Microsoft
has recently released two tablet PCs called Surface RT and Surface Pro. Given
our focus in business computing, the Surface RT does not provide enough
features for our liking but The Surface Pro does, and as a result we wanted to
see if it could in fact, be a viable laptop replacement.
The
Surface is Microsoft's newest line of touch-screen tablet PCs and was
specifically designed to work with Microsoft's newest Windows operating system,
Windows 8. The beauty of the Surface Pro is that it offers powerful hardware
matching business class laptops but in a much smaller, travel friendly size.
This is a rare combination in today's market. In looking at some of the specs,
the Surface Pro weighs 2 pounds configured with a solid-state hard drive and
comes equipped with wireless connectivity and ports for external USB-3,
mini-HDMI video and a slot for a SD memory card. There are third party docking
stations which connect to the USB port allowing you to attach a mouse,
keyboard, Ethernet, video and additional USB ports when working in the office.
Most likely, all you would need.
Set
up is the same as any other Windows device. The Surface asks you to choose your
language, accept the Microsoft Terms of Service, apply a few settings, and it's
ready for use. Windows 8 also has the ability to allow the user to log in with
a Windows Live ID, rather than a standard local profile. This provides cloud
services and allows the user to store the profile of the Windows 8 device in
the cloud so it's available, along with specific settings, to any other Windows
8 device when logged into the Windows Live ID.
Windows
8 provides two separate desktop environments for ease of use. Upon login, the
Surface desktop defaults to the 'Tiles' environment. This environment is suited
to touch screens like smart phones, allowing you to swipe and click to access
programs pinned to this screen. On this layout, there is a main tiled screen
where the programs and shortcuts can be customized. By swiping the screen
(again, in a similar manner to a smart phone), access to other screens and
menus is available.
There
is also a 'Tile for Desktop', which accesses the traditional Windows desktop
look. Programs and documents can be saved to the desktop for quick access, just
like in past versions of Windows. The missing Start menu and various other bug
fixes are expected to be added in Windows 8.1, a free service pack from
Microsoft due out in October.
Both
can be confusing in the beginning, but becomes easier with use.
The
Surface tablet works extremely well with Windows 8. When unlocked and used as a
tablet, the tiled mode is best. Having large click able tiles is much easier to
work with when compared to the small icons.
The
keyboard is one accessory highly recommended for office work. Although the
onscreen keyboard is very responsive, it is still difficult to use for everyday
needs such as typing a Word document or composing an email. The keyboard
magnetically attaches itself directly to the bottom of the device providing a
full QWERTY keyboard. It also flips over the screen to act as a screen
protector when on the go.
At
the current price of $999, the Surface Pro can be considered a replacement for
a laptop for a user who wants to reduce their travel load while maintaining
computing performance. Since many people use tablets already, such as the I Pad,
the cost justification is that this is two devices in one, at a similar cost
point. But this tablet runs real software; not just apps from the App Store.
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