One big noticeable difference will be the battery life. This is a big deal to me, because I like to use my Surface while traveling, and if it won't even last for the full flight so I can watch a couple of movies, I'm bummed. There should also be significant performance improvements as well, but only time will tell, as the only benchmarks I've seen appeared to be flawed. Also, in my case, I'm moving up to a 256GB drive with 8GB of RAM, which should help my performance with Photoshop.
It'll come down to how you intend to use it. Better battery life and two stage kickstand for better angle/viewing on your lap are the main improvements. Some people are always near a plug. Some people never put it up on their lap. Personally, those were the two biggest gripes I have with the Surface Pro. Lastly, it depends on how much you're getting the Surface Pro for compared to Pro 2. If the difference is $100 then no question go for Pro 2. If the difference is $300-400 then you have a quandary on your hands.
I need the Surface Pro 2 for the battery life and legacy apps but I wish it came in the Surface 2 form factor.
I've been contemplating this exact dilemma...im considering a 128gb so looking at both pro models and wondering if its worth the possible $200-300 difference between 1 and 2, 128 model. The battery life is important, but the processor for performance and kickstand correction make the difference for me so far. The screen being almost identical makes the choice a little harder.
Ordered the Surface Pro 2. Hoping for a great experience. Thanks to everyone who gave their input!
Yeah, for them same SSD size a $300 difference between Pro 1 & 2 would be a tough decision. For me $100-200 savings would not be enough to go with Pro 1. The battery and kickstand improvements in Pro 2 are easily worth it since they would benefit me on a daily basis. So much so that I'm even considering getting the Pro 2 even though I already have the Pro 1.