It is not the iPad killer that it was touted to be but it looks like the reception for the Microsoft Surface Pro has been largely positive. As a result, Microsoft has been dealing with the deluge of demands from consumers.
However, there is still much criticism about this new tablet. It has become something that you either hate or love. A lot of its critics point out that it is not a great tablet. It is not a great laptop/ultrabook either. But to Microsoft, that may be exactly the point.
The Surface Pro is the middle ground between laptop and tablet, and for a Windows optimist like me, there is a lot to like about it.
This is a PC on a tablet form
The main complaint against tablets is that you can hardly get anything done on them. There are plenty of apps out there that can help, but nothing beats having your legacy PC running your legacy software right in front of you.
The Surface Pro gives you the best of both worlds. This is a tablet that has a full Windows 8 OS running on it. Almost anything you can do on your PC, you can do on your tablet. The kickstand and the Touch and Type covers are also great additions, making it the perfect device for mobile employees and those who are working in virtual office setup. Yes, it has its limitations including limited ports and underwhelming battery life, but not a lot of tablets out there can match what it can do productivity wise.
In addition, tablets are no match to the type of games you can play on this device. Sure, Android and iOS have thousands of apps on their respective marketplace, but with an Intel i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and HD graphics, it is able to run high graphics games that you’d usually play on your PC. Games like Diablo 3 and Civilization 5 – both looked good on the Surface Pro’s 1920×1080 resolution screen.
Why buy Surface and not a laptop?
One of the most common arguments that people use against the Surface Pro is that for its price, they can buy a perfectly good laptop that can do the same things that the Surface can do.
Not everything. For one, laptops do not have a tablet mode. The average laptop weighs about 5-10 lbs, depending on its size. The Surface tablet only weighs 2 lbs. You can walk around while carrying it in one hand with no problem, and like other tablets, the Surface works in portrait orientation. Can a laptop do that? I don’t think so.
In addition, the whole “Windows 8 is two operating systems thing” makes more sense in the Surface compared to laptops and PCs. After all, the tile interface is mainly designed for tablets or touchscreen devices. You get the best of all the components of Windows 8 through Surface Pro.
Last, this is essentially the evolution of tablets. This is an avenue where more powerful apps and software will finally be able to run on mobile devices. This could even be countered by Apple; can you imagine a MAC OS on a tablet?
If you want to stick with simplistic apps, the iPad, Android tablets, and to some extent, the Surface RT will be enough for you. But if you are about pushing the envelope of where the tablet can go in the future, then you should at least appreciate what Surface Pro is bringing to the table.
