Totally LOVE my Surface Pro 2

[Dim-Ize]

It's been a long time since I have had a piece of technology that really wows me. I've used BlackBerry, Android, Apple, Palm and MS products. I've enjoyed each of these manufacturers and OS providers technology. But, I've never been so amazed at any of my past purchases as I have with the Surface Pro 2. I have the 256 / 8 version. The last time I really went "Wow" was when I bought the Palm Treo. I know that seems lame to some, but to me it is a fact.

The accessories I have purchased include: VGA and HDMI video adapters, MS Sculpt Comfort Mouse (for use at home), Wedge Keyboard (for use at home), Type Cover 2 for on the go, 64GB SD, SATECHE USB 3.0 Hub with Three ports + Ethernet, Snugg Sleeve and Surface Arc Mouse (for on the go) and a 32 GB Sandisk Cruz Fit USB storage which is permanently installed in the USB Hub for constant backup of my files.

Being able to run games from the MS Store along with Steam games that support my Xbox USB controller is great! I have MS Office 2013 installed and I'm able to run multiple monitors. The VPN software our company uses runs natively as do all the applications which we have that are necessary for our company. These are proprietary software apps made for the PC but the run fine on the SP2.

While I consider myself an avid gamer, I don't play competitively any longer. I used to do so with Quake, Unreal Tournament, Tribes, and BF1942. Now I enjoy single player games and the SP2 delivers. I have 27 games installed. Some of them are multi-player. But, I have lost my edge...

Moreover, with my business travel I'm able to keep my computer in its sleeve through security where I used to have to remove my laptop from my carry on during security screens.

I think this thing is incredible. It allowed me to converge my laptop, handwritten notebook, and iPad (3 devices) into one single device for business travel and daily usage. I'm very impressed with my investment and with both the business results and personal satisfaction I gain from owning one.

I hope MS continues to invest in the (future) development of this platform with even longer battery, faster GPU, thinner & lighter hardware, and faster processors in the future. But for the next few years - I am 100% satisfied.

This thing is rock solid, smoking fast, modular, and it delivers.

 

[godson594]

This seems like a post I would have wrote during my first month

I picked up a snug sling case to carry all my sp2 stuff in. Works pretty good actually, you should jump on Team Fortress 2 - I come from the quake days and it's the only game I can still play and have fun and it runs really well on the SP2 + it's free to play.

PM me your steam name if you want to game it up sometime.

 

[sweeptheleg]

This seems like a post I would have wrote during my first month

I picked up a snug sling case to carry all my sp2 stuff in. Works pretty good actually, you should jump on Team Fortress 2 - I come from the quake days and it's the only game I can still play and have fun and it runs really well on the SP2 + it's free to play.

PM me your steam name if you want to game it up sometime.

My first month too . I still have high hopes but this thing has a laundry list of basic problems.

Im trying to get this one fixed asap so im calling attention to it where I can but this picture should not have all the choppiness in the background that it does on our display.

Surface pro screen test banding - carldavis

 

[reach]

Glad to also see some happy postings here.
Indeed there are tons of things to love the Surface for. After all it's an amazingly useful tool for productivity.

 

[CrippsCorner]

I'm sure many of us felt the same. However months down the line problems are now showing up lol... tbh I still love it though

 

[NGC]

Is there an improved alternative to Surface Pro 2?

 

[DragonGamer]

Is there an improved alternative to Surface Pro 2?

Depends on what you need. If you require a wacom digitizer, a well cooled iCore and something like a kickstand to use in lap, then no.
If you don't need the kickstand and are happy with a worse digitizer, I'd look at the Dell Venue 11 when it soon appears with iCores. Though I wouldn't say its a step up, but its cheaper.
If you don't need that computing power, you can look for some Atom Baytrail devices.

The SP will surely be improved by the end of the year though (next generation).

 

[callihan_44]

It's been a long time since I have had a piece of technology that really wows me. I've used BlackBerry, Android, Apple, Palm and MS products. I've enjoyed each of these manufacturers and OS providers technology. But, I've never been so amazed at any of my past purchases as I have with the Surface Pro 2. I have the 256 / 8 version. The last time I really went "Wow" was when I bought the Palm Treo. I know that seems lame to some, but to me it is a fact.

The accessories I have purchased include: VGA and HDMI video adapters, MS Sculpt Comfort Mouse (for use at home), Wedge Keyboard (for use at home), Type Cover 2 for on the go, 64GB SD, SATECHE USB 3.0 Hub with Three ports + Ethernet, Snugg Sleeve and Surface Arc Mouse (for on the go) and a 32 GB Sandisk Cruz Fit USB storage which is permanently installed in the USB Hub for constant backup of my files.

Being able to run games from the MS Store along with Steam games that support my Xbox USB controller is great! I have MS Office 2013 installed and I'm able to run multiple monitors. The VPN software our company uses runs natively as do all the applications which we have that are necessary for our company. These are proprietary software apps made for the PC but the run fine on the SP2.

While I consider myself an avid gamer, I don't play competitively any longer. I used to do so with Quake, Unreal Tournament, Tribes, and BF1942. Now I enjoy single player games and the SP2 delivers. I have 27 games installed. Some of them are multi-player. But, I have lost my edge...

Moreover, with my business travel I'm able to keep my computer in its sleeve through security where I used to have to remove my laptop from my carry on during security screens.

I think this thing is incredible. It allowed me to converge my laptop, handwritten notebook, and iPad (3 devices) into one single device for business travel and daily usage. I'm very impressed with my investment and with both the business results and personal satisfaction I gain from owning one.
I hope MS continues to invest in the (future) development of this platform with even longer battery, faster GPU, thinner & lighter hardware, and faster processors in the future. But for the next few years - I am 100% satisfied.

This thing is rock solid, smoking fast, modular, and it delivers.

this is where im at, i despise carrying a laptop for work on the go ...I like my ipad mini for consumption but i think the surface pro 2 is what I need, I have an lenovo x230 and hate taking it everywhere. I prefer the tablet feel

 

[cheetahdriver]

Right, my iPad 3 has been relegated to the kitchen table for reading the morning paper and the recumbent bike for the same thing. I haven't taken it outside the house since I got my Surface Pro. I haven't taken my laptop (a massive w520 I7 unit) outside the house since I got the Surface Pro2, and have yet to be caught short. My travel is lighter, my startup is quicker, I picked up a LT1421 as a second monitor (or third in a hotel with a TV I can use on the DisplayPort adaptor), and I have yet to find anything the Pro2 can't do that I need done.

 

[Dim-Ize]

My first month too . I still have high hopes but this thing has a laundry list of basic problems.

Im trying to get this one fixed asap so im calling attention to it where I can but this picture should not have all the choppiness in the background that it does on our display.

Surface pro screen test banding - carldavis

Wow. That's weird. It displays properly on my external monitor and demonstrates banding with the Surface display. If you save the image and open it in various programs (Paint, Photoshop, Windows Image Viewer, etc.) it has different banding emphasis. I'm no photo expert so I'm not the best person to judge. But, I can see what you mean. I tried it in multiple browsers too - with the same result. External monitor is solid contrast while the SP2 display is blotchy / banded.

Demandarin or godson has a reference on a different driver that may help, found here: http://www.surfaceforums.net/forum/microsoft-surface-pro-2/7427-issue-graphics-driver.html