrah

My understanding is there are a number of legacy windows and DOS applications that handle things such as scheduling and logistics from PMDL. That's in addition to the Java and Mainframe back-end apps and website.

I've consulted with companies that wanted to go with surface pro tablets. I'm been involved in discussions with Microsoft on volume buys. The deciding factor was always cost containment and support of legacy apps.

Yes, you can work deals with MS, but the simple fact is the BOM on a surface pro 2 is higher than the retail of the entry level price of a reputable Android tablet or Retina iPad.

TheMadBrewer

You have to wonder if there is a connection between two recent events:

1) Delta switching to Microsoft devices
2) Delta building up SEA as an almost hub

Dieuwer

You better hope those tablets are used for non-critical tasks like passing time playing marbles, otherwise the safety of pax is surely impaired.
Can you imagine mid flight: "PLEASE INSTALL THIS CRITICAL UPDATE NOW FOR YOUR TABLET TO KEEP FUNCIONING!" Or: "WE ARE SORRY, YOUR TABLET AND THE FLIGHT CONTROL SOFTWARE MUST REBOOT RIGHT NOW! PLEASE LAND YOUR PLANE ASAP".

Not to speak of what would happen when you get a Blue Screen of Death...

UAAAPeter

Neat marketing. The blue screen of death matches DL's corporate colors.

This is like any company saying, hey I know you like your iPhone but I am taking it away to make you more efficient. Now you can have this wonderful Blackberry with so many more features than your old iPhone.

So now the pilots will take two devices on the plane. Their personal iPad and their piece of junk from work. Hopefully it does not crash (sic) as often as my MS computers do.

Mishap

Don't think MSFT has a big enough corporate travel budget to float DL on their own to make hub decisions. They do manage to make hotels cost a lot more when there's a conference in town...never had to pay $250+/night for a 4pts except there. More likely the lucrative TPAC routes w/ the big Asian populations out there don't hurt.

As a straight up cost play...it's certainly possible MSFT made a loss leader deal b/c Delta uses mobile tech in fairly prominent locations w/ an audience of relatively influential people. I mean they went as far as publishing it on the newswire. If every company that refreshed their laptops published they bought a fleet of Dells, we'd all think Dell is the greatest company in the world.

Think of this as a Boeing 717 play...Delta's playing contrarian b/c it can and by doing so it can increase its margins.

I'd venture scheduling from a pilot's perspective is the same as that of an FA's. Done in a web application. If there was anything on the predecessor iPads then they would have already have broken past their legacy apps. For all we know, they took a look at iPad theft rates and figured out a lower TCO w/a device most would leave behind. If Delta's having pilots crack open a DOS app, then they've fundamentally failed at extending the reach w/ technology. There's almost nothing that a pilot needs on a device that requires any legacy Windows stack...they're not writing Excel macros or VB scripting.

As for the software updates, my iPhone, iPads, and Mac have all had several more updates than my PCs as of late. This coming from an AAPL shareholder.

GeorgeBurdell

The Delta desk in SEA was created specifically for Microsoft employees. Microsoft doesn't have any impact on DL's decision to hub-up SEA, but they do have a pretty large travel spend. Hertz, Avis and National have similar Microsoft-friendly stuff at SEA.

IMHO, The Surface platform was chosen for both compatibility and capability. It multi-tasks and has a split screen mode. It can run legacy applications. The modern interface is touch screen friendly and easy for a flight crew to use while working. It's also more durable than an iPad and supports enterprise management tools.

rasmcasm

Appreciate the tech insight. What is BOM? (not airport code)

LaserSailor

Bill of Materials, also sometime loosely called cogs or cost of goods.

Thinking you can sell the steaming turd pile that is surface by "getting it front of influencers" fails the moment they do the Cost of ownership model based on MS monthly fee model.

motytrah

Bill Of Materials Cost - I.e. The cost make the device. (Not including R&D, marketing, etc.)

Surface Pro 2 is a full fledged Intel computer. It has all the trimmings of a full computer thus a much higher BOM cost.