Microsoft Surface Pro 2 Review
by Anand Lal Shimpi on October 21, 2013 12:01 AM EST- Posted in
- Tablets
- Microsoft
- Mobile
- Surface
- Surface Pro 2
Battery Life
Surface Pro 2 retains the same 42Wh battery and 48W charger as the original Surface Pro. I wasn’t pleased at all with the battery life of the original design, and I had hoped for a significant increase in battery life with Surface Pro 2. Microsoft claims up to a 75% increase in battery life compared to the original. In our 2013 tablet battery life test that turned out to be a 40% advantage – not shabby, but not where it needs to be. Update: Microsoft issued a firmware update that brings Surface Pro 2 up to 8.33 hours of battery life in our web browsing battery life test, or 76% better than the original Surface Pro.
I’m also beginning to think that Haswell’s video decode engine may not be all that power efficient. We did see better results out of OS X, but it’s still nowhere near what’s possible on the best ARM platforms.
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Anand Lal Shimpi - Monday, October 21, 2013 - link
I know they are, but they are no where near as good as the Windows 8.1 experience in doing the same. Hence my use of the word "well" in this line:
"The screenshot below really helps illustrate what I would love to do on most tablets, but what I can only do (well) on a Surface:"
doobydoo - Monday, October 21, 2013 - link
'Samsung galaxy devices have supported spilt-screen multitasking'Yes they also support S-Voice, S-Gimmick and S-Fail. Only problem is that they are all gimmicks rushed to market to be bullet points which only fool unsuspecting idiots.
Wade_Jensen - Tuesday, October 22, 2013 - link
I don't like to see less tech savvy people called idiots, but "S-Gimmick and S-Fail.... Hahahahaha!!rituraj - Wednesday, October 23, 2013 - link
As much as I wanted to call you an idiot, I shouldn't, because you really need to be taught.I agree with you about the SVoice. But the pen, split screen are the features that no one else is providing. Right now I am writing this with a whatsapp window open above my chrome browser in my note2. I forgot to sign a document once so I put my sign on the pdf file with my S *gimmick* pen and mailed it. So that's the *fail* I got out of S-stuff.
Yes you cannot expect windows7-like split window or the stylus quality of a wacom cintiq (if you even have the slightest idea what that is) but these features are in a fuckk8ng phone, let alone the tablets. Should I elaborate with more examples?
backbydemand - Monday, October 21, 2013 - link
Samsung may support split screen multitasking, but Win 8 will still let you use desktop mode and you can have any number of simultaneous windows open, hell as the desktop is an App you can have desktop using 70% of the screen and run a Metro App in a bar next to it - Android can't do thatHomeles - Monday, October 21, 2013 - link
Man, this tablet could have been so much better with just a tad more polish. It's still a nice hunk of hardware, but I guess we'll have to wait until next year to get the real deal.Microsoft is quite the OEM dinosaur... I just wished they were a bit more like Apple.
dtolios - Monday, October 21, 2013 - link
If this same device was an Apple product, consumers would be raving.sweenish - Monday, October 21, 2013 - link
I'm already raving, the Surface Pro line is what I expected to iPad to be from the beginning.doobydoo - Monday, October 21, 2013 - link
'If this same device was an Apple product, consumers would be raving.'What a silly comment. If this was an Apple product it would be EVEN MORE slated, because people hold Apple to higher standards.
You can't defend any product with a fake, unproven fanboy comment like 'if Apple made this it would be great'. How about accepting that it's actually not that good?
YuLeven - Monday, October 21, 2013 - link
You're commenting all over the article recommending people to use Apple products and yet you call other commenters to be fanboys. Oh, the irony.