Would you recommend the pro 2 to be someone's first pc/laptop/tablet

[DennisvdG]

Basically I don't have a pc or laptop or tablet and I'm looking into buying a pro 2, I'm still in school so it would be useful for that and I'm also a gamer so that's why I'm looking at the 256gb model

I don't need to do heavy tasks on this machine and I'm not expecting to play amazing new triple a games, I just want something that works, and can do ANYTHING that a regular pc can

I'm really hesitant though because it is super expensive (to me atleast) and I'm worried that I won't be satisfied and that I will feel like I wasted all of my money

Do you recommend the pro 2 as a first computer or do you think I should get a desktop or laptop?
Also, are there any downsides to w8 vs w7?

 

[Rising Mos]

How much gaming are you planning to do? Are you going to carry it around alot? Or is it going to stay on your desk? Are you planning to take notes on it? There are heavy laptops that are closer to desktops if you do not mobility. If you need mobility, I would get the surface but with a big screen, keyboard and mouse they you can hook up at home.

 

[DennisvdG]

How much gaming are you planning to do? Are you going to carry it around alot? Or is it going to stay on your desk? Are you planning to take notes on it? There are heavy laptops that are closer to desktops if you do not mobility. If you need mobility, I would get the surface but with a big screen, keyboard and mouse they you can hook up at home.

not an awful lot of gaming, just a few titles which aren't available on my xbox

I think I will keep it at home most of the time because yes I need it for school work but I don't actually need it AT school lol, also I would not feel comfortable walking around at school with a ?1300,- device...

 

[xandros9]

Basically I don't have a pc or laptop or tablet and I'm looking into buying a pro 2, I'm still in school so it would be useful for that and I'm also a gamer so that's why I'm looking at the 256gb model

I don't need to do heavy tasks on this machine and I'm not expecting to play amazing new triple a games, I just want something that works, and can do ANYTHING that a regular pc can

I'm really hesitant though because it is super expensive (to me atleast) and I'm worried that I won't be satisfied and that I will feel like I wasted all of my money

Do you recommend the pro 2 as a first computer or do you think I should get a desktop or laptop?
Also, are there any downsides to w8 vs w7?

The Surface Pro is essentially a full-blown PC in a tablet body. I do know its graphics far outclass my Halo 2, Half-Life 2, Mass Effect, Minecraft (the latter two barely playable) capable laptop.
I don't know if the Surface Pro may the best option for you, considering that a traditional laptop form factor for less may be better, (or even a desktop for heavy lifting and a surface rt for mobility) or even the older first-gen Pro model, which has much less battery life though but is still very capable.

The only real downsides to Windows 8 is the initial learning curve (its different of course) and potential driver incompatibility with pre-8 computers, particularly portables. (doesnt apply to you)

 

[rocketboy]

No. Tablets - even the SP2 - are better as a secondary computer in my opinion. Expanding it out with peripherals to let you use it as a desktop is possible, but for ~$1300 that you would spend on a SPro2 you could have built a really nice desktop with very capable gaming capability (i.e. dedicated graphics card and gobs of HDD storage) and probably have enough left over to get a Surface 2/RT.

Get Windows 8. There's no point in living in the past.

If you have to get just one machine I would consider a convertible laptop like the Lenovo Yoga. Bigger screen and better keyboard for about the same price. You can also fold that back up to get a tablet experience.

I'm telling you this even though I own a SP2.

 

[Rising Mos]

After reading your reply, I would also recommend a desktop or a heavy duty 15" or 17" laptop if you want some mobility. They will be at same price but they will suit your needs better.

 

[DennisvdG]

Thanks for your replies! A ?1300,- gaming pc would indeed be a much better purchase for my needs, I think a surface pro 2 is meant for people who need to do work on the go, which I honestly don't

I'm leaning alot more towards a tower now but I'm still not sure