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geekhack Community => Other Geeky Stuff => Topic started by: thegunner100 on Tue, 05 February 2013, 07:13:16
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So who's interested in getting one? Anyone who has a Surface RT care to share their thoughts on it? I'm going to the MS store this saturday to check it out. Maybe if I like it enough, i'll buy it on the spot if there are any left.
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I think there will be plenty left. Price barrier is pretty high.
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It doesn't seem like MS has a lot of apps for Windows 8, so, not sure if it's a great deal. I purchased a Nexus 10 (Android) which is comparable to the Surface, and I love it. It really depends on what you plan on doing with it. There are lots of a Android apps, but again, because the Nexus is so new (like Surface) a lot of the apps are optimized mostly for phones, not tablets, so even with the Android store being filled with apps, only a precious few are really tablet-ready.
I only use mine as an e-reader, casual browsing and watching movies.
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I'm thinking of getting one partially because it's a full-fledged computer and partially because it's probably the heaviest and chunkiest tablet on the market. I have a knack for heavy and chunky electronics.
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I'm having trouble deciding between this and the Razer Edge. The Edge has more powerful hardware, and I love me some gaming, but the Surface Pro is just so sexy. Plus there's the Surface Type Cover, which is awesome.
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It doesn't seem like MS has a lot of apps for Windows 8, so, not sure if it's a great deal. I purchased a Nexus 10 (Android) which is comparable to the Surface, and I love it. It really depends on what you plan on doing with it. There are lots of a Android apps, but again, because the Nexus is so new (like Surface) a lot of the apps are optimized mostly for phones, not tablets, so even with the Android store being filled with apps, only a precious few are really tablet-ready.
I only use mine as an e-reader, casual browsing and watching movies.
The surface pro runs the full windows 8 pro, not a ARM based OS.
I'm having trouble deciding between this and the Razer Edge. The Edge has more powerful hardware, and I love me some gaming, but the Surface Pro is just so sexy. Plus there's the Surface Type Cover, which is awesome.
The Edge does indeed have some pretty nice hardware for gaming, but I rarely ever find myself playing games when im away from my desktop. I dont even have a laptop yet, so I think the Surface pro will be perfect for me.
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Poor Microsoft... :rolleyes:
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Well it looks like reviews are finally out! From the few that I've read, anandtech's seems to be the best so far. The major complain that most review sites have is the battery life. Won't be a problem for me since I don't plan on using the surface pro continuously for that long anyways.
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I was really tempted for the Pro like 2-3 months ago but after my few visits to the Microsoft store and playing with the RT I wasn't too impressed. Of course the Pro is running a complete different OS, I will still give it a chance and go play with it first before making my final decision but it's definitely not the "I gotta buy" mentality I had a few months back.
EDIT: I should note that the thing I was not impressed by was the smart cover I thought the keyboard was no go, maybe my expectation was high after hearing such great things from a few people but I didn't feel like it lived up to it.
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I'm excited, finally a tablet / laptop that does what I want.
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The biggest thing for me is it's an x86 tablet...with an i5...
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One thing bothers me - the 'mechanical' keyboard :-X
(http://i.imgur.com/FkZ1TKw.gif)
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It felt pretty nice to type on when I went to the Microsoft store yesterday to try out the Surface Pro. It's similar to laptop keyboards but much better imo.
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How can it be super-thin and lightweight, and at the same time mechanical??
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How can it be super-thin and lightweight, and at the same time mechanical??
Hence "Mechanical" In quotes. It's not a true mechanical keyboard, but scissorswitch keyboards are sometimes referred to as mechanical. Still, if it's a pleasure to type on, who REALLY cares if it's mechanical. The main reason I buy mechanicals is they feel good. I'm not going to exchange my mech for a chiclet keyboard anytime soon (because chiclet keyboards will never feel as good as mechanicals), but some feel pretty nice.
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It's a very cool product, i've used the RT, but personally, I have a Kindle Fire 8.9 (wife's technically) for eBooks, casual games and travel, and a desktop for gaming. That's all I need.
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I'm not a fan of it, but the part I really dislike is the use of the same name as the RT version. I can only imagine the confusion all of this will cause non-techie people.
"I have Microsoft Office, will it work on this?"
"Yes"
"Okay, I'll take the cheaper one"
"I'm sorry, it doesn't work on that."
"You just said it did. So you want to charge me $300 extra just to run office? Does it come with it?"
"No"
I also have yet to understand how MS thinks they will get away with charging more than an Ipad and as much as a sleek ultrabook, for what amounts to a Microsoft tablet with a rubbery keypad. Neither of which has been able to get a good foothold in the market.
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I was really tempted for the Pro like 2-3 months ago but after my few visits to the Microsoft store and playing with the RT I wasn't too impressed. Of course the Pro is running a complete different OS
Not to mention the RT is running an nVidia Tegra 3, whereas the Pro has a dual core i5. That's like comparing mobile apples to actual processor oranges.
I also have yet to understand how MS thinks they will get away with charging more than an Ipad and as much as a sleek ultrabook, for what amounts to a Microsoft tablet with a rubbery keypad. Neither of which has been able to get a good foothold in the market.
That's because it has comparable specs and performance to an ultrabook in a tablet form factor. I don't understand how you don't think it's impressive that they can put a 1920x1080 screen, i5, 128 gb ssd, and all the functionality of a desktop in a 10 inch form factor, and still have room for a decent battery. Never mind the fact that the case is a magnesium alloy that is far more durable than the aluminum used on the ipad, and most ultrabooks.
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I also have yet to understand how MS thinks they will get away with charging more than an Ipad and as much as a sleek ultrabook, for what amounts to a Microsoft tablet with a rubbery keypad. Neither of which has been able to get a good foothold in the market.
That's because it has comparable specs and performance to an ultrabook in a tablet form factor. I don't understand how you don't think it's impressive that they can put a 1920x1080 screen, i5, 128 gb ssd, and all the functionality of a desktop in a 10 inch form factor, and still have room for a decent battery. Never mind the fact that the case is a magnesium alloy that is far more durable than the aluminum used on the ipad, and most ultrabooks.
The average person doesn't know or even care how much or what type of metal is in their laptop or tablet, which is exactly why HP and Dell continue to sell computers that have less metal in them than an aluminum can. Yes, the hardware specs are impressive, somewhat, but have fun fixing it when it breaks. Tablets are extremely susceptible to screen damage. After having worked on an Ipad2, I wouldn't even try a Surface. Tons of glue and over 90screws... Sounds like a party! Also that 128gig drive is actually only 98 after you include Windows itself. The 64gig version also loses 30gigs to Windows.
Ultimately though, you missed my point, it wasn't the actual hardware I was complaining about.
MS tablets have never sold well. EVER. So what market did they aim for? Low end meant competing with Android, where there simply isn't much profit. Aiming for high end meant competing with Ipads, where the market is locked up. So MS decided to go even higher. Now stop and think for a second... Do you REALLY want to pay more for a Microsoft product than an Apple product? Really?
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the pro looks really nice to me. imo the breakthrough feature is digitizer resolution sufficient for pen-usage. i actually wish it had a nicer permanent keyboard rather than the snappy thing; basically i'm happy that it looks like it could be a real tablet (FINALLY) but i think it would be fine in an ultrabook form factor as well. hopefully partners will step in and fill this hole (or apple will start integrating high-res digitizers into the macbook retina line).
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I'm thinking I would rather use this with my Poker than a Thinkpad with its keyboard...IMHO us mechanical kb crazies should be x86 tablets' biggest advocates.
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what's the usb situation?
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It has 1x USB 3.0 port. Should be more than enough for any mech out there.
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that's pretty sweet
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The Type touch cover is actually pretty awesome - best scissor-switch I've used. It has a nice tactile snap to it.
I have a regular Surface and the build quality is awesome. Battery life and the weight of the Pro are a little offputting - I'll probably hold out for the next rev with the newer lower-power Intel chips then replace my Surface and laptop with one.
[)amien
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the pro looks really nice to me. imo the breakthrough feature is digitizer resolution sufficient for pen-usage. i actually wish it had a nicer permanent keyboard rather than the snappy thing; basically i'm happy that it looks like it could be a real tablet (FINALLY) but i think it would be fine in an ultrabook form factor as well. hopefully partners will step in and fill this hole (or apple will start integrating high-res digitizers into the macbook retina line).
It's a Wacom screen.
Wacom has been making them for years, look up Wacom Penabled. Penabled is the same technology as their professional graphics tablets. I have one on an old P4 Fujitsu Tablet that I use for graphics work, it was far cheaper than a full on drawing tablet.
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previous versions didn't combine a capacitive multi-touch layer though afaik. also, the drivers for this part of the device are brand new, and not wacom sourced. the screen, by the way, is probably LG sourced; it's just the capacitive and pressure-sensitive layers and digitizers that are sourced from wacom.
regardless, i don't really get apple's reluctance to implement stylus functionality. it's like they're still afraid of the newton or something
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previous versions didn't combine a capacitive multi-touch layer though afaik. also, the drivers for this part of the device are brand new, and not wacom sourced. the screen, by the way, is probably LG sourced; it's just the capacitive and pressure-sensitive layers and digitizers that are sourced from wacom.
regardless, i don't really get apple's reluctance to implement stylus functionality. it's like they're still afraid of the newton or something
According to Ifixit's breakdown, the screen is Samsung, similar to the Ipad 2 (Samsung driver), but the digitizer is Wacom (Wacom chip).
http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Microsoft+Surface+Pro+Teardown/12842/
Again, this is being steered away from the point I was after initially in that MS has been down this path before and failed.
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it's like they're still afraid of the newton or something
QFT.
I'm (still) a Newton user. Newton was really something special, its loss was terrible. Current tablets, in utility terms, are stone-age compared to the Newton. Certain aspects of Newton live on in OSX, but the holistic aspect isn't there any more. And bringing it back would be hard, not least because the HWR tech used in the Newton is now owned by MS (not that HWR was / is the best part of Newton anyway).
Curse you, Jobs. "I don't want a little scribble thing" my ass.
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Again, this is being steered away from the point I was after initially in that MS has been down this path before and failed.
I don't understand why you keep defaulting to this. Just because XP based tablets didn't take off (in a time when NO tablet including apple's offering had luck) suddenly microsoft should never try to come back into the tablet market? So the first time Henry Ford failed in the automobile market he should have just been "Nuts to this then, they can just ride horses"
The bottom line is that it's a solid unit (both models, but the pro moreso) for the price. I think there's certainly an opening for a full OS in tablet form factor. It's not for everyone. It's not for me, but there is a market, and it's a solid alternative to what's out today. That's the bottom line.
Do you REALLY want to pay more for a Microsoft product than an Apple product? Really?
I REALLY would rather spend my money on something that has support for pretty much any program made for windows in the last 5+ years, than spend 600 dollars on a tablet that can play angry birds and cut the rope. I'd REALLY like the tablet I buy to have a built-in cardreader and usb port rather than having to buy a 40 dollar adapter for each of those functions.
Truth be told I'd REALLY rather buy a tablet from Microsoft than Apple for a multitude of reasons based solely on my opinion of each company, and the people who are involved with them. I don't know why the Apple brand suddenly implies that the product is better than Microsoft, like it's a sin for a Microsoft product to have better components and be more expensive than an Apple product. If you want my opinon, the only thing that Apple is truly, across the board better at Microsoft, or pretty much any company out now besides possibly insurance companies, is marketing. Apple could sell you a spray painted rock and have you convinced it's worth it's weight in gold, and people would flock around it and say "Oh wow have you seen Dave's iGold? I saw the ads for that, man i'm getting mine next paycheck!"
I'm not saying that Apple makes worthless product, but having used a multitude of tablets including Android based (Transformer, Fire) Windows RT based (Surface) and iOS based (iPad) I don't see any reason why the iPad holds the crown in so many people's eyes. Apple talks constantly about being innovative and different, when they've had the exact same design for the iPhone and iPad since gen 1 (minus the iPhone 5, which is longer lol) When I have to check the serial number to figure out what version of iPad i'm handling, I don't think i'd peg that product as being "innovative"
The iPad, in my opinion, offers worse value than many android tablets while having the same functionality, and there isn't anything it does that the Surface tablets couldn't do, besides the ****ty selection of "apps" (still kills me to call them that) in the windows store for the RT. I see the iPad and iOS as being cloystered, restrictive , and squeeze you for ever single extra functionality that you need because they only thought it necessary (by design or function) to include only one proprietary external port.
There have ALWAYS been solid, if not more innovative, alternatives to Apple's "flagship" products. Back when everybody was raving about iPods, I found a Samsung K5, which had a high quality kick out speaker and more storage space than a comparable iPod. Did that make thousands of religious news articles? No. It's out of production now, and I still wish I could buy another because it was the best damn MP3 player i've ever owned. Meanwhile Apple is making an new innovative iPod with the exact same design, but rounded sides and in different colours. Think different.
Just realized this turned into a huge rant about Apple. I should stop now.
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previous versions didn't combine a capacitive multi-touch layer though afaik. also, the drivers for this part of the device are brand new, and not wacom sourced. the screen, by the way, is probably LG sourced; it's just the capacitive and pressure-sensitive layers and digitizers that are sourced from wacom.
regardless, i don't really get apple's reluctance to implement stylus functionality. it's like they're still afraid of the newton or something
According to Ifixit's breakdown, the screen is Samsung, similar to the Ipad 2 (Samsung driver), but the digitizer is Wacom (Wacom chip).
http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Microsoft+Surface+Pro+Teardown/12842/
Again, this is being steered away from the point I was after initially in that MS has been down this path before and failed.
i think a lot of that was software support. the initial XP tablet edition tablets were just not good. the only software that supported it was the powerpoint presenter package, and XP itself was really showing its age at the point at which the vendors came out with products.
that said, i do know that a small number of the academic community embraced the tablets despite their flaws just because of the raw utility. (and they constantly *****ed about all the bugs)
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I don't understand why you keep defaulting to this. Just because XP based tablets didn't take off (in a time when NO tablet including apple's offering had luck) suddenly microsoft should never try to come back into the tablet market? So the first time Henry Ford failed in the automobile market he should have just been "Nuts to this then, they can just ride horses"
The bottom line is that it's a solid unit (both models, but the pro moreso) for the price. I think there's certainly an opening for a full OS in tablet form factor. It's not for everyone. It's not for me, but there is a market, and it's a solid alternative to what's out today. That's the bottom line.
It wasn't just Xp, you can/could get them with Vista, 7 and 8, it wasn't like this was a one time short run thing MS tried. They never went away, they just never gained traction. As for a solid machine, clearly you haven't looked into the older ones.
I REALLY would rather spend my money on something that has support for pretty much any program made for windows in the last 5+ years, than spend 600 dollars on a tablet that can play angry birds and cut the rope. I'd REALLY like the tablet I buy to have a built-in cardreader and usb port rather than having to buy a 40 dollar adapter for each of those functions.
Truth be told I'd REALLY rather buy a tablet from Microsoft than Apple for a multitude of reasons based solely on my opinion of each company, and the people who are involved with them. I don't know why the Apple brand suddenly implies that the product is better than Microsoft, like it's a sin for a Microsoft product to have better components and be more expensive than an Apple product.
I would much rather have a compatible product as well.
I'm not implying Apple is actually better, I know they aren't, but when they are asking for even more money, you really need to ask yourself why when you consider Apples profit margins. I guess I just don't see the appeal of this, then again, I don't entirely see the appeal of the ipad for the average person.
They are somewhat awkward to use, heavy, and delicate. They are great while up and moving, but while sitting a laptop is far more comfortable to use. I have yet to see a customer use one while standing, or for more than a few minutes. I can see them being great for medical people or network admins, but for home users, they just don't seem to be all they are cracked up to be.
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i think a lot of that was software support. the initial XP tablet edition tablets were just not good. the only software that supported it was the powerpoint presenter package, and XP itself was really showing its age at the point at which the vendors came out with products.
that said, i do know that a small number of the academic community embraced the tablets despite their flaws just because of the raw utility. (and they constantly *****ed about all the bugs)
My Fujitsu ran fine on XP.
Unfortunately, it wasn't so great on Win7 because of Intel's decision to purposely block the 855/865 chipset from working with Win7. However, it runs great with Ubuntu. Mine is Penabled, which is why I bought it, it was far cheaper than a Wacom professional graphics tablet. I put Ubuntu and Photoshop and use it as one when I need to do graphics work.
As I said before though, these never went away, they just never caught on. Probably for the useability I mentioned with the Ipad (above).
Try using one of these Surface keyboards on your lap and see how well that works. You can't tilt the screen, and you laying it flat isn't exactly ergonomic by any means. Other options are pull your knees up, or just use it as a tablet. While it may be light, hold that up for a while and see how long it stays comfortable. It just seems like it was committee designed and they made so many compromises that it doesn't do much of anything well at all.
I have a Windows/Linux tablet, an Android tablet, and I work on Ipads, I wouldn't own a full size Ipad and I wouldn't own a Surface (rt or pro). Too many usability issues in my opinion.
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They are somewhat awkward to use, heavy, and delicate. They are great while up and moving, but while sitting a laptop is far more comfortable to use. I have yet to see a customer use one while standing, or for more than a few minutes. I can see them being great for medical people or network admins, but for home users, they just don't seem to be all they are cracked up to be.
I would disagree with this, They're great to use if you're kicked back in your easy chair, especially if you have a kid or small child that you have to hold and use the device one-handed, or a child who might not "get" the keyboard and mouse, with a tablet, all they have to do is poke the screen.
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They are somewhat awkward to use, heavy, and delicate. They are great while up and moving, but while sitting a laptop is far more comfortable to use. I have yet to see a customer use one while standing, or for more than a few minutes. I can see them being great for medical people or network admins, but for home users, they just don't seem to be all they are cracked up to be.
I would disagree with this, They're great to use if you're kicked back in your easy chair, especially if you have a kid or small child that you have to hold and use the device one-handed, or a child who might not "get" the keyboard and mouse, with a tablet, all they have to do is poke the screen.
I must not have found the secret yet then.
My mom felt the same way when I handed her an Ipad2. Her first words were "this is what they are buying?! It's heavy and hard to hold", after less than 5 minutes, she wanted her netbook back. She did however like the 7in android tablet I handed her, which is what she will be getting soon.
I can see it for kids though, they lack the hand eye coordination for a mouse.
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I like heavy and bulky tablets though... :(
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I managed to get myself a 128gb surface pro last night from a MS store. Will mostly be using it to follow powerpoints and lecture notes in class, as well as to add my own notes. It's also very useful as a second monitor to display a textbook or something while your main screen is using a fullscreen program.. Still trying to figure my way through the metro interface though =/
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I like heavy and bulky tablets though... :(
I want my portable devices to be portable, mine are always being transported along with several pounds of equipment to job sites, the smaller and lighter the better.
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I like heavy and bulky tablets though... :(
Surface Pro + keyboard is far less bulky than carrying a laptop and a tablet. That's what it's aimed at. (And more powerful than many laptops)
[)amien
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I like heavy and bulky tablets though... :(
Surface Pro + keyboard is far less bulky than carrying a laptop and a tablet. That's what it's aimed at. (And more powerful than many laptops)
[)amien
Did I ever say I DIDN'T want this? I just stated my opinion on weight and depth of tablets. This fits the bill.
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I like heavy and bulky tablets though... :(
Surface Pro + keyboard is far less bulky than carrying a laptop and a tablet. That's what it's aimed at. (And more powerful than many laptops)
[)amien
And Surface Pro + Mech keyboard beats any laptop IMHO.
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I like heavy and bulky tablets though... :(
Surface Pro + keyboard is far less bulky than carrying a laptop and a tablet. That's what it's aimed at. (And more powerful than many laptops)
[)amien
And Surface Pro + Mech keyboard beats any laptop IMHO.
Also, that setup cant really go on your lap....
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Putting any powerful notebook computer on your lap is a bad idea...
[)amien
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Why the L would I want a tablet that has crappy battery life and produces so much heat that it requires a fan?
I choose my current desktop computer because it was easy to convert to being fanless.
My first computer, a Commodore 64 was fanless. My PalmPilot from '98 was fanless. My phone is fanless. Technology should advance, not get retarded.
Bring on Windows and Linux on ARM!
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Why the L would I want a tablet that has crappy battery life and produces so much heat that it requires a fan?
I choose my current desktop computer because it was easy to convert to being fanless.
My first computer, a Commodore 64 was fanless. My PalmPilot from '98 was fanless. My phone is fanless. Technology should advance, not get retarded.
Bring on Windows and Linux on ARM!
"My horse doesn't make noise when i'm riding it, why should I buy this new fangled "automobile" if all it does is make a ton of noise?"
Find me any computer running an i5 or heck, even an i3 that is totally passively cooled or, on the flip side, find me any ARM processor that has the compute and graphical power comparable to a mobile i5 and i'll back off. You're saying that technology should advance and then contradicting yourself by saying we should go with a less powerful processor in the device.
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i7 and 8-16gb ram (16 would be better) and I would pay like 2 grand USD for it. I mean who doesn't want to use their own mechanical keyboard anyway?! I would love the portability and getting linux to run on it isn't too bad :)
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If it has an i7 and 8 GBs of RAM, it had better have a discrete GPU :))
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If it has an i7 and 8 GBs of RAM, it had better have a discrete GPU :))
For most of what I do, I would care less about discrete, I just want the ram. IntelliJ during the day and vim at night doesn't need the discrete for me :)
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If they're going to that trouble, they might as well stick a Discrete GPU in it...
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maybe they can steal one from Sony.
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I havent used the pro yet, but I used the RT and while its a little too simple for me needs it is an AMAZING computer for average people. And based on what ive read of the Pro and the spec list I imagine it would be amazing too. A full power laptop in a Tablet. Although personally im more interested in the Asus TX300 Transformer book.
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I think that Microsoft has their head on their shoulders for this device. They aren't trying to sweep any type of category with blockbuster sales. Ballmer has said that they know it's not going to be a high volume seller, with their goals being a fraction of a percent of the Windows 8 market. But even at those numbers they know that surface is actually a real business, not just a proof of concept.
I have been highly impressed with the Surface R/T and the Pro, but neither are for me at this time. If they make a Pro with 6+ hour battery life and 4G connectivity for the same price....then we'll talk.
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**** the Surface pro, I've just bought the Lenovo 13.3 Yoga and it is amazing!
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**** the Surface pro, I've just bought the Lenovo 13.3 Yoga and it is amazing!
The Yoga doesn have a 1080 screen And because the keyboard is built in, Thicker.
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The pro just makes no sense though, too heavy as a pure tablet, doesn't work as an ultrabook and has awful battery life.
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Well im looking to get a UX31A Touch or TX300 and Im leaning towards the TX300 due to the External Battery/Hard Drive keyboard base.
The 500GB drive will be nice to make up for that SSDs while really fast just dont have much storage
The External Battery + the Built in Batter actually gives you more battery life than the UX31A
Being able to detach the keyboard base and use it as a tablet doesnt sound too bad
The only Advantage the UX31A has is that it is VERY Thin and light.
But the TX300 isnt that heavy or thick either.
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The Apple fanboyz over at tomshardware have posted about 5 articles in the past couple of months about how the exact same breakdown and repair site has listed the Pro as a 1/10 or "pretty frickin' hard to repair, y'know?"
It seems like everybody just WANTS the surface and Win8 to be a flop, I wonder why? Maybe it's fun to watch the big guy fall on his ass every now and again? It HAS been a while since Vista.
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Necroing the crap out of this, but I just got one of these with a Type cover about 2 weeks ago, and I gotta say, even with the crappy battery life this thing wrongs. The flexibility with multiple inputs (physical keyboard, onscreen keyboard, pen, touch, and trackpad) is just friggin cool. The Type cover is easily the best scissor switch board I've used, and the fact that it's a full Windows 8 machine that I can do development on is just icing on the cake.
There's probably better laptops out there, but so far I'm a huge fan. The next rev with Haswell is just gonna be fantastic.
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Update the firmware and drivers, if you didn't already. I think there was a recent update that increased battery life. I got my Surface Pro since the release date, and battery life was 5 to 7 hours while using it at school. Now I'm getting 7 to 9 hours without a problem.
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I've had an RT for almost a year. The main disadvantage as far as I'm concerned is the lack of apps in the app store compared to iOS, but with a Surface Pro you can just run anything that runs under windows.
My favorite things about the RT is that the USB port means you can hook up an external keyboard. Try that with an iPad! Combine that with the built-in stand and you get a very nice seated casual computing experience. I sometimes do this when I'm downstairs in the morning having breakfast or coffee and don't want to do upstairs and sit at my full desktop.
The pro just gives you all that, plus you can also basically use it as a desktop too.
The flat rubbery keyboard thing is garbage. It's so awful I prefer the on-screen keyboard to it. The "mechanical" keyboard cover feels pretty nice too, and will do for typing on the go. But as I say, nothing beats being able to plug in a Filco. :)
Also, Windows 8 (RT, the phone, and the desktop) have really beautiful UI. I think they've far surpassed Apple in this regard.
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I HATE EVERY SINGLE COMPUTER OR TECHNOLOGY RELATED ITEM WITH "PRO" ON THE END.
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Update the firmware and drivers, if you didn't already. I think there was a recent update that increased battery life. I got my Surface Pro since the release date, and battery life was 5 to 7 hours while using it at school. Now I'm getting 7 to 9 hours without a problem.
This isn't something that you do via Windows Update, is it?
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I HATE EVERY SINGLE COMPUTER OR TECHNOLOGY RELATED ITEM WITH "PRO" ON THE END.
I know, right?
"Let's stick a 'pro' on the end of our product name! That way, the only people who will buy it will be deep-pocketed consumers who want to feel like they're getting work done while playing Angry Birds!"
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Update the firmware and drivers, if you didn't already. I think there was a recent update that increased battery life. I got my Surface Pro since the release date, and battery life was 5 to 7 hours while using it at school. Now I'm getting 7 to 9 hours without a problem.
This isn't something that you do via Windows Update, is it?
Actually, it is done with Windows Update. I believe the update is called System Firmware Update. The hours I used it for was with light usage, light internet browsing, compiling simple programs, OneNote, other office applications, etc.
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I HATE EVERY SINGLE COMPUTER OR TECHNOLOGY RELATED ITEM WITH "PRO" ON THE END.
I know, right?
"Let's stick a 'pro' on the end of our product name! That way, the only people who will buy it will be deep-pocketed consumers who want to feel like they're getting work done while playing Angry Birds!"
I prefer xxxxtxragehdgtxhydrocopperkrxtremeblack edition
That let's you know it means business...
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If you do development with Visual Studio, the Surface Pro is perfectly fine for doing development work.
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that USB port on the surface pro is a thing of beauty. I plugged in my g930 into it and it actually worked...very happy surprise since I can use my wireless headset with something that generates no noise
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I have the Surface RT. No complaints here aside from the fact that I'm not able to install 3rd-party software that isn't approved by Microsoft. For the meantime, I don't mind it. I only use the Surface RT to take notes in class and read related coursework. Later down the line, I may end up installing a bootleg version of Win8.
Also, the 'Type' keyboard cover feels really nice -- better than most laptop keyboards.
(http://i.imgur.com/UPLCXLJ.jpg)
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You cannot install normal windows 8 on a surface RT. It's an ARM device and only Windows RT will run on it.
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You cannot install normal windows 8 on a surface RT. It's an ARM device and only Windows RT will run on it.
I see. Well, it looks like a jailbreak exists for the current RT, so that will have to do.
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I see. Well, it looks like a jailbreak exists for the current RT, so that will have to do.
:eek: If I could install a decent Linux distribution for Arm on it, that would be awesome. So far, I have heard that it isn't possible.
Edit: Apparently, Jailbreaks will only allow you to install unsigned Windows RT apps.
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You cannot install normal windows 8 on a surface RT. It's an ARM device and only Windows RT will run on it.
Doesn't Windows 8 came installed on Windows RT?
I've been considering a tablet for my ergo travel keyboard and have considered many of the available choices out there. If the iPad were usb compatible it would be a strong contender because I like the 4/3 aspect and I use a Mac for most of my needs. Unfortunately my keyboard's usb need prevents that option.
It seems that tablets fall into two categories, both with their advantages and disadvantages. In one camp is the full powered, often larger screened, laptop replacement which would be perfect if not for the added weight, extra heat generation and limited battery life. It appears that the Surface Pro is about as good as any in that category. The second camp emphasizes light weight, good battery life and easy handling at the expense of limited power and function. The Surface RT seems as good a value as any in this category. Of course these are observations based on others reviews and not personal experience.
I already have a large powerful laptop that I could use my keyboard with for occasional power needs, although it will be pretty bulky. Because of that I'm leaning toward the less expensive, cooler, more portable, power frugal option. Because its main use would be for word processing and internet surfing, I think the RT might be a good match. Besides, there are plenty of bargains out there, "For sale, Surface RT, used 1 hour, great product but not what I need - $200".
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You cannot install normal windows 8 on a surface RT. It's an ARM device and only Windows RT will run on it.
Doesn't Windows 8 came installed on Windows RT?
I've been considering a tablet for my ergo travel keyboard and have considered many of the available choices out there. If the iPad were usb compatible it would be a strong contender because I like the 4/3 aspect and I use a Mac for most of my needs. Unfortunately my keyboard's usb need prevents that option.
It seems that tablets fall into two categories, both with their advantages and disadvantages. In one camp is the full powered, often larger screened, laptop replacement which would be perfect if not for the added weight, extra heat generation and limited battery life. It appears that the Surface Pro is about as good as any in that category. The second camp emphasizes light weight, good battery life and easy handling at the expense of limited power and function. The Surface RT seems as good a value as any in this category. Of course these are observations based on others reviews and not personal experience.
I already have a large powerful laptop that I could use my keyboard with for occasional power needs, although it will be pretty bulky. Because of that I'm leaning toward the less expensive, cooler, more portable, power frugal option. Because its main use would be for word processing and internet surfing, I think the RT might be a good match. Besides, there are plenty of bargains out there, "For sale, Surface RT, used 1 hour, great product but not what I need - $200".
windows RT is a variant of windows 8 that is limited to the apps available from the microsoft app store. This means that usual programs that you can install on a full-fledged regular windows cannot be installed on the Surface RT. Think of it as how the apple app store works for the ipad, and you've got the general idea. Or to make it clearer, if you have an installation disc for say, office 2013, it would not be allowed to be installed into windows RT.
on the other hand, the Surface RT is perfect for simply light surfing and word processing. I believe that a copy of office is embedded into each RT release too, which is great. It's only when you actually need it to behave like a proper laptop replacement that you might find it falling short. and wow, 200 bucks seems like a nice deal.
on another note - there is always the option of getting an OTG cable for your ipad to provide the usb connection. I've tried the ergodox on android device using OTG cables with success, but haven't personally tried it with apple products, though it should work.
example: http://www.usbfever.com/index_eproduct_view.php?products_id=2626
Do note that using such devices with tablets do drain the battery quite a bit faster (esp. when your ergoboard's going to draw power for both the mouse and the keyboard).
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Had the chance to try one out last week in a store here in France, and I have to say, it's nice, but come on, the screen resolution is to big IMO, when on the desktop at least, on the start screen it's fine, but on the desktop you have to be glued to the screen to see something since it's so small, I am pretty disappointed. Also dat price...
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I had read somewhere that the iPad input jack wouldn't power a keyboard. I wonder if that connecter will only work if the keyboard is self powered.
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you're probably right; I don't own a ipad. a quick search turned this up https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3582671?start=0&tstart=0
I have a feeling that you would be able to use the keyboard with such a kit, though it's probably a bad idea; as it was probably never meant to be used that way. the ergodox does draw quite a bit of power from what I see while using my android tablet with it, and I'm high certainly if connecting two devices to an ipad via the ccc kit through a unpowered hub would be a good idea.
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I don't own a ipad.
GOOD DECISION.
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Surface RT has an ARM processor (like an iPad) and so can only run Windows 8 ARM software. This means most of the non-desktop apps in the built-in store and not much else.
Surface Pro has an Intel Core i5. It is in every way a full PC - you can even run other OS's on it or virtual machines using Hyper-V or VMware. Only real limitation is only 4GB RAM.
Both come with SSDs, magnesium case, built in stand and can snap-in a pretty good chiclet keyboard (Type cover)
[)amien
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Surface Pro 2's coming out the end of this month (damnit, why'd I buy one already)
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Surface Pro 2's coming out the end of this month (damnit, why'd I buy one already)
Yeah, they have announced a docking station for it too (with monitor, speakers, USB, etc., hookups). This will make an excellent replacement for my Thinkpad, which is coming to the end of its life, I think. The last one wouldn't have worked for me because ever time I would have taken it home, I would to have had to manually reconnect all my cables to use it as a desktop with an external monitor. A dock truly makes it a viable computer for me for the first time, so I think I might give it a go.
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Surface Pro 2's coming out the end of this month (damnit, why'd I buy one already)
Yeah, they have announced a docking station for it too (with monitor, speakers, USB, etc., hookups). This will make an excellent replacement for my Thinkpad, which is coming to the end of its life, I think. The last one wouldn't have worked for me because ever time I would have taken it home, I would to have had to manually reconnect all my cables to use it as a desktop with an external monitor. A dock truly makes it a viable computer for me for the first time, so I think I might give it a go.
The docking station works with the Surface Pro as well. It also most likely does not come for free with the Surface Pro 2. You could have also just purchased a USB docking station, which will allow you to connect everything with just one USB cable.
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Wow, it's time for a surface pro 2 already! I love my surface for what I use it for, but it will be pretty exciting to see what MS has in store for the new version. I won't be upgrading, but I do hope the surface pro 2 will improve upon the 1's weakpoints.
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I love the concept of it! and if i needed a tablet/laptop id get one!