SURFACE PRO SKIPS THE PEN
MICROSOFT DUMPS KEY ACCESSORY,
Microsoft used to market its Surface Pro mobile computer as the “tablet that can replace your laptop.”
With the new Surface Pro that Microsoft unveiled Tuesday at an event in Shanghai, the company is more squarely positioning Surface as a laptop itself, a versatile model to compete against “2-in-1” Windows rivals and the ultimate target, Apple.
Preorders on the new computers began Tuesday; they’ll launch in the U.S., China and two dozen other markets around the world June 16.
The latest refreshed Surface Pro starts at $799, but the price is misleading because to really use this as a laptop, you’ll have to pay $129 or $159 for an optional keyboard cover. Without the keyboard cover, you really would be left with a tablet.
The extra $30 buys you what Microsoft calls the Surface Pro Signature Type cover, promising a better typing experience, a fullsize glass trackpad and so-called Alcantara material, an Italian fabric used in many luxury cars. You can choose from three colors — cobalt blue, platinum or burgundy. I can vouch for the attractive aesthetic.
uPaying for a pen. Alas, you’ll also have to pay $99.99 extra if you want the newly-improved Surface Pen, which will be a key differentiator for at least some of the buyers Microsoft is reaching out to, creative types for whom the new version of Windows 10 is designed. Microsoft used to throw in the pen for free.
This is a shame because the Pro’s 12.3-inch touch display has been optimized to exploit the latest pen, including the ability to write and draw more fluidly, with tilt and shading tools.
Moreover, the new pen has 4,096 pressure levels of sensitivity, compared to 1,024 on the previous generation. There’s even a stronger magnet for attaching the pen to the side of the computer, theoretically reducing the likelihood it will fall off or you’ll lose it.
Microsoft’s rationale for no longer offering the pen for free is that relatively few people have used it in the past, so why make those folks pay for it.
While I understand the thinking, it’s never a great idea to take something away. Besides, Microsoft is enhancing the inking capabilities in Windows 10 and in Office 365, so there might, in fact, be more situations in which you’d want to grab the pen. Microsoft is also developing a new Whiteboard app, providing a canvas for collaborative work with people on other Windows 10 devices.
uThe Surface lineup. With this latest launch, Microsoft now offers three classes of laptops: the top-of-the-line $1,499 (on up) Surface Book, which comes with a detachable keyboard; the recently launched $999 Surface Laptop clamshell, which represents in part Microsoft’s push into education markets; and now this latest 2-in-1 Surface Pro.
While selling Surface computers obviously is a business for Microsoft, the computers also are meant to “inspire our ecosystem of Windows devices,” says executive Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president for the Windows and Devices Group. According to Mehdi, Microsoft underestimated how well partners such as HP, Dell and Lenovo would do with their own 2in-1 Windows laptops. And he says since Microsoft was relatively late in shipping the Surface Pro 4 models that preceded the Pro that was announced Tuesday in China, some prospective buyers decided to hold off.
It’ll bear watching to see how well they take to the current Surface lineup, especially given the bevy of strong Windows 10 lap-
top-tablet hybrid alternatives.
Microsoft’s approach is decidedly different from Apple’s, at least when it comes to the latter’s MacBook laptop models. Apple eschews touch screens, pens and removable keyboards on the MacBooks models. A more direct, if imperfect, comparison may come from Apple’s 12.9-inch iPad Pro tablet, which also starts at $799. Putting aside the fundamental differences between Windows 10 and iOS software, the larger display iPad Pro also can be enhanced with an optional keyboard cover ($169) and Apple Pencil stylus ($99).
uSurface Pro Basics. The new Surface Pros look a lot like their immediate predecessors. The new models run seventh generation Intel Core processors. They’re thin and weigh around 1.7 pounds, and while I haven’t had a chance to review one yet, I did get to briefly bang away at the new keyboard cover — key travel seemed decent — and draw with the pen without noticeable lag.
Microsoft says Surface Pro is 21⁄ times faster than the Surface 2 Pro 3, with battery life that has climbed to about 131⁄ hours, a 2 50% jump. I was unable to evaluate that claim. A new hinge adjusts to 165 degrees, so you can pretty much prop up the machine at any angle or lay it flat.
The computer has a standardsized headphone jack, memory card slot and full-size USB 3.0 port. Microsoft for now is continuing to resist the emerging USB-C type connector that is appearing on many other laptops.
I’ve been a fan of Surface Pros in the past and the new model looks to be a solid addition. I just wish the pen and keyboard were already included in the price.