3 ms·

I can also vouch for the Surface Pro. It's extremely well made, and pretty much the only downside is the small (but hi-res) screen.

MichaelGG 13y ago
And the tiny amount of RAM and extremely limited storage? SD expansion, if you don't mind slow transfer rates. Also, I understood that you can't actually use the Surface Pro as a laptop; it has to be with the kickstand at just that angle. That seems to indicate the keyboard/laptop mode is fairly limited.
- bcoates 13y ago
  It's not a no-compromises device, the whole thing is a portablity/power tradeoff. I'm happy with the result; moving from a 5+ pound laptop that I lugged around in a bag or left behind to a 2 pound one that I don't mind carrying around everywhere and using as a main workstation has been a nice change. The big downside is limited customizability, I would put a much larger SSD in it if it were at all feasible. I just keep the stuff I don't use often on a server or an external USB drive. Using it on your lap isn't as awkward as it would seem. I'm a largish guy so I'm sure it looks preposterous tapping away at this tiny thing perched on my knees but it works just fine, although the flexible keyboard sounds like a bongo when I type on anything but a firm surface. You can also flip down the stand and use it unfolded 180° so you get your choice of two whole screen angles. In a pinch pen input is sufficient for writing an email or filling out a webform, or you can scribble freehand notes and transcribe them later. The RAM hasn't been an issue. I haven't found any software that truly needs more than 4G of RAM, and the fast SSD makes swapping/not caching disk not a big deal. I don't think I'd want to take the battery life hit of a ton of RAM even if it were upgradeable. If there were one thing I could add to the Surface Pro 2 wishlist it would be built in LTE, having to carry around a USB dongle or drain the hell out of my cellphone to get connectivity in places with no wi-fi is a drag. Reliable connectivity would also make the scarce disk space less annoying.

MichaelGG 13y ago

And the tiny amount of RAM and extremely limited storage? SD expansion, if you don't mind slow transfer rates. Also, I understood that you can't actually use the Surface Pro as a laptop; it has to be with the kickstand at just that angle. That seems to indicate the keyboard/laptop mode is fairly limited.

bcoates 13y ago
It's not a no-compromises device, the whole thing is a portablity/power tradeoff. I'm happy with the result; moving from a 5+ pound laptop that I lugged around in a bag or left behind to a 2 pound one that I don't mind carrying around everywhere and using as a main workstation has been a nice change. The big downside is limited customizability, I would put a much larger SSD in it if it were at all feasible. I just keep the stuff I don't use often on a server or an external USB drive. Using it on your lap isn't as awkward as it would seem. I'm a largish guy so I'm sure it looks preposterous tapping away at this tiny thing perched on my knees but it works just fine, although the flexible keyboard sounds like a bongo when I type on anything but a firm surface. You can also flip down the stand and use it unfolded 180° so you get your choice of two whole screen angles. In a pinch pen input is sufficient for writing an email or filling out a webform, or you can scribble freehand notes and transcribe them later. The RAM hasn't been an issue. I haven't found any software that truly needs more than 4G of RAM, and the fast SSD makes swapping/not caching disk not a big deal. I don't think I'd want to take the battery life hit of a ton of RAM even if it were upgradeable. If there were one thing I could add to the Surface Pro 2 wishlist it would be built in LTE, having to carry around a USB dongle or drain the hell out of my cellphone to get connectivity in places with no wi-fi is a drag. Reliable connectivity would also make the scarce disk space less annoying.