Wife has a Surface RT, I have a Surface Pro 2.
I got the RT for the wife because she needs email, web and Excel, and it's a better machine than the alternatives (ie low-end laptops) I got the Pro 2 because I needed to replace my existing laptop anyway, and I went for the 'one device is all you need’ tag. And that's true to a certain extent: without the docking station it's still not the same level of workhorse that my work Dell can be (multi monitors etc…) but for what I do at home (code on the couch etc…) it's just fine. Better than fine actually. BTW I can't remember when I last had a *desktop* PC at home - it's been laptops for over a decade for me. (That being said, I've actually fired up Visual Studio on this the sum total of zero times (I've been mostly using SSH apps to connect to my Raspberry Pi, and using metro code writer app). So pretty much everything I've done on the Pro 2 I could have done on the Surface :-( So far…) The weight of the Pro 2 is fantastic compared to my existing laptop, but it's still too heavy to hold comfortably as a magazine for any real duration without supporting on your lap. Compared to an iPad it's a brick. The Surface however is pretty much spot on. It could always be lighter, but it's light enough you don't get thumb cramp holding the thing, and I'm less worried the kids are going to drop it (eg when using it as a video screen in the back of the car). Mind you, both feel like bricks compared to my Nexus 7 or a Kindle, so I don't read books on either. (Both have pretty good sound by the way) Things to note: The Pro / Pro 2 / Surface 2 have HD screens. The Surface RT doesn't (but it's still good) The Surface RT / Surface 2 doesn't have an active digitizer, so no 'real’ pen support If going ‘pro’, definitely get the ‘2’ because of the considerable increase in battery life from Haswell. For the RT/Surface 2 there's not such a difference (I understand) so I'd save the money and get an RT. Recommend the v2 keyboards, over the v1s. The 'type 2’s have backlighting (have 2x these, are great), and the touch 2 is apparently considerably more responsive than the 1 and backlit (I would have got one of these for the wife had it been in stock) JB did some stunning deals on the Surface RT before Xmas. Might happen again. You can get 8gb RAM in a Surface Pro 2 without having to pony up for an i7 (like most the competition force you to). Much better bang/buck ratio. Have to say I really envy the weight of the wife's Surface, but since this is my only dev box I have to carry the x86 baggage around with me (literally) for tinkering’s sake. Sent from Surface Pro From: James Chapman-Smith Sent: Wednesday, January 1, 2014 6:44 PM To: ozDotNet ([email protected]) Hi folks, I've made the decision to purchase either a Surface 2 or a Surface Pro 2, but I'm completely torn as to which one to get. I just want a tablet device that I can use when travelling, sitting on the couch, or in bed. I want a keyboard with trackpad/mouse so the touch cover is fine for both. I don't think battery life will be a big issue. I'm likely to get HDMI adapter for a Pro. My choices are do I get a Surface 2 as my mobile computing device and use desktop PCs at home and work OR do I get a Surface Pro 2 and use it for both home and work? Will a Surface Pro 2 really be a laptop/desktop replacement PC or is it a pain with the small screen and single USB port? Or is it just an overblown toy and I'll miss my laptop? Can anyone give me any argument for one or the other? Cheers. James.
