Quote:
Originally Posted by WT Sharpe
I have a question for all of you Surface Pro owners. I wouldn't think of asking this this of any other tablet, but since my PC is down at the moment and I'm for the most part relying on my iPad, I'm curious; not to mention asking with an eye toward the future: How does the Surface Pro stack up to a desktop PC?
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With its i5 processor, I'd compare it best to my MacBook Air (Summer 2011 model).
The fan of Surface Pro is even less noisy and the higher resolution is definitely beneficial.
Performance is okay, even BlueStacks runs okay and I've installed about a dozen Android games I really did miss: Plants vs. Zombies and the likes, for whatever reason still not available for "native" Windows 8. You of course can install them on the desktop, though.
A friend of mine is using his Surface Pro with Steam. By decreasing some settings, he even plays games like FarCry3 with acceptable performance. But it definitely won't replace a high-end PC for gaming.
In "daily business" you'll rarely touch the limits, it's more than capable for all the usual stuff.
The type and touch covers are phantastic, I haven't seen anything remotely comparable on other systems (yes, there are bluetooth keyboard/cover combos, but I find them way less efficient and compact).
In my opinion, there's only a single obvious downside: Compared to iPad and other "pure" tablets, it's relatively bulky and heavy. I read some magazines and newspapers on mine in tablet mode, but I definitely wouldn't know how to hold it comfortably for extended reading sessions. I prefer my Kindle Paperwhite for that anyway, so no real biggy for me. But I'd say, I use it 70% with the type cover like a notebook and 30% tops like a tablet.
Quite surprisingly, it quickly became my favorite:
I loved my Google Chromebook Pixel, but I didn't find any useful usage pattern. I've barely used the touchscreen because of the great touchpad.
I loved my iPads 1 to 3, but they never have been more than (albeit great) gadgets to me.
I loved my MacBook Air, but the update to Mavericks kind of killed the fun and performance dropped drastically. I don't want to let go of it, yet, entirely. Some stuff (50%) I still do on it instead of Surface Pro. But: Should it die on me, I'M not sure whether I'll replace it or switch entirely to Surface Pro.
Most of my other tablets (Nexus 7, Nook HD+, Kindle Fires HD 7 + 8.9, ...) have been replaced almost entirely by Surface Pro.
I'll definitely buy the 3rd Gen model, expected for end of 2014. And I'm eagerly waiting for an 8" model.
I love the WACOM stylus in combination with Microsoft OneNote, even make some presentations with it. But even without it, I'd be fine with Surface Pro.
BTW: I'm not hooking mine up to an external monitor or any USB equipment. I bought it for the mobility and convenience, rarely even use any bluetooth equipment.