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Surface pro WAY under appreciated

chucky79

New Member
I just have to say that after reading all the press about the surface pro as well as what people say about it on some forum sites and I think the surface pro is really under appreciated. I have been for the past three years been using an i7 quad core Sony Vaio 17" laptop with 8gbs of ram. I recently finally got my hands on a surface pro 128gb and have since replaced my work laptop with the surface pro. Right now (as I am typing) I have my surface pro hooked up to an external monitor via the mini displayport (which i might add I have done using an APPLE MINI DISPLAYPORT DONGLE) with a USB hub hooked up powering external hard drives, keyboard, mouse etc. This thing is amazing! Not only do I not notice a difference whatsoever between using my laptop and the surface pro, I find that the Surface pro runs programs aster! I use office quite alot for my job, so I have office 2013 and the surface pro runs it flawlessly (like I said much faster then my quad core laptop). Also, the pro tablet runs diablo 3 at nearly maximal settings. After searching around some i found some articles stating the pro tablet could run AAA games like borderlands 2 and portal. Basically the pro tablet at work functions as a desktop PC and at home and traveling functions as an ultrabook/tablet hybrid.

I just think most of this can be attributed to really bad advertising by Microsoft....those commercials they have for the surface pro do not adequately illustrate the capabilities of this "tablet".
 

ArnoldC

New Member
<snip>I just think most of this can be attributed to really bad advertising by Microsoft....those commercials they have for the surface pro do not adequately illustrate the capabilities of this "tablet".

I still don't get it, those two ads (RT and Pro dancing teens and pros) :lol:
 

zhenya

Active Member
(Irony of ironies - I cannot respond to posts here with the Surface on-screen keyboard - it pops up and disappears...)

Anyhow, what scaling factor are you using on the Surface? This seems to me the biggest limitation right now to using this as a desktop machine that can double as a tablet. That and the fact that I will need to be able to run two external monitors.

Personally I'm not yet convinced that adding the tablet features to a laptop is worth the compromises compared to a decent ultrabook.
 

J515OP

Super Moderator
(Irony of ironies - I cannot respond to posts here with the Surface on-screen keyboard - it pops up and disappears...)

Not irony, known site issue ;) There are several threads dealing with how to correct it but basically all you need to do is activate compatibility mode in the desktop IE to fix.

Anyhow, what scaling factor are you using on the Surface? This seems to me the biggest limitation right now to using this as a desktop machine that can double as a tablet.

Not sure how this is a limitation exactly. Scaling defaults to 150% which seems to be working fine for most people using it as a tablet. To use as a docked desktop or gaming device the scaling can be quickly and easily changed to meet those needs.

That and the fact that I will need to be able to run two external monitors.

This is possible and there is a thread on it, use the forum search. (One through the display port and one through the USB.)

Personally I'm not yet convinced that adding the tablet features to a laptop is worth the compromises compared to a decent ultrabook.

Adding tablet features to a laptop? Not sure what you mean by this. The only "tablet" feature is that the keyboard is removable (by definition making it a tablet and not a laptop). Touch? On laptops and desktops. Stylus? On laptops. Basically the Surface Pro is exactly an ultrabook with a detachable keyboard which most people view as a benefit not a compromise from a traditional ultrabook.

If the comment is solely about size well ultrabooks come in all different sized and the Surface Pro happens to be on the small end. If you need something larger you can always get a larger ultrabook but for people looking at the Surface Pro the small tablet size is a bonus not a compromise.
 

zhenya

Active Member
Not sure how this is a limitation exactly. Scaling defaults to 150% which seems to be working fine for most people using it as a tablet. To use as a docked desktop or gaming device the scaling can be quickly and easily changed to meet those needs.



This is possible and there is a thread on it, use the forum search. (One through the display port and one through the USB.)



Adding tablet features to a laptop? Not sure what you mean by this. The only "tablet" feature is that the keyboard is removable (by definition making it a tablet and not a laptop). Touch? On laptops and desktops. Stylus? On laptops. Basically the Surface Pro is exactly an ultrabook with a detachable keyboard which most people view as a benefit not a compromise from a traditional ultrabook.

If the comment is solely about size well ultrabooks come in all different sized and the Surface Pro happens to be on the small end. If you need something larger you can always get a larger ultrabook but for people looking at the Surface Pro the small tablet size is a bonus not a compromise.

Not having the ability to set separate scaling on separate monitors is a big deal. It's not quick and easy to change it. Once, no big deal. Multiple times per day as you disconnect/reconnect to a monitor? No way.

The Pro is for all intents an ultrabook in tablet form. As a result it compromises both experiences. The method of connecting the keyboard covers is great as a tablet, but mediocre as an ultrabook. The experience of using the Pro as a tablet is mediocre compared to dedicated tablets. That's all I meant.
 

Ashles

New Member
The Pro is for all intents an ultrabook in tablet form. As a result it compromises both experiences. The method of connecting the keyboard covers is great as a tablet, but mediocre as an ultrabook. The experience of using the Pro as a tablet is mediocre compared to dedicated tablets. That's all I meant.

I couldn't disagree more. I have been using the Pro for a couple of days and I am finding it excellent as either a laptop or a tablet. I'm not sure in what way as an ultrabook or tablet you find it 'mediocre' - can you expand on that? Have you used one?
 

zhenya

Active Member
I couldn't disagree more. I have been using the Pro for a couple of days and I am finding it excellent as either a laptop or a tablet. I'm not sure in what way as an ultrabook or tablet you find it 'mediocre' - can you expand on that? Have you used one?

I have one right here in front of me.

As an ultrabook it is unwieldy with a non-fixed keyboard and a single-screen angle. It really limits using it on anything but a flat surface, whereas a small laptop or ultrabook is easy to use on almost any surface.

As a tablet it is big, heavy and has short battery life. Windows 8 is still only half-way there for touch input. In the Modern interface available programs are limited in availability and function. Compared to the best tablets its touch response is poor (ability to reliably hit small targets, etc). Its wake time from sleep is fast for an ultrabook, but slow for a tablet.

I'm not saying that this doesn't invent a new niche that will be valuable for some users, but I do think that most people right now would have a better experience with a dedicated ultrabook and tablet. Eventually as Microsoft refines their software and the hardware gets to a point where this can be half the weight and twice the battery life, this kind of device will really take off.

For now I'm also picking up a Thinkpad Tablet 2 to compare and one will get returned.
 

J515OP

Super Moderator
If you are coming and going a lot it could be annoying and the Pro might not be the ideal device in that situation. See this thread here http://www.surfaceforums.net/forum/microsoft-surface-pro/3598-ext-screen-magnification.html. Hopefully a docking solution is in the future. As it is though you are going to have to pulg and unplug the USB, the monitors and probably the power. The resolution change is only one more part of the process but I don't see frequent coming and going being the best use case on any device without a proper dock. Maybe this is a generation 2 item if MS sees that there is a large demand for multi monitor setups with this form factor.

I don't think the keyboard makes the Pro a mediocre ultrabook. Is that all it takes is a bad keyboard to be a mediocre ultrabook? Many people find the touch cover sufficient for even heavy typing and if not there is the type cover which many people find to be one of the best keyboards they have ever used period. I might not get what you are saying but I just don't see how the keyboard makes the Pro a less than optimal ultrabook.

On the tablet front I suppose it does suffer some "compromises" in that it is not quite as small as a "typical" 10" tablet and it doesn't have "tablet" battery life. Over all though it is a PC in tablet form and the fact that you can use it touch only without a keyboard, in landscape and portrait mode and that it is the most mobile form factor of any other PC makes it a tablet in use case scenarios like no traditional laptop can.

I guess what I don't understand is that if you don't want these features then you shouldn't be looking at the Surface Pro. There are a lot of other options out there if you need a laptop or a tablet specifically. It certainly isn't going to be the right device for all people in all situations. At the end of the day though the Pro is by far the best device available that has the power of an ultrabook and the form of a tablet and there are only "compromises" if what you really need is something different than what the Pro offers.

It might be a half empty/half full type of thing. Some people see compromise and some see features. I would consider the multi monitor situation, single usb port, screen size, fixed memory, ethernet port, optical drive, weight and battery life compromises of size/form factor. You can't have all these things if you want a small, sleek form factor. I don't consider an alternative type of keyboard to be a compromise of an ultrabook though.

To me a compromises of an ultrabook would be missing things that make it an ultrabook, like using a less powerful processor (Atom or ARM), 1 or 2 GB of RAM, being too large (excessive weight or size) and a battery life of less than 3-4 hours. Things that would not be compromises of an ultrabook are things that are strictly related to form factor (loss of ports/drives, fixed memory, fixed battery) other than excessive size since portability is a hallmark of an ultrabook (otherwise it is called a desktop replacement ;)).

In my view the Surface Pro isn't lacking anything that makes an ultrabook what it is (a very portable, powerful computer with good battery life) so I don't see where it is compromised in that regard. Personally it doesn't fit my needs at the moment so I have the RT instead which would absolutely be a compromised ultrabook. That is ok with me though since it is a tablet in the sense of a small device with less processing power, longer battery and more portability than a PC/laptop, not in the sense of the overall form factor (let's not forget "tablet" PCs have been around for a long time it is only the very recent interpretation of the word "tablet" that means a class of devices smaller and less powerful than PCs/laptops).

Different points of view and devices for different people and uses :D


JP
 

PervySage

New Member
- web browsing was MADE for touch screens
- there's a learning curve, but typing in the touchpad without "click click clack" tactile keyboards is the pwn
 

zhenya

Active Member
If you are coming and going a lot it could be annoying and the Pro might not be the ideal device in that situation. See this thread here http://www.surfaceforums.net/forum/microsoft-surface-pro/3598-ext-screen-magnification.html. Hopefully a docking solution is in the future. As it is though you are going to have to pulg and unplug the USB, the monitors and probably the power. The resolution change is only one more part of the process but I don't see frequent coming and going being the best use case on any device without a proper dock. Maybe this is a generation 2 item if MS sees that there is a large demand for multi monitor setups with this form factor....

I have the advantage that my use of the Surface is for evaluation purposes to find out how these kind of devices might be useful to us. As a result I have to see a pretty compelling advantage over an alternative device.

Yes, it desperately needs a dock. You pay the price in weight and battery life to have a full-power computer; let's give us the ability to use it as our only computer.

The compromise vs. an ultrabook is not just the keyboard. As I said above, it is far less flexible in what surfaces it is usable on, and it doesn't really have the ability to drive two monitors yet (usb is a poor work-around).

I'm not completely wedded to any final verdict here; I'm just giving observations of how my experience has been so far.
 

J515OP

Super Moderator
I'm just giving observations of how my experience has been so far.

Same here. Again, it may not be the right device for what you are looking for. In the case of screen angle and ability to use differently the Yoga is the one to beat. The multi monitor situation on the Pro is what it is and I am not sure how other ultrabooks handle this but certainly and enterprise type dock is going to be the way to go.

Ideapad-Yoga-11_08.jpgyoga13-21.jpg


Where the Pro is going to shine is in the ability to hold it as a tablet and its portability that way. Using the on screen keyboard one can make the argument that as a tablet it can be used in many situations there a traditional laptop can't; standing for example. Get outside the traditional laptop use case, docked at a desk or on your lap (who really uses laptops that way anyway? ;)) and it should shine. It is still the lightest and thinnest ultra book you can get. Benchmark wise it is also one of the most powerful currently out particularly at its size.


JP :D

Edit: There is no way they could possibly be holding the Yoga up like that in tablet mode. That would have to be the strongest grip in the world!
 
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