To truly test the capabilities of Microsoft’s newest tablet, the Surface Pro, I decided to embark on a little experiment. For one week, I used nothing but my 128 GB Surface Pro with Type Cover to accomplish all of my work. How well did it manage at the hands of a “power user?” I’ll tell you.
I should preface my experiences by letting you know that I am not married to one operating system. I own an iPad 3, which failed to impress me. I own an iPhone 4. I own a Nexus 7, which, for a consuming device, is more than worth the price. I own a 64 GB Kobo Arc, which I plan to review in the not-too-distant future. I run Linux on my servers — CentOS to be exact. My primary computer — nicknamed The Beast — is an Asus G75VW-DS72 17.3-inch laptop, which, among other things, has an Intel Core i7-3610QM processor 2.3GHz, 16 GB SO-DIMM RAM, 750 GB 7200rpm hard drive plus 256 GB solid state drive, and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M with 3 GB RAM.
When I was deciding whether or not to purchase the Surface Pro, the most important questions in my mind were: “Will I be able to use the Surface Pro as both a consuming device, and a productivity device? Will it allow me to leave the house, without a lot of careful planning, and still manage to get a full-day’s work accomplished? Will I be able to travel and attend appearances, without having to lug around the near nine-pound beast, and be able to still work? Can I play my PC games on it? Will it also serve as a ‘mindless’ entertainment device?”
As someone who puts in, at minimum, a 12-hour work day, I need a truly portable device that can do it all.
Yes, I was aware that the Surface Pro has a full version of Windows 8 Pro. In theory, I should be able to accomplish everything I need to accomplish on it. I’ve been running Windows 8 Pro on The Beast since it was first released, so I was already well familiar with the new OS, and quite enjoying my experiences.
But, the Surface Pro lives in this bizarre area of technology. It is a tablet, but it isn’t. It is an Ultrabook™, but it isn’t. Some like to compare it to a MacBook Air, but it isn’t, as the Surface Pro’s specifications are slightly better. In my opinion, after using it solely for one week, it is the best of a both worlds: A compact consuming device — what we’ve come to expect from tablets — and a fully functional PC. I see a lot of people wanting to compare it to the iPad, which I disagree with. They are two entirely different animals.
So, how well did Precious — the nickname I gave my Surface Pro — handle itself, as I threw everything I could possibly imagine at its CPU? Like a champ!
In this post, I’ll talk about my experiences with the following: User interface; sound and video; storage; battery life; portability; productivity; gaming; entertainment; connecting to my home network and Microsoft account; desktop programs versus Windows 8 apps; Type Cover; the power supply; the pen; the camera; and the bottom line.
