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Microsoft Surface 2 and Pro 2 announcement live [feat. True Magnesium, covers]

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Looking forward to this thing. I am wanting to upgrade this laptop, and I start Uni in two weeks. I wanted a Surface Pro awfully bad, but it was expensive, not enough storage and a weak battery. If this fixes each of those three issues, this thing will be my new laptop. It would be really nice to have a laptop/tablet hybrid. Also, a docking station sounds nice. :) Hopefully when it's announced, it releases around Christmas time!
edit: also an SD card slot would be nice! I don't have a micro sd card. lol
 
markot said:
There are better hybrids out there already.

Microsoft sure likes to burn money.
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Are there? What if I want a Surface? of course the Surface Pro 2 hasn't been announced yet, but Microsoft isn't burning money. There are people who want these, but people are probably waiting for the next generation version for improvements.
 
I ended up buying a Zenbook Prime last year after being unable to find Pros in stock in my city, so half of me is hoping the Pro 2 is underwhelming and the other half is hoping it's wonderful. It would be irresponsible to want to upgrade already.


I hope it's good.
 
Bubble Metropolis said:
I ended up buying a Zenbook Prime last year after being unable to find Pros in stock in my city, so half of me is hoping the Pro 2 is underwhelming and the other half is hoping it's wonderful. It would be irresponsible to want to upgrade already.


I hope it's good.
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How does the Zenbook hold up? You could probably keep that around for awhile and then upgrade to the Surface after prices have gone down or a newer model is announced!
 
I have a big job coming up in the next week and need to upgrade. Probably going to pick up surface pro 1 and use it until version 3 comes out.

Have to upgrade for the job and trust me, it's an upgrade from my motion computing tablet locked at 1024x768
 
SPDIF said:
Using Windows 7 with a touch screen? It's possible, but why would you want to do that?
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Just curious. Not to sure if I want to make the jump to 8.1, but man, that Surface 2 sounds amazing. You can boot to desktop on 8.1 right? Then install a start menu through third parties? I should be good.
 
CriterionDog said:
Just curious. Not to sure if I want to make the jump to 8.1, but man, that Surface 2 sounds amazing. You can boot to desktop on 8.1 right? Then install a start menu through third parties? I should be good.
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Yep. Although Windows 8/8.1 is fantastic with a touch screen, so even if you're planning to use it predominantly as a traditional laptop, I'd be surprised if you actually end up installing a third party start menu.
 
SPDIF said:
Yep. Although Windows 8/8.1 is fantastic with a touch screen, so even if you're planning to use it predominantly as a traditional laptop, I'd be surprised if you actually end up installing a third party start menu.
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Thanks! I am all for this Surface Pro 2 if Microsoft manages it to have a larger harddrive, longer battery life and lower price!
 
Surface RT seems like a good tablet. I like the design and keyboard, and the OS is probably the best at the moment. The purpose of Surface Pro, however, remains a mystery to me. I have yet to hear a convincing explanation of how a tablet benefits as a tablet from turning into a computer or vice versa.
 
Zoc said:
Surface RT seems like a good tablet. I like the design and keyboard, and the OS is probably the best at the moment. The purpose of Surface Pro, however, remains a mystery to me. I have yet to hear a convincing explanation of how a tablet benefits as a tablet from turning into a computer or vice versa.
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Use the Metro stuff when you want to sit on the couch and use it as a tablet, for reading or browsing etc. Use the desktop side when you have it on a desk with the keyboard like you would any laptop and have access to all your Windows software. I don't see what's so hard to understand.

Also it's great for artists. I don't have a Surface but I have an EP121 and I sculpt in Zbrush with it on the couch. It's fantastic. Although I'm looking to upgrade to a Surface 2 if I have the money since it's much lighter than mine.
 
StudioTan said:
Use the Metro stuff when you want to sit on the couch and use it as a tablet, for reading or browsing etc. Use the desktop side when you have it on a desk with the keyboard like you would any laptop and have access to all your Windows software. I don't see what's so hard to understand.
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Seems like a lot more trouble than just having a tablet and a computer.

Anyway, I don't want to thread-shit, because I actually think the Surface RT is a good-looking tablet, and I'm seriously considering one. I'm only worried that MS will abandon it ASAP.
 
CriterionDog said:
Just curious. Not to sure if I want to make the jump to 8.1, but man, that Surface 2 sounds amazing. You can boot to desktop on 8.1 right? Then install a start menu through third parties? I should be good.
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you can already use it basically exactly the same as win 7, through a combination of keystrokes and startup choices. But I told this to my eighty year old mother in law and she figured it out in about ten minutes:

'The metro screen is basically just a bigger, friendlier version of the start menu with more choices and live tiles.'

And aside from that muscle memory, it's faster and better than Win 7 at everything.

Startup times alone would keep me from regressing.

Full disclosure: I work at ms on non windows stuff and that's just my personal opinion.
 
Zoc said:
Seems like a lot more trouble than just having a tablet and a computer.

Anyway, I don't want to thread-shit, because I actually think the Surface RT is a good-looking tablet, and I'm seriously considering one. I'm only worried that MS will abandon it ASAP.
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How is it more trouble? It's different when things used to be big but the only thing that switches it is the cover which is razor thin and you seemed to already like... I get to carry one lightweight device where it's "case" is a keyboard and literally do anything I want on it. I can't see how there could be even a little bit of a downside. I can see some people needing bigger screens or something but for the rest of us I think it's the best of all worlds for the surface pro.
 
Zoc said:
Seems like a lot more trouble than just having a tablet and a computer.

Anyway, I don't want to thread-shit, because I actually think the Surface RT is a good-looking tablet, and I'm seriously considering one. I'm only worried that MS will abandon it ASAP.
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For me it's the flexibility of a portable workspace.
I illustrate and do key art and stuff and sometimes I really don't want to be in the studio. Fresh air is good.
 
Battery life was my main problem with the first Surface Pro. Two more hours would be welcome, it's not great yet but it becomes acceptable for a decent PC.
 
Will be interesting to see how W8 runs on a Tegra 4. At least MS is coming with a competitive SOC this time round.
 
Maybe this time they will lower the price of the surface or offer an entry level.

Entering the Tablet space with iPad Prices is never a great idea to begin with.
 
2 more hours of battery life just flat out isn't enough IMO.

Apple was still getting an extra hour over that with the 2012 Air despite the battery only being about 10% bigger. And that was while on Ivy Bridge. If a Haswell Surface pro can only manage 6 hours, something needs to be changed. Sony's getting about 6-7 hours on a battery that's roughly 10% smaller than what's in the Surface Pro.

Between 8.1, Haswell, and the Y series options, I don't see why MS would settle for anything less than 8 hours of battery life on the Pro 2. Their direct competitors that they go after in marketing, the iPad and MacBook Air, get nearly twice as much battery life as the 6 hours the pro 2 would get on a 2 hour boost over the Pro 1. That's really just not acceptable.

Unless MS finds a way to integrate an extended battery into the type/touch cover, without raising the weight much, there's just no way it can compete with what's out there right now. The 2 has to be at least a quarter pound lighter, 10% thinner, get 8+ hours of battery life, and come in 128/256 gig flavors. No 64 gig this time. And it needs to be better calibrated out of the box. It shouldn't require much, if any, user end changes regarding the stylus or the touchscreen under any circumstance.

I feel like if they just go with the 4302y they can accomplish all of that + more. Processing power based performance doesn't really need to get any better on the Pro 2. It just needs to be more efficient.
 
I severely doubt that Microsoft will be able to add in more hard drive space than the 120GB maximum they have now. Mainly because at that point they would need a larger drive to put inside of it, and unless they wanted to make the device more thicker I do,t think they would be able too.

Though I could see them putting a larger hard drive in either the Docking or Power Cover.
 
so microsoft got in contact with my girlfriend because of a series of paintings she's been doing using fresh paint and, amazingly, said they'd send her a surface pro! we're both over the moon obviously & now i've made it my duty to use it as often as possible, haha.
but yeah, kinda' was hoping it'd be the refresh...
 
killer rin said:
I severely doubt that Microsoft will be able to add in more hard drive space than the 120GB maximum they have now. Mainly because at that point they would need a larger drive to put inside of it, and unless they wanted to make the device more thicker I do,t think they would be able too.

Though I could see them putting a larger hard drive in either the Docking or Power Cover.
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There already is a 256 GB version of the current Surface Pro. Space is no concern when it comes to additional memory. It's more about price. Those bigger SSDs don't come cheap.

show me your skeleton said:
so microsoft got in contact with my girlfriend because of a series of paintings she's been doing using fresh paint and, amazingly, said they'd send her a surface pro! we're both over the moon obviously & now i've made it my duty to use it as often as possible, haha.
but yeah, kinda' was hoping it'd be the refresh...
Click to expand...

From what we know, the Surface 2 doesn't change much, anyway. The kickstand will work in two positions instead of only one and it will get two hours more battery life. Other than that, nothing seems to change. Same design, size, weight. And the new accessories will work on the current Pro, too.

CriterionDog said:
How were the touch covers? I tried one and I couldn't adjust. I will shell out the extra cash and get the type covers, most likely.
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Most people seem to prefer the type cover. Reportedly there'll be type covers in color, soon. However, I don't think the touch covers are bad. If someone doesn't do much typing on the Surface, the touch covers are probably fine. I also think, it can take quite a bit of time to adjust. You'd need to use it for a couple of weeks to really get proficient with the touch cover.
 
maeh2k said:
From what we know, the Surface 2 doesn't change much, anyway. The kickstand will work in two positions instead of only one and it will get two hours more battery life. Other than that, nothing seems to change. Same design, size, weight. And the new accessories will work on the current Pro, too.
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yeah but ram! battery life! processors! something newer & shinier than the new & shiny gift we were given!
but yeah, i'm seriously looking at a gift horse right in the teeth.
 
I really want the docking station damnit. any word on a docking station working with the first one?
 
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