Surface pro vs. Surface pro 2?

[cha1mani44]

I am looking to get a surface pro but can't make up my mind. I can by a surface pro refurbished for under 500$ or I can get a surface pro 2 for a 1000$. Any one had both and can give me real world pros and cons. (this is to replace my current laptop, and I have a surface rt that I love already)

 

[Jas00555]

How important is battery life to you? That's really the main difference between the two. The SP only gets about 4 hours while the SP2 gets about 7.5. If it being a refurb doesn't matter and battery life isn't a big priority, I say get the original Pro.

 

[cha1mani44]

Right now my laptop gets 2hours max out of the battery. So really anything is an up grade. Performance is similar between the two?

 

[RTGent]

Just a note that if you're looking at the $1000 Pro 2, that's the 128gb model, and the comparable refurbished Pro is $550. Still a nice savings, but not quite as much.

 

[xandros9]

The Pro 2 is mainly a fixed up Pro.
More efficient silicon under-the-hood give it the battery boost, but its worth noting that the Power Cover is available for both. a bit pricey though.
Being the newer model performance is probably better. How much, I don't know.
The 2's kickstand has two angles over the original's one.
Anyone know whether the graphics have seen a boost?

 

[RTGent]

Right now my laptop gets 2hours max out of the battery. So really anything is an up grade. Performance is similar between the two?

Performance improved significantly thanks to the Haswell chip, including its superior on-board Intel graphics. Consider that the Pro 2 has the same battery, yet its almost twice as efficient in the Pro 2 thanks mostly to the superior Haswell i5.

 

[RTGent]

I'd strongly agree with Jas's first response that the battery life is the main performance advantage.

 

[cha1mani44]

But video performance and speed are the same? Cause I am not sure 2 hours more battery is worth 400+ $.

 

[Jas00555]

Well, obviously the next generation will have better performance, but its nothing that you'll notice if you're just a casual user. The biggest differences that Microsoft made were the battery life and additional kickstand positions.

I have a Pro 2 and my dad has a Pro and I honestly can't tell too much of a difference, but it is slightly noticeable, but IMO, not a $400 difference.

 

[Derman]

I've had both...battery is the big difference and, for me, my SP had less disk space than my SP2. Everything less is not a deal breaker either way.

 

[xandros9]

But video performance and speed are the same? Cause I am not sure 2 hours more battery is worth 400+ $.

performance is obviously improved, but I can't say by how much. can someone chime in on benchmarks or gaming prowess?

 

[MazoMark]

If you decide to get the older model, a power keyboard for $200 will greatly improve battery life.