Why Did You Buy Your Surface Pro and How Do You Use It?

[bryanhayn]

I got my SP for the following reasons:

1. I'm a tech nerd who always needs the newest gadgets. After reading the Amazon reviews and demoing the SP at Best Buy I knew I had to have it.
2. I really wanted to try Windows 8 and its touch screen features.
3. I sold my Samsung Series 7 laptop (to help fund the SP purchase) and needed a replacement PC.
4. I wanted something powerful and light that I could easily fit into my backpack and take to work/school (I ride a motorcycle, so the lighter my bag the better).

I don't take my SP to work that often because I have a work issued Lenovo L420 that I use and I don't want to put Lotus Notes on my SP. I use my SP mainly at school and at home as my main PC. At home it's connected via mini display port to HDMI to my 24" Samsung monitor...and my bluetooth Apple Magic Mouse and keyboard.

 

[machistmo]

EDIT - *Update* - I used my Surface Pro to get a $1300 credit back on my credit card and after 2 months of emailing, travelling to pop-stores that no longer existed, and numerous phone calls, the Surface finally performed up to my expectations. Surface Pro 128, Type Keyboard, Spare Power Supply for the Office, Surface Wedge Mouse all went back to MS.

 

[TagsxA]

I don't have mine yet, but I should have one in the next week or two. Here's what I currently use and what I use them for:

iPad 3rd Gen
- Browsing the net
- Email
- RSS Feeds
- Storing/reading manuals
- Stream media to my AppleTV

Asus 11" Netbook
- Networking tasks
- Stream converted movies to my iPad
- Torrenting (almost exclusively Top Gear UK)
- Emulators

Wife's MacBook Pro (2011)
- Stream music to Apple TV
- Store/process our photo library
- Rare times I need flash for browsing

As you can probably surmise, my goal is to replace all three of these devices with the surface pro. As far as I can tell, from my research so far, it should be fairly simple to do so. The only thing I may need to keep my iPad for is to stream media to my Apple TV, but I do it so rarely that I'm really not too concerned. At this point, I'm planning on selling it to Gamestop and use that money to buy my son a 3DS XL for his b-day that's coming up (I'd give him the iPad, but it would just cause fights amongst him and his other siblings).

 

[Nemesis296]

I bought the Surface Pro because having a tablet and laptop in a single device is like a dream come true. When Microsoft first announced the RT edition, I knew I would have to have one. The Pro announcement later allowing running any Windows app was even better, and I don't even care that it cost nearly 2x the price. I use it for typing word documents, and I've been organizing files and handling all of my computing needs with this thing, it's absolutely been great! I replaced my Dell Inspiron laptop which I had for a little under 2 years, and while I still have a desktop with a 22 inch monitor, there's always the possibility of hooking up my Surface to the VGA port on the monitor (it's about 5 years old). I've played a few games on here (Sims 3, a few Steam games, StarCraft 2), and while I didn't buy it for gaming primarily, it's nice to see that it can still handle some of the stuff I like to play from time to time.

This device has also effectively replaced my iPad 4th gen. I still pick it up from time to time, but mostly now if I want to watch a video on YouTube, or read some article, I use my Surface Pro. I've invested in both keyboard covers, and find that for the most part the Type cover performs better to suit my needs, but I still have the touch cover for when I want to use it just as a tablet. I also bought the Surface Touch Bluetooth mouse (BUY THIS NOW) and it is awesome. Frees up the USB port on the Surface, and handles movement on nearly any surface (no pun intended), including a glass table that I have at home. (It doesn't work 'flawlessly' on glass, but it's close enough). I love how portable this thing is, and the battery life has exceeded my expectations. Now I just need to drop $500 on Visual Studio so I can start using this thing to design websites again!

 

[mlknez]

This will do airplay video stuff on windows...
AirParrot - AirPlay your Mac or PC's screen to Apple TV

 

[TagsxA]

This will do airplay video stuff on windows...
AirParrot - AirPlay your Mac or PC's screen to Apple TV

Wow, I never knew this existed. Thanks!!!

 

[GaudiestJA]

I bought my surface pro because I fell in love from the first time I saw her, and I wanted to replace my laptop hp dv4 laptop for a very elegant, I though the HP ultrabooks but did not want just a laptop. but also a tablet and I started to look more on the surface. I was expecting the surface since I saw his first trailer and I'm really happy with it I am a computer engineer. and on the surface I do my applications, read files, I can watch my favorite series and sometimes play my favorite games and runs perfectly to me I definitely recommend it for those with the potential economic and looking for something innovative and elegant sorry for my broken english im using google translate because im too lazy to traduce my main language in english xD

 

[N.G.]

Didn't/don't like the weight. Thought/think 10.6 is an inch too small. Liked/like the type keyboard COVER a lot. Seemed like it was a toss up between the low specs, low price, low weight great battery atom tablets and the I5 devices with their higher prices. Went to the higher end, (and am glad I did) because of what sunspider meant in page loading with the atoms. Microsoft support, integration and long term support of the SP format drove it. This article on the April update, especially the last paragraph on using Windows Update, is what I was expecting in added value: http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-to-roll-out-april-firmware-updates-for-surface-rt-and-pro-7000013754/.

 

[curney]

I am a home inspector and the surface pro is my dream machine. I can perform my inspections, take and edit photos, print reports, have clients sign documents and WOW everyone with my 2 pound device. Its awesome. It replaced my 4 year old Fujitsu convertible Lifebook. It is my only computer. My only wish was that the battery life was 25-35% better. I don't like running my inverter in the car.

 

[faisdogg]

I use my Surface pro for everything that I did on my Hp elitebook, it's just very mobile and portable as compared to my 4 lbs elitebook. I use it for casual browsing, watching videos. I also run a lot of android games and apps. I also have a dock for surface connected to home entertainment system with wireless Logitech mouse and keyboard in case I need to do something on the big screen. So far I love this thing, curious to see what MS brings next to the table.

 

[ccny00]

I have an old Sony Vaio for almost 7 years already (one of the super thing nice ones too with a dock =), finally it just had to go. I really wanted the Vaio Duo, but it was a little bit too heavy to be lugging around as a tablet.

I replaced it with the Surface Pro! This thing is awesome. I use to it watch movies (netflix and blu ray rips) I use it to play games (SimCity, Mass Effect 3, and probably Bio shock infinite soon). This little thing is more powerful than my desktop computer albeit the graphics card and RAM.

Sadly the PC market is in decline and I hope that MS/Intel and its hardware partners will come out with new iterations of the Surface Pro that is a little lighter but does not sacrifice on the speed of the Core i5 and when the masses will realize that this PC can replace their iPads and laptops. Also for a little less $$ for the masses can enjoy this beautiful machine!!

 

[mitchellvii]

I believe what is hurting PC sales more than Windows 8 or anything else is that at this point, even a 4 year old cpu can run Office and most things average people use "well enough" that they don't need to spring for the latest and greatest. In other words, maybe their PC won't go 150 miles an hour but it drives 65 just fine. And of course you have tablets that do for a large portion of the population what PC's used to do.

I believe MS greatest mistake in marketing the SP was pricing. Not including the keyboard in a system that was already pricey for the segment came across as greedy and arrogant. Is there any doubt that MS would have had a much more successful launch on their hands if you could own the SP and keyboard for $899? The typical consumer goes to the store and sees the SP and thinks, wow that's nice but $899, I don't know, seems expensive. But then they learn you don't even get the keyboard for that price and they are like no way, that's a ripoff.

Sometimes I think MS believes that they can overprice simply because they are MS. As a headhunter I have clients like that. They think they can offer less just because they are so and so. Then they are shocked when they lose the candidate to a better offer. Right now MS is losing consumers to a better offer. The SP is a fine device despite its faults but it is more device than most people need and costs more than most are willing to pay.

WIN FORMULA:
1) Include the keyboard in the price.
2) Fix the one size fits all kickstand angle.
3) Find a better cooling solution.
4) Offer free year of Office 365.
5) Increase screen size to 11.6".