Contemplating Surface Pro 2

[oninuva]

I've been looking at the Surface Pro 2 for a couple weeks and tried it a couple times at the store. I really like the Pro 2 but the model I would buy (8gb ram) is sort of pricy after you add on the accessories, etc. I currently have a Dell XPS 17 (i7, 8gb, 2gb 550GT) so having fast hardware is a must for me.

A few details about myself and preferences

-I travel occasionally (3-4 times a month) which is why I prefer a laptop/surface 2 pro.
-I enjoy gaming, which is why I want something that can run games comfortably. The games I play are not shooters and I don't really need top of the line graphics.
-Screen size is not a big issue, at home I plug into a 27" monitor anyway.
-Looking for a product that will last at least 2 years, in terms of hardware speed, etc.

I am deciding whether a Surface Pro 2 (8gb) would be better or an Dell XPS 15 Touchscreen(4th gen i7, 16gb ram, 770GT). (both will be around $1500).

The main thing holding me back from pulling the trigger on the Surface is the price. For around the same price, I can get a much more powerful laptop, with a bigger screen, etc. Also, I read that the Surface 3 will be released later this year. Anyone know if there's any merit to that? I'm not in a real rush to upgrade so I can wait 10 months or so.

Cheers. :nerd:

 

[jnjroach]

Any 2 in 1 device is going to be a compromise. So with that in mind ask yourself these questions:

Do you want/need an Active Stylus to take handwritten notes? Yes/maybe, get a Surface Pro 2
Do you want a laptop that is in tablet form which it makes it heavier than most tablets but lighter than most laptops? - Yes, get a Surface Pro 2
Are your games going to be comfortable on a 10.6" 1080p Screen? Yes, get a Surface Pro 2
Are you comfortable with a smaller than normal keyboard? Yes, get a Surface Pro 2
Do you want to use it comfortably on your lap for extended periods of time? Yes, consider an Ultrabook/Laptop

As far as the Surface Pro 3, I would expect it to be released in October 2014.

 

[iliketoys]

I think the stylus should be your decider. If you dont plan on ever drawing or using the pen that often, theres probably something more powerful for less $.

 

[godson594]

I would never have purchased a SP2 if I didn't need a Wacom digitizer.

 

[Dayton]

For me it depends on how mobile you want to be and yet still have a fully working "laptop" with a beautiful screen, SP2 will be hard to beat here. If you don't care about weight and size then there are cheaper alternatives that can also be better for gaming.

I should add that my just over a year old ThinkPad X1CT feels like a dinosaur in comparison and I no longer use it.

 

[oninuva]

Hmm, since many of you suggest that the pen would be a deciding factor, I'm curious as to what sort of functions I can use it for. Mainly I would see myself taking notes during a meeting with it, but is there support for directly writing on Word or OneNote? Thanks for clarifying.

 

[fonzman78]

Hmm, since many of you suggest that the pen would be a deciding factor, I'm curious as to what sort of functions I can use it for. Mainly I would see myself taking notes during a meeting with it, but is there support for directly writing on Word or OneNote? Thanks for clarifying.

There is definitely support for OneNote. I use my SP2 everyday for work (and play). I also travel occasionally. I wanted something that would cut down my having to bring a heavy laptop, Galaxy Note 10.1, and a notebook for meetings. I disliked having to take all three just for a road trip. The laptop mostly for back at the hotel. The Galaxy Note for meetings since it had a good stylus for notes. And the notebook just because I went back and forth between it and the Note 10.1. Since getting the SP1 and, now, SP2, I don't carry anything in my bag except the SP2. It is all I need for my meetings at home and on the road. And since it is all OneNote/Office, all my notes taken while in a meeting (assuming Wifi connection) are waiting for me at home on my Win 8 desktop.

Here is a sample of notes taken with OneNote. Pardon the chicken scratch but as long as I can read it, it's all good.

 

[jnjroach]

Hmm, since many of you suggest that the pen would be a deciding factor, I'm curious as to what sort of functions I can use it for. Mainly I would see myself taking notes during a meeting with it, but is there support for directly writing on Word or OneNote? Thanks for clarifying.

Inking in OneNote is whole reason for an Active Digitizer Tablet unless your are a graphics designer or artist. All of the Office Applications dating all the way back to Office 2003 support ink... I have OneNote notebooks from 2003, so I have 10 years of hand written notes that Windows treat the same as typed text, fully searchable....

 

[Philtastic]

In addition to the pen being really great for writing notes (I do this all the time) and for using the OS without a mouse (better than touchpad), I would argue that the portability is the main attraction with the SP2. Personally, I really like that I can bring it everywhere I go without planning to use it because it is such an insignificant thing to carry whereas almost anything over 13" with a video card will weigh 2-3 times as much and be more intrusive due to size, thus I would only bring it along if I knew that I'd need it. I use my SP2 at work for data analysis and for taking notes at seminars and conferences; working in a research lab, I'll bring my SP2 into the lab if I need a protocol off of it; I use it on the bus/subway for reading or playing games (lately, Civilization V and XCOM: Enemy Within); it can even play modded Skyrim at a decent framerate but on low settings 720p (but ultra high textures and models); I use it on the couch when I'm feeling lazy or don't want to boot up my desktop. Basically, its portability was the deciding factor for me because it gives me the freedom to have a full laptop experience everywhere I go, with table or on my lap or standing on a bus. Just tonight, I was typing up a Word document on the subway and bus with people sitting next to me and on top of my bag: imagine trying to pull out a bulky 15" laptop and trying to fit it on your legs so that you aren't brushing up against the people beside you. Contrary to what others have stated, I find that the Type Cover 2 is sufficiently rigid such that I still type on it as fast as I do on a laptop keyboard even on an uneven surface like my bag. In fact, the keys are just as big as standard laptop and even desktop keyboards: they are, however, spaced closer together.

In summary, the portability and stylus were the deciding factors for me since they let me have the power of a laptop in the form factor of a tablet.