Surface Review
Snagged a Surface. The 8.1 version with Office installed. Almost got the pro but the free office basically makes this the ideal portable computer type thing for me. Everything I do involves Office or the internet. Screen is crisp, works in daylight, and the touch commands are very intuitive. If you can operate windows, you can operate this. So far, I’m a fan. The two cons thus far are that, like all MS products, once you fire it up it has to install 400 updates. I thought Apple was bad with goofy proprietary cables and connectors. Surface has them beat with the keyboard and charger cables. But it does have a USB port.
More later.
March 21st, 2014 at 12:23 pm
I’ve had mine for four months now. Very pleased with it.
March 21st, 2014 at 12:50 pm
Like mine enough that I’m typing this response on it. 😉
March 21st, 2014 at 1:29 pm
I never did like mine. I gave it to the kids. I guess I’m in the fringe. Again.
March 21st, 2014 at 2:02 pm
I loved mine. Had to sell it 🙁
March 21st, 2014 at 2:10 pm
Told you that you would like it.
The proprietary power plug is the only thing that bugs me about mine too… the keyboard interface doesn’t bother me at all, because I don’t expect to be able to use it for other things (of course, MS has come out with a few other keyboard products now.)
You can do also Bluetooth or USB if you want a different keyboard.
One of the selling points for the Dell Venue 8 Pro for me was that it charged via the micro-usb plug.
March 21st, 2014 at 5:40 pm
The first accessories I bought for my Surface were a 4-port USB hub and a wireless keyboard/mouse combo. When I NEED a keyboard, I want a KEYBOARD, not that touch/cover thing. Then I got an extra 32GB micro-SD card. Finally, I got a connector so I can plug the AV output of the Surface into an HDMI port on a flatscreen.
Now I have a computer that I can plug into the TV in the living room and run from a keyboard in my lap, if I want. Or use in bed as an e-reader.
March 21st, 2014 at 8:36 pm
I bought a Surface in January based on Marko’s recommendation. I also picked up one of the Type-covers (version 2) and really like it so far.
I did have one issue. While visiting a local college (Purdue), I was unable to use their public wifi because the Surface wouldn’t connect to it. Not sure why. My droid phone didn’t have any problems with it.
March 22nd, 2014 at 12:52 am
Wow does it come with a zune too?
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:12 am
IF all you need is a web browser and Office, go for it.
If you need something that can install lots of apps (especially open-source things like Actual Programming Languages Not Invented Or Corrupted In Redmond), forget it!
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:15 am
I say this based on my wife’s miserable and granting-agency-money wasting experience getting bamboozled into buying Surfaces by her school districts “IT” “‘`Suppport’ ‘ ” Staff*, for a special technology class she won a grant for.
Gack, what completely useless pieces of pretty computing machinery.
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*Not sure I used enough levels of scare-quotes around ‘support’ and ‘staff’, but those will have to do.
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:17 am
(She would have been so many dollars, and so many bazillion light-years of USABILITY, ahead by buying the cheapest netbooks you can find on Amazon, and guess what? The keyboards are included with the deal, you don’t have to pay anything extra!
March 23rd, 2014 at 5:18 am
( ( Yes, yes, I’m a Microsoft h8ter, can’t you tell??? ) )
March 23rd, 2014 at 9:19 am
Unc,don’t forget to try the Nextgen Reader app. Best RSS reader I have seen on any platform.
Kirk, um, wow. That is some serious hate. Did Microsoft kill your parents or something?
March 23rd, 2014 at 2:53 pm
Look, I was being facetious (hence the leet-speak!) It’s not Microsoft’s fault the IT guys at the district were clueless, though I hardly admire them for making a all-but-closed platform like the lower-end Surfaces.
March 24th, 2014 at 3:12 pm
Ive got one…. A surface Pro. does what i need, minus the horrible networks card issues, which really made 8.1 a fun upgrade (no way to download and upgrade, you have to use the store.
Its also clunky without their very expensive keyboard. I use it daily, and like some of the apps.