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Anyone else think we're getting a little hyperbolic with the weight of these things? "The first Surface Pro was a sizable 2.0 lb monster tablet which packed Ul

Anyone else think we're getting a little hyperbolic with the weight of these things? "The first Surface Pro was a sizable 2.0 lb monster tablet which packed Ultrabook class components into a chassis that was over 0.5-inches thick. It was powerful, but heavy and the 16:9 form factor was not ideal for a tablet."

sotojuan 11y ago
Yeah. I've had people tell me how heavy the 13" Retina MBP is ~_~
- shmed 11y ago
  To be fair, MBP are pretty heavy for their size.
- pmelendez 11y ago
  It is a bit heavy isn't? 3.48 pounds (1.58 kg), according to Apple. http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs-retina/ http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs-retina/
mwfunk 11y ago
A tablet that's 2 lbs and > 0.5" thick is gargantuan by today's standards. Less so at the time of the original Surface Pro release, but still huge- it was 50% heavier than, and 1/3 thicker than its main tablet competition at the time (the iPad 4). I think the extra size and weight is totally understandable given that it's a full-blown PC, but Microsoft's marketing message is that this is something that will replace both your laptop and your tablet with no compromises. They've used that phrase a lot (no compromises), but to a heavy tablet user the extra size and weight in tablet mode would've seemed like a huge compromise. 1/4 lb isn't much of anything in absolute terms, but in relative terms for that product category the hyperbole is probably warranted.
potatolicious 11y ago
I think it's reasonable criticism in-context - this is a tablet, not a laptop. A laptop's weight is only relevant when you're transporting it, otherwise it sits on some solid surface and how much it weighs is fairly inconsequential. A tablet's weight is felt in most use cases during regular use. A lot of people hold tablets in their hands while they're using them rather than set them on some solid surface with a stand - this makes them a fair bit more weight-sensitive than laptops. Same reason why the 16:9 form factor is fair criticism - it makes the tablet really awkwardly balanced when used in portrait mode, something that isn't an issue with laptops which can only be used in one orientation.
emehrkay 11y ago
I have the smaller surface RT and it is horrible to hold as a tablet. Weird shape, crazy sloped edges, it just doesn't feel good in hand.
mtgx 11y ago
It's not about "lifting" a tablet, it's about "holding it" for hours. Anything heavier than 300g (a Kindle) quickly becomes difficult to hold after about ~30 mins.
MLR 11y ago
It sounds silly when you look at the weights involved, but the first and second generation models really aren't fun to use as a tablet for any extended period of time, just slightly too heavy and the form factor means you can't really use it one handed either.
sageikosa 11y ago
I have both a Dell Inspiron 10 tablet and a SP1. You can wave your hand around holding the Dell cupped in the seat of the palm and lightly squeezed by the fingers. The SP1 is more like working with small weights by comparison and puts a lot more stress on fingers and palm.

sotojuan 11y ago

Yeah. I've had people tell me how heavy the 13" Retina MBP is ~_~

shmed 11y ago
To be fair, MBP are pretty heavy for their size.
pmelendez 11y ago
It is a bit heavy isn't? 3.48 pounds (1.58 kg), according to Apple. http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs-retina/ http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs-retina/

mwfunk 11y ago

A tablet that's 2 lbs and > 0.5" thick is gargantuan by today's standards. Less so at the time of the original Surface Pro release, but still huge- it was 50% heavier than, and 1/3 thicker than its main tablet competition at the time (the iPad 4). I think the extra size and weight is totally understandable given that it's a full-blown PC, but Microsoft's marketing message is that this is something that will replace both your laptop and your tablet with no compromises. They've used that phrase a lot (no compromises), but to a heavy tablet user the extra size and weight in tablet mode would've seemed like a huge compromise. 1/4 lb isn't much of anything in absolute terms, but in relative terms for that product category the hyperbole is probably warranted.

potatolicious 11y ago

I think it's reasonable criticism in-context - this is a tablet, not a laptop. A laptop's weight is only relevant when you're transporting it, otherwise it sits on some solid surface and how much it weighs is fairly inconsequential. A tablet's weight is felt in most use cases during regular use. A lot of people hold tablets in their hands while they're using them rather than set them on some solid surface with a stand - this makes them a fair bit more weight-sensitive than laptops. Same reason why the 16:9 form factor is fair criticism - it makes the tablet really awkwardly balanced when used in portrait mode, something that isn't an issue with laptops which can only be used in one orientation.

emehrkay 11y ago

I have the smaller surface RT and it is horrible to hold as a tablet. Weird shape, crazy sloped edges, it just doesn't feel good in hand.

mtgx 11y ago

It's not about "lifting" a tablet, it's about "holding it" for hours. Anything heavier than 300g (a Kindle) quickly becomes difficult to hold after about ~30 mins.

MLR 11y ago

It sounds silly when you look at the weights involved, but the first and second generation models really aren't fun to use as a tablet for any extended period of time, just slightly too heavy and the form factor means you can't really use it one handed either.

sageikosa 11y ago

I have both a Dell Inspiron 10 tablet and a SP1. You can wave your hand around holding the Dell cupped in the seat of the palm and lightly squeezed by the fingers. The SP1 is more like working with small weights by comparison and puts a lot more stress on fingers and palm.