Microsoft’s flagship tablet is flat out great
Microsoft’s new tablet excels... if you buy the right version
Microsoft Surface Pro From€959, See microsoft.com ★★★★★
Five years ago, Microsoft launched the Surface tablet, in an attempt to bring together its own hardware with Windows software. The Surface Pro, the premium tablet in this line-up, has been given a significant makeover and it’s positioned as a tablet that can replace your laptop.
The first thing I notice about the new Surface Pro is it still feels light. Despite packing in extra performance and bigger battery, this is an easy device to hold and carry and the lightest of configurations is just 768 grams.
Made from a magnesium-alloy, it looks much like the last Surface, and has a wonderful 12.3inch PixelSense touchscreen. Looks like the last Surface, but the 2017 version is more refined, and actually feels better in your hands. The corners are slightly more rounded and there’s a real feeling of sleekness and hints to the highperformance engine inside.
There are various options for that engine inside and there is a choice of three Intel processors up to i7. There are also four choices of disk storage from 128GB right up to 1TB. The pricing also varies significantly depending on the specification you choose, with the most expensive version three times more expensive than the entry-level one. I’d suggest the i5, 128GB version for home users, but if you plan on combining work step-up to an i7, 256GB version.
Connectivity comes via the single USB 3.0 port and there is a Mini DisplayPort, headphone jack and memory card reader. The single USB port shouldn’t really be a concern as there is also a Surface Connect port for connecting the device to a Surface dock.
The hinge on this new Surface has also been rethought by Microsoft and what may seem a small engineering modification has made a real difference to how you might use the new Surface Pro. As well as tablet and laptop modes, there is also a new Studio mode as the hinge now lets you place the device almost flat on a desk, and use the Surface Pen in a drawing or design mode.
The Surface Pen has also been vastly improved. It is more sensitive pen, has tilt detection and can discern the slightest change in pressure as you draw or write. It is however disappointing that Microsoft no longer includes the pen as part of the package. There’s also an optional new keyboard which has also been improved to change what I thought was a slightly spongey response when typing.
Mobile keyboards can be tiresome or difficult to use when travelling, but this new Signature Type Cover has no such baggage, and is responsive and comfortable.
With superb performance, a brilliant screen, improved battery life and keyboard, and a pen that feels like an extension of your left brain, Microsoft has absolutely got the Surface Pro right.
‘A new Studio mode lets you place the device almost flat on a desk’