Microsoft Surface Pro Pro Reviews

The best Windows 8 tablet, but battery life isn't great and you have to factor in the cost of a keyboard

Pro is a unique device in a category of it's own. It's not really a tablet nor is it really a notebook. Those who are looking for a device where they can read ebooks, play Angry Birds, surf the web, and watch countless hours of Netflix on the go should stick with the Apple iPad. If you are looking for an ultraportable notebook, there are many cheaper options out there with better hardware. In my opinion, having a pair of device like an iPad and a MacBook Air is still the best solution for the mainstream. HOWEVER... If you are the type of person that needs a powerful-yet-portable notebook and also needs tablet capabilities, then there really is no better solution. For instance, I work a lot on charts, sales reports, PowerPoint presentations, and I also do a lot of writing on the side (such as this article). I need a full working suite of Microsoft Office, plus Photoshop/Lightroom. I can work on a lot of heavy projects all on one device with as many windows and applications running at the same time, and when I am ready to share with my boss or co-workrs, or take notes in a meeting, I can easily take off the keyboard and go into the next office. This is also a great device to get documents signed especially with the Surface Pen.

We're still completely enraptured by the idea of a full-featured device that can properly straddle the disparate domains of lean-forward productivity and lean-back idleness. Sadly, we're still searching for the perfect device and OS combo that not only manages both tasks, but excels at them. The Surface Pro comes about as close as we've yet experienced, but it's still compromised at both angles of attack. When trying to be productive, we wished we had a proper laptop and, when relaxing on the couch, we wished we had a more finger-friendly desktop interface -- though more native Windows 8 apps might solve the problem by keeping us from having to even go there. That it offers compatibility with the massive back-catalog of Windows apps gives this a strong leg up over the earlier Surface RT, but the thickness, heft and battery life are big marks against. We're confident Microsoft will keep refining Windows 8 to make the OS as a whole more seamlessly tablet-friendly, and we look forward to testing the dozens of touch-friendly hybrid and convertible devices due this year, but sadly Microsoft's second tablet doesn't have us reaching for our credit cards. Not quite yet.

It's been almost a week since the Microsoft Surface Pro landed in the Lint's UK offices, during which time it's seen non-stop use. We've been eager toSurface Pro becomes more than a list of pros and cons after a proper period of use, as much as we've been towing and froing between the highs and lows a week of use has brought with it. Despite its sizeable list of downsides, you know what, we've still enjoyed using Surface Pro as much as, if not more than, similar tablet devices. Yes it's expensive and it's fatter than a tablet, but then it's a different prospect to the latter. We're not over the fact that a keyboard isn't included in the price, but for a powerful tablet PC it's got a whole lot on offer. Specs aren't something we've got weighed down in throughout this review, simply because the 4GB of RAM and 1.7Ghz Intel Core i5 processor aren't things that can be changed. Indeed Surface is a locked-down bit of kit. Perhaps too much so, but then that's just how it is. When that comes to reflecting its "Pro" name it goes two ways: while it might well kick an iPad's ass on the power front, it's still less powerful than similar-price Ultrabooks and there's no GPU grunt to speak of. It's not quite at that all-round cater-for-all point just yet.

Microsoft conjures up a stylish, powerful Windows 8 tablet that remains desirable despite its flaws

Microsoft's attempt to do combine a tablet and an Ultrabook has been a success in every respect when it comes to the Surface Pro. The significantly improved processing power, which is effectively identical to that of an Ultrabook, comes at the expense of not entirely negligible disadvantages though. In terms of the mobility, a comparison to the established tablet rivals reveals a considerable requirement to compromise, while the battery life is about half as long and the weight twice as heavy. The actively cooled system also provides some additional disadvantages, which primarily manifest themselves as an ever present fan sound when the system is utilized.

The Microsoft Surface Pro was designed to give users a true tablet experience AND a true PC experience with a surprisingly powerful hardware. In that regards, there are no compromises and both goals are achieved rather nicely. Now, you need to look at this through the prism of your own user experience and determine if the ratio between Windows compatibility, size & weight and apps availability works for your particular case. In any case, I strongly recommend using one of the cover Keyboards if you want to have the best experience with the Surface Pro. Many apps (games) require the ESC button… In my opinion, this is a great machine for folks who mainly want an ultra-portable and 100% PC-compatible device that can deal with everything work will throw at them. For this, I’m confident that there is simply nothing better out there. You get the real Outlook and any other PC app that your company may require, including exotic VPN accesses, printer drivers etc. This *is* a PC. The ultra-productive and solid design will complement the software capabilities perfectly.

At the end of the day I found it difficult to recommend Surface RT because I knew faster hardware was less than a year away. Surface Pro is an easier recommendation simply because you don’t have to wait for the Windows ecosystem to mature, you can already run all of your existing PC apps on the platform and it’s competitive with other Ultrabooks in terms of performance. If you’re shopping for an Ultrabook today and want that tablet experience as well, Surface Pro really is the best and only choice on the market. If however you do a lot of typing in your lap and in weird positions, a conventional notebook is better suited for you. The same goes for if you’re considering a tablet for reasons like all-day battery life or having something that’s super thin and light. Surface Pro is probably the best foot forward towards converging those two usage models, but it’s not perfect for everyone yet.

Microsoft’s Surface Pro is a bold move. By jumping into the tablet business, the company is attempting to counter the “post-PC” era by guiding consumers towards a future where PCs are different, but still dominated by Windows. We think the idea is sound. The finished product? Not so much. There’s little to like about the Pro. The display is good but not exceptional, connectivity is poor, design is ho-hum, ergonomics is an issue, performance is average, and battery life is below par. We do think the Pro’s well built and quick enough for most users, but the same can be said of almost every Ultrabook and convertible on the market today. While the Pro is small, form factor can’t be entirely blamed for its woes. Acer’s Iconia W700, which offers a slightly larger 11.6-inch display, beats the Surface in many categories. Battery life, display quality, connectivity, heat, and noise – all of these battles are won by the Iconia. And then Acer rubs dirt in Microsoft’s wound by selling the 64GB version, with keyboard and dock in the box, for $790 online. Ouch! We see no reason why the Surface Pro can’t work in theory, but, as currently sold, it fails to solve any problem for any user. The device’s high price is only the final nail in a coffin already strapped, wielded, and chained shut.

Now this is a tough pickle on our hands, seeing that there’s an obvious gap in terms of pricing with the two tablets. At the very least, the iPad 4 can be bought for $500, which is significantly easier on the pockets over the $900 cost of the Microsoft Surface Pro. On one side, we have a very mature tablet platform that’s rich with an ecosystem of useful third party apps, while on the other, we have the newcomer in Windows 8 on the Surface Pro. Although it’s lacking a healthy selection of touch/tablet optimized apps at the moment, we remind ourselves that the Surface Pro is running a full desktop operating system – meaning, we have access to a trove of software support. Here’s the deal. If you’re willing to spend the extra cash and looking for an all-in-one solution, we highly recommend getting the Microsoft Surface Pro, since it’ll basically replace a laptop – while at the same time giving us the comforts of a tablet experience too. Additionally, it’s also more versatile in the fact that it’s armed with all the components we’d typically find on a laptop, plus, it comes with a useful pressure sensitive stylus as well. Knowing that it’s still portable enough to travel around with, it’s something that’s more suited for those looking to get some serious work done on the road. No doubt, there’s more of a productivity aspect seen with Microsoft’s slate, but the iPad 4 has that awesome balance between price point, quality construction, and a lively ecosystem of apps support. As a content consumptive device, it’s perfect with its consistent performance and vast collection of multimedia content. And as we’ve seen too, it’s able to capture the better looking photos and videos. If you’re currently pleased with your computer/notebook, the iPad 4 is a perfect complementary thing to pick up – and you won’t have to fork out a fortune on it!

Surface Pro is the best Windows tablet, but depending on your needs, it may not be the best Windows 8 hybrid for you.

The Surface Pro is the best Windows tablet we've used. It also makes a pretty good laptop. But as a tablet it's not match for the best iOS or Android devices, and as a Windows laptop it can't compete with Ultrabooks. It's portability and performance will be perfect for a few, and okay for most. So that makes it a good but not perfect device, which feels about right as a verdict.

It's been several months after the release of the Surface RT, and it's unknown how well Microsoft's slate was able to penetrate the market, since the Redmond based company hasn't been vocal about actual sales numbers. Regardless, it was something that Microsoft was banking on to take on some of the titans in the industry, but as we've witnessed, its fortunes have been unseen. In fact, the more that it's analyzed, it's fighting competition from tablets running rival platforms – as well from its own group in the Windows RT camp. However, we all knew that it was only a matter of time before the Microsoft Surface Pro would be released. So, here we are now, in the presence of the fully equipped Surface Pro, which is sporting a higher starting price point of $899 for the 64GB version – while the 128GB model will set you back $999. In our recent history of tablets, those figures would spell instant death, since we normally perceive top-tiered tablets edging out at around the $500 mark. However, this isn't your typical tablet, especially when its guts are more ultrabook-like, which warrants the higher price point. Solely as a tablet, the one advantage it has over its brethren is the rich productivity aspect it offers over the crop – albeit, it's not the only Windows 8 tablet in town. And knowing how quickly things move in the industry, it wouldn't surprise us to find one of Microsoft's many partners to deliver that killer Windows 8 tablet

The Surface RT was riddled with compromises, from the odd omissions — five-finger multitouch rather than ten — to the dealbreaking performance problems. The Surface Pro has none of those. It's as fast, consistent, and capable as any ultrabook I've tested in the last several months, and from a touch and responsiveness standpoint may be the best I've used. It has no confusing app incompatibilies, no weird performance issues. Sure, it's heavier and thicker than the Surface RT and has frustratingly poor battery life, but it's worth both the tradeoff and the extra expense. If you're going to buy a Surface, buy the Surface Pro. Period. (And buy the 128GB model.) But if you're going to buy a $900 tablet, get the decked-out iPad with LTE and 128GB of storage, and if you're going to buy a Windows laptop, check out the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga or the Dell XPS 12. Which leads me back to the same question Josh asked about the Surface RT: who is this for? Even a well-executed Surface still doesn't work for me, and I'd bet it doesn't work for most other people either. It's really tough to use on anything but a desk, and the wide, 16:9 aspect ratio pretty severely limits its usefulness as a tablet anyway. It's too big, too fat, and too reliant on its power cable to be a competitive tablet, and it's too immutable to do everything a laptop needs to do. In its quest to be both, the Surface is really neither. It's supposed to be freeing, but it just feels limiting.

The Microsoft Surface Windows 8 Pro is the Windows 8 slate tablet to beat when you need the performance and convenience of a PC in a compact tablet form factor.

If it fits your professional needs, you'll at least want to consider it. Same goes if you have enough scratch to take a flyer on a secondary computer (that also happens to represent the future of computing). For anyone else, the Surface Pro probably isn't worth it. The Surface Pro is ultimately the best answer to questions a lot of people haven't bothered asking yet. That's different from being extraneous—it's more like being the girl who shows up 30 minutes early to every party—but it still means the Pro isn't for everyone. For a lot of you, a thick, superpowered tablet isn't necessary, and a laptop-like (and laptop-priced) machine that makes it harder to bang out emails, IMs, and tweets while on the couch or in bed is nothing you're interested in.

With a new 128GB iPad with Retina display on the scene, it’s easy to make comparisons between Apple’s tablet and the Surface Pro. In practice, however, they’re very different beasts. The iPad is focused resolutely on the mass market, and if you want one you have to be willing to concede to Apple’s Way: their decision about what apps are worthy of the App Store, their decision about what accessories can be used, their decision about what, exactly, you can do with the tablet you just spent more than a few hundred dollars on. In contrast, the Surface Pro is a paragon of freedom. If you have unusual requests of it, you can probably find the software and/or hardware to achieve them. It is, after all, a touchscreen ultrabook wearing a different costume. If you actually need a full Windows PC that you can strum with your fingers is the question. Not being limited to pared-down versions of apps is a big bonus if there’s particular software you need access to; however, that flexibility comes with its fair share of compromises, such as the limitations on battery life compared to ARM-based slates, the increase in bulk, and the higher price.

We've already seen a number of hybrid and convertible laptop/tablet designs from Microsoft's usual hardware partners, including the Lenovo Yoga 11S, the HP EliteBook Revolve, and the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix, not to mention more experimental gaming-centric devices like the Razer Edge. And, with Intel's newer processors on the horizon, you'd have to wonder whether the Surface Pro could be refreshed to benefit from even more tablet-ready CPUs. The Surface Pro will compete with those devices and others. But, based on how good that Type Cover is and how good the Surface Pro's screen feels -- not to mention its small size -- the Surface Pro seems well-positioned to rise to the top of the pack. From the moment the Surface was announced, the real killer feature was the Type Cover. The success or failure of the Surface hinges on the ability of that cover to be comfortable and productive. And I think it is. It also draws power from the tablet, never needs recharging, and has a grip strong enough to hold the whole Surface tablet from the cover alone.