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Microsoft Surface Pro 4 announced: "better in nearly every way" (The Verge)

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Irminsul

Member
It seems my ambient light sensor for automatically dimming the screen doesn't work anymore. Or rather, there's something really weird going on.

I don't see the option to (de)activate automatic brightness control in the screen panel of the settings. Also, every brightness option >= "recommended" is full brightness, which is also rather weird.

Any idea how I could fix this?
 
It seems my ambient light sensor for automatically dimming the screen doesn't work anymore. Or rather, there's something really weird going on.

I don't see the option to (de)activate automatic brightness control in the screen panel of the settings. Also, every brightness option >= "recommended" is full brightness, which is also rather weird.

Any idea how I could fix this?

Control Panel > Power options > Advanced settings for your particular power profile > Display > turn on/off adaptive brightness.

jyJ03iZ.jpg
 

Irminsul

Member
Control Panel > Power options > Advanced settings for your particular power profile > Display > turn on/off adaptive brightness.

jyJ03iZ.jpg
Thanks. That was actually turned on, which probably means the brightness sensor thinks it's far brighter in here than it is. Restart didn't help, maybe I should try some advanced reset options...
 

ViciousDS

Banned
Exchanged my iPad pro for this yesterday. Holy fuck is this thing awesome. Plus its cheaper than the bigger pro model ATM. So glad to not be limited on what I can do as well. I think apples closed structure on their products is really starting to annoy me. Its 2016 and yet we still can't download media files to a $700 tablet
 

BeforeU

Oft hope is born when all is forlorn.
Glad people are enjoying this thing. After two replacement my gf is really happy with it.
 
So I got a SP4 for Christmas and its amazing. The type cover is superb (the trackpad is the best) the screen is gorgeous, performance is great, and the pen is wonderful.

Super happy.
 

Bumhead

Banned
Exchanged my iPad pro for this yesterday. Holy fuck is this thing awesome. Plus its cheaper than the bigger pro model ATM. So glad to not be limited on what I can do as well. I think apples closed structure on their products is really starting to annoy me. Its 2016 and yet we still can't download media files to a $700 tablet

Interesting, as I'm currently torn between this and an iPad Pro.

What was it about the iPad that made you change? Other than the "walled garden"?

I'm after one or the other for basic media consumption, web browsing and Football Manager. I've got a new job which involves a fair bit of time out of office too, and I figure having some form of mobile computing would be useful. I generally like Apple products and have used iPads before, but I can get the full version of Football Manager on the Surface and I think that might be more practical for work.
 

Defect

Member
I figure I'll ask this here. I have a Surface Book and I'm wondering if I'm able to use it as a second monitor for my pc.
 
Interesting, as I'm currently torn between this and an iPad Pro.

What was it about the iPad that made you change? Other than the "walled garden"?

I'm after one or the other for basic media consumption, web browsing and Football Manager. I've got a new job which involves a fair bit of time out of office too, and I figure having some form of mobile computing would be useful. I generally like Apple products and have used iPads before, but I can get the full version of Football Manager on the Surface and I think that might be more practical for work.
In terms of usability there's nooooo contest between the two, a Surface is superior in every way. Unless there's a specific apple only app you want it's a no brainer. If you have a stationary PC then doubly so.
 

see5harp

Member
What's the best way to connect a Surface Pro to a TV?

Mini display port on surface to hdmi. There are cheap adapters pretty much everywhere. I will say that many times I just project wirelessly to tvs if I just wanna play you don't know jack with friends It's good enough.
 
Looking forward to seeing what the Pro 5 has to offer this year, along with the iPad Pro 2.

I'm hoping Apple get their act together and get desktop apps running on the thing, not holding my breath though. Shame if they don't because the Pencil crushes Microsoft's Ntrig stylus.
 
Looking forward to seeing what the Pro 5 has to offer this year, along with the iPad Pro 2.

I'm hoping Apple get their act together and get desktop apps running on the thing, not holding my breath though. Shame if they don't because the Pencil crushes Microsoft's Ntrig stylus.

I just want Apple to put an actual filesystem in iOS or I'm gonna switch to Surface Pro 5 if Microsoft has finally fixed the stylus jitter and lag issues. I will miss Procreate so much :(
 
I just want Apple to put an actual filesystem in iOS or I'm gonna switch to Surface Pro 5 if Microsoft has finally fixed the stylus jitter and lag issues. I will miss Procreate so much :(

Yah Procreate is ace! I could live with Sketchbook Pro and Manga Studio though if I had to.

Creative professionals are flocking to the Surface Pro though and Apple need to do something about it. The iPad Pro line seems the obvious response but they have to give people what they want, not just an iPad+ like the current Pro model is.

I like the iOS UI on a device like this, but it also needs industry standard software, not just the mobile app store. And yes a flexible file system too. Sadly I'm expecting an incremental upgrade this year and them properly addressing the issues in 2018 onward.

The current Surface pen is junk though compared to the Pencil, or a good Wacom device. And Win10 tablet mode isn't great either imo. Surface Pro 5 needs some big improvements for me to switch.
 

diablos991

Can’t stump the diablos
Looking forward to seeing what the Pro 5 has to offer this year, along with the iPad Pro 2.

I'm hoping Apple get their act together and get desktop apps running on the thing, not holding my breath though. Shame if they don't because the Pencil crushes Microsoft's Ntrig stylus.

I just want Apple to put an actual filesystem in iOS or I'm gonna switch to Surface Pro 5 if Microsoft has finally fixed the stylus jitter and lag issues. I will miss Procreate so much :(

If Apple put OSX on an iPad they wouldn't sell anymore MacBook Air. They don't want to canibalize that product.

I wish they would give it a shot but they won't unless consumers switch to the Surface Pro in droves.
 
Nothing I know that will let you use the pen. There was a hacky shareware that let's you use the network connection to control another computer as second monitor but dont know if they got the pen working right.
 

Vyer

Member
Interesting, as I'm currently torn between this and an iPad Pro.

What was it about the iPad that made you change? Other than the "walled garden"?

I'm after one or the other for basic media consumption, web browsing and Football Manager. I've got a new job which involves a fair bit of time out of office too, and I figure having some form of mobile computing would be useful. I generally like Apple products and have used iPads before, but I can get the full version of Football Manager on the Surface and I think that might be more practical for work.

If you're using primarily media consumption and some tablet apps, stick with the iPad. Surface pro sucks as a tablet with a shitty app ecosystem and piss poor attempts at shoehorning in desktop apps in a touch screen interface. Not too mention as just a tablet the surface is awkward and less comfortable to hold.

If you need full windows and will go with more of a laptop functionality go with the Surface. It's much better as an ultra book/ laptop replacement.
 

Anon67

Member
I figure I'll ask this here. I have a Surface Book and I'm wondering if I'm able to use it as a second monitor for my pc.

Pretty sure you can't use it as a second monitor natively. You'll have to download a program in order to do so.
 

see5harp

Member
If it's a modern TV, miracast is the easiest way.

Yea which is why I mentioned it. I still think you should have an adapter so that you're covered for any possible setup. in my setup it's just as easy to just plug a cable into my receiver and boom I've got 5.1 and full 1080p picture.
 

Futureman

Member
anyone find it a pain in the ass to connect to public Wifi hotspots with their SP4?

I work at a university and also go to the public library and it takes forever for my SP4 to connect. Sometimes it does right away but nothign will actually load. Most likely it will give me the little yellow "!" sign on the Wifi icon. I usually can get it to work but after a lot of fiddling, turning Wifi on and off, etc.

My SP4 connects instantly to my home network.
 

see5harp

Member
anyone find it a pain in the ass to connect to public Wifi hotspots with their SP4?

I work at a university and also go to the public library and it takes forever for my SP4 to connect. Sometimes it does right away but nothign will actually load. Most likely it will give me the little yellow "!" sign on the Wifi icon. I usually can get it to work but after a lot of fiddling, turning Wifi on and off, etc.

My SP4 connects instantly to my home network.

I only ever have this issue when it has to connect through a portal. Like at Starbucks when the browser opens and it makes you accept terms and conditions. I have noticed some delay or needing to manually connect when connecting to work wifi but I'm guessing it's just checking connection since it's public and unsecured.
 

ViciousDS

Banned
Interesting, as I'm currently torn between this and an iPad Pro.

What was it about the iPad that made you change? Other than the "walled garden"?

I'm after one or the other for basic media consumption, web browsing and Football Manager. I've got a new job which involves a fair bit of time out of office too, and I figure having some form of mobile computing would be useful. I generally like Apple products and have used iPads before, but I can get the full version of Football Manager on the Surface and I think that might be more practical for work.

Pretty much, too much hassle to work around getting media on my devices, I have a lot of stuff on an external drive and being able to use a USB port on a tablet that's fast as hell is a god send. Ease of use for emulators and of course driver support for nearly everything. Printing isn't limited to air printers and using a separate app to work around shit. Also being able to use it for older steam games that I bought like FFIX and VII is nice.

Also nearly same size screen for less cost, as the 13 inch iPad Pro cost more than the SP4 when I bought it. The SP4 was $300 off and $100 less than the cheapest iPad Pro 13 inch

Plus I can mirror to my Xbox one with ease.

I also owned the appletv 4th gen before trading it in. Because of the touch pad he stupid thing kept turning on, didn't like it when I changed inputs while it was on the thing was an absolute mess.

I mean it's a windows PC, I can also doodle, draw and use many free video editing apps if need be.



Also 128GB base model

What the fuck is wrong with apple and 32GB of storage for a tablet for home!!!!! It's a joke

It costs $899 for a 13 inch iPad Pro, it only cost me $699 for a near 13 inch surface pro 128GB
 

see5harp

Member
For $100 more I got the damn 256 gig i5. I have access to my entire steam library and you can literally play any format of music and video on the planet over network or otherwise. The ability to just save target as lol.
 

Lyte Edge

All I got for the Vernal Equinox was this stupid tag
I just did a Windows update (hadn't checked for one in a little while) and found that after restarting, my Surface no longer recognizes anything being plugged into the Displayport. Ordered another cable to see if that was the problem, but I get nothing with the replacement. Trying a restore from before the update now.

Has anyone else experienced this kind of problem before? Is the Surface supposed to have a displayport driver or just the Intel driver listed in device manager? Am wondering if the update removed something.
 
I hope the new CES products like XPS 13 convertible, the Samsung Chrome Pro and new HP convertibles will make Microsoft reduce the prices of their Surface Products. They are soooo expensive. They also seem well designed, but I'd hope they'd be able to shave off some of that high cost.
 

Lyte Edge

All I got for the Vernal Equinox was this stupid tag
I just did a Windows update (hadn't checked for one in a little while) and found that after restarting, my Surface no longer recognizes anything being plugged into the Displayport. Ordered another cable to see if that was the problem, but I get nothing with the replacement. Trying a restore from before the update now.

Has anyone else experienced this kind of problem before? Is the Surface supposed to have a displayport driver or just the Intel driver listed in device manager? Am wondering if the update removed something.

Answering my question: It was the update. After a restore, the displayport is working perfectly.
 

mrklaw

MrArseFace
getting a lot of random shutdowns recently - mostly my son is using it for homework so he gets very pissed off when he loses work although he is learning to save regularly and office is fairly good at recovering.

Anyone had that - he often uses it on batter rather than AC power, but the battery is fine - 40+% when it is restarting on him.
 
I hope the new CES products like XPS 13 convertible, the Samsung Chrome Pro and new HP convertibles will make Microsoft reduce the prices of their Surface Products. They are soooo expensive. They also seem well designed, but I'd hope they'd be able to shave off some of that high cost.

After trying out Lenovo Miix 720, Lenovo X1 Yoga, Dell XPS 13 and HP Elitebook X360 at CES, I don't even know why anyone would choose Surface Pro 4 anymore. It's been outclassed at less price. SP5 will have to out do these devices.
 

Polarburr

Member
For some reason I need to press down on the surface pen eraser for it to start erasing.

Is this an issue? I could've sworn I never had to press down to erase. Any fixes?
 
A new issue popped up today and it's driving me crazy. Whenever I leave off the keyboard and trackpad, or stop touching the tablet screen for about 10 seconds, the window I'm on starts vibrating like crazy. I've tried recording it using the Win-G game recording feature, but of course it doesn't happen when recording is on. This is making me crazy - any ideas how to fix it or even diagnose the issue?

Sadly, I'm in Bangkok and there's no Microsoft store around. I have to wait until March when I'm back in the states. :(
 
Which if any of the surface pro 4's will play civ VI? I'd like to get one mainly for basic computing and internet surfing but also for some light gaming.
 

Futureman

Member
Erasing without pressing down would have been a bug.

well right now you can erase without really any downward pressure. Gliding the eraser across the screen erases for me (Photoshop).

but if Polar means just hovering the eraser over the tablet and erasing then no.

Which if any of the surface pro 4's will play civ VI? I'd like to get one mainly for basic computing and internet surfing but also for some light gaming.

I bet they would all play it, but it looks like the recommended specs put you in the mid to high end Surface Pro.
 
Thanks! What would hold it back more? The RAM or the processor? I guess I'm asking should I go for an i5 with 8gb of RAM or an i7 with 4gb?
 

Widge

Member
Has anyone done anything like music production on the Pro 4? Something like Ableton? I'm not looking at massive chains of VSTi, just mixing tracks together with the standard EQs and stuff.

My MBP is about as dead as a dead thing gets. 15", hulking brute that I want to replace. Surface Pro 4 128GB can be had fairly cheaply over here, so considering that. The idea that I can quickly whip it out of my bag and get going really appeals right now. Want to write some words? Bam. Want to mix? Bam.
 
So I installed Intel XTU on my pro 4 to give undervolting a try but I didn't care for the results. So I uninstalled. I know there is a link between XTU and connected standby causing the surface to crash in hibernate. But even after uninstalling it's doing it. I checked msconfig for the apps on bootup and background services but it's not listed. Any other ideas before I factory reset and never install that again? Haha
 

Jag

Member
Going to strongly recommend a Surface Pro 4 for as secondary gaming PC. I'm seeing decent discounts on it recently and it really handles games well.

I'm currently playing Overwatch, WoW, Pillars of Eternity and Civ VI on it without an issue. X-Com 2 was really sluggish, but it also chugs on my high end PC too.

I wouldn't use it for my main gaming rig, but it is a fantastic portable gaming substitute. There are tons of Surface 4 gaming videos out there if you want to see the performance of a particular game.
 
I got the Surface Pro 4 for work stuff but it works wonderful for gaming. Currently working my way through the seasonal challenges of Diablo III (using the touchpad and keyboard) and Civ VI made a long flight bearable.

The only thing I'm disappointed with is the very limited functionality of the pen (why can't I control Power Point slides with it out of the box?) and the lack of autocorrect on the desktop keyboard (for some inane reason, this is only turned in in WIndows apps.)
 
I got the Surface Pro 4 for work stuff but it works wonderful for gaming. Currently working my way through the seasonal challenges of Diablo III (using the touchpad and keyboard) and Civ VI made a long flight bearable.

The only thing I'm disappointed with is the very limited functionality of the pen (why can't I control Power Point slides with it out of the box?) and the lack of autocorrect on the desktop keyboard (for some inane reason, this is only turned in in WIndows apps.)

Love the pen actually, but that sounds like a fantastic feature. Is there a way to make this work?!
 
How on earth do you manage playing Diablo 3 with the trackpad? I've tried it before and it worked terribly.

It's not optimal obviously but if you turn the touchpad delay off, it's perfectly fine for movement (the delay is what makes it feel sluggish if you leave it at default.)

I control the pointer with my right hand and the touchpad buttons with my left. Only issue is that I need to move my left hand up to the keyboard for skill activation/rotation so I bound all the skills to the lower letters. Some very interactive character builds with lots of rotation and movement will drive you to despair of course but you can build around the limitations and still enjoy the game.

Love the pen actually, but that sounds like a fantastic feature. Is there a way to make this work?!

Apparently you can do it through a third party app or by going into INI files but I haven't figured that out yet.
 
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