After using the Surface Pro for a couple of weeks, I have to say I’m really happy with my purchase. This would have been invaluable when I was a reporter.
Here are a few quick impressions:
- I really like the touch interface. While I maintain that the interface doesn’t make sense on desktop PCs, It’s fun to use in tablet mode. Gestures, once you learn them, are consistent and, in a way I can’t quite put my finger on (sorry), delightful.
- That said, the traditional desktop mode can be cumbersome to use without the snap-on keyboard. The pen-digitizer makes things a bit easier in desktop mode, but I suspect that’s because I’m a longtime Tablet PC user who has acclimated to the old desktop pen interface.
- Apps are expensive! Apps that go for $2-$3 on iOS and Android regularly go for $5 in the Windows store. I understand that developers have a smaller install base to spread their costs over, but come on!
- On that note, apps are scarce. Some of the important ones are there (Netflix, Hulu, WSJ, NYimes), but I’m surprised to see some other big ones missing in action (Facebook, Twitter, most magazines).
- It’s difficult to use on my lap. The keyboard is too floppy, and unlike a regular laptop, nothing holds up the screen. To use this while lying on a couch, I have to place the Surface on a large book or something like this laptop pillow.
- The critics are correct when they say that the bipolar nature of Windows 8 can be confusing. This is especially true when you have two different versions of the same application (the traditional Windows-style application and new touch-style apps). That probably goes double for the Windows RT version of the Surface (without the “Pro”), which has a old desktop-style environment but doesn’t actually run regular Windows programs.
Those are my initial thoughts, many of which have been covered exhaustively in numerous reviews. I’m sure I’ll have more to say soon.
