Microsoft Surface Pro aims to replace your laptop

cnet.co/VEcSHH
Decked out with optional keyboard covers and full Windows 8, Surface Pro is as powerful as a Windows ultrabook, and just as expensive.

[@YourTechGuide.]

Crappy design. I use my tablets or laptop on my lap 100% all the time. When I bought the Surface RT it was limited. You can only use it on the table to benefit from using the keyboard. Also if I do use it on my lap as a tablet it doesn't have the back support angle viewing so basically I have to hold it all the time. That's the reason y I returned my surface back n not planning to get one until they fix toes issues. It's useless for me since I use it most of the time on my lap to on the table.

[@MMOGrind]

I love that USB port on the charger that will actually come in handy. Great little addition there.

[@jgwoodworking]

I have drug around a RT for the last year. I just got a PRO 128gig for $310 and I have a beautiful Acer i5, touch backlit 15.6 sitting in the garage waiting for a cnc I plan on getting. The RT replaced my laptop... The PRO replaced my RT, which I also at this point won't part with... probably give it to family eventually. I recommend a type cover 2 (backlit).

[@martianlynx]

Yes, it does. You have to go to Desktop Mode. Then click Internet Explorer 10, make sure SmartScreen Filter is off in the "Menu Bar" >"Tools".

[@immichaelyeh]

I think it should. It is basically a laptop running full windows 8. It may not be preinstalled but you should beable to install it

[@yjcrookie]

You can download a digital version and activate it with the cd-key on the disk. Or you can plug in an external CD drive.

[@gigadog00]

I beg to differ. I bought a Surface Pro a week ago along with a Type Cover keyboard. I've used it with the keyboard and kickstand while laying back reclined on a couch without any issues.

[@ravs05]

They shud build an angle-lock into the cover/magnetic connection. This way the screen can be locked at an angle making it 'lap friendly'

[@mlemcat]

Yeah that's true, but I think it's also about sizes and noise while running and stuff like that which makes it more or less expensive.

[@Waffleater1]

I think if they bundled a choice of keyboard + home office for $899 it would sell really well. I could definitely see myself using it as my main laptop, just connecting it to an external monitor and keyboard/mouse and moving from that configuration at home and at work while being able to be productive on the go with minimal constraints.

[@a20axf]

It will support it, Windows Surface Pro comes with Windows 8 Pro which is a full Windows Operating System. You can install normal Windows applications just like a standard Windows computer. The Surface RT however may have issues with Flash Player plugins as it is a cut down version of Windows. I don't have any experience with Surface RT however so, cannot say for definite.

[@BitWarlock]

For gaming, I found the Razer Edge Pro to be a huge improvement specs wise! price is still scary, but Storage is doubled, ram is doubled, and the processor is i7 with a dedicated Nvidia GT 640 2gb graphics card

[@BitWarlock]

of course it does, it supports ALL Desktop applications. Advice though is to avoid it if at all possible to both save space and processing power. Apple's reasoning (to my understanding) involves battery power consumption as well.

[@Supuhstar]

Don't forget it's not just a tablet, but a full PC. You can upgrade the drive by either switching it out or adding an SDXC card. That puts its true maximum capacity at over 1TB.

[@manorexia666]

Because it's ALSO a Wacom Cintiq, basically, and it's NOT a buggy tablet. We got one at work, and I can't stop using the thing. It's an amazing tablet. If Apple seems like a better value something *is* wrong. I was looking forward to testing out the Surface Pro at work. After actually getting to use it for the past few weeks, I am probably going to buy one for home. For the record, at my house we have Macbook Pros, an iPad 2, and a few Android tablets. Surface Pro is my favorite by far.

[@v3battleangel]

Yes it supports Flash. It's a full version of Windows, so it will run any app and plugin that Windows 7 does.

[@Merko2]

It supports everything that your PC supports (application wise). It's basically a normal laptop, just smaller and with multitouch :)

[@Masominmtl]

i actually saw the surface at the store in time square and its as easy to connect the keyboard as it looks

[@manorexia666]

Oh... and "touch screen laptop" is like saying a movie is a soundtrack with moving pictures. It's a laptop AND it's a tablet, but it's also a laptop OR it's a tablet. People use a keyboard dock and/or bluetooth keyboard with their iPads and they love them. Picture if you had an iPad that could run Photoshop with a smaller formfactor pressure-sensitive Wacom Cintiq thrown in for free.

[@SuperBlackout33]

The thing that pushes most people away, is the fact u cant use it in your lap, in an office? Perfect, leave it in the desk, and use it, but lets say in ur couch, the bed. Unless you are using the apps, there is very little use in the desktop mode.

[@y0schi]

Finally a great, unbiased review that doesn't complain about it not being an iPad. This is not an iPad, neither is it a laptop. I see trolls, trolls everywhere. Articles written by trolls, commentators being trolls, video reviews by trolls. They don't want to understand it. There will be more non-laptops in the future. It amazes me how stubborn people are towards new devices that take the lead in creating something creatively different, just like when the iPhone, the iPad and the Wii came out.

[@cwbh10]

I'm really considering it for note taking in school. Looks brilliant for that

[@MatthiasVanOnsem]

well, as an owner of the pro i think its worth that price, knowing this product is a powerfull laptop and a wacom tablet with specs of a bamboo fun pen and touch. I think people didnt find it interesting because they say this device as a tablet and not as a tablet pc with wacom functionallity

[@peppeddu]

I still don't see anything wrong with the traditional laptop design. - It sits in your lap. - You can turn it at any angle. - You can type without looking at the keyboard (feel the keys with your fingers) - They often come LOADED with memory and HD space What is a tablet (iPad, Surface, whatever) good for besides games and very simple productivity apps? For this kind of money I'd rather getting a full Win8 laptop. I can do anything minus the tablet stuff and that's OK with me.

[@sutmig7370]

Yes. Since it's running on the x64 bit architecture. You can install all your normal desktop apps on it.

[@walter0bz]

Integration is nice. if anything , the inclusion of a stylus takes the touchscreen portable further from "gimmick" and more toward "useful" imo, since pens/styluses have been used by people doing "serious" things for a long time. Not saying the cintiq isn't great too, but for me a pen so so useful.. i want it integrated.

[@michaelhtvr]

Much better than the iPad!! The iPad does not even have a USB port! More, you can use with the Surface Pro MILLIONS of applications that you already bought for your desktop computer. That alone is a killer iPad!

[@DilanGilluly]

The kickstand killed it. Tested one in the shop and I found the kickstand to be very annoying at best, and makes it not as versatile as a laptop because it's extremely top heavy. Also using the touchscreen as it's setup on a table, it tips over, and pretty easily. My take; fashion trend, it will come and go just as fast as any of them. I would recommend a tablet hybrid if you want something like this.

[@pellegew]

It is so you can attach the pen to the computer while walking around with it. As a slate user with digital pen for years, if it doesn't easily connect you are going to loose it.

[@SkyLinMegas]

for the price one is better off buying an alien ware laptop ....or at least asus new twin screen laptop . ,sorry about that i meant the rt but i think its self explanatory since i did not put pro at the end

[@janviiic]

I think it supports flash like a regular laptop could. It's running full Windows 8

[@09luis09able]

I like how he comperes it to other laptops that don't have touch screen or digital ink the feature of tomorrow

[@dhaoracle]

The next generation of Surface Tablets better blow the lid on what can be really done with a tablet and laptop hybrid. They better have the Latest graphics, chips, and better come with some killer memory. While also being thin with a totally fresh new design that is very ergonomic and worth the money that they are asking for.

[@lightzaberrr]

It seems this is a perfect device for people in a class room or board meeting setting. It basically covers every aspect of these scenarios. I'm not too sure about the battery spec. I have an rt and it runs forever for such a short charge. Hour charge gets me 5 hours for what I do. I constently use it too. if I play a vid, it drains 30%. MS says the rt would get me 5 hours of vid. Which doesn't add up from my experience. My point is I feel they're underrating their battery.

[@mycollegeshirt]

yeah if you are an at all a artist that works with photoshop, or something this is a must buy, its a steal, the stylus on ipads and other devices are ridiculously expensive and you dont have range of applications of windows or dont have pressure sensitivity

[@lightzaberrr]

You forgot the pen. It's key for notetaking i.e. typing then drawing a rough graph or something. I agree on it being a bit over priced. Lenovo's thinkpad 2 can pen too; it might be a better alternative.

[@joppesijses]

it's not really a tablet, its a laptop wich runs all your windows 7 applications. It gives you the posebilety to use it also as a tablet.

[@GameHead]

Sorry I made a mistake. Here are the real specs. Razer Edge- 999$, 3rd gen i5, 4GB Ram, 10.1 inches 1366 X 768 Surface Pro- 899$, 3rd gen i5, 4 GB Ram, 10.1 inches 1920 X 1080 So the Razer Edge cost one hundred dollars more and has a lesser resolution (not that the human eye could tell). But it still is capable of playing "true" pc games on the go, at home or on a tv. If you're like me and have your computer plugged in all the time and nearly always on your desk battery life isn't a problem.

[@bunnyboybaby]

Mini Display Port huh? Would this work with the 27" Cinema Display? I sure hope so...that would be BADASS!!!!

[@BitWarlock]

The one thing I always think is bothersome, is the complaints about storage space. The USB port could hold a large flash drive no problem, Skydrive allows internet storage, and a microSDXC could hold a fair amount of media with the added bonus of being small enough to leave inside all the time. Program space? How many programs would you REALLY put on a TABLET that exceed 1Gb? Granted: some take a lot more, but they often aren't ideal tablet apps and should probably be used on the 128 Gb version.

[@ninehoursful]

It does support adobe flash along with other plugin out there for windows 7 and 8. This thing beats the shit out of every other tablet out there in the market!

[@arbiterfreak2]

just got it today.... if you are thinking of getting it, then do. It is amazing.

[@PaulSebastianM]

Seriously, tablets and convertibles, whichever you look at, they're all about tradeoffs, compromises and sacrifices. Except the Surface Pro because from the manufacturer's point, MSFT, I think there's absolutely no compromise made. But from the hardware parts manufacturer's view, mainly the CPU, comes the real compromises: battery life and heat. Without those, this tablet looks like the only perfect full Windows tablet out there.

[@Supuhstar]

It's actually really easy to get open. See CNet's video about how to disassemble it: W6NTQcoFPxw SDXC should work just fine, as any other SSD would. I run programs, and even servers, off external SSDs (like SD cards and thumb drives) all the time Indeed it's also got a USB 3 port, so a full external drive is always an option!

[@ultravidz]

A PSA: For anyone looking to save.. Softicle dotcom has licensing for Windows 8 Professional for $50 and Office Pro Plus 2013 for $80. Full version direct downloads are available. Hope this helps someone

[@TheGarvito]

@Todd Charlton its a only laptop after u buy the 130$ attachment and 128gb only has 62gb usable space

[@walter0bz]

I like to draw. something that portable with a pressure sensitive pen and ability to run some sorto of digital painting software has MASSIVE value for me.

[@Joel_Aleman]

Ppl it has a USB 3.0 which means you can connect a flash drive or even better a portable hard drive. Only problem I have with the surface is the battery life and the price. The cameras aren't even that good. Plus you don't get office? That sucks. I'll be waiting for the next gen of tablet/ PC hybrids they shall be a better.

[@djfubar2008]

Well having a proper HDD would make it a bit thicker and a proper HDD would also produce a lot of heat damaging internals in a compact device like a tablet, a SSD doesn't produce much heat if any because no moving parts, SSD are a lot thinner and a SSD will allow booting from off to on a lot faster than a standard HDD

[@JayJapanB]

You can draw fine on the surface pro. And it can run photoshop and it is easy and portable. Not nearly as responsive as a pc with a wacom though it is still a lot of fun. Get a "Bamboo Feel" pen for it though.

[@Supuhstar]

That's a quality that's never been available in life. Heck, true gaming at all on the go hasn't been available until recently. GameBoys, DSs, PSPs, Vitas, and other handhelds still only offer a watered-down gaming experience with a limited library. With this, you can play ANY PC game, as well as any game from older consoles with emulators! Plus, the HD display means that your screen isn't watered-down either :3

[@JackyUnoriginal]

Surface Pro is going be absolutely amazing for note taking.... It sounds like a magic laptop tablet for students, although a bit pricey (even though justifiable). I just don't get why 1) they make the pen hook to the SAME magnetic output as the charger, and 2) one usb, because that's going to create a lot of headache.

[@jerrycherish]

It lasted just under four hours between charges - less than half the stamina of the iPad on the same test and three hours less than the Surface RT. from AllthingsD

[@IncipiensNovus]

@Travis Henning : Get me a Macbook Air or an Ultra book that I can purchase for less than $1500 that has the same specs (or better) AND that: - Has a stylus - Can use as a tablet - Portable, handy and light to use and take to take notes and draw for engineering school - Can use in landscape & portrait mode (use like a clipboard for field usage)

[@kickassdj]

I would never want laptop to turn into tablet like this, what could have been perfect even if it cost something like retina display would be like 13" macbook pro retina display with touch screen where screen sit back insted of front making it convertable tablet which is powerful and portable.

[@ANOXanubis]

QUESTION!! how can I install software that runs on the desktop like CAD or a home design soft that I buy from the store on a disk?

[@BitWarlock]

is the casing really accessible? watching the demo from Microsoft implied that it was SO compact that it would be dangerous to upgrade without machine assistance or special ordering it somehow... Also, is an SDXC card a good idea to run programs from? but my large above comment addresses my acknowledgement of memory upgradeability. External HDD or SDD is a great idea though for media and files!

[@chamcham123]

C'mon guys. The price is not expensive. It is a laptop in tablet form. How many 2.0 pound laptops are there out there now? It's heavy as a tablet, but very light as a laptop. Yeah, you can buy an ultrabook for the same price or less, but they're not nearly as light and compact. Anyway, I plan to connect it to my piano and use software instruments like Pianoteq.

[@asgiov]

Does imagineFX have a review for this yet? They are the only publication that seems to really put any thought on how the Stylus performs for digital art purposes. I understand it's not a common usage scenerio for most people... but this may be a dream device for me... I really want to know how well the stylus works.

[@1nsertTitleHere]

Windows 8 in general supports Flash. Since it comes with Windows 8 Pro, it will support flash.

[@MrTubeMyAccount]

The comparison between this and the iPad shows how deeply Apple is ingrained in our society. iPad is a blown up iTouch and thus it doesn't have much functionality. Surface Pro brings in a new type of "tablet- laptop" hybrid, where it is more functional that an iPad or Android tablet but is in a smaller form factor than a traditional laptop. Surface Pro is trying the bridge the gap between tablet and laptop that the cheap, small Netbooks were never able to do.

[@MiguelLuna1]

I saw that you can get a USB 3.0 hub and conect multiple devices, even an extra LCD.

[@PlansForTheDay]

Big deal! Buy the 64 gb one and a 30 dollar micro sd 64 gb and save money as far as storage. Then put velcro on the back of your tablet for a usb hub and just velcro on a hard drive or what ever as you need it. I think this is a really good product

[@specialbrownbeef]

Well if you look at most of the computers out now, most of their internals aren't user accessible anymore.. kinda sad, but true...

[@andwhatsnew]

People are disliking this Surface so much because of battery life and they can't put on their lap. People its a TABLET not laptop or notebook. Differences is that it has a more powerful processor than your average tablet and its a full OS. I'm getting one for its full OS and power and its tablet form factor. As far as gaming goes, I'll stick with my tower else I'll get a specific laptop for gaming. Surface Pro should do it for every life usage and some graphical work.

[@MrMiniman629]

If Microsoft started the price at 799 or even 699, this would fly off shelves. The steep price was this products downfall

[@MatthiasVanOnsem]

I dont think so, in a laptop you can, but in a tablet pc with wacom tech. Build in?

[@JackyUnoriginal]

Actually, Surface Pro's storage is not far off from other ultrabook or MBAir, read review by Ed Bott from Zdnet about surface pro storage, you will see. But yes, MS did (perhaps purposefully) ignored the negative flood regarding the storage issues with Surface Pro, which was actually exaggerated. The touch cover is probably worth the money, but to me it does feel MS is doing Apple's strategy to make consumers want a product for higher price.

[@virulentSI]

this is an All tablet killer. Hats off to microsoft. I was wondering if it supports Adobe Flash.

[@BobSchroederStories]

I would like to know how well it would do with video editing

[@daniel63939]

You can not play any pc game due to its very limited underclocked i5, and only have intel intergrated graphics. You will be able to play some pc games and most likely on very low settings. If you are looking for a gaming tablet pc you need something with a discrete gpu like the razer edge pro. But, with the extra performance it does run a bit higher then the surface.

[@josh44026]

yes it does support flash

[@booobp]

Where's the 10 finger touch screen, the expandable memory slot, stylus, Windows 8. In a mac. Plus surface practically replaces having to carry around an ipad and a macbook.

[@basdfgwe]

how can this try and replace a laptop ? I tried balancing this on my laptop and failed.

[@blackberry111ish]

Cool, but can you carry your desktop where ever you go, and use it while you stand or walk? Can u use it to write down notes in class with a pen.

[@mysticdragon38]

I have never seen an ultrabook for less then 800$ that includes a 128GB SSD. All the ones under 800$ usually have the HDD with SSD cache.

[@NamblerX]

You might as well ignore him man. Fanboys will never listen to logic. Just hold your head high knowing your one of the few people out there with any sense, and you invest in things based on their specs and usefulness, not because they have an apple on them. High five.

[@JamieBlake2108]

can you connect the apple wireless keyboard to it

[@LeoTheFox]

...I did not know about the pen clipping into the power slot. Dang! Now I actually have a place to put it XD

[@w3rdnama1]

Ok.. I am not a fanboy. No one is saying the SP sucks BUT for the price, in no way is it worth it and it definitely cannot replace a laptop. Battery life. Too bulky for a "tablet" and too immutable to function as an actual laptop. Keyboard although unnecessary, is an extra $100+. Comes with only a stylus that's decent. Not something you can comfortably place on your lap. Full HD screen on a 10.6in TOUCH screen.. Touching things has to be a problem. And lastly it's price compared to top laptops.

[@danielzha7826]

answer: you can borrow an external CD-ROM driver somewhere, buy one from amazon at around 15 dollars

[@CJayUA]

Yeah, I think that Atom or its alternatives are the best way to go with Win 8 tablet because tablet is about portability, icore limits this portability quite significantly and I don't really see a great use of such a powerful processor on a tablet, hence I bought Samsung ativ smart pc. Atom is capable of most tasks anyone would do on a laptop except gaming etc. People who need more power should look upon laptops.

[@teddy198820]

Ok this thing starts at $900, $1000 for the 128GB SSD, add $130 for the nicer keyboard. For that price you could almost get an iMac MacBook Air or even the entry level MacBook Pro.

[@ajaygoyal3000]

i thought i would automatically switch on as you open the flap at the back...!

[@overlordnicksclips]

the fact is that that is that is what you pay for a machine like this 1080p, i5 processor, touch screen AND active digitizer, if you want/ use a digitizer there are not many options and none of them are cheap and as for "microsoft showing that tablets can be full computers too", they did that over 10 years ago, just sayin

[@kingslave021]

And suddenly, everyone's a tech expert.

[@dhaoracle]

I think that he's right on the price point thing. I wish that Microsoft would have provided the keyboard and full storage then they would have been flying of the shelf in droves. Who is working in the features and sales at Microsoft???

[@GameHead]

Sorry to say but I rather have the Razer Edge. Same price, operating system and has nvidia graphics for gaming. (Its also a home console).

[@briando37]

Actually, the 64gb Surface Pro is $900, and the 128gb is $1,000 (without touch covers)... I'm on Microsoft's side, I just needed to correct this careless comment.

[@14coder]

It supports EVERYTHING Windows supports. So, yes, it supports flash

[@DannyPerski]

You can get an ultrabook with a multitouch display, pressure sensitive pen and digitizer, high resolution display, and build quality to match the Surface Pro for less money? I really doubt that.

[@JayJapanB]

I think it's cool. Not nearly as responsive as an Intuos or Cintiq though still enjoyable to use. You might have posted this before Wacom released drivers that work with Photoshop. Wacom also released a pen which has better accuracy at point.

[@Djhuber323]

Yep. This is a full on laptop, it supports everything.

[@BitWarlock]

heard a rumor that there are ways to get that done, but don't know how exactly.

[@connordaigle3207]

It technically is a PC. You pay for form and functionality of a tablet with Ultrabook specifications. It may be a tad overpriced by a $100, but not nearly as bad as say a Macbook Air, or ASUS Transformer.

[@deckkie]

If you actually want to type something you should get the surface (RT or PRO)

[@TheSSDrift]

give it a year or two when prices on these types of things comes down. full windows OS on a tablet... it's definitely a tablet killer

[@MrTubeMyAccount]

LOL, I see all these comments saying that Macbook Air is better or if I had to spend that much money I'd rather get a Macbook Air. Truth be told, if any sensible person, looking to invest a grand or two on a decent laptop, the last thing they should look at is the Macbook Air. Just get yourself a high end Windows laptop.

[@mrtonysantos]

Good job... nice first look...

[@jintek7]

This is a great piece of hardware but it's lost in limbo, it's neither a tablet nor laptop. Lacks battery life, 4G, storage space, tablet portability, & friendly user interface. Areas the ipad seems to excel in. Surface 8 is also over priced for what it lacks in a tablet and laptop. While you can always accesssorize and buy sd cards, extra ports, it kind of takes away from the tablet experience where everything is all wrapped in a neat little package. I am looking forward to Surface 2nd gen