Surface Pro review and questions

theheyes said:
Sounds like the power connector is just as fiddly.

What's your impression of the screen? Does it look significantly better than the RT or is it just sharper when you look more closely? Does text look any better on web pages?

Do the built in speakers sound better? I guess a larger body could help in that regard.

I guess the OS is a bit zippier than the RT, although to be fair whatever they did in the last firmware upgrade made a subtle but noticeable difference.
Click to expand...

Text does look significantly better. The screen is much sharper and everything just pops out more. The screen is the first major difference I noticed. I love it. It could be used to read eBooks very easily although its too heavy to hold up for long!

Speakers are also much louder. They seem to be hidden under the heat vent so the sounds seems much more pronounced and more projected.

Its significantly snappier and more pleasurable to use than RT.

Don't get me wrong RT was a fantastic idea and works but you can feel it has issues and it doesn't quite seem ready, either that or the Tegra 3 inside is simply not powerful enough. Everything zips on here.
 
spinstorm said:
What I meant by more functionality is that it is also a tablet with a touchscreen and has an Wacom digitiser which the air and other ultra books don't have.

My only qualm is that with the typecover attached it was slightly thicker and heavier than an air but again it isn't a like for like comparison as it does much more than an air.

Now before I get anyone telling me I'm an apple hater I want to be clear I have a retina MacBook Pro and a 2013 super slim 27" iMac. I love apple hardware and OSX does everything you could need but Microsoft have in my eyes really upped the game with windows 8 and WP8. They have added functionality on top of existing windows and made it more compelling and easier to use.

The power connector is more likely to stay on than with the RT version but I wouldn't say it is any easier to attach, the odd angle of the side of surface still makes it tricky to attach without really concentrating on that task in hand but that's down to design if you ask me.

Two minor complaints I do have is the the included pen does scratch the display. I have a couple of tiny hairlines scratches which is very annoying and the tablet back itself seems more prone to standard scratching. I didn't have either concerns with the RT. Thats not to say it wouldn't get scratched but I never got one scratch on it in two months or so and I treated it less carefully than the Pro.

I got a couple of cheap protectors off eBay to protect the screen. I will certainly try to get the unit replaced under warranty when it is released in the UK due to those scratches caused by the pen but clearly I have no idea if the warranty will be valid in the UK, but I now have protection at least!

I'll take some photos later.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply, I just wanted to understand the comparison and the comment about having more functionality, where that seems to be driven by it being a tablet form factor device and setup as such compared to a more traditional ultrabook.

When it comes down to OS that a very personal thing and I switch back and forth between OSX and Win 8. At the moment I find OSX a more rounded and better platform for the type of apps I use, others will find differently.
 
Macro said:
Interesting, what type of apps?
Click to expand...

Combination of standard productivity apps, which are pretty much identical across both platforms, Virtual machines where I prefer and own a license for VMWare Fusion, photo management and editing and video handling.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom