The new Surface Pro 4 is Microsoft taking a victory lap -- and a well-deserved one at that.
After three generations of pitching "a tablet
that can replace your laptop" -- with mixed success -- the formula has
finally clicked. The 2015 version of Microsoft's tablet adds the latest
Intel processors, a slightly larger screen (perfectly sized at 12.3
inches with a just-right 3:2 aspect ratio), and a handful of hardware
and software tweaks, but doesn't radically change the DNA of its
predecessor, 2014's excellent Surface Pro 3
. That's a wise move, because at this point, the Surface Pro line is
less about pitching the very concept of the tablet PC with a detachable
keyboard to wary shoppers, and more about seeing how far it can go in
refining the finished product.
Looking at the finely polished Pro 4, it's worth remembering the humble beginnings of the Surface line
. Debuting in 2012, Microsoft's line of tablets were, if not outright
mocked, then damned by faint praise at best: an overreach by a
software-and-services company into the rough-and-tumble world of
computer hardware; a Hail Mary response to the megasuccess of Apple's iPad
the previous year. Any design innovations -- the snap-on keyboard, the
fold-out kickstand -- felt overwhelmed by quirks and compromises. Not
the least of which was the choice of operating system: either the
much-maligned Windows 8, or the the severely limited (and now deservedly
extinct) Windows RT . In those early days, the Surface was looking less like an Xbox-style home run for Microsoft, and more a Zune -like fiasco.
View full gallery
But that's all ancient history -- call it the Ballmerzoic Era. The
2014 Surface Pro 3 became what Microsoft always hoped it would be: the
flagship device for touch computing on Windows, the go-to alternative
for those who wanted both a tablet and a laptop without feeling
shortchanged on either front. The Surface Pro 4 refines the hardware
formula even further, and with Windows 10
on board rather than Windows 8, the platform's final big compromise
evaporates too. Now, the Surface line is the design leader: Apple's
upcoming iPad Pro and Google's Pixel C
tablets are the ones aping Microsoft's design, adding snap-on keyboards
and ramping up the multitasking chops of their touch-first operating
systems.
But, as a very refined product, the Surface Pro 4 is
not inexpensive. The wide variety of configuration options and
accessories mean that its starting price of $899, £749 or AU$1,349 is
not very realistic. For that entry price, you get a Surface Pro tablet
with an Intel Core M3 CPU, 128GB of solid state storage and 4GB of RAM,
plus a touchscreen stylus that magnetically attaches to the side of the
screen.
From the handful of systems we've tested with earlier
Core M processors from Intel, it's just not what you're looking for from
a full-time, all-day, everyday computer. The latest versions may be
better, but we have yet to benchmark them in a consumer laptop or
tablet. A more suitable choice for most will be the mainstream Intel
Core i5. Microsoft has updated the processors across the board in the
Surface Pro 4 line to Intel's still-new sixth-generation models,
sometimes referred to by the codename Skylake, and a configuration with a
Core i5 jumps to $999. Double the storage to 256GB and the RAM to 8GB,
and you're at $1,299 (and that is the specific configuration tested
here). You could spend more than $2,000 for an even faster Core i7
processor and bigger hard drive.
View full gallery
But no matter how much you spend on a Surface Pro 4, when you open
the box and set it up, there will be one important missing ingredient.
The Type Cover, a slim keyboard and screen protector in one, is still
sold separately, no matter which Surface Pro 4 configuration you buy.
From the earliest days of the Surface, that keyboard cover has rightly
been called out as an impressive engineering feat, and the latest
version even improves on that. It now features widely spaced
island-style keys (like those found on practically every laptop), and a
larger touchpad with a better touch surface.
Like the previous
Type Covers, it connects via a magnetic hinge along the bottom of the
tablet, and folds shut over the cover for easy transport. Also like
previous Type Covers, it costs an extra $129, £109 or AU$199. We rarely
see a Surface in Microsoft's advertising materials or press previews
without the keyboard cover attached, but for some reason, the company
still won't pack the most noteworthy part of the Surface ecosystem into
the box. For such a premium product, it's an omission that continues to
mystify.
At least the touchscreen stylus -- improved over last
year's version, and magnetically attachable to the tablet's edge -- is
included by default. Likewise, the display is a tad larger (12.3 inches
diagonally versus 12), without expanding the overall size of the
tablet.
The one design issue that Microsoft hasn't changed with the Surface
Pro 4 is its "lapability" problem. When the keyboard is attached, its
rear kickstand works well on a tabletop -- but typing on your lap or in a
crowded airline seat remains a logistical challenge. Instead, Microsoft
has addressed this problem with a whole new sister product, the Surface Book
. Billed as the "ultimate laptop," it takes some of the Surface Pro's
design cues (detachable screen, impressive keyboard) and folds them into
a more traditional notebook-style product with a strong hinge that
keeps it from tipping back. The Surface Book is cool, and available in
even more powerful configurations -- but it lacks the Pro 4's lighter
weight and better portability.
Just as the Surface Pro is a
full-time tablet and part-time laptop, the Surface Book is a full-time
laptop and part-time tablet, and may be what someone looking for a
combination of laptop and tablet features is really looking for.
Detached from their respective keyboards, the two screens are difficult
to distinguish at even a few feet away, and it makes one wonder if the
next generation of these products won't be a single high-performance
tablet that combines with your choice of a clamshell laptop base or a
portable keyboard cover. Now, that would be something that could truly
be a no-compromise tablet and laptop at the same time.
Microsoft Surface Pro 4
| Price as reviewed | $1,299, £1,079, AU$1,999 |
|---|---|
| Display size/resolution | 12.3-inch 2,736x1,824-pixel touchscreen display |
| CPU | 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-6300U |
| Memory (RAM) | 8GB |
| Graphics | 128MB Intel HD Graphics 520 |
| Storage | 256GB SSD |
| Networking | 802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows 10 Pro (64-bit) |
Design and features
The Surface tablet line set
out its basic design rules with the very first generation of products
and has largely stuck to its guns since. What we've seen, instead of
wholesale reimagining, is a steady march of improvements to the display
and chassis, helping the product feel just a bit more premium with every
generation.
The earliest Surface Pro models were 13mm thick,
while last year's Surface Pro 3 shaved that down to 9.1mm. This year,
we're down to 8.4mm, despite increasing the size of the screen. Both the
Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 4 are 1.7 pounds (771 grams) by
themselves, or 2.5 pounds (1.13 kg) with their keyboard cover and stylus
pens attached.
View full gallery
One of the biggest improvements to last year's Surface Pro carries
over here: the highly adjustable kickstand, which can be adjusted to
nearly any angle between 22 and 150 degrees. The kickstand, which runs
the entire width of the system, is stiff enough that it will stay where
you put it, and hardly moves at all, even when using your fingers or the
pen on the touchscreen.
Missing from the black bezel
surrounding the screen this time around is the capacitive Windows logo
touch button. In previous Surface models, this moved around from the
long edge to the short edge of the system, but always served the same
purpose: to take you back to the Windows 8 tile interface. As we're now
operating in the Windows 10 world, having a physical home button isn't
necessary, although the Windows 10 "tablet mode" is still very similar
to what Window 8 looked like.
The pen, almost perfected
Also missing is the awkward plastic loop that used to tether the
included stylus (Microsoft calls it a pen) to the keyboard cover. The
new pen accessory is a little larger than the previous model, and has a
flat edge along one side. This allows it to securely connect to the left
or right edge of the tablet via a fairly strong magnetic connection.
While it may seem dodgy if you plan on running around all day with your
tablet, inserting and removing it from a backpack or shoulder bag, I
found that the pen remained securely attached, even in my bag --
although I'd recommend doing frequent spot-checks to make sure it hasn't
popped off.
View full gallery
Clicking the eraser-like button on the back of the pen automatically
brings up OneNote, Microsoft's preferred app for pen input. If you have
all your Microsoft cloud services properly setup, your OneNote files
can sync to other devices such as your phone or tablet (with
cross-platform support on Android and iOS devices) or laptop (Windows or
Mac).
I also used the pen with a variety of other apps,
including the built-in Fresh Paint, for drawing and sketching, and the
New York Times crossword puzzle app, which took pen input and converted
it to printed characters. You can also tap the pen on most text fields,
even in a Web browser, and a pop-up box will take handwritten input and
convert it to text for Web searches, filling in forms or composing
email.
View full gallery
Microsoft says the new pen offers reduced latency, and 1,024
pressure levels. It's excellent overall, and an improvement over last
year's version. Aftermarket swappable tips for the pen should appeal to
artists looking for a specific feel and size.
But don't take my word for it. We were able to coax comic book writer and artist Dan Parent,
best known for his work on "Archie" comics, to test drive both the
Surface Pro 4 and the Surface Book. As an illustrator who works both on
paper and in programs such as Photoshop, he was impressed by the feel of
the Surface Pen and especially its eraser. You can see more of his
reactions and a live drawing demo in our video.