When it comes to tablets, I have yet to find one that can meet all my needs. Whether simply writing a word document, posting information on our website (Canadian Online Gamers), uploading a video, or reading an eBook, I have yet to find a tablet that can do it all. That is until now. Over the past couple of weeks, I have been lucky enough to demo Microsoft’s highly touted Surface Pro. What makes it different from other ‘run of the mill’ tablets is that the Microsoft’s Surface Pro is not only a tablet but is also a full powered laptop computer. It is the best of both worlds and as far as tablets go it is easily the best one I have ever put my hands on. Despite this, it has some limitations and there were some aspects of the Surface Pro that left me a little frustrated. Yet at the end of the day, the future is bright for the Surface Pro and I really cannot wait to see what the second generation of this table/computer hybrid will have to offer.
Under the hood the Surface Pro sports an Intel Core i5-3317U 1.7 GHZ processor. So as far as tablets go the Surface Pro is about as good as it gets as far as performance is concerned and I was certainly impressed with its speed. Accessing web pages, downloading apps and opening office documents occurred much faster than I expected. Compared to my ASUS Terminator Tablet, the Surface Pro outperformed it in the speed department. Loading games also occurred without a hitch. Granted some of the power house games like Skyrim or Simcity take some time, and they are quite playable, but games like Plants vs. Zombies and Candy Crush loaded and ran quite smoothly given the nature of their processing need.
The Surface Pro has 4 GB of RAM and comes in both a 64GB version for around $900.00 MSRP and a128GB version for around $1000.00 MSRP. I cannot see many wasting their time with the 64GB version, as frankly that is simply not enough storage in this day and age. Your best bet is the 128GB version which understandably is not exactly cheap. When you factor in that the Surface Pro does not come with Microsoft Office and does not include a keyboard, the Surface Pro is an expensive investment. If Microsoft wanted to sell a crap load of Pro’s, including a keyboard cover and/or MS Office with the unit would have been a smart business move in my view. Sure it would have cost them some money but it likely would have landed more units in households. When you consider the Surface RT includes a MS Office suite I am left a little puzzled why something like this was left off the table when the Surface Pro hit retail. In any event, those are just a couple of things you need to take into consider when budgeting to purchase a Surface Pro.
The Surface Pro has a beautiful 10.6″screen. I was simply blown away with how good images and websites looked on the screen. Our own website, Canadian Online Gamers, looked especially sharp on the screen, as did everything else I surfed. Everything is vibrant and images pop off the screen. Compared to my ASUS tablet, the Surface Pro wins again. The Surface Pro screen runs at 1920×1080 with a 208 ppi pixel density. It is also designed with a 16:9 aspect ratio. So it is perfect for watching movies and streaming your favorite TV show.
The Surface Pro has Bluetooth 4.0 technology and there are two cameras that both shoot 720p HD video. The 720p HD video is perfect for Skyping or video chat but it is not something you will use as a primary device for recording video. Then again, I don’t see many people using their tablets as a video recorder anyhow, so I can certainly understand why a high end HD recorder was left off the table. Also, the Pro does not include a high-megapixel camera either (1.0 megapixel), so if you are thinking of taking a lot of pictures with the Surface Pro you may just want to re-think this notion.
The Surface Pro has one USB port and a port for connecting a second monitor which is a nice feature to have for those, like myself, who like to use two monitors for email, posting to a website and writing reviews. I should also mention there is a MicroSDXC included for adding more storage. One thing that struck me was why there is only one USB hub. Having a few ports for plugging in flash drives, and even plugging in a wireless mouse, would have been beneficial. Simply put, I found the one USB port to be a disappointment. Granted there aren’t many tablets out there that have more than one USB hub; however, you do not see many laptops with less than 2 ports. You’ll have to use a USB Port hub for more then one device. Likewise I was disappointed there was no ethernet cable jack. I can’t count how many hotels I have stayed at over the years where the wireless internet flat-out stinks. I often find I must hard-wire my laptop for stability. Well sadly if you need to do this you’ll have to carry and use a USB Ethernet adapter and eat up that one USB port.
The Surface Pro is thicker than most tablets and is heavier weighing in at around 2 lbs. Granted it is thinner than most Ultrabooks, but as far as tablets go the Surface Pro is easily the heaviest and thickest I have experienced to date. Yet this is not all that surprising given what is inside the Pro. Overall, it has a pretty slick design and is a nice looking chassis. The VaporMG casing adds a bit of style and was nice to hold. The included kickstand is very handy as I tend to prefer to put tablets on countertops. Our Editor in Chief has the Surface RT and he swears that the Pro as a bit more of a “lean angle” to it. That being said, I was disappointed I could not adjust the angle of the stand. When I put the Surface Pro on a coffee table, I literally had to slouch over to look at it which resulted in a neck cramp.
As I mentioned a keyboard is not included with the Surface Pro so you will have to take $120 dollar plunge to pick up the Touch Cover or $140 for the Type Cover. That being said, you can also use a Bluetooth keyboard if you have one. As for Microsoft’s solution, the Type Cover was my personal preference as it has a keyboard with actual keys and it also doubles as a decent cover for your Pro. The Type Cover is simply fantastic as the keys feel terrific and very responsive. The Touch Cover on the other hand takes some getting used to, as the keys are touch sensitive. It can also be used as a cover. Typing on the touch sensitive keys can be pretty responsive, and some say they can get speeds similar to the Type Cover, but personally I found that this ‘keyboard’ is not much of a departure from typing on the actual Surface Pro screen itself. Both Touch and Type Covers have a nifty little track pad located just below the keys that is also touch sensitive and remarkably responsive. You can scroll with this trackpad but you cannot use edge gestures like you can with other trackpads on the market.
A slick little feature when it comes to the Touch and Type Cover is the magnetic fashion the keyboard clips onto the Surface Pro. The magnets keep the keyboard aligned properly and secure. The same types of magnets are used for clipping in the charger as well, but they are on the side. Again, our Editor-in-Chief who has the Surface RT noted that the chargers are different given the power needs are different between the Pro and the RT. The charging system is certainly neat and there is a tiny LED light is located on the charge cable itself. Unfortunately the Surface itself does not have a charge light indicator so you do have to rely on looking at the tiny little light located on the charge cable.
As for the battery life, the Surface Pro does not deliver as well as other tablets. You get around 5-hours charge life which is slightly better than my old ASUS netbook but not even close to my ASUS tablet. I would have preferred 8-10 hours of charge life so I don’t have to worry about charging it at the airport; however, I suspect the Surface Pro 2 will have much better battery charge life. Regardless, the battery life as it stands today is well less than stellar.
The Surface Pro comes with its own pressure sensitive stylus pen. It magnetically connects to the tablet when not in use. This storage option is a nice temporary spot when you are not using a pen but I would have much preferred a 3DS-like slot where I could tuck the pen away. My concern is that if I have to throw my Surface into a bag or if it rubs against something that pen will absolutely drop and I envision losing it in no time flat. The pen itself however is quite brilliant. It is very sensitive and accurate when it came to writing on the screen and sketching. Needless to say, I was very impressed with the responsiveness of the stylus and can see graphic artists, or any job that involves drawing, using this option a lot.
There is no question Microsoft’s Surface Pro is one impressive little machine. You get the full Windows 8 experience with an Intel Core i5 processor essentially giving you a PC experience but in a well-designed and sharp looking tablet. Everything from the fantastic looking screen to the processing power of the Surface Pro, it is indeed a tablet you should be happy with for years to come. This being said, the Surface Pro is expensive and will cost you a pretty penny by the time you pick up Office and a keyboard cover, and the battery life is not as optimal as one may hope. Yet there is no question Microsoft has successfully managed to crank out a sweet tablet aimed for a market for those who not only want a tablet that rivals the iPad, but one that is more far more powerful and something they can use professionally.
