New SP 6 Owner Questions

[MickeyLittle]

I broke down and punted my iPad Pro 12.9 3rd Gen due to a couple of issues on a recent business trip and bought a SP 6 from Best Buy.

What are some tweaks I need to do to it out of the box? On previous SP models I had notes in One Note see below for tweaks but not sure these still apply?

 

[sharpuser]

Congrats!

Not much to do out of the box nowadays, except update Windows 10.

 

[MickeyLittle]

Thanks. It is always good to see you here sir. You and Jim have been cornerstones for this forum from way back. I have owned 4 different SP models and a Surface Book and you guys have helped me on several occasions.

 

[sharpuser]

Well keep us posted, and we will be glad to get you fixed up!

 

[Turbo4AWD]

I broke down and punted my iPad Pro 12.9 3rd Gen due to a couple of issues on a recent business trip and bought a SP 6 from Best Buy.

What are some tweaks I need to do to it out of the box? On previous SP models I had notes in One Note see below for tweaks but not sure these still apply?

View attachment 9202

A lot of those issues listed were resolved in a firmware update or windows update already. I think it even resolved the issue for older model Surface Pro's as well. I could be wrong.

I too "punted" my iPad for a Surface. My favorite example is that I can backup an iPad "Pro" to my Surface Pro 6 via iTunes, but cannot do the same for the Surface on the iPad. lol.

I started with a Surface 3, but the screen cracked (I can still use it, but the typecover is the only way it can be used. Touchscreen does not work) so I ended up replacing it with a Surface Pro 6 instead of warranty replacing it with another Surface 3 and for consumption and basic work stuff, it's a DREAM. I have my gaming laptop, but it's much larger/heavier than this is JUST to browse the web or write a document in Word or just watch some YouTube videos.

The only thing I miss is being able to start a playlist in the Tidal Windows app and shut the screen off with the music still playing. The entire device shuts off, even the speakers, when you hit that lock screen button. If ONLY I could get that working like I wanted, I would have zero issues.

 

[Turbo4AWD]

Side Note: I love how my employer sends me PDF waiver forms for events and I can just sign them on the Surface Pro 6 using the pen INSTEAD of printing the page out, signing the document, and then scanning the signed document BACK INTO my computer to a PDF so I can email it back to them signed.

 

[MickeyLittle]

Yeah it is great having a tablet form factor with a full PC functionality. The one thing I do miss is the LTE and I guess I'll just tether using my phone. Hopefully at some point some Microsoft will figure out that we want or need to be to be connected in some places where Wi-Fi just doesn't exist. Either that or they'll be stubborn enough to wait it out until it does. Oh I know they have random devices with LTE now but good luck getting one at your local Best Buy.

 

[sharpuser]

... The one thing I do miss is the LTE and I guess I'll just tether using my phone.

Sometimes I start wishing my Surface was LTE. But then I quickly remember that it is cheaper to tether or hotspot my phone rather than pay for an additional device.

 

[MickeyLittle]

Sometimes I start wishing my Surface was LTE. But then I quickly remember that it is cheaper to tether or hotspot my phone rather than pay for an additional device.

Good point and with my Note 9 and the new Pie update I'm currently getting upwards of a day and a half between charges so that might be the ticket.

 

[wpcoe]

The only thing I miss is being able to start a playlist in the Tidal Windows app and shut the screen off with the music still playing. The entire device shuts off, even the speakers, when you hit that lock screen button. If ONLY I could get that working like I wanted, I would have zero issues.

I may be misunderstanding what you are doing, but I frequently use VLC to play a playlist and press <WinKey+L> to lock the screens and the music keeps playing. I have a multi-screen set-up and the one with the log-on screen doesn't go blank for a little while, though, but that doesn't bother me.

 

[Turbo4AWD]

I may be misunderstanding what you are doing, but I frequently use VLC to play a playlist and press <WinKey+L> to lock the screens and the music keeps playing. I have a multi-screen set-up and the one with the log-on screen doesn't go blank for a little while, though, but that doesn't bother me.

Yeah, if you detach the keyboard and start playing music, the moment you hit the lock screen/power button on the Surface Pro 6, the screen shuts off and the music stops playing.

Now, on an iPad, you can start playing music, then press the power/lock button and the screen goes blank, but the music still plays until you wake the device up again and either pause or unlock the device and go back into the app to choose a different song to play, etc.