Tijekom svog nedavnog posjeta SAD-u, kupio sam Surface Pro 2 za sebe. Zaista sam bio znatiželjan saznati više o ovom uređaju i da li ima veliki potencijal ili ne. Prije objavljivanja ove recenzije, Surface Pro 2^{(Surface Pro 2)} sam koristio više od mjesec dana, u različitim okruženjima, uključujući putovanja ili rad u uredu ili kod kuće. Želite li saznati više o njegovim prednostima, slabostima i tome može li biti odličan uređaj za vas, ne ustručavajte se pročitati ovu detaljnu recenziju.

Otpakiranje Microsoft Surface Pro 2

Pakiranje Surface Pro 2 vrlo je lijepo i elegantno, dostojno premium uređaja.

Kada ga otvorite, vidite uređaj, kabel za napajanje i blok za napajanje. Lijepa stvar u vezi s blokom napajanja je to što ima USB priključak koji možete koristiti za punjenje drugih uređaja, poput vašeg pametnog telefona.

Ispod Surfacea^(Surface) pronaći ćete olovku, priručnik i nekoliko brošura sa svim vrstama korisnih bonusa kao što su 200 GB slobodnog prostora na vašem SkyDriveu^(SkyDrive) za 2 godine i pretplata na Skype Unlimited World na 1 godinu. Zajedno sa Surface Pro 2 kupio sam plavi Type Cover 2 koji nije uključen u cijenu Surface Pro 2 . Ispod možete vidjeti njegovo jednostavno pakiranje.

Otvaranje i pričvršćivanje Type Cover 2 na površinu^(Surface) vrlo je jednostavno. Za potpuno iskustvo raspakiranja i za Surface Pro 2 i za Type Cover 2 pogledajte videozapis u nastavku:

Specifikacije hardvera

Hardverske specifikacije Surface 2 Pro su impresivne, posebno na modelima s 256 GB i 512 GB prostora za pohranu. Verzija koju sam testirao ima sljedeću konfiguraciju: 10,6" zaslon rezolucije 1920x1080, četverojezgreni Intel Core i5-4200U procesor koji radi na 1,6 GHz , Intel HD 4400 grafički čip, 8 GB RAM-a DDR3^{(RAM DDR3)} , SSD s 256 GB prostora za pohranu od strane LITEON -a , dvije kamere od 1,2 MP (jedna straga i jedna sprijeda), baterijom od 4200 mAh, Bluetooth 4.0 i bežičnom mrežnom karticom Marvell AVASTAR 350N koja radi sa svim modernim bežičnim standardima, TPM _čip za korištenje Bitlocker enkripcije i Surface olovke. Što se tiče priključaka, Surface 2 Pro je opremljen USB 3.0 portom, čitačem microSDXC kartica, utičnicom za slušalice, Mini DisplayPortom^{(Mini DisplayPort)} i portom za poklopac. Što se senzora tiče, također ima punu snagu: Surface 2 Pro ima senzor ambijentalnog svjetla, akcelerometar, žiroskop i magnetometar. Kao što možete zamisliti, ovo je moćno postrojenje i čini se kao jedan iu smislu performansi i težine. Surface Pro 2 težak je 2 lbs (0,9 kg), što je teško za tablet, ali nije tako teško za prijenosno računalo ili hibridni uređaj.

Pune hardverske specifikacije za svaku verziju Surface 2 Pro možete pronaći ovdje: Tehničke specifikacije^{(Technical Specifications)} .

Korištenje Microsoft Surface Pro 2

Jedna od prvih stvari koje sam primijetio je koliko je Surface Pro 2 osjetljiv na otiske prstiju i ogrebotine. Nakon samo tjedan dana imao je nekoliko ogrebotina na leđima iako sam se potrudio da ga zaštitim i čak sam za njega kupio poseban rukav.

Zatim se Type Cover 2 jako brzo zaprlja i nakon nekoliko tjedana korištenja plave verzije požalio sam što nisam kupio crnu.

No ostavljajući ove male probleme po strani, bio sam impresioniran koliko je Surface Pro 2 moćan i fleksibilan . Međutim, to također znači i napraviti neke kompromise. Na primjer, ako ga usporedite s tabletom, ne uspijeva, pogotovo kada je u pitanju težina. Nećete ga moći udobno koristiti kada ga držite samo jednom rukom. Za udobnu upotrebu morate koristiti obje ruke. Ako ga usporedite s ultrabookom, Surface Pro 2 je općenito lakši i manji. Nositi ga je vrlo jednostavno. Međutim, tipkovnica je manja i trackpad nije precizan kao na ultrabooku. Rad na Surface Pro 2bilo je veliko iskustvo. Koristio sam ga u krilu na malim klupama koje sam pronašao na zračnim lukama ili željezničkim postajama, u avionima, vlakovima, pa čak i u parkovima. Svaki put sam cijenio koliko malo prostora koristi i koliko je fleksibilan. Dvostupanjski stalak puno pomaže pri pozicioniranju Surface Pro 2 tako da ne padne kada ga koristite u krilu. Da, nije lagan kao tablet, ali uvijek bih mogao više s njim samo zato što je ovaj uređaj i tablet i prijenosno računalo.

Budući da ne dolazi s Surface Pro 2 , morate kupiti Type Cover 2 . Bez toga, scenariji korištenja ovog uređaja su puno ograničeniji i bit ćete puno manje produktivni. S njim možete jednostavno raditi s bilo kojeg mjesta. Kada želite pregledavati web i samo konzumirati sadržaj, naslovnica vam nije potrebna. Koristiš dodir i iskustvo radi odlično. Kada želite raditi u Microsoft Officeu^{(Microsoft Office)} ili nekom drugom softveru za stolna računala, izvadite omot i bacite se na posao. Otkrio sam da je mješavina između Type Cover 2 , dodira (prstom i olovkom) i trackpad-a na Type Cover 2čini vrlo produktivno iskustvo korištenja. Na primjer, otkrio sam da trackpad nije bio toliko precizan koliko sam želio da bude, dok sam radio s nekim desktop aplikacijama. Osjećao sam potrebu za korištenjem dodira kao unosa, ali, budući da sam bio na radnoj površini^(Desktop) , moja bi preciznost bila jako loša. Tada te olovka spašava. Vrlo je precizan i vrlo dobro radi i na desktopu. Budući da je njegov hardver tako moćan, Surface Pro 2 je uvijek bio brz i nije imao problema nositi se sa svime što sam bacio na njega. Čak sam i igrao igrice na njemu i igrao nekoliko sati League of Legends (popularne igre za više igrača). Da, poklopac tipa^{(Type Cover)}nije super za igranje, ali sam uređaj se pokazao izvrsno, bez zagrijavanja, usporavanja i bez previše buke ventilatora. Ako sebi kupite Bluetooth miš i tipkovnicu, također možete igrati igrice na Surface Pro 2 s pristojnom preciznošću kada se krećete u razinama igre. Područje u kojem Surface Pro 2 zaostaje kada su tableti u pitanju je baterija. Ovdje se vidi da procesor i operativni sustav nisu baš napravljeni za tablete nego za PC. Ako uređaj držite u stanju mirovanja^(Sleep) cijelu noć, sljedeći dan ćete se probuditi s vrlo malo raspoložive baterije. U osnovi^(Basically) , ako želite uštedjeti bateriju, uvijek biste trebali isključiti Surface Pro 2tako da možete nastaviti s radom sljedeći dan.

Ako ga možete uključiti tijekom noći, nećete imati problema s ostavljanjem u stanju mirovanja^(Sleep) . Međutim, ima i pozitivnih. Prije^(First) svega, ako radite uredski posao i konzumirate sadržaj veći dio dana, Surface Pro 2 će vam trajati negdje između 5 i 8 sati, ovisno o tome što radite. Ali vrlo je važno odabrati pravi plan napajanja, nešto o čemu ne morate brinuti u tabletima s iOS-om ili Androidom^(Android) . Velika je razlika koji plan napajanja koristite. Ako ne odaberete opciju Ušteda energije^{(Power Saving)}Planirajte, nemojte ni sanjati da ćete ga koristiti duže od 5 sati bez uključivanja. Još jedna pozitivna stvar je činjenica da se baterija jako brzo puni: za 2 do 3 sata bit će punog kapaciteta. Što se tiče dvije kamere od 1,2 MP na prednjoj i stražnjoj strani - koristio sam ih vrlo rijetko i uglavnom za Skype . Mogu snimati 720p video, ali kvaliteta nije sjajna. S obzirom na to koliko je Surface Pro 2^{(Surface Pro 2)} težak , ne zamišljam se da ga koristim prečesto za fotografiranje ili snimanje videa. Pretpostavljam da se zato Microsoft nije potrudio ažurirati svoje specifikacije u ovoj reviziji Surfacea^(Surface) . Ako pažljivo pročitate specifikacije Surface Pro 2 , primijetit ćete da uključuje TPMčip koji se koristi za softver za šifriranje kao što je Bitlocker . Poslovni korisnici će biti vrlo zadovoljni s ovim jer mogu jednostavno koristiti Surface Pro 2 kao siguran radni uređaj - nešto što je vrlo teško učiniti s vašim uobičajenim tabletom. Što se tiče povezivanja, općenito sam bio zadovoljan onim što Surface Pro 2 nudi, s jednom iznimkom: otkrio sam da mi trebaju dva USB porta umjesto jednog. Budući da je dostupan samo jedan USB priključak, prisiljava vas da koristite Surface Pro 2 s Bluetooth uređajima umjesto na USB uređajima. To može značiti kupnju novih uređaja (kao što su čvorišta s više priključaka) koji dodatno povećavaju cijenu korištenja Surface Pro 2.

Aplikacije koje su u paketu s Microsoft Surface Pro 2

Bilo mi je vrlo osvježavajuće što Microsoft ne uključuje nikakav crapware uz Surface Pro 2 . Apsolutno nikakve. Umjesto toga, u pakiranju uređaja pronaći ćete neke sjajne dobrote:

• Bonus od 200 GB besplatno, dvije godine na vašem SkyDriveu^(SkyDrive) (uskoro će biti nazvan OneDrive ).

• Pretplata na Skype Unlimited World na 1 godinu koja vam omogućuje 60 minuta besplatnih poziva mjesečno na fiksne telefone u više od 60 zemalja. Ova je pretplata vrlo korisna ako radite s ljudima diljem svijeta.

Iako su ovi bonusi sjajni, mislim da Microsoft može učiniti paket još privlačnijim, pogotovo ako uzmete u obzir koliko je Surface Pro 2 skup . Mislim da bi za njih bila izvrsna ideja uklopiti besplatnu jednogodišnju pretplatu na Office 365 Home Premium , barem za verzije od 256 GB i 512 GB koje su vrlo skupe.

Dodatna oprema za Microsoft Surface Pro 2

Što se dodatne opreme tiče, Surface Pro 2 nema nikakvih dodataka. Međutim, kako biste izvukli punu vrijednost ovog uređaja i zaštitili ga, preporučam da razmislite o sljedećim dodacima, iako to znači čak i plaćanje više od svog dobro zarađenog novca:

• Tip Cover 2^{(Type Cover 2)} - ovu navlaku morate imati. Bez toga, korištenje Surface Pro 2 nema previše smisla. Ovaj dodatak je toliko kritičan za Surface iskustvo da mislim da ga je Microsoft trebao staviti u paket sa skupljim modelima.

• Zaštita zaslona^{(A screen protector)} - zaslon skuplja puno otisaka prstiju i može se vrlo lako izgrebati. Štitnik za zaslon odbija prašinu, sprječava ogrebotine i lako se skida i pere.

• Ako idete u Microsoft Store kupiti dodatnu opremu, tražite jeftinije štitnike. Za početak će vam ponuditi najskuplji zaštitnik zaslona, ​​prikazan na gornjoj slici.

• Zaštitna torbica ili navlaka^{(A protective case or sleeve)} - kao što sam rekao ranije u ovoj recenziji, Surface Pro 2 se može vrlo lako izgrebati. Posjedovanje zaštitne futrole ili navlake uvelike će pomoći da uređaj bude siguran i bez ogrebotina.

• Bluetooth miš^{(A Bluetooth mouse)} - da biste bili potpuno produktivni kada koristite Surface Pro 2 na poslu, najbolje je kupiti Bluetooth miš. Isprobao sam nekoliko miševa i za to najbolje odgovara Arc Touch Mouse Surface Edition. Nažalost, ovaj miš još nije dostupan u cijelom svijetu.

• Priključna stanica^{(Docking Station)} - nažalost ovo još nije lansirao Microsoft, iako priključna stanica može biti izvrstan način za transformaciju Surface Pro 2 u klasično računalo koje je povezano sa svim vrstama uređaja i s velikim monitorom. Uz to, Surface Pro 2 može postati jedini računalni uređaj koji ponesete i koristite posvuda. Osobno, jedva čekam da ga Microsoft lansira diljem svijeta.

Jedan od dodataka koji sam kupio za vrlo dragog prijatelja je Sensu Capacitive Brush and Stylus . Zamolio sam je da ga koristi za slikanje u aplikaciji Fresh Paint .

Nažalost, ovaj dodatak se pokazao kao bacanje novca. Surface Pro 2 nije jako osjetljiv na to i možete slikati samo ovom veličinom kista. Ako ste slikar, poželjet ćete punu paletu s kistovima različitih veličina i tekstura. Kupnja samo jedne četke ne pomaže puno. Međutim, moja prijateljica je mogla slikati bez problema koristeći samo svoje prste. U nastavku možete vidjeti sliku koju je uspjela izraditi za otprilike sat vremena rada.

Osobno, ovo je bilo impresivno i mislim da postoji mnogo neiskorištenog potencijala u konceptu Surface .

Izvedba u mjerilima

Surface Pro 2 je moćan i to potvrđuju i mjerila. Prvo^(First) , mjerim vrijeme potrebno da se pokrene, koristeći Bootracer . Surface Pro 2 se pokrenuo u prosjeku za 23 sekunde. Bilo je potrebno samo 8 sekundi da se prikaže zaslon za prijavu.

Zatim sam pokrenuo aplikaciju 3DMark kako bih brzo procijenio performanse ^{(3DMark app)}Surface Pro 2 u igrama kada ga uspoređujem s drugim tabletima. U ovoj aplikaciji Surface Pro 2 je na vrhu ljestvica i doslovno je najmoćniji dostupan tablet. Ovdje je tablica s prosječnim ocjenama dobivenim tijekom izvođenja ovog testa s planovima napajanja High Performance i Power Saver , kada je uključen i kada radi na bateriju, plus učinak koji ste ostvarili za rad na bateriju.

Budući da 3DMark rezultati ne govore puno, ispod možete pronaći tablicu s prosječnim brojem sličica u sekundi koje Surface Pro 2 isporučuje u svakom od svoja tri testa.

U nastavku možete vidjeti tablicu s 3DMark tablicama performansi i uređajima s najboljim performansama koji su testirani ovom aplikacijom.

Kako bih provjerio koliko dugo baterija traje tijekom pregledavanja weba, koristio sam test baterije Peacekeeper^{(Peacekeeper battery test)} . Kada sam koristio Power Saver plan napajanja, dobio sam 6 sati i 16 minuta pregledavanja weba s Internet Explorerom^{(Internet Explorer)} . Kod korištenja Balanced plana autonomija je pala na 4 sata i 45 minuta. Kao što možete vidjeti, korištenje Power Saver plana napajanja čini veliku razliku.

Problemi s Microsoft Surface Pro 2

Nažalost, imao sam nekih tehničkih problema sa Surface Pro 2 koje je ^{(Surface Pro 2)}Microsoft mogao izbjeći :

• Pogrešna ažuriranja firmvera^{(Botched firmware updates)} - vrlo brzo nakon što je kupio moj Surface Pro 2, Microsoft je objavio novo ažuriranje firmvera, neposredno prije Božića. Nažalost, ovaj firmware je uzrokovao probleme mnogim korisnicima. Neki su prijavili probleme s baterijom. Nisam ih imao, ali sam imao problema s vraćanjem iz stanja spavanja^(Sleep) . Na primjer, pri vraćanju iz stanja mirovanja, bežična mrežna kartica bi prestala raditi i više se nije prepoznavala kao uređaj. Problem je riješen samo ponovnim pokretanjem Windows 8.1. Od tada je Microsoft objavio novo ažuriranje firmvera i većina ovih problema je sada nestala ili se barem ja s njima susrećem rjeđe.

• Problemi s bežičnom vezom pri korištenju mreža od 5GHz^{(Wireless connectivity issues when using 5GHz networks)} - naišao sam na probleme bežičnog povezivanja kada sam koristio mreže od 5GHz. Moja bi veza iznenada prekinula bez ikakvog razloga. Iako drugi uređaji savršeno rade na istoj mreži, čini se da Surface Pro 2 ne voli bežične mreže od 5 GHz. Korištenje bežičnih mreža od 2,4 GHz funkcioniralo je dobro, bez ikakvih problema.

• Surface Pro 2 koji se prodaje u SAD-u ne funkcionira dobro s bežičnim mrežama iz Europe i drugih regija^{(The Surface Pro 2 sold in the US doesn't work well with wireless networks from Europe and other regions)} – siguran sam da će mnogi američki korisnici koristiti svoje uređaje dok putuju u druge regije, gdje bežične mreže koriste širi spektar kanala. Model koji se prodaje u SAD-u radi samo s bežičnim mrežama koje koriste kanale odobrene američkim zakonodavstvom. Ako idete u druge zemlje, morate izvršiti hakiranje registra kako bi vaš Surface otkrio i spojio se na bežične mreže pomoću kanala koji nisu odobreni u SAD-u. Ovo je vrlo nesretno.

Nadamo^(Hopefully) se da će se Microsoft u budućnosti udružiti i prestati izdavati ažuriranja firmvera koja uzrokuju probleme umjesto da ih popravlja.

Presuda

S obzirom na cijenu Surface Pro 2 , a posebno verziju od 256 GB i 512 GB, jasno je da ovaj uređaj nije za svakoga. Zadovoljan sam njegovom izvedbom i fleksibilnošću. To je vrlo moćno računalo u tijelu tableta, koje mi daje ono što mi je potrebno kako bih bio produktivan i obavljao sav svoj posao bez nedostataka, čak i kada sam na putu. Međutim, ne mogu a da ne osjećam da je ovaj uređaj precijenjen. I uglavnom govorim o verzijama od 256 GB i 512 GB Surface Pro 2 . Za isti novac možete si kupiti pristojan ultrabook i tablet. Ali to znači dva uređaja za nošenje. Mislim da bi Microsoft trebao učiniti više da potakne korisnike da kupe Surface Pro 2 . Oni bi trebali uključivatiUpišite Cover 2^{(Type Cover 2)} u zadani paket i dajte kupcima pretplatu na Office 365 Home Premium . Onda bi dogovor bio doista sjajan: dobivate Surface Pro 2 s osnovama koje su vam potrebne za produktivnu upotrebu, plus obvezni softver za obavljanje posla ( Office 365 , Skype i SkyDrive/OneDrive ). Do tada, smatram da je Surface Pro 2 najprikladniji za geekove i profesionalce koji trebaju snagu ovog uređaja, iskoristit će ga u punom potencijalu i imati novca za to platiti.

The Surface Pro 2 Review - Microsoft's Flagship Windows 8.1 Device

During my recent visit to the US, I purchased a Ѕurface Pro 2 for myself. I was really cυrious to learn more abоut this device and whether it has great potential or not. Before publishing this review, I have used the Surface Pro 2 for over a month, in diffеrent environments, including when traveling оr working in an office or at home. If you would lіke to learn more about its strengths, weaknesses and whether it can be a great device for уou, don't hesitate to read this detailed review.

Unboxing the Microsoft Surface Pro 2

The packaging of the Surface Pro 2 is very nice and elegant, worthy of a premium device.

When you open it, you see the device, the power cable and the power block. A nice touch about the power block is that it has a USB port that you can use to charge other devices, like your smartphone.

Underneath the Surface, you will find the pen, the manual and several brochures with all kinds of useful bonuses like 200 GB of free space on your SkyDrive, for 2 years, and a Skype Unlimited World subscription for 1 year. Together with the Surface Pro 2, I purchased a blue Type Cover 2 that is not included in the price of the Surface Pro 2. Below you can see its simple packaging.

Opening it and attaching the Type Cover 2 to the Surface is very easy. For the full unboxing experience for both the Surface Pro 2 and the Type Cover 2, view the video below:

Hardware Specifications

The hardware specs on the Surface 2 Pro are impressive, especially on the models with 256 GB and 512 GB storage space. The version I have tested has the following configuration: a 10.6" display with a resolution of 1920x1080, a quad-core Intel Core i5-4200U processor running at 1.6 GHz, an Intel HD 4400 graphics chip, 8 GB of RAM DDR3, an SSD with 256 GB of storage space made by LITEON, two 1.2 MP cameras (one on the back and one on the front), a 4200 mAh battery, Bluetooth 4.0 and a Marvell AVASTAR 350N wireless network card that works with all the modern wireless standards, a TPM chip for using Bitlocker encryption and a Surface pen. In terms of ports, the Surface 2 Pro is equipped with a USB 3.0 port, a microSDXC card reader, a headset jack, a Mini DisplayPort and the cover port. In terms of sensors, it also packs a punch: the Surface 2 Pro has an ambient light sensor, an accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer. As you can imagine, this is a powerhouse and it feels like one both in terms of performance and weight. The Surface Pro 2 weighs 2 lbs (0.9 kg), which is heavy for a tablet but not that heavy for a laptop or a hybrid device.

The full hardware specifications for each version of Surface 2 Pro can be found here: Technical Specifications.

Using the Microsoft Surface Pro 2

One of the first things I noticed is how sensitive the Surface Pro 2 is to fingerprints and scratches. After only a week, it had several scratches on its back even though I did my best to protect it and I even bought a special sleeve for it.

Then, the Type Cover 2 gets dirty really quickly and after a few weeks of using the blue version I regretted not purchasing the black one.

But leaving these small issues aside, I was impressed by how powerful and flexible the Surface Pro 2 is. However, this means also making some compromises. For example, if you compare it to a tablet, it falls short, especially when it comes to weight. You won't be able to use it comfortably when holding it with just one hand. You must use both your hands for comfortable use. If you compare it with an ultrabook, the Surface Pro 2 is generally lighter and smaller. Carrying it around is very easy. However, the keyboard is smaller and the trackpad is not as precise as on an ultrabook. Working on the Surface Pro 2 has been a great experience. I used it on my lap on small benches I've found on airports or train stations, on planes, trains and even in parks. Every time I appreciated how little space it uses and how flexible it is. The two stage kickstand helps a lot with positioning the Surface Pro 2 so that it doesn't fall off when using it on your lap. Yes, it isn't as light as a tablet, but I could always do more with it just because this device it is both a tablet and a laptop.

Because it doesn't come with the Surface Pro 2, you must buy the Type Cover 2. Without it, the usage scenarios for this device are a lot more limited and you will be a lot less productive. With it, you can simply work from anywhere. When you want to browse the web and only consume content, there's no need for the cover. You use touch and the experience works great. When you want to do some work in Microsoft Office or some other desktop software, you take out the cover and get to work. I have found that the mix between the Type Cover 2, touch (with the finger and the pen) and the trackpad on the Type Cover 2 makes for a very productive usage experience. For example, I have found that the trackpad was not as precise as I wanted it do be, while working with some desktop apps. I felt the need for using touch as an input but, because I was on the Desktop, my precision would have been really bad. That's when the pen saves you. It is very precise and it works very well also on the desktop. Since its hardware is so powerful, the Surface Pro 2 was always fast and had no problem dealing with everything I have thrown at it. I even did gaming on it and played a few hours of League of Legends (a popular multiplayer game). Yes the Type Cover is not great for gaming but the device itself performed admirably, without heating up, slowing down and without too much fan noise. If you buy yourself a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, you can also do gaming on the Surface Pro 2 with decent precision when moving in game levels. An area where the Surface Pro 2 falls short when it comes to tablets is the battery. Here it shows that the processor and the operating system are not exactly made for tablets but PCs. If you keep the device in Sleep mode for a whole night, the next day you will wake up having very little battery power available. Basically, if you want to save your battery, you should always shut down the Surface Pro 2 so that you can continue working the next day.

If you can plug it in during the night then you won't have any issues with leaving it in Sleep mode. However, there are also positives. First of all, if you do office work and you consume content for most of the day, the Surface Pro 2 will last you somewhere between 5 and 8 hours, depending on what you do. But it is very important to pick the right power plan, something you don't have to worry about in tablets with iOS or Android. It makes a huge difference which power plan you are using. If you don't select the Power Saving plan, don't even dream of using it for more than 5 hours without plugging it in. Another positive is the fact that the battery charges really fast: in 2 to 3 hours, it will be at full capacity. Regarding the two 1.2 MP cameras on the front and the back - I have used them very rarely and mostly for Skype. They can record 720p video but the quality isn't great. Considering how heavy the Surface Pro 2 is, I don't imagine myself using it to take pictures or record video too often. I guess that's why Microsoft did not bother to update their specs in this revision of the Surface. If you carefully read the specs of the Surface Pro 2, you will notice that it includes a TPM chip that's used for encryption software like Bitlocker. Enterprise users will be very happy with this, as they can easily use the Surface Pro 2 as a secure work device - something that's very hard to do with your usual tablet. In terms of connectivity I was generally satisfied with what the Surface Pro 2 has to offer, with one exception: I found myself needing two USB ports instead of one. Having only one USB port available forces you to use the Surface Pro 2 with Bluetooth devices instead on USB devices. That may mean buying new devices (like multi-port hubs) which further extend the cost of using a Surface Pro 2.

Apps that are Bundled with the Microsoft Surface Pro 2

I found it very refreshing that Microsoft doesn't bundle any crapware with the Surface Pro 2. Absolutely none. Instead, you will find in the packaging of the device some awesome goodies:

• A bonus of 200 GB for free, for two years on your SkyDrive (soon to be named OneDrive).

• A Skype Unlimited World subscription for 1 year which allows you to make 60 minutes of free calls per month to landlines in more than 60 countries. This subscription is very useful if you work with people all over the world.

Even though these bonuses are great, I do think that Microsoft can make the package even more appealing, especially if you consider how expensive the Surface Pro 2 is. I think it would have been a great idea for them to bundle a free 1-year Office 365 Home Premium subscription, at least for the 256 GB and 512 GB versions which are very expensive.

Accessories for the Microsoft Surface Pro 2

In terms of accessories, the Surface Pro 2 doesn't come with any extras. However, in order to get full value out of this device and protect it, I do recommend that you consider the following extras, even though it means even paying more of your well-earned money:

• Type Cover 2 - this cover is a must have. Without it, using the Surface Pro 2 doesn't make too much sense. This accessory is so critical to the Surface experience that I think Microsoft should have bundled it with the more expensive models.

• A screen protector - the screen does collect a lot of fingerprints and can also get scratched very easily. A screen protector repels dust, prevents scratches, and is easy to remove and wash.

• If you go to a Microsoft Store to buy accessories, do ask for the cheaper protectors. They will start by offering you the most expensive screen protector, shown in the picture above.

• A protective case or sleeve - as I said earlier in this review, the Surface Pro 2 can get scratched very easily. Having a protective case or sleeve will go a long way in keeping the device safe and without scratches.

• A Bluetooth mouse - to be fully productive when using the Surface Pro 2 at work, it is best to purchase a Bluetooth mouse. I have tested several mice and the best fit for it is the Arc Touch Mouse Surface Edition. Unfortunately, this mouse isn't yet available worldwide.

• Docking Station - unfortunately this hasn't been launched yet by Microsoft even though a docking station can be a great way to transform the Surface Pro 2 into a classic PC that's connected to all kinds of devices and to a big screen monitor. With it, the Surface Pro 2 can become the one computing device you take and use everywhere. Personally, I can't wait for Microsoft to launch it worldwide.

One of the accessories I bought for a very dear friend, is the Sensu Capacitive Brush and Stylus. I asked her to use it for painting in the Fresh Paint app.

Unfortunately, this accessory proved to be a waste of money. The Surface Pro 2 is not very sensitive to it and you can only paint using this brush's size. If you are a painter, you will want a full palette with brushes of different sizes and textures. Buying only one brush doesn't help much. However, my friend was able to paint without issues using only her fingers. Below you can see the painting she was able to create in about an hour of work.

Personally, I found this impressive and I think that there is a lot of untapped potential to the Surface concept.

Performance in Benchmarks

The Surface Pro 2 is a powerhouse and this is confirmed also by benchmarks. First, I measure the time it takes for it to boot, using Bootracer. The Surface Pro 2 booted, on average, in 23 seconds. It took only 8 seconds to display the sign-in screen.

Then, I ran the 3DMark app to quickly evaluate the gaming performance of the Surface Pro 2 when comparing it to other tablets. In this app, the Surface Pro 2 tops the charts and it literally is the most powerful tablet available. Here is a table with the average scores obtained when running this test with the High Performance and Power Saver power plans, when plugged in and when running on battery, plus the performance hit you take for running on battery.

Since the 3DMark scores don't tell much, below you can find a table with the average frames per second delivered by the Surface Pro 2 in each of its three tests.

Below you can see a table with the 3DMark performance charts and the best performing devices that were tested with this app.

To test how long the battery lasts while browsing the web, I have used the Peacekeeper battery test. When using the Power Saver power plan, I got 6 hours and 16 minutes of browsing the web with Internet Explorer. When using the Balanced plan, the autonomy dropped to 4 hours and 45 minutes. As you can see, using the Power Saver power plan makes a huge difference.

Problems With the Microsoft Surface Pro 2

Unfortunately, I have had some technical problems with the Surface Pro 2 that could have been avoided by Microsoft:

• Botched firmware updates - very soon after purchasing my Surface Pro 2, Microsoft released a new firmware update, just before Christmas. Unfortunately, this firmware caused problems for many users. Some reported having battery issues. I did not have them but I did have problems with resuming from Sleep. For example, when resuming from sleep, the wireless network card would stop working and it was no longer recognized as a device. The problem was solved only by restarting Windows 8.1. Since then, Microsoft has released a new firmware update and most of these problems are now gone or at least I encounter them less often.

• Wireless connectivity issues when using 5GHz networks - I encountered wireless connectivity issues when using 5GHz networks. My connection would suddenly drop for no apparent reason. Even though other devices work perfectly on the same network, the Surface Pro 2 doesn't seem to like 5GHz wireless networks. Using 2.4 GHz wireless networks worked well though, with no issues.

• The Surface Pro 2 sold in the US doesn't work well with wireless networks from Europe and other regions - I'm sure many US users will use their devices while traveling to other regions, where wireless networks use a broader spectrum of channels. The model sold in the US works only with wireless networks using channels approved by the US legislation. If you go to other countries, you need to perform a registry hack in order for your Surface to detect and connect to wireless networks using channels that are not approved in the US. This is very unfortunate.

Hopefully, Microsoft will get their act together in the future and stop releasing firmware updates that cause problems instead of fixing them.

Verdict

Given the price of the Surface Pro 2 and especially that of 256GB and 512GB versions, it's clear that this device is not for everyone. I am pleased with its performance and flexibility. It's a very powerful PC in the body of a tablet, which gives me what I need in order to be productive and do all my work without shortcomings, even when I'm traveling. However, I can't help but feel that this device is overpriced. And I'm talking mostly about the 256GB and 512 GB versions of the Surface Pro 2. For the same amount of money, you can buy yourself a decent ultrabook and a tablet. But that means two devices to carry around. I do think that Microsoft should do more to entice users to buy the Surface Pro 2. They should include the Type Cover 2 in the default package and give buyers an Office 365 Home Premium subscription. Then, the deal would be truly awesome: you get a Surface Pro 2 with the basics you need for using it productively, plus the mandatory software for getting your work done (Office 365, Skype and SkyDrive/OneDrive). Until then, I think that the Surface Pro 2 is best suited for geeks and professionals who need the power of this device, will use it to its full potential and have the money to pay for it.

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