Microsoft announces the Surface Pro 4

[wodin]

I wasn't sure where to put this and since there was no SP4 thread… well here goes.

As a very satisfied SP3 owner, I was excited to see what the SP4 had. Frankly I was a bit underwhelmed, it’s a little faster but my SP3 is fast enough, a bit thinner but… So the exciting part came down to the keyboard. Which begs the question, will the new SP4 keyboards work on my SP3. I’m particularly interested in the fingerprint sensing one, can I buy a fingerprint reader keyboard for my SP3 and have biometric login? I’ve searched all the first impressions I find a number of places that say the SP3 keyboard cover will work on the SP4, but nowhere does it say the reverse.

[Yolina]

Both the new SP4 keyboard cover and the new pen will work with the SP3

Edit: from the MS UK store (pre-orders obviously)

"The next generation of Type Cover, made for Surface Pro 4, offers the most advanced Surface typing experience yet. Compatible with Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 4."

"Experience the ultimate modern writing experience with Surface Pen.Includes Pen Tip Kit £10 value. Compatible with Surface 3, Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 4."

[Dulin's Books]

Originally Posted by wodin

So the exciting part came down to the keyboard. Which begs the question, will the new SP4 keyboards work on my SP3. I’m particularly interested in the fingerprint sensing one, can I buy a fingerprint reader keyboard for my SP3 and have biometric login?

Yes . The new Type covers work with SP3 (and previous versions SP1 & 2 but the size is different)The Type Cover with the fingerprint reader only comes in Black. It's $150. It's there specifically for folks with SP3 who want biometric security with Windows Hello in Windows 10. SP4 has the Real Sense cameras for iris scanning.

[sadievan]

I want one. Probably the i5, 256GB. Hopefully Costco will have a package deal on them.

Anyone using Office 365? How do you like it?

[wodin]

Originally Posted by sadievan

I want one. Probably the i5, 256GB. Hopefully Costco will have a package deal on them.

Anyone using Office 365? How do you like it?

That was the sweet spot for the SP3, mainly because that was the lowest configuration with 8 GB of RAM. And the SP4 in that configuration is the same price as the SP3 was before being discounted. That's the configuration I bought, and have never regretted it; even with the SP4 offering more for the same price.

This is without a doubt the finest computer I have ever owned, and I've owned a few, beginning with an Atari 400 (hardware hacked to a whole 16 KB of RAM).

And O365 has become the go to method of obtaining Office. At a hundred bucks a year for five full blown office subscriptions, which would cost several hundred each it'll take quite a few years to spend as much as discreet licenses. And that's not even taking into account the other benefits like a hosted Exchange server, SharePoint portal and One Drive.

Years ago, I initially bought O365 for the hosted Exchange server alone. Then it was six dollars per month and the nearest competitor was charging a bit over ten, it wasn't till later that I began to realize all the other benefits.

[Yolina]

Originally Posted by wodin

That's the configuration I bought, and have never regretted it

The 256GB/i5/8GB SP3 is what I have too Brilliant little thing.

Haven't got Office 365 though as I have Office 2013, which will do me for a while yet, I upgraded that from Office 2003

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by Yolina

The 256GB/i5/8GB SP3 is what I have too Brilliant little thing.

We got my wife that one a couple months ago too. She absolutely loves it even though we haven't gotten the keyboard cover yet. I will probably get her the SP4 cover for her birthday since it sounds like an improvement over the original one (which she liked a lot already).

[sadievan]

Originally Posted by wodin

That was the sweet spot for the SP3, mainly because that was the lowest configuration with 8 GB of RAM. And the SP4 in that configuration is the same price as the SP3 was before being discounted. That's the configuration I bought, and have never regretted it; even with the SP4 offering more for the same price.

This is without a doubt the finest computer I have ever owned, and I've owned a few, beginning with an Atari 400 (hardware hacked to a whole 16 KB of RAM).

And O365 has become the go to method of obtaining Office. At a hundred bucks a year for five full blown office subscriptions, which would cost several hundred each it'll take quite a few years to spend as much as discreet licenses. And that's not even taking into account the other benefits like a hosted Exchange server, SharePoint portal and One Drive.

Years ago, I initially bought O365 for the hosted Exchange server alone. Then it was six dollars per month and the nearest competitor was charging a bit over ten, it wasn't till later that I began to realize all the other benefits.

Thanks Wodin. I just checked Costco's site and they have the SP4 listed but 138GB and 4GB RAM. So probably get from Best Buy. Did you buy any extended warranty.

[sadievan]

Originally Posted by Yolina

I have Office 2013, which will do me for a while yet, I upgraded that from Office 2003

You sound like me. LOL.

[leebase]

Originally Posted by sadievan

I want one. Probably the i5, 256GB. Hopefully Costco will have a package deal on them.

Anyone using Office 365? How do you like it?

Office 365 has brought me back to Msft. I was looking for online storage and was comparing the $100/yr terabyte options from places like dropbox. Well for $99/year you can get Office 365 for family which comes with 5 licenses of the office suite for PC's (Windows and/or Mac), 5 licenses of Office for tablets (iOS and/or Android) and 5 online Office 365 each of which comes with a terabyte of storage on OneDrive.

Quite the deal IMHO. My kids were thrilled to finally have "real office" that they had begged for but never had. "OpenOffice is good enough and free)".

With online Word/Excel - you can even have "real office" on your Linux boxes The online versions are not nearly as full featured as the desktop versions, but I think they are much better than Google docs. Much much better.

[robko]

Originally Posted by Yolina

Haven't got Office 365 though as I have Office 2013, which will do me for a while yet, I upgraded that from Office 2003

Originally Posted by sadievan

You sound like me. LOL.

'03 and '13 must have been good years. I had the 2003 version and finally upgraded when it hit 2013 version too

[sadievan]

Originally Posted by leebase

Office 365 has brought me back to Msft. I was looking for online storage and was comparing the $100/yr terabyte options from places like dropbox. Well for $99/year you can get Office 365 for family which comes with 5 licenses of the office suite for PC's (Windows and/or Mac), 5 licenses of Office for tablets (iOS and/or Android) and 5 online Office 365 each of which comes with a terabyte of storage on OneDrive.

Quite the deal IMHO. My kids were thrilled to finally have "real office" that they had begged for but never had. "OpenOffice is good enough and free)".

With online Word/Excel - you can even have "real office" on your Linux boxes The online versions are not nearly as full featured as the desktop versions, but I think they are much better than Google docs. Much much better.

Well I went today to the Micrsoft store and pre ordered it. Surface Pro 4, i5, 256 GB, 8 GB RAM. Ordered the bundle with Teal keyboard Office 365, Sleeve and 2 year protection. I don't usually buy the protection plans but with the bundle it was practically free and covers anything except being stolen. Even if I run over it with my car. LOL. I'm almost second guessing myself if I should opt for the 512 GB one.

[sadievan]

Originally Posted by robko

'03 and '13 must have been good years. I had the 2003 version and finally upgraded when it hit 2013 version too

I still miss the regular Menu. I'm not a fan of the Ribbon.

[sadievan]

BTW. Does anyone know if you can load and run programs from the Micro SD card?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by sadievan

BTW. Does anyone know if you can load and run programs from the Micro SD card?

It's just disk storage. You can do anything with it that you can with any other disk. Do you not have an SD card slot on your PC or laptop? Most do these days.