Surface Pro 4 review
Meet the tablet that can replace your laptop – again. Microsoft used this cheeky phrase in touting its Surface Pro 3, and the adage remains the same with its vastly improved Surface Pro 4. But allow me to put a spin on that:
Meet the tablet that will replace the laptop.
Why do I say that? In my review of the Surface Pro 3, I said that Microsoft came incredibly, narrowly close to making good on its statement. Now, after some brief time with its fourth iteration, it seems like Microsoft has finally done it. And it's likely only a matter of time before the industry at large follows suit even more closely than it already has.
Now, let's get into the nitty gritty on what's been improved, shall we?
A dapper design and display
Because Microsoft wanted all Surface Pro 3 accessories to be compatible with its shiny new toy, Microsoft Devices team lead Panos Panay and his crew had to get creative when it came to improvements. The best designers know when to let go of something, and it's clear that Microsoft has taken this to heart.
So, the capacitive Windows button is no more, and in its place is another third of an inch of screen space. (Thanks, Windows 10.) Microsoft made the bezels thinner just so, upping the screen size to 12.3 inches without changing the overall footprint of the device.
Maintaining the same 3:2 aspect ratio, Microsoft also gave the screen a serious boost in pixels per inch (ppi): a whopping (and weird) 2,736 x 1,824 resolution for 267 ppi. That's quite the leap over the previous generation's more numerically sensical 2,160 x 1,440 pixel count and 216 ppi.
You won't notice the different, perhaps unless you're looking at both side-by-side, but it should make all the difference for creative professionals, especially with how finely you can control the new Surface Pen, but more on that in a bit.
As for the overall design, save for a flashier, chrome Windows logo on the back and a reduction in thickness from 9.1mm to 8.4mm, not a whole lot has changed. (The difference in weight is negligible – to the hundredths of a pound.) But I'd say that's a good thing – not much needed changing, frankly.
That said, what Microsoft did actually change makes a world of difference in the company's mission to replace, well, at least everyone else's laptop.
The Type Cover and Surface Pen come anew
Honestly, much of what Microsoft did to better position the Surface Pro 4 as the laptop killer was in its Type Cover. Still magnetized to the base of the tablet, the new keyboard ditches the flat, squishy keys that were crammed together in favor of chiclet-style, mechanical keys with far more satisfying travel and way punchier response.
Microsoft also strengthened the keyboard deck overall, all but eliminating that popping and rattling that the old Type Cover was known for. Plus, the firm went and introduced a 40% larger, glass trackpad packed with Microsoft's new Precision Touchpad tech.
All in all, these changes make for the best typing and tracking experience I've had on a tablet keyboard cover yet. And since this was my biggest gripe with the Surface Pro 3, consider this bug squashed. (Oh, and it's still backlit, natch.)
But Redmond Campus felt like it had more work to do on its leading stylus, too. For starters, the Surface Pen is now lined with a magnetic strip that latches onto the left side of the Surface Pro 4 – no more stylus loops!
Toward the end nearest the Pen tip, attached to the magnetic strip, is the standard function button, and on top of the stylus is a revamped button that now doubles as an eraser. It even feels like one as you stroke it across the screen.
Microsoft also boosted the functionality of the Surface Pen through this eraser button. A single click now summons OneNote instantly, while a double click takes a screenshot that you control the dimensions of using the Pen. It then immediately throws that screenshot into OneNote for scrawling. Finally, clicking and holding the eraser button now awakens Cortana.
The idea here was to make it so you rarely, if ever, have to use anything other than the Surface Pen when drawing, drafting or taking notes – and it seems to work. Of course, the act of drawing using said Pen has been vastly upgraded, too.
Now with 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity, the new Surface Pen teams up with Microsoft's trademarked PixelSense display – the thinnest optical stack in history, according to the firm – to make for one incredibly accurate drawing experience. The different levels in pressure immediately translate to thicker or thinner strokes, and the palm rejection is 100% on point. We'll see what the artists think of this one.
Spec sheet
So, what's powering this whole operation? Well, that depends on where you come in at. The $899 (about £589, AU$1,253), entry-level device comes equipped with – brace for it – an Intel Core m3 processor.
Once you get into the second tier of Surface Pro 4 models, the CPU changes to an Intel Core i5 or i7. Honestly, if you're truly looking to pick up one of these, strongly consider going for the $999 (about £655, AU$1,392) Core i5 option or better.
Microsoft's also allowing those who pre-order to customize their Surface Pro 4, with the gamut of choices from Intel Core m3 to Core i7 chips, 4GB to 16GB of RAM and 128GB to 1TB of storage. There are certain limitations throughout the spectrum – a Core m3 system can't have a 1TB drive, for instance.
But, all in all, the Surface Pro 4 is said to be 30% more powerful than the last, and allegedly 50% more so than the MacBook Air, so the exact specifications are purely your preference.
Early verdict
Microsoft has done it again. In refining its vision for mobile computing to a well-honed edge, the firm has finally made good on its promise to deliver a tablet that can replace your laptop.
I've only had the chance to play with the Surface Pro 4 briefly, but already I'm thinking that the laptop's – yes, even Microsoft's shiny new one – days are numbered.
That said, this is still a product that people buy, and the company's insistence on selling the tablet and $129 (about £84, AU$180) Type Cover separately doesn't help its case for killing the laptop. (Not even a bundle?)
The Surface Pro 4 should only cement Microsoft's place as the leader in 2-in-1 laptops, and for that alone it should be worth the hefty price of admission. But I'll save final word on that point for our full review.
from TechRadar: Technology reviews http://ift.tt/1LgF4ZC
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