Microsoft's latest generation Surface devices have landed - should you pick one up?

Attention Microsoft fans, it is officially October 22, 2022 hither in the United States, and the latest generation of Surface tablets are now available for your purchasing delight. In addition, all new Surface accessories are also available including the refined Touch Cover 2 and Type Cover 2. The questions many are asking, are of grade "should I pick one upward for the first fourth dimension?" and "should I replace my current Surface device with the Surface 2 or Surface Pro 2?"..

Surface ii

Microsoft'due south latest Surface 2 is a follow up to their pervious Surface RT tablet. The new next generation unit includes NVIDIA'due south Tegra 4 processor, which features a more modern architecture that now supports USB 3.0 and power that is promised to be around six times faster than Tegra 3.  The tablet'south weight and thickness are close to the last generation tablet at ane.49 lbs. and .35 inches respectively. The Surface two now also features up to 10 hours of battery life while consuming video (compared to the Surface RT's 8 hours).

The biggest improvements to the Surface 2 likewise the new Tegra iv processor, is the redesigned two angle kickstand and the newly upgraded brandish. The previous Surface RT's 1366 x 768 resolution was less than desirable, while the new Surface two at present packs a full 1080p Hard disk drive brandish for your viewing pleasure. Internal memory has stayed the same at 2 GB, and storage can be picked upwardly in either 32 GB or 64 GB flavors.

The Surface two, equally expected, has been upgraded to Windows RT 8.1 and includes Office RT for gratis. In addition to Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote – the new Surface 2 also includes Outlook for managing your emails, calendars, and contacts.

Surface Pro 2

If y'all stood Microsoft'southward latest generation Surface Pro adjacent to the Surface Pro 2 – you probably wouldn't be able to tell a difference. The two units are substantially the aforementioned aesthetically, as the real differences are internal.

The new Microsoft Surface Pro 2 includes Intel's Core i5 Haswell processor and either 4 GB or 8 GB of RAM for some serious multitasking. Solid state storage for the device is bachelor in either 64 GB, 128 GB, 256 GB, or 512 GB.

The Surface Pro 2 includes a bombardment that is said to concluding up to eight hours active and seven-fifteen days in standby (or "Idle life" equally Microsoft at present calls it). Simply as the new Surface 2 includes a two angle kickstand for easier use on your lap – the Surface Pro 2 does besides.

Other differences autonomously from the regular Surface's ability to run legacy Windows applications, include a digitizer pen for sketching/note taking and a 1080p touch screen that can detect upward to 10 points of multitouch interaction (versus the Surface 2's five points of interaction).

Both the Surface ii and Surface Pro 2 besides include 200 GB of online SkyDrive storage for two years (a $400 value) and unlimited minutes with Skype for one year.

The Accessories

Accessories for Microsoft'due south Surface 2 and Surface Pro two machines are not left out of today'southward launch. The biggest products on display – Microsoft'southward Type Cover two and Affect Cover 2.

The new Type Cover 2 features an improved push button layout for a more than efficient and comfy typing experience, a thinner profile, and backlit keys. The comprehend is currently listed in a variety of colors including comes in Black, Cyan, Purple, and Magenta for $129. At this time, but Cyan is listed as In Stock on Microsoft's web store.

The new Touch Comprehend 2 has also been redesigned with more touch sensitive, enabling a more accurate experience, and backlit keys. The cover is currently listed in Charcoal for $119 on Microsoft's Store, only is currently out of stock.

And before you inquire, yes, the Touch Cover 2 and Type Cover 2 are compatible with your first generation Microsoft Surface RT or Surface Pro tablet.

Other accessories include Microsoft's new Wireless Cover Adapter, which allows users to detach the keyboard from their Surface and go wireless up to a distance of xxx feet. The price for wireless liberty will cost you $59.99.

For the more productive type, Microsoft is also offering up a Docking Station and new Arc Affect Mouse for their Surface products. The docking station allows Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2 to become full desktop workstations; the dock provides a display port, audio input and out jacks, an Ethernet port, and four USB ports (one of which is three.0). The docking station is non currently available from the Microsoft Store website, but will toll $199.99 upon availability.

The new Arc Touch Mouse Surface Edition is besides upwards for brandish, notwithstanding not bachelor, and will cost $69.99. The Arc Touch Mouse is a flat foldable Bluetooth mouse with Microsoft's BlueTrack technology. A bear on strip replaces the standard whorl cycle for navigating through documents. We personally recommend other mouses from Logitech like the MX series, but some may prefer the Arc Touch Mouse for its foldability.

The Decision

The question y'all may exist asking yourself, if whether you should run out and purchase the Surface 2 or Surface Pro 2, is a valid one and something to consider.

If you currently have the Surface RT and wish to upgrade to the Surface 2 – it will most likely be a great purchase. The new Surface two's 1080p full Hard disk drive screen, two angle kickstand, USB 3.0 port, and Tegra iv processor volition provide a much better experience than the RT. If y'all have the cash and are certain you love Windows RT devices – the Surface 2 is not a bad upgrade pick.

The Surface Pro 2, on the other mitt – takes some serious consideration. The processor has been upgraded and the new kickstand has been added, simply nothing has significantly altered the user experience. The previous Intel processors ran well on the Surface Pro and while, the Surface Pro 2 does provide a jump in power – not everyone will demand it. The HD screen has too remained the aforementioned and provides no compelling reason to upgrade. If you don't have a Surface Pro already, the Surface Pro two might exist a nifty choice and is a good step in the right direction for Microsoft. If you already own the Surface Pro and are enjoying it – yous tin probably skip this update and expect for Surface Pro three.

Don't forget that new Blazon Cover ii and Bear upon Cover two practice non require the latest generation of Surface devices, they will piece of work perfectly on the Surface RT or Surface Pro. In addition, the new docking station is besides compatible with the original Surface Pro.

Whether y'all cull to upgrade at present or wait, is your own decision, just we hope the to a higher place advice makes your decision a bit easier. In add-on to Microsoft's Surface devices, other great Windows 8.1 machines to bank check out include Lenovo's YOGA Pro two and ThinkPad YOGA, Sony'southward VAIO Flip and VAIO Tap 11 (for the review click here), and the latest Nokia 2520 RT tablet introduced today at Nokia World. Y'all can check out our hands on experience with the Nokia 2520 by heading over to our postal service here.

Are you going to run out and option up a new Surface or are yous waiting for unlike devices on the horizon? If you are already a Surface owner, share your experiences and what you think about the production that Microsoft calls the #1 tablet for productivity.

All products mentioned above can be order at the Microsoft Shop online past clicking here.

We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.

History catches up

The trouble for a consumer HoloLens was e'er the lack of Windows Phone

What is the future for Microsoft (and Windows) mixed reality? The latest study from Business organization Insider sheds some light, just this all comes back to one major problem for Microsoft: No mobile Windows OS. Only what about a future headset that is deject-based? Some thoughts on what could happen for Microsoft mixed reality.

Bask a bigger display

The all-time docks for your Dell XPS 13

The Dell XPS xiii is a fantastic Ultrabook, but what if you want to use information technology desktop-way? You're going to want to get yourself a laptop dock for that. Here are some of our favorites.

Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/microsofts-latest-generation-surface-devices-have-landed-should-you-pick-one

Posted by: kennedysence1957.blogspot.com

Share this post