kevinlevrone
Active Member
Hello,
I got my Surface Pro 2 about 3 days ago. I know there are some people still looking for reviews of the SP2 (like I did until 2 weeks ago), so I thought I would write my own real-world use review. I would like to mention that so far very few tech reviewers really understood what this device is about and what to compare it to. This device can't be appreciated if you are using it for review purposes only. You can't just say "this is quite heavy at 2lbs compared to the iPad Air" without looking foolish (in my view, of course).
I am a programmer, I live in the Windows world (though I do own some Android and iOS devices), and I hated the fact that when I picked up one of my tablets I did not have my productivity tools with me (namely Visual Studio, SQL Server and some other stuff). Often times I want to stay in bed or on the couch and do some quick work, but it's just too cumbersome to bring my big laptop. So I thought, how about replacing all my tablets and laptops with only one device so my current device would also allow me to work when I feel I have the mood to do this even in my spare time ? So I had a good pretext to study available options and spend the money.
From all of these I felt that the Microsoft Surface is the most balanced for my needs. I have eliminated the Lenovo Yoga 11s (low resolution, underpowered processor, no backlit keyboard which is crucial when working in bed), Dell Venue 11 Pro (Y-series underpowered processor, no backlit keyboard), Sony Vaio Duo (stupid slider design wasting tons of space before other problems), Dell XPS 12 (this is actually very interesting but a bit too big and it seems that every unit has a screen image retention/ghosting problem - it's a pity, it looks like an ideal design for a laptop-first convertible) and Dell XPS 11 (Dell really blew this up, it was the perfectly sized and specced convertible until they decided to use a touch-only keyboard... incredible mistake).
So as strange as it seems, the Surface Pro 2 has the least amount of compromises.
I got a 256GB/8GB/4300U unit and I am incredibly happy with it after 3 days. I didn't have any hardware or software problems mentioned on this forum. It has taken over my laptop work brilliantly, the screen is big enough (I feared this) and I can use it instead of my tablets. I do realize now that in certain uses of the tablet mode it does feel a bit strange not necessarily because of the weight but because of the screen size and form factor. A 3:2 or 16:10 form factor would have been better than the 16:9, even in laptop mode.
The Type Cover 2 keyboard really is no different than a laptop keyboard. Keys are bigger than on my 14" laptop (!) and I can type significantly *faster*. Even the trackpad is great, is so small but somehow it is incredibly precise (I did get a Bluetooth mouse which does make a positive difference). The keyboard to surface locking mechanism is brilliant too. You just throw it at the tablet and it just finds the right spot to connect without me fiddling with it.
The screen exceeds my expectations. Text is very easy to read and the ClearType works surprisingly well. Also very bright and well calibrated, lacking the yellow tint of some other tablets (like the Nexus 7 and Dell Venue 8 Pro that I have).
Battery life is worlds apart from what I used until now. It seems to be lasting about 8 hours of work, not much less than my Dell Venue 8 Pro or Nexus 7.
The speakers are one area that really blew me away. I don't use the speakers much, but these sound extremely good. Not necessarily the bass or volume, but the stereo spatiality and clarity is astonishing. YouTube music sounds great. That "Dolby" thing is not just a marketing gimmick.
I got a MoKo Slim case for the Surface and I can say it's about the perfect case albeit a little bulky. It is perfectly thought out, no complains at all. I had some similar ones on a previous Nexus 7 and an iPad Retina and the cases that only cover the corners of the tablet are best for me.
About the price: the price is definitely much higher than it should be and it took me some time to accept spending all this money. But it is higher because no other manufacturer managed to really match the Surface Pro 2 in all the key areas, I don't have a truly viable alternative right now.
All in all I am extremely happy with the Surface Pro 2 and it accomplishes my goals of extending my working time by replacing the (pretty useless) tablets and bringing my productivity tools wherever I go.
My wishes for a future Surface Pro 3:
- Thinner bezels but the same size (or even smaller !)
- Thinner tablet by 1-2mm (if possible given the state of technology at that time)
- 16:10 or 3:2 form factor
- Full-size sd card reader.
That's it, thanks for reading
I got my Surface Pro 2 about 3 days ago. I know there are some people still looking for reviews of the SP2 (like I did until 2 weeks ago), so I thought I would write my own real-world use review. I would like to mention that so far very few tech reviewers really understood what this device is about and what to compare it to. This device can't be appreciated if you are using it for review purposes only. You can't just say "this is quite heavy at 2lbs compared to the iPad Air" without looking foolish (in my view, of course).
I am a programmer, I live in the Windows world (though I do own some Android and iOS devices), and I hated the fact that when I picked up one of my tablets I did not have my productivity tools with me (namely Visual Studio, SQL Server and some other stuff). Often times I want to stay in bed or on the couch and do some quick work, but it's just too cumbersome to bring my big laptop. So I thought, how about replacing all my tablets and laptops with only one device so my current device would also allow me to work when I feel I have the mood to do this even in my spare time ? So I had a good pretext to study available options and spend the money.
From all of these I felt that the Microsoft Surface is the most balanced for my needs. I have eliminated the Lenovo Yoga 11s (low resolution, underpowered processor, no backlit keyboard which is crucial when working in bed), Dell Venue 11 Pro (Y-series underpowered processor, no backlit keyboard), Sony Vaio Duo (stupid slider design wasting tons of space before other problems), Dell XPS 12 (this is actually very interesting but a bit too big and it seems that every unit has a screen image retention/ghosting problem - it's a pity, it looks like an ideal design for a laptop-first convertible) and Dell XPS 11 (Dell really blew this up, it was the perfectly sized and specced convertible until they decided to use a touch-only keyboard... incredible mistake).
So as strange as it seems, the Surface Pro 2 has the least amount of compromises.
I got a 256GB/8GB/4300U unit and I am incredibly happy with it after 3 days. I didn't have any hardware or software problems mentioned on this forum. It has taken over my laptop work brilliantly, the screen is big enough (I feared this) and I can use it instead of my tablets. I do realize now that in certain uses of the tablet mode it does feel a bit strange not necessarily because of the weight but because of the screen size and form factor. A 3:2 or 16:10 form factor would have been better than the 16:9, even in laptop mode.
The Type Cover 2 keyboard really is no different than a laptop keyboard. Keys are bigger than on my 14" laptop (!) and I can type significantly *faster*. Even the trackpad is great, is so small but somehow it is incredibly precise (I did get a Bluetooth mouse which does make a positive difference). The keyboard to surface locking mechanism is brilliant too. You just throw it at the tablet and it just finds the right spot to connect without me fiddling with it.
The screen exceeds my expectations. Text is very easy to read and the ClearType works surprisingly well. Also very bright and well calibrated, lacking the yellow tint of some other tablets (like the Nexus 7 and Dell Venue 8 Pro that I have).
Battery life is worlds apart from what I used until now. It seems to be lasting about 8 hours of work, not much less than my Dell Venue 8 Pro or Nexus 7.
The speakers are one area that really blew me away. I don't use the speakers much, but these sound extremely good. Not necessarily the bass or volume, but the stereo spatiality and clarity is astonishing. YouTube music sounds great. That "Dolby" thing is not just a marketing gimmick.
I got a MoKo Slim case for the Surface and I can say it's about the perfect case albeit a little bulky. It is perfectly thought out, no complains at all. I had some similar ones on a previous Nexus 7 and an iPad Retina and the cases that only cover the corners of the tablet are best for me.
About the price: the price is definitely much higher than it should be and it took me some time to accept spending all this money. But it is higher because no other manufacturer managed to really match the Surface Pro 2 in all the key areas, I don't have a truly viable alternative right now.
All in all I am extremely happy with the Surface Pro 2 and it accomplishes my goals of extending my working time by replacing the (pretty useless) tablets and bringing my productivity tools wherever I go.
My wishes for a future Surface Pro 3:
- Thinner bezels but the same size (or even smaller !)
- Thinner tablet by 1-2mm (if possible given the state of technology at that time)
- 16:10 or 3:2 form factor
- Full-size sd card reader.
That's it, thanks for reading
