The Surface Pro 2 is Microsoft’s second attempt to show what Windows 8 is truly capable of. Combining the form factor of a rather chunky tablet with the power and usability of a full laptop, the Surface Pro 2 attempts to be the one and only device you will need: a Jack of all trades. But does this compromise its ability to be a great tablet and laptop replacement? Let’s find out.
Surface Pro 2 - Summary
RRP:
- £719 - 64GB
- £799 - 128GB
- £1039 - 256GB
- £1439 - 512GB.
Easily the most powerful tablet around, and a decent laptop too, but a few design flaws and high price may keep it from conquering.
Pros
- Incredibly quick and powerful
- Build quality is second to none
- Much-improved battery life over the first version
- Large range of new accessories
- New dual-stage Kickstand makes it easier to use on your lap.
Cons
- Priced way too high to compete with tablets
- Keyboard covers are vital but expensive
- No lighter or thinner than the original
- Charging port is really fiddly to use.
Also consider: Apple Macbook Air, Sony Vaio Tap 11.
Design & First impressions
The first thing you’ll notice about the Surface Pro 2 is just how sturdy and well made it feels. It’s definitely a device which can handle the odd knock or two. Unlike the Surface 2 which got a stark makeover this year, the Surface Pro 2 retains a muted, darker coating. The surface of the Surface is finished with something Microsoft call VaporMg, which is supposed to give it a very durable exterior with a coating to prevent fingerprints. However, this doesn't seem to work: the back of mine is covered in prints.
In terms of size and weight, things are a bit disappointing. The Surface Pro 2 is twice as heavy as the iPad Air, weighing roughly 900g, and the size is no different from the previous generation. What makes this even more disappointing is that Microsoft have made it no lighter or thinner than the original. This makes it a bit unwieldily to use as a tablet as it is just a bit too heavy. However, the Surface Pro 2 is not meant to be just a tablet - it’s a laptop too.
So if we look at it like a laptop , things do seem significantly better. If we add on 255g for a type cover, the Pro 2 in all it’s glory weighs in at just 1.15kg, which is slightly heavier than the 11” MacBook Air or Vaio Tap 11 . The Pro 2 features a 10.6” screen, in a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio, which makes it rather awkward to use in portrait mode as it's very long and thin. This is definitely a device designed to be used in landscape mode.
Connectivity is a again somewhere in the middle of tablet and laptop thanks to its single USB 3.0 port located along the left-hand edge, along with the headphone port and volume keys. Along the top is the power button, and the bottom is where you’ll find the magnetic connector for attaching the keyboards. The right-hand edge contains the microSD slot, miniDisplayPort and an incredibly fiddly charging port.
The charging port is around 2-3cm, and has five contact points and attaches magnetically. It can be attached either way which is nice, but is incredibly fiddly to get in the right position without using both hands to align it correctly. Although it does have a small LED that lights up to indicate it is plugged in, it doesn’t change colour to indicate charging states.
Whilst I would have preferred the Pro 2 to be a bit lighter or thinner, the size and design are great, and when you take a step back and consider the power that is inside of this machine, it’s rather impressive for its size. The Kickstand is also much more useful this time around, as it can be positioned in two different places. There is a new angle that lays it down further, making it much easier to use on your lap without giving yourself neck strain.
Hardware
Spec Sheet
- CPU: Intel Core i5 1.6Ghz "Haswell"
- RAM: 4GB/8GB
- Storage: 64, 128, 256 or 512GB
- microSD: Yes
- Battery: 42Wh.
Connectivity
- WiFi
- Bluetooth
- USB 3.0.
Processor & Memory
One of the biggest differences between the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 is the processor. The Pro 2 has a traditional Intel chip, whereas the Surface 2 has an ARM-based chip . This has a knock-on effect in every area, from the speed, power and battery life of the hardware to software functions like what apps can run on the device. Being an Intel chip, this means that the Surface Pro 2 runs full-fat Windows 8.1, and it runs it very, very well. It takes a few seconds to boot and even less time to resume from standby. Common tasks like restarts are equally fast, and this is mostly thanks mostly to the power Intel Core i5 processor, as well as the SSD storage the Pro 2 uses. There are various configurations available for the storage, starting at the low end with 64GB, then 128, 256 and 512GB versions available. The RAM is also different depending on which one you get - the two lower ones have 4GB RAM, while the two upper tier ones have 8GB.
Which one you choose really depends on your usage. In my opinion, 4GB of RAM is generally more than enough to handle everyday tasks as well as more advanced and creative work like Adobe Creative Suite or CAD software. The only way to get the extra RAM is by buying the top tier options: this a device that you won't be opening up and upgrading yourself. However, the microSD card slot can accept cards up to 64GB, as well the USB 3.0 slot with will work with any USB storage solution, from flash drives to external hard drives. This provides an easy way to add terabytes of storage.
The choice you make in terms of storage here will have a very large impact on how much you pay, as the top tier Surface Pro 2 is double in price from the lowest tier, which starts at £719. If you wished to to get the 512GB model, then you would be paying £1439, with an additional cost of at least £99 for a keyboard cover, so you should definitely choose wisely!
Screen
Resolution: 1920 x 1080 Size: 10.6" Display Type: ClearType HD ppi: 208.
The Surface Pro 2 comes with a great display, being full HD and very bright, even in sunlight. It uses a technology Microsoft call ClearType, which is designed to make text and other features appear much crisper on the display. However, a lot of traditional Windows applications are not designed to run on such a high-resolution small screen.
To compensate, the Surface comes by default at 150% scaling across the system, which makes everything appear bigger, but due to the high resolution still appear crisp and clear.
Now this scaling works fine in most of the in-built Windows features and functions, but every now and then you run into a menu that doesn't scale well or hasn't been optimised and the whole window just gets a fuzzy look to it .
Agent tip
If you find a program that looks fuzzy, you can adjust it to look better. To do this, right click on the actual program file and enter properties. Once in there, click compatibility and check the box for "Disable display scaling on high DPI settings".
This issue is sure to be resolved as more developers update their apps for higher density displays, and the issue is not big enough to be any real inconveinience. Windows 8 apps and those from the Windows Store look wonderful, and video playback is likewise a joy.
The display supports up to ten individual touch points, so in theory apps could be developed that use all your fingers! The response is fantasic and these was never any lag when using touch to swipe through apps or swipe through and close them.
Keyboard Covers
The Surface's big USP is how it can fully replace your normal laptop, and one way achieve that is through the use of the keyboard covers. These magnetically snap on to the bottom of the device magnetically. My unit came with the Type Cover 2, which is the version with proper keys that travel when pressed. The other type of cover is the Touch Cover 2, which instead of having actual keys, has touch sensitive ones instead. This makes it much thinner, but reduces the feedback you get when pressing the keys. I found the Type Cover 2 is great for typing on, and is easily a replacement for a traditional keyboard that comes with a laptop.
The covers are now also backlit, which means typing in low light situations is much easier, and you can adjust the intensity of the backlight with two buttons at the top of the keyboard. The keyboard also features a proximity sensor, which can switch off the backlight when you're not using it and comes back on instantly when you move your hands close to the keyboard.The only letdown with the covers is the touchpad, which is very small and can be a bit fiddly to perform all of your mouse funtions on. Microsoft do sell plenty of Bluetooth mice that you can pair with the Surface, including the Arc Touch and Wedge Surface editions which are both coloured to match the VaporMG coating of the Surface.
Surface Pen
The Pro 2 also comes with a Stylus, so you can use the Pro 2 for making ink notes or drawing. The pen is pressure sensitive too, so anyone looking for a device capable of being used for design work should definitely consider the Pro 2. There is a second button along the edge, and a clickable eraser tip, as well as a pen clip if you want to put it in your pocket.
The pen's secondary button doubles as magnetic clip and fits on to the charging port quite securely. However, as soon as you need to plug in the charger, you have to take the pen off and store it somewhere. This was a problem with the original too and it is a bit disappointing that Microsoft have not found a better solution yet.
Agent tip
Whilst apps from the Windows Store work with pressure sensitivity, desktop apps like Photoshop won't recognise pressure sensitivity until you install the Wacom Feel drivers. Click here to download and install them from Wacom's website.
Battery Life
The inclusion of a 4th generation Intel Core i5 processor should mean that the Pro 2 will have much better battery life than its predecessor . Annoyingly, Microsoft refuse to give an actual estimate for how much battery we are supposed to get, and instead insist upon just providing idle time - meaning when it is in standby mode. Knowing how long it will last when not in use compared with how long I can actually use it for seems a bit pointless...
From my experience, I can confirm that with an average day's use you'll get around 7-8 hours battery life; even more if you are only using it for light use like typing. Even gaming was pretty impressive as I manged to get a good 3 hours playing Fallout: New Vegas on medium graphics settings. Video is likewise impressive, giving between 6-8hrs, so it will easily give you plenty of time to watch films on a long journey.
Other accessories
Although I've not had a chance to play with these , I thought they were worth mentioning as they can add on some impressive functionality to the device. In addition to the aforementioned Type and Touch covers, there is also a Power Cover that includes extra battery power in addition to being a keyboard. There is also an Power bar, a battery that can be plugged onto any of the covers to make them wireless, which would be very useful if you wish to have ultimate freedom for where your keyboard is on your desk.
You can also get a docking station, which keeps the Surface Pro 2 held in place, and adds some extra ports, so you can have an almost desktop-like experience. The idea here is that you use the Surface Pro 2 on the go, then when you get to your desk you plug it in to the docking station which is hooked up to a bigger monitor, bigger keyboard and mouse, to make it really user-friendly.
Software
The Surface Pro 2 comes with Windows 8.1 pre-loaded, which brings some nice improvements over Windows 8. Overall, the biggest improvement is the general speed and responsiveness, which make it much snappier. You can now also access your apps by simply swiping up on the Start Screen . Search is now able to do system-wide and internet searches from any screen, and can quickly provide you plenty of info from Bing.
The mail app has been significantly updated and now has enough functionality to - in my opinion- be very close to being able to replace Outlook . The music app is also much better organised and it is now much easier to just start playing your music - a task that used to take at least 4-5 clicks before. Windows 8.1 also brings back the Start button - but this only takes you back to the new Start Screen.
A lot of the other Windows 8 apps have been updated with 8.1, including the Store, which is now much easier to navigate, and the calendar, which has easier links to week, month and day views. New apps include Food and Drink which has pleny of recipes for you to work through, and Health and Fitness which can help you track calories and fitness and even has a symptom checker for home diagnosis. This is quite interesting as not many people know how much investment Microsoft have made in health, so it's good to see them promoting this.
Another big change is the Settings menu, which now has pretty much all the options you'll ever need, as opposed to just the most common ones you had with Windows 8. This means you don't have to go back to the control panel as often and keeps you in one place rather than having to swap back and forth.
SkyDrive is also massively integrated with Windows 8.1, and has a useful online-only option for you files. This allows you to store a lot in SkyDrive without it taking up space on your device itself. You also get a voucher for a free 200GB subscription, which is valid for two years , which is a good extra and allows you to test how well these cloud solutions work for you.
In truth, the Surface Pro 2 shows what Windows 8.1 is capable of and really what Microsoft's thought process is with this new direction for Windows. A lot of criticism has been levelled at Microsoft for Windows 8, but with 8.1 and the Pro 2, you can really appreciate how good this system is - although it is still a bit jarring when you are using a fantastically formatted tablet app and then something pulls you away to the older, uglier desktop.
Surface Pro 2 - The Verdict
My verdict of the Surface Pro 2 depends very much on how you see the device. The Surface Pro 2 is designed to be both a tablet and laptop replacement, so you have to take into account how good a job it does at both. There are only a handful of devices that are designed like the Surface Pro 2 such as Sony's Vaio Tap 11 - most hybrids tend to just be clamshell laptops with touchscreens that can rotate.
Clearly Microsoft want the device to be used primarily as a laptop replacement which can double up as a tablet when needed. I think that is the best way to look at it too. After all, it's never going to compete with an iPad Air or Xperia Tablet Z as a tablet as it's just a bit too heavy, and there are not enough apps optimised for the touch interface.
However as a laptop, it is powerful, quick and fantastically portable. The device as a whole is very well built, has good battery life and the accompanying covers make this a perfect portable companion. The biggest downside really is the price, which quickly begins to climb if you add on the accessories. Overall, I would say if you're after a highly functional and highly portable laptop, with the benefits of a tablet, then the Pro 2 is for you. However, if you just want a tablet for casual gaming or web browsing, then you may want to look elsewhere.