MS Surface 2nd generaton

[Dulin's Books]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

and a Docking station.

You got a Surface Dock? In Sweden? We were originally told they wouldnt be available until Feb. but one day in November you could buy them through the web site. They havent been available since.

Edit- No the power covers aren't available yet. Also supposed to be Feb. The differences between Type Cover 2 and Power cover is the thickness/weight of the Power Cover and it is not backlit like the Type 2. But it should extend the daily usage by several hours.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I wonder if they're different on the 1st gen Type keyboard, which is what I have? The buttons work fine for me - they have a positive "click" action and are 100% reliable.

Unfortunately, they are different.
Over all, the 2nd gen keyboards are an enormous improvement, lit keys and such.
But the touchpad definitely is a drop in quality.
The touchpad on the type cover is basically the same we had before on the touch cover gen 1. It's practical enough and no problem for my demands. But in direct comparison...
But: You still can buy the 1st gen cover...

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

So I succumbed when I went to buy some rechargeable batteries. I also brought home a Microsoft Surface Pro 2 (4MB RAM/ 128 MB SSD) and a Docking station. Have to admit it is a nice little tablet, comes with a fan, have yet to hear it. The Wacom digitizer is equal to the one on my Note 10.1 so that is good, actually the main reason I bought it, I want to to handwriting in OneNote.

It will be interesting, to compare WACOM on Surface Pro 2 to your Samsung Note.
Especially in the corners, the stylus on Surface Pro is not very precise, about 3mm off.
In comparison, the very same stylus on Dell Latitude 10 is way more accurate.
There are lots of tips about using more calibration points, but I don't see much improvement.
The WACOM FEEL driver didn't make much of a difference either.
It's no biggy for me, I'm only drafting handwritten notes in OneNote.
But if I would be into more accuracy...

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

I think I will. They didn't have any Type Cover, so I thought I might wait until the Power Cover is out and do a comparison then. Now it is just a tablet with a BT keyboard (MS Wedge). Im writing this using that combination. The new Touch Cover is supposedly an improvement, but obviously it doesn't have tactile feedback. Perhaps if I tested it for a while...

If you want to have the type cover, you should be able to get them from Germany.
I see tons of them in Media or Saturn Markt and you can order online from those.
IMHO either the touch or the type cover is a must. I find them a stroke of genius. Absolutely flawless (maybe with the slight exception of the touchpad, but that's not too important for a tablet).

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

Unfortunately, they are different.
Over all, the 2nd gen keyboards are an enormous improvement, lit keys and such.
But the touchpad definitely is a drop in quality.
The touchpad on the type cover is basically the same we had before on the touch cover gen 1. It's practical enough and no problem for my demands. But in direct comparison...
But: You still can buy the 1st gen cover...

Thank you - that explains why I've not experienced the reported issues with it.

[WillysJeepMan]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

If you want to have the type cover, you should be able to get them from Germany.
I see tons of them in Media or Saturn Markt and you can order online from those.
IMHO either the touch or the type cover is a must. I find them a stroke of genius. Absolutely flawless (maybe with the slight exception of the touchpad, but that's not too important for a tablet).

I agree. The Type Cover is fantastic. I can type at full speed on it.

For those with a non-Pro Surface, if you're looking to do pen stuff, avoid the typical rubber tip / foam tip capacitive styli. They don't work very well on the Surface. Microsoft apparently uses a lower resolution capacitive matrix to register touches... that's fine for fingertip use, but not so good for stylus use.

A side by side comparison between my Surface RT and iPad 4 with cheap stylus use is terrible. The Surface falls very short. However...

I have found that the Adonit Jot (doesn't need to be the Pro model) does a terrific job on the Surface... still not quite as good as the iPad 4, but definitely fine. ($15 @ Walmart.com).

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by WillysJeepMan

...I have found that the Adonit Jot (doesn't need to be the Pro model) does a terrific job on the Surface... still not quite as good as the iPad 4, but definitely fine. ($15 @ Walmart.com).

I had considered the Adonit Jot a year ago for my iPad 3.
But then I've read lots of reviews, end consumers experiencing scratches of the display.
Some of those statements: http://www.amazon.com/Adonit-Point-S...owViewpoints=0
Do you use a protective foil? Any worries about scratches?

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

... The differences between Type Cover 2 and Power cover is the thickness/weight of the Power Cover and it is not backlit like the Type 2...

No backlit? Definitely? I hadn't heard of that. Good to know. Now, that I have experienced the gen2 covers, I wouldn't want to miss the backlit.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'll probably be visiting the US again at some point this summer, so I'll probably buy one there, if I find myself within reach of a Microsoft Store.

Yeah, lotsa luck with that. I'm STILL trying to find the one I want. STILL. Even Microsoft's own site says, "out of stock." Since bloody Halloween (Oct 31).

Want. To. Scream.

Hitch the Cranky

[Kumabjorn]

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

You got a Surface Dock? In Sweden? We were originally told they wouldnt be available until Feb. but one day in November you could buy them through the web site. They havent been available since.

Edit- No the power covers aren't available yet. Also supposed to be Feb. The differences between Type Cover 2 and Power cover is the thickness/weight of the Power Cover and it is not backlit like the Type 2. But it should extend the daily usage by several hours.

That was a big surprise, why include backlighting on the cheaper covers
and then forego it on the most expensive? Doesn't make sense.

Originally Posted by mgmueller

No backlit? Definitely? I hadn't heard of that. Good to know. Now, that I have experienced the gen2 covers, I wouldn't want to miss the backlit.

They had a demo Type Cover and the tactile feedback was surprisingly good considering the limited depth. I think backlighting is more important than extra power, on a long flight I could just bring an extra power brick. A nice feature it's that the charger has a USB port, I thought it would function as a USB hub, but it only works as a USB power source.

[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?

[Kumabjorn]

The Pro runs regular Windows 8.1 Pro 64 bit, so anything you can run on your desktop you can run on a Surface Pro. In reality though there will be limitations due to the screen size. Being used to zoom from Android it was disappointing to not being able to do that, also I don't think you want to do any video editing on it. You can do it, I just think it would be very frustrating.
On the positive side is regular USB port and mini Display Port so you can expand I it to be as functional as your desktop, something you won't find on other tablets.

[mgmueller]

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?

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.

[Kumabjorn]

Not that I have had time to try it yet, but with the Docking Station and an external monitor it might be a useful singular device. But then the 8 GB RAM and 256 GB SSD would be the minimum configuration.

[WillysJeepMan]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

I had considered the Adonit Jot a year ago for my iPad 3.
But then I've read lots of reviews, end consumers experiencing scratches of the display.
Some of those statements: http://www.amazon.com/Adonit-Point-S...owViewpoints=0
Do you use a protective foil? Any worries about scratches?

I've read those reports on the Adonit Jot. There's a lot of misinformation and perhaps downright deliberately misleading information about the Jot.

One guy repeatedly claimed that the Jot scratched his screen. He even posted pictures of the scratches. He said it was the screen itself, but it was obvious from the cloudiness, numerous scratches, and... wait for it... air bubbles that it was his screen PROTECTOR that got scratched, not the screen itself.

Another guy stored his Jot in his bag WITHOUT the protective aluminum screw-on cap, the plastic disk cracked and fell off but the guy didn't know it and attempted to use the Jot against the screen with just the metal nub, which DID scratch the screen.

And there are other reports of scratches that are legitimate... in that they used the Jot and ended up getting the screen scratched. But it was due to a piece of grit or sand (either on the screen itself or attached to the plastic disc). This could happen, though less likely, with a rubber or foam tip stylus as well.

I use the Jot on my iPad 4 and my Surface RT, neither of which have screen protectors (I do use a smart cover for the iPad4 and TypeCover for the RT).

Both screens are just fine.

Oh, for anyone interested in the Surface RT.... Microsoft is selling Mfg-refurbed models on ebay for $169....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Windows-Surf...-/181303933838

I bought one from the same seller (Microsoft partner) back on Labor Day for $199. That was with a Touch Cover, but for $169 it is a screaming deal IMO... If just for MS Office and surfing.