Microsoft Surface Pro review

[HarryT]

A good review of Microsoft's "Surface Pro" tablet, which is finally being launched this Friday:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/02...ce_pro_review/

Conclusion: It's a proper PC. Expensive, but on a par with other "Ultrabook" devices.

I'm very tempted, I must say.

[tubemonkey]

My next proper computer will be a Chrome device. Windows is overkill for my needs.

[murraypaul]

It looks like a nice device, but is really an alternative to a laptop rather than an iOS/Android tablet.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

It looks like a nice device, but is really an alternative to a laptop rather than an iOS/Android tablet.

Yes, indeed. The 4-5h battery life, for one thing.

[xendula]

I got the Samsung Ativ 700t instead, because it is an extra inch larger, has three USB ports, one of which is on the tablet side, a micro SD card slot on the tablet, and when in laptop mode, acts like a laptop that I can use on my lap. It also loks a bit prettier than the Surface. I am very happy with it, though not with Win8, which is an atrocious OS.

[HarryT]

I quite like Windows 8. In what way do you find it to be "attrocious"?

[xendula]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

It looks like a nice device, but is really an alternative to a laptop rather than an iOS/Android tablet.

I find that the Ativ 700, a similar device, is a replacement to both. While I still reach for my iPad 3 when I want to browse, I find myself replacing it with the Ativ in tablet mode more and more.

[paola]

Originally Posted by HarryT

A good review of Microsoft's "Surface Pro" tablet, which is finally being launched this Friday:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/02...ce_pro_review/

Conclusion: It's a proper PC. Expensive, but on a par with other "Ultrabook" devices.

I'm very tempted, I must say.

Thanks Harry, I think I am almost sold - the only thing I am unsure about is whether the 86GB left free are enough to allow me to ditch my laptop completely...

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by paola

Thanks Harry, I think I am almost sold - the only thing I am unsure about is whether the 86GB left free are enough to allow me to ditch my laptop completely...

32GB SD cards are pretty cheap these days. But for my needs, 86GB would be more than enough. I'm using considerably less than that on my Dell Inspiron 11z - my "travel laptop" that a surface tablet would be a replacement for.

[xendula]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I quite like Windows 8. In what way do you find it to be "attrocious"?

The fact that programs you install in desktop mode don't communicate to their counterparts in tile mode, for instance. I would actually use the metro browsers if they at least synchronized their own bookmarks.
I don't quite see the point to the metro UI and go staight to desktop mode, so why not just let users select between the two interfaces, instead of having to deal with both? I would rather be asked in which mode I want to install a program, than have to install a Win7 program just to ensure it's in desktop mode where I want it. And taking away the start button was idiotic - I have to jump through hoops to find my stuff, and yes, I know I can install third party apps to give me back my start button, but I should not have to.

Also, they should have copied text input in tablet mode from iOS - the way Win8 goes about it is immature - actually less sophisticated than it was on my Pocket PC back in 2000

I do like the almost instant on and the fact that I have a full fledged PC I can use without a mouse or keyboard, at a not much larger package than my iPad, so I really like the hardware but I am quite frustrated with the OS.

[xendula]

Originally Posted by HarryT

32GB SD cards are pretty cheap these days. But for my needs, 86GB would be more than enough. I'm using considerably less than that on my Dell Inspiron 11z - my "travel laptop" that a surface tablet would be a replacement for.

I bought a 64GB mocro SD on Amazon for about $50 - that's where all my documents go for now.

[HarryT]

Fair points, certainly. I like the Win8 start screen myself. Much easier to find things, and a lot more flexible in terms of how you can arrange things on it. It's grown on me the more I've used it.

[paola]

Originally Posted by HarryT

32GB SD cards are pretty cheap these days. But for my needs, 86GB would be more than enough. I'm using considerably less than that on my Dell Inspiron 11z - my "travel laptop" that a surface tablet would be a replacement for.

I've managed to use 230GB on my laptop (no movies, by the way, just work files, but I am not young ) I really like to have everything at my fingertips - but provided the programmes I need to install fit in, it may just work.

[xendula]

I may just need more time to get used to it - I 've only used Win8 for about a week now.

Here is the engadget review for the Surface Pro. When I was shooping around the Ativ 700 and the Surface Pro were the only ones I was even considering. The Lenovo Helix sounds great as well, but the price is just too steep for that one.

[pl001]

Yeah, Widows 8 can be frustrating. It just feels incomplete. When I played with it in the store doing simple tasks it seemed OK. But when I got it home and actually started trying to configure it I felt like throwing it out the window. I only stuck with it because I'll need to be familiar with it for work purposes sooner or later anyway. After a week I am adjusting to Metro and I only go to desktop mode for more advanced settings where it forces me to.

So it's grown on me and I am starting to like a lot of aspects of it. It has far more power and potential than iOS or Android, but it isn't nearly as intuitive, customizable, open, or complete as it should be. It's like Microsoft mostly ignored what got them to their dominant position in PCs, which are the same things that propelled Android to the top of the mobile market. And the removal of the start button was simply ridiculous and arrogant. If you need the desktop, you probably want the start button.