Forum member hands on reviews SP4
- Thread starter leeshor
- Start date
EMINENT
Active Member
Got mine set up now. Waiting on 10565 build to come down. Ended up with the i5 256/8 version. A step up in ram from my previous Surfaces that all had 4, except Surface 2.
Overall, very pleased at how well Hello works. My main reason for upgrading. The other was to support 4k@30 to my 50" 4k tv, although I haven't had a chance to test it yet.
The whole thing feels much better in hand with the minor decrease in thickness and weight, plus the bigger screen. It makes the whole package feel substantial.
Will test more and report.
Overall, very pleased at how well Hello works. My main reason for upgrading. The other was to support 4k@30 to my 50" 4k tv, although I haven't had a chance to test it yet.
The whole thing feels much better in hand with the minor decrease in thickness and weight, plus the bigger screen. It makes the whole package feel substantial.
Will test more and report.
Got my SP4 i5 256GB 8GB Ram this morning. I have to say I'm disappointed. This is my first windows tablet experience and first experience with a high pixel density screen with windows.
I think the hardware of the SP4 is superb. No complaints there. As the previous poster noted, windows Hello works great. My disappointment is with windows 10 itself as a tablet OS. It seems the app development is very poor even for what I would call CORE apps.
For example, the MAIL app is terrible. When composing an email you can't push a button to add a contact to the TO list. When viewing email, it does not display emails correctly with inconsistent text scaling and image scaling as well as background colors/images not working. Sure I could just go to the website and just view and write email there, but that defeats the purpose of having a tablet PC. I may have well just purchased a traditional laptop (Not what I was looking for).
I have a huge issue with scaling in general. I don't know who app/program developers are writing for but it must be for people with the eyesight of Super Man. Everything is super tiny and when I boost up the DPI even CORE apps don't scale properly. How does Microsoft expect developers to scale their apps when even they can't do it correctly.
I would go as far as to say the Quality of apps for windows 10 tablet is much much worse the android and I think android apps are much much worse then IOS apps.
Anyway enough ranting about the software aspect of the SP4. For hardware everything seems really fast and smooth (ignoring poor apps/programs). One thing I noticed on the hardware side tho is when I am downloading something (not using a lot of CPU) the tablet gets really warm with the fan on full. Anyone else observe this on theirs?
I also forgot to add, the track pad on the typecover is good except when I do 2 finger scrolling it feels like there is a delay like I have to put 2 fingers on it then wait a second or so before it realizes that I want to scroll.
I think the hardware of the SP4 is superb. No complaints there. As the previous poster noted, windows Hello works great. My disappointment is with windows 10 itself as a tablet OS. It seems the app development is very poor even for what I would call CORE apps.
For example, the MAIL app is terrible. When composing an email you can't push a button to add a contact to the TO list. When viewing email, it does not display emails correctly with inconsistent text scaling and image scaling as well as background colors/images not working. Sure I could just go to the website and just view and write email there, but that defeats the purpose of having a tablet PC. I may have well just purchased a traditional laptop (Not what I was looking for).
I have a huge issue with scaling in general. I don't know who app/program developers are writing for but it must be for people with the eyesight of Super Man. Everything is super tiny and when I boost up the DPI even CORE apps don't scale properly. How does Microsoft expect developers to scale their apps when even they can't do it correctly.
I would go as far as to say the Quality of apps for windows 10 tablet is much much worse the android and I think android apps are much much worse then IOS apps.
Anyway enough ranting about the software aspect of the SP4. For hardware everything seems really fast and smooth (ignoring poor apps/programs). One thing I noticed on the hardware side tho is when I am downloading something (not using a lot of CPU) the tablet gets really warm with the fan on full. Anyone else observe this on theirs?
I also forgot to add, the track pad on the typecover is good except when I do 2 finger scrolling it feels like there is a delay like I have to put 2 fingers on it then wait a second or so before it realizes that I want to scroll.
EMINENT
Active Member
Mail is pretty basic, but I get by fine with typing the first letter of the name or email and it does well enough to pull up anyone that begins with those few letters. No issues for me. Don't know about the DPI. I just leave it at the standard 150 and everything is normal to me. Some emails don't take up the whole pane, but I don't expect every company to follow the same dimensions in their ads/communication.
Fan does come on when downloading. This is normal behavior with my SP3 too.
I guess I've just been spoiled with the iPad experience. Good to know the fan while downloading is normal.
The one 3rd party app that was really bothering me is the kindle one. The App wont open a textbook of mine and the desktop program sucks.
I'm installing office 365 with outlook. I'll have to see if that will satisfy me.
Again I think the hardware is phenomenal so far.
The one 3rd party app that was really bothering me is the kindle one. The App wont open a textbook of mine and the desktop program sucks.
I'm installing office 365 with outlook. I'll have to see if that will satisfy me.
Again I think the hardware is phenomenal so far.
Amazing isn't it, how a software company can make quality hardware...
This will completely change your mind. Office 2016 is excellent on my SP3Pro.
The only question I have for you is if you can get OneNote 2016 to open with the press of the eraser, of it still will want to open the Metro version.
My SP4 will be here later, can't wait.
EMINENT
Active Member
I know what you're talking about. Definitely a valid concern. It doesn't bother me though so i've never given it much thought. I recommend you ask on Twitter support page or MS's website so they know.
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First impression of the Core m3 SP4.
Noticed a few problems all of which looked familiar as Windows 10/8.1 driver issues.
Video driver crash, audio popping, a few page couldn't be found errors which worked after hitting refresh.
Pretty much the exact same issues I was having with my Surface 3 a month and a half ago and not unlike issues I have had with the SP3 on W10.
Performance on 3DMark Cloud Gate SP3 i5 vs SP4 core m vs Surface 3
note located SP3 i5 higher score result.
Noticed a few problems all of which looked familiar as Windows 10/8.1 driver issues.
Video driver crash, audio popping, a few page couldn't be found errors which worked after hitting refresh.
Pretty much the exact same issues I was having with my Surface 3 a month and a half ago and not unlike issues I have had with the SP3 on W10.
Performance on 3DMark Cloud Gate SP3 i5 vs SP4 core m vs Surface 3
note located SP3 i5 higher score result.
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