Earlier this evening the embargo was lifted and all the tech sites posted their reviews online of the Surface Pro. Big brother to the Surface RT, the Pro was meant to be a truly no compromise device. It promised to give users the best of all worlds: tablet, ultrabook, x86 legacy software support, and new Windows 8 only apps. So, what does the web think of Redmonds second and latest computing device?
Let’s get the formalities out of the way and jog your memory of specs. Like mentioned above, this bad boy can run x86 software, so it is powered by an Intel Core i5 processor (1.7GHz Core i5-3317U, Intel HD 4000). Your eyes can ogle its 10.6 inch ClearType Full HD display, cramming 1920x1080 pixels into that 16:9 ratio screen. You also get a multifunction stylus and is powered by some Wacom magic, giving you 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity to annotate and draw till the fat lady sings. It is also half a pound heavier than the Surface RT and a few millimeters thicker. I won’t bore you with the specs, hit up the Surface Pro site for the rest of the specifications.
So what is everybody saying about the Surface Pro? The majority of the blogs all find the Surface Pro to be a solid device, held back by one big thing – battery life. Let’s pull some choice summaries from the web.
Engadget – These guys were impressed with the solid-feeling design, great 1080p display, and good performance. Not pleased with poor battery life (3:46), noisy-annoying fan, and un-optimized experiences. Their bottom line: Microsoft’s Surface Pro is the best tablet running Windows 8 we’ve yet seen, but still feels like a compromise when used as a tablet or laptop.
The Verge – Echoed similar feelings as above. They found fast, consistent performance, the Surface Pro was also handsome and well-made with a fantastic display. Lamented was the poor battery life, a heavy and thick device, and it was hard to use on the lap. Not quite a tablet and not quite a laptop seems to be the takeaway.
Paul Thurrott – If you don’t know who Paul is go bury your head in sand right now. Anyways, Mr. Thurrott got to play with the Surface Pro and gives the device his ultimate endorsement, but warns buyers to go play and see if the device is right for themselves. He really enjoyed the device, but does knock the screen resolution and battery. Contrary to other reviews, he faults the high resolution on the desktop for a tiny physical screen.
AnandTech – The level headed folks over at AnandTech give one of the best reviews of the device. And by that I mean the most logical, well thought out review. I’m not even going to spoil this one, just go read it. Just make sure you realize they have multiple pages for the review and you’ll need to go through it all to appreciate it.
TL;DR Great design, performance and screen, all hindered by poor battery life.
What do you think of the Surface Pro so far? Obviously I’d prefer if we all voiced our opinions after actually handling the device, but this is the internet and we’re all entitled to opinions. Are you now hesitant to pick one up? Are you going to wait for another device like the ThinkPad Helix? Or is the Surface Pro still the device for you? Sound off below!
We have a thread in the Windows Phone Central forums dedicated to all of the above reviews and more! Think of it as a mega collection of opinions on the Surface Pro. Hit it up.
P.S. Do not call it Surface with Windows 8 Pro. If you do I'll stop talking to you, just call it the Surface Pro. I'm serious.
