Choices

The Surface Pro 4 comes in a multitude of different configuration options, ranging from $749 all the way to $2599 for the highest end custom order option (i7, 16GB RAM, 1TB) . It’s stock configurations are:

$749 – Intel Core m3 – 4GB RAM – 128GB
$849 – Intel Core i5 – 4GB RAM- 128GB
$1,199 – 256GB, Intel i5 – 8GB RAM
$1,349 – 256GB, Intel i7 – 8GB RAM
$1,549 – 256GB Intel i7 – 16GB RAM

That said you can sometimes find better deals at Amazon.com by clicking here for the discounted pricing.

What I recommend

If you want to use the Surface Pro 4 as a laptop replacement, you’ll need to purchase the $149 Surface Type Cover. This is a steep price and pushes up the price of the end product drastically. It almost makes the initial price seem to deceive. There’s almost no reason to buy the Surface Pro 4 without a Type Cover. For any use, I’d recommend at least the Intel Core i5 with 4GB RAM – the m3 is vastly underpowered for a “laptop replacement.” If it’s going to be your only computer, I’d recommend at least the Intel Core i5 with 8GB RAM. This device is pitched as a laptop replacement, and it can be. And if you buy the right one, and set your expectations responsibly, it can even be your only computer.

Processor Pandemonium

The Surface Pro 4 houses some pretty powerful processors, except for the m3. The m3 version of the Surface Pro 4 is a laptop replacement, but it’s a real stretch and a far cry from being a desktop replacement. The i5 and i7 processors are all well and good but don’t expect desktop-level performance from this tablet. i5 and i7 are usually the flagship processors that Intel producers, but there’s a caveat with Surface Pro 4. The processors have a max TDP of 15W. If you don’t know what that means, usually within a family of processors, the higher the TDP, the more powerful it is. Desktop CPU i5’s are 65W, and the i5 in the MacBook Pro with touch bar is 25W. In addition to being more powerful, they usually require more cooling, and can also perform at their peak for longer. However, the advantage of having a lower TDP is that there’s less power being used at peak performance. In theory, this means that the m3 version of the Surface Pro 4 will have better battery life than the i5 and i7 versions. Battery life is usually the limiting factor, and the reason most laptops and 2-in-1’s have a low TDP processor. More on that later.

Design

Alright, enough about the inside what about the outside? The Surface Pro 4 is made out of a magnesium exterior, and let me tell you; it’s beautiful. It’s miles better than any other brand’s ultrabook. The Microsoft logo is debossed and fitted with four sheets of mirror-like glass. It’s got a lovely edge to edge glass front, with a good looking hi-res display. The kickstand is smooth, and it’s got just the right amount of resistance to ensure that you don’t accidentally push your surface flat, while at the same time making it easy to adjust. However, it’s pretty bad for lap use. It’s sharp and leaves unsightly marks on my thigh when I use it. The fact that the keyboard isn’t rigid, and is more like a cover ruins the experience when using the Surface Pro 4 on your lap.

Design – Type Cover

The almost compulsory type cover is pretty good. Even though it’s not the same as a desktop keyboard, it’s got a nice amount of travel. It’s clicky, and it’s a chiclet style keyboard. I’m a fan. It’s the best typing cover I’ve used, and probably one of the better laptop keyboards I’ve used. Way to go Microsoft. Obviously, it’s bested by Apple’s Macbook Air and Pro, but that’s to be expected, considering the premium you pay for it.

Design – Trackpad

The trackpad on the Surface Pro 4 has been widened, and now has more surface area. It’s good, though it’s still small, and if it weren’t for the touchscreen, It’d be pretty difficult to navigate. This is especially apparent to me, as my main device is a 13-inch Macbook Pro 2016 with Touch Bar, with its humungous trackpad. The trackpad on the Surface Pro 4 is made of glass, so it provides a pretty good amount of glide.

My favorite part of the type cover is the ability for it to clip up, to give you a slight slant on it. It’s a nice addition to the already good type cover. However, I wish that there was some way Microsoft could make it so that you could lift the entire device by the type cover, like a keyboard, thus eliminating the need for a kickstand. The Type covers configuration options are also really confusing. You can buy a Type Cover with no illumination and no fingerprint scanner, one with a fingerprint scanner, OR one with backside illumination. Why isn’t there a version with both a fingerprint scanner and backlighting? This baffles me, considering there’s opportunity there for Microsoft to raise the price of the type cover considerably.

Performance

In this section, I’ll be basing the performance off the i5 model with 8GB of RAM, which I’d say is the bare minimum if it’s your only device. Performance browsing the web, and typing up documents is fine, and the fact that it’s run off of an SSD makes it extra snappy. The only time I ever saw the Surface Pro 4 lagging during normal use was with a ton chrome tabs open and Microsoft Office open with a picture rich document. Other than that, browsing is a pleasurable experience, especially if you use Microsoft Edge. As you might expect with an integrated GPU, gaming is where the Surface Pro 4 really struggles. I was able to get 40 frames per second on CSGO at 1920 x1080 on lowest settings, which isn’t great. Integrated graphics have come a long way, but not far enough yet.

Battery Life

Battery life on the Surface Pro 4 also isn’t amazing. This is probably because the sheer compactness of the entire package doesn’t allow for much battery. I was able to get 4 to 5.5 hours of normal usage, which is far from ideal. I ended up bringing the charger with me wherever I went with the Surface Pro 4, severely increasing the total weight of the package. This is a far cry from the 10 or so hours I got from the Macbook Air.

Value

The Surface Pro 4 isn’t a budget minded option, nor it is it designed for budget minded people. It’s definitely a show of the future today, and that comes with a price tag. The Type Cover alone is $150, and combining that with the already steep price of the i5 Surface Pro 4, It’s not bang-for-buck. In fact, the tried-and-true Macbook Air in the same configuration, which, might I add is an awesome study device is actually cheaper than the Surface Pro 4 with it’s type cover by quite a lot. Around $300 difference in New Zealand. Obviously, the MacBook Air isn’t a tablet, and this is where the Surface Pro 4 aims to be. It wants to be in the tablet world, and in the laptop world. Frankly, right now, the surface can’t be in two places at once, and it tends to be right in the middle – not a tablet, not a laptop.

Who is this for?

The Surface Pro 4 is undoubtedly a good device, built primarily for productivity. If you just want a decent, super portable laptop for casual use, you’ve found the perfect device. It’s a slightly underpowered laptop. First, way overpowered tablet second. This isn’t an iPad replacement, there’s hardly any good games or entertainment apps on the Store. Also, make sure you’ve got deep pockets because, at any decent configuration, the Surface Pro 4 will set you back quite a bit.

Wrap-Up

The Surface Pro 4 is a good laptop and a mediocre tablet. It’s not the best, and it’s not as polished as I’d like it to be. It doesn’t represent value, and it’s a showcase of the future from 2015. It’s now the future from 2015, and it’s showing it’s age, especially with it’s lack of USB-C. I’d say to wait for the next iteration unless you desperately need a good 2-in-1 right now. It’s the best 2-in-1 in town, but also one of the most expensive.

Discount Update: To check out all the current discounts available at Amazon.com click here

The post Surface Pro 4 Review 2018 – Buy Now or Wait for an Update? appeared first on Gazette Review.

Microsoft Windows Surface Series Comparison

Surface Series Specs

Newer is always better, and the Surface Pro 4 is no exception. The Pro 4 is definitely the most powerful pure tablet. (discounting the Surface Book, which is more of a laptop with a touch screen) The Pro 4, in its basic package, includes a 128GB SSD drive, 4GB of RAM, and an Intel M3 processor; you can go all the way up to a 256gb SSD, an Intel i7 and 16GB of ram but for nearly double the price. The Pro 4 is equipped with Windows 10 professional Edition and its shell is made of a magnesium alloy, weighing either 1.69 pounds for the m3 model or 1.73 pounds for the i7 model; not really much of a difference there. The screen is a 12.3” PixelSense display and shows at a 2736 x 1824 resolution, at 267 pixels per inch (PPI). Additional features include a 5.0 megapixel front-facing HD camera, an 8.0 megapixel rear-facing camera, and all the “smart tech” goodies you’ve come to know and appreciate; an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an ambient light sensor, and a magnetometer.

I  previously mentioned the Surface Book, which is actually more of an ultrabook/Windows Surface hybrid. What sets it apart from your typical Windows laptop is its support for the Surface Pen. The Book can go up to a 1TB SSD drive, an Intel i7 core, and 16GB of RAM with a dedicated GPU. In its basic package, the Book has a 128GB SSD and an Intel i5 with 8GB of RAM. The keyboard folds backwards to make a neat little package and function as a tablet. This is the Surface for enthusiasts. The Book comes with Windows 10 Pro.

The Surface 3 is the Surface 4’s older brother, released back in 2014. The 3 is a little smaller and a little slower, including a 64GB SSD and 2GB of RAM. The 3 was made back before Wi-Fi chips and LTE chips were able to integrate, so there are optional models of choosing either the Wi-Fi model or the Wi-Fi + 4G LTE model, which would then allow you to purchase a data plan for the 3. The 3 cannot get a whole lot beefier, only up to  a 128GB SS and 4GB of RAM. The 3 measures 10.52 x 7.36 x 0.34 inches, and weighs 1.37 pounds. The display shows at 1920×1080, and includes a 10.8” ClearType Full HD Plus Display and allows for a 10-point multisurface; you can create your own gestures by say, touching 7 or 8 fingers to the screen to launch a program. Of course, this includes the typical smart tech package with an ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer; the proximity sensor stands out, as the Surface 3 has an option to wake itself whenever it detects someone approaching, or shut itself off when you leave.

The Surface 2 is the second generation Surface tablet, and is the one I fell in love with. The 2 is powered by Windows 8.1, and is actually one of the few surfaces to natively include Microsoft Office with it. This version of Microsoft Office comes pre-activated on your machine, unlike the other Surfaces. The 2 measures in at 10.81 x 6.79 x .35, and weighs 1.49 lbs – a little chunkier than the rest in its family. The display is a 10.6” ClearType Full HD screen with another 1920×1080 screen, but only allows for a 5-point multi touch support. The Surface 2 comes with either a 32 or 64GB SSD for storage, and only 2GB of RAM. The processor is an NVIDIA Tegra 4, which can actually be used to play some games at decent FPS (frames per second). However, The Surface 2 is a little outdated and new games are a lot more demanding on the processor. The 2 also has support for networks from 2G to 4G, and also include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth of course. The 2 also is one of the only surfaces to include GPS features natively built into the machine; you don’t have to download any apps or set anything up, if you choose a wireless data plan then you can instantly use it to navigate when the location is enabled. The 2 has a 5.0 megapixel rear-facing camera, and a 3.5 megapixel front facing camera and includes both a vertical and horizontal kickstand feature. This also includes the accelerometer and ambient light sensor package, and even includes the proximity sensor. This was the first Surface to feature USB 3.0 ports.

The Surface RT is the original Surface, and the first venture into the magical world of Windows Tablets. The RT actually does not use any Windows OS, but rather uses the Windows RT OS which is made to resemble an early edition of Windows 8. The RT measures in at 10.81” x 6.79” x .35”, and weighs in at 1.5 lbs. Like all Surfaces, it also has a magnesium build. The RT can come with 32GB or 64GB of storage on an SSD, and includes 2GB of RAM. The screen is a 10.6” ClearType HD display with a 1366×768 resolution, and includes up to 5 points of multi-touch. The processor is an Nvidia Tegra 3, and the RT only has both front- and rear-facing HD cameras.

So Which Surface Is Right For You?

The fundamental question you should be asking yourself is this; “How much power do I really need?” If you are looking for the cutting edge of portable computing then you want the Pro 4. The limiting factor is the price. While the tech contained within the Pro 4 is impressive, the base price of $799 might be a little steep, not to mention top of the line versions of the device going for as much as $2,000. The more budget conscious among us might be better served by going back a generation, as I tend to do with my phone. The Pro 3 is still an impressive piece of kit, with very similar specs to the Pro 4. If you’re primary goal with the tablet is painting, then you might have to go for the Pro 4 though. The pressure sensitivity on the surface pen is four time that of the Pro 3. But if you’re looking to work on the go, whether writing, editing or some basic graphic design, then the Pro 3 will suit you fine. I’ve found the 128GB version for as little as $600, less if you’re willing to go second hand.

UPDATE: You can currently get all the Surface Series Tablets at substantial discounts on Amazon by clicking the links below to automatically apply the discounts. After clicking the links you will see the discounted rates.

Surface Book: You can click here to see the discounted price & automatically apply the discounted rate

Surface Pro 4 Discount: You can click here to see the discounted price & automatically apply the discounted rate.

Surface RT Discount: You can click here to see the discounted price & automatically apply the discounted rate

One thing you have to keep an eye out for is the word Pro in your devices name. If it doesn’t say pro then you’re buying a Windows RT device, and you lose access to native windows applications. The Pro 2 is available for a manageable $340. The device isn’t as quick as its big brothers, nor does it have the storage, but storage shouldn’t be too big a factor when considering your model. External hard drives are quite cheap, combined with Microsoft’s OneDrive application, and space really should not be an issue. For the entry level user I have to recommend the Pro2. It’s powerful enough to handle the vast majority of your needs, whether it’s some light gaming on the go or painting a work of art. If you have the cash though, the higher the number the better the device.

The post Microsoft Surface Comparisons – Pro vs Book vs RT Reviews Updated for 2018 appeared first on Gazette Review.