Switching To Windows

[OccupyTheJake22]

I have a macbook pro but have been tossing around the idea of switching my ecosystem to all windows ( i have a note 2 for my phone and would get a lumia 920).

My buddy has recommended the surface pro.

any advice or other suggestions?

Thanks

 

[Graven Pshya]

New generation Intel processors are coming out later this year. So, if you plan on getting a tablet that's something worth waiting for. Also, having the same ecosystem across platforms is nice and synchronization works well.

 

[elantech123]

Hi

I got windows phone and my experience with windows phone is very amazing because its really good and smooth uses. Windows has many useful apps.

 

[OccupyTheJake22]

the one thing im concerned is the price. 1000 seems a bit high compared to other windows 8 devices. It almost seems like an ultrabook is same for the cheaper.

thoughts?

 

[rdubmu]

i have a Surface Pro, The SP has a smaller screen than your mac book pro. Also any apps you bought for your mac book pro will not work on the surface pro. For Performance its works great!

 

[OccupyTheJake22]

im not debating if its a great device. Im just wondering if the price justifies the purchase. Seems like an ultrabook is the same for cheaper. Idk tho

 

[stephen_az]

New generation Intel processors are coming out later this year. So, if you plan on getting a tablet that's something worth waiting for. Also, having the same ecosystem across platforms is nice and synchronization works well.

If the person is in a position where they want to make a switch, Surface Pro is a compelling choice if they understand that it will max around 5 hours on battery. There will always be a new processor coming as well and I have yet to see a case where that next processor was everything Intel or AMD claimed. By the time there is a Surface 2, people will also already be talking up Intel's next miracle processor which will in the end be an incremental improvement over Haskell which will really just be an incremental improvement over Ivy Bridge which was really just an incremental improvement over Sandy Bridge, etc., etc..

 

[stephen_az]

the one thing im concerned is the price. 1000 seems a bit high compared to other windows 8 devices. It almost seems like an ultrabook is same for the cheaper.

thoughts?

If you can find a two pound i5 ultrabook that is also a tablet and can be carried in one hand, please feel free to buy it. Excuse the bluntness but you are not comparing apples to apples. A Surface Pro can do what an ultrabook can do but it is nothing like most ultrabooks. The closest comparison would be to something like one of the Lenovo Yoga hybrids but then you are just about at be same price, although the Yoga is currently on sale through the Microsoft Store. BTW, ultrabook is really mostly just Intel marketing BS anyway. Some of the best laptops of the past few years, with the strongest processors and best battery life could not be classified as ultrabooks because they were a few millimeters too thick. Which is the real winner - the 9+ hours i5 3.2 pound Toshiba Portege, 9 hour i7 3.5 pound Asus U36SG, or a five hour i3 ultrabook which weighs an additional pound?

 

[dstrauss]

I agree strongly with stephen_az. I've had my Surface Pro since release day, and no computer in my 29 years of playing with everything from a PCjr, to the first real laptop (Toshiba 1100 plus) to last year's Samsung Series 7 Slate, has come close to the quality, fit, finish, power, size, and light weight of the Surface Pro. Even the five hour battery life is acceptable once you realize this is a full power ultrabook in a tablet wrapper. Remember, the first iPad was the same thickness and barely 7 oz. lighter. There is good reason to wait a couple of more months though: 256gb will be an option (already selling in Japan); there will definitely be an upgrade to a Haswell processor, which will likely add 1-2 hours additional battery life, and improved keyboard covers. Unless you are in urgent need of making the switch, hold off a bit.

Also, if you are dyed in the wool laptop user - that means in your lap typing for extended session, the Surface Pro will be very frustrating. On an airline tray table or desktop, it is magical. In your lap, the Surface and keyboard cover solution just bends and flexes too much for extended use. Unless you prop it on a book or laptop tray, you will tear your hair out after 10-15 minutes of trying to balance it on your closed knees and lap. I have seen many different people make suggestions, myself included, for holding it steady, even across your crossed legs - after many tries, it just does not work that way. Another unmentioned problem with laptop use is that for most people, when in your lap, the screen does not tilt back far enough for easy reading. That's why, if you have to use it in your lap, it is best to leave the kickstand closed and drape the Surface back across your crossed leg with the keyboard at a shallower angle across your lap (hard to describe, but once you try it you'll see it is much more natural than it sounds).

Still, it is the best computer I have ever owned and will only be replaced with a substantially upgraded Surface Pro II.

 

[rhythmsyndicate]

:d:d:d

 

[chezm]

i want a Surface Pro so badly...but now in a situation of waiting for the announcement of Pro 2 to see if there are major advancements to the battery life and screen size. For me, i can understand why the Pro is $1000...its definitely not cheap or else id have one. i just dream of using Cubase (music editing tool) with touch screen, using the pen...sitting on the couch...*drools*

 

[onysi]

Waiting for an announcement too

 

[mlcooper54]

Key Surface Pro 128 features vs other W8Pro tablets
i5 processor vs many with Atom
4 GB RAM vs many with 2 GB
128 SSD vs many with 64 GB
USB 3.0 vs many with 2.0
Bluetooth 4.0 vs many with 3.0
Front and Rear facing cameras vs ?
Wacom digitizer vs does any other W8Pro tablet have the Wacom?

I'm not aware of any other tablet that has ALL of the Surface Pro 128 features

I added the Toshiba DynaDock (USB 3). I currently have 2 21.5" monitors connected to the dock. I've had 3 different YouTube videos running simultaneously and smoothly on all 3 screens. I have a 3rd 21.5" monitor ready to plug directly into the miniDisplayPort once I clean off my desk. I have 2 1TB USB 3.0 hard drives plugged into the dock. A Microsoft wireless keyboard and mouse. When I need to go to a meeting, I pull the power and USB 3 connectors, grab the stylus, and go. I use Office Pro 2013 and take handwritten notes directly into OneNote with the stylus. With SkyDrive and a 64 GB microSD card I have plenty of storage when not connected to the dock.

 

[calfee20]

How about a Lenovo Helix? They cost more though.

 

[bauerbach]

IMO, there is only 1 other tablet worth considering, and that is the thinkpad tablet 2

ThinkPad Tablet 2 Dockable Windows 8 Business Tablet | Lenovo (US)

Its a great device, still runs win8 pro, still has digitizer. has 8hours life, size, weight.

Downside, its an atom cpu, good for most things, but gaming and major processing tasks will be limited/nonexistent. It does have a dock, but it does not have a great portable keyboard like the typecover.


Aside from that, you asked if the surface is worth it when its priced similar to an ultrabook. It IS an ultrabook. the guts in it are the quintessential ultrabook hardware. Only difference is 10" touchscreen and the general tablet construction. but performance and capabilities, its identical. gain portability, sacrifice screensize.

I really like my surface, though the type cover trackpad is being a bit odd as of late I feel (could be in my head, but I don't feel like its sensitive to fine movements/tap-to-click). Its not replacing a desktop for sure though, 10" is just too small, and while it can game, its not to my demands. But that's fine, I never planned to replace my desktop for serious demands.

 

[mlcooper54]

@bauerbach

Surface Pro 128 vs ThinkPad Tablet 2
128 GB vs 64 GB
10 point multi-touch vs 5 point
4 GB RAM vs 2 GB RAM
USB 3.0 vs USB 2.0
And as you mentioned i5 vs Atom

The ThinkPad Tablet 2 does have a docking port, but, the $100 dock has:
10/100 Ethernet
3 x USB 2.0 ports
HDMI port
Stereo and microphone audio ports

The $150 Toshiba DynaDock has:
4 x USB 3.0
2 x USB 2.0
10/100/1000 Ethernet
HDMI
DVI
Stereo and Microphone audio ports
5.1 Surround Sound

 

[coolqf]

If you're a heavy computer user, the surface pro may not be for you.

At a minimum, I have outlook, word, excel, ppt, and several chrome pages running. This quickly uses up 4gb of RAM. This was the main reason I ruled out the surface pro. For heavy users 8gb is the better choice. Everything else in the tablet is impressive however. I opted for a Sony i5 with 8gb of RAM. Actually cost about 1300.... Not as light, but more powerful.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

 

[mlcooper54]

If you're a heavy computer user, the surface pro may not be for you.

At a minimum, I have outlook, word, excel, ppt, and several chrome pages running. This quickly uses up 4gb of RAM.

Did I happen to say I ran a test with 3 different YouTube videos on the 2 external monitors and the Surface itself? No stutter. No lag. With 3 different and concurrent sound tracks it was very difficult to understand anything. But the Pro came through like a pro.

 

[bauerbach]

overestimating actual system load is a big issue.

window 8 (and 7 and vista) cache *whatever* in unused ram, and people often look at system resources and misunderstand the actual amount being actively consumed.

I highly doubt outlook, word, ppt, and chrome were using even 2gb, let along 4gb. Excel can begin to consume some reasonable resources if your dealing with MASSIVE sheets, talking millions of cells.

For the most part, ram is rarely a concern unless your compiling, encoding, decoding, processing, or gaming. VMware also, but I doubt anyones doing that on a 10" surface

 

[coolqf]

overestimating actual system load is a big issue.

window 8 (and 7 and vista) cache *whatever* in unused ram, and people often look at system resources and misunderstand the actual amount being actively consumed.

I highly doubt outlook, word, ppt, and chrome were using even 2gb, let along 4gb. Excel can begin to consume some reasonable resources if your dealing with MASSIVE sheets, talking millions of cells.

For the most part, ram is rarely a concern unless your compiling, encoding, decoding, processing, or gaming. VMware also, but I doubt anyones doing that on a 10" surface

See attached for quick sample. It's really not that hard to get computer to use 4GB of RAM. The main culprit is Chrome, which uses up around 1GB or so (I often have around 20 tabs open), but like I said, if you need more than 4GB of RAM the Surface Pro simply wont cut it.

If you run into circumstances where your tasks require more than 4GB of RAM, the Surface Pro will feel slower compared a similar speced device with 8GB of ram.