I am in an abusive relationship with my tablet. As you might remember, I'm a Microsoft Surface Pro junkie. It's nice and big. The screen is sharp and bright. It runs vanilla Windows, which means I can sync it with my desktop computer and carry around a clone of my desktop everywhere I go. These are not features that appeal to everyone, but they appeal to me.
At the same time it's got a couple of big drawbacks. First, the battery life is terrible, maybe 5-6 hours in ordinary use (which, for me, means browsing, reading, Exceling, and video watching with WiFi always on). Second, the screen constantly fails after about a year or two. It fails differently every time, and no one else has reported this problem to me, but I have three or four old Surface Pros that are basically bricked because something is wrong with the screen.
There's not much I can do about the screen except scream into the void. But the battery is a different matter. Every time Microsoft releases a new model they swear that they've significantly improved battery life. Every time I fall for this con. And every time it turns out not to be true. It's always 5-6 hours.¹
A few weeks ago the Surface Pro 9 was released. Naturally Microsoft said the battery life was great thanks to new features in the latest Intel processors. This time I didn't believe them. Enough's enough.
But! Microsoft also released an ARM version of the Pro 9, and there's every reason to think that it should provide much longer battery life than an Intel processor. Unfortunately, there's also reason to believe that it's not compatible with 100% of all Windows apps. So how does it do on those scores?
I tried to figure out the battery life from reviews, but as usual they were all over the map. I literally read reviews that put the battery life at 10% more than the Intel model and others that put it at double.
Compatibility and performance were widely disparate too. Everyone agreed that there's a category of games that don't work, but I don't play games so I don't care. Beyond that, some reviewers said it was so slow they wanted to throw it in the trash while others said performance was all but identical to the Intel model.
After diddling around with this stuff for a week or so, Marian looked at me and said, "You know you're going to buy it anyway, so why don't you just go ahead?" She was right, of course, so I did.
So what's my review? It's pretty simple:
Performance: It's a little sluggish with non-native apps, but not enough to be seriously annoying. Let's face it, most of us could use a circa-2000 Pentium chip and our apps would run fine. We're not doing weather forecasts with our tablets.
Compatibility: In the end, I only ran into two problems. First, my anti-virus software wouldn't install. In fact, no anti-virus software would install. This means I have to go back to using the built-in Windows security software, but that's not a big deal since it's fairly good these days.
The second problem was a single feature in a single app. I don't like the on-screen keyboard that's built into Windows, so I use an app called Hot Virtual Keyboard. To bring up the keyboard you use a three-finger tap, but that doesn't work on the ARM tablet. This might sound a little trivial, but the three-finger tap is seriously great and I miss it.
Battery Life: Hallelujah! The ARM version of the Pro 9 actually gets better battery life. However, it doesn't get way better battery life. I'd peg it at about 30-40% better, which means I can generally use it all day without charging. Barely. It could still use another couple of hours, but this is genuine progress.
All in all, it's a bit of a compromise. The battery life is a little better but performance is a little worse. Compatibility is good, but there's no telling if there's some crucial app you rely on that won't work. These compromises all worked out for me, but it's a bit of a crapshoot whether they will for you.
¹Why is battery life so bad? Several reasons. First, Intel processors are power hogs. They're better than they used to be, but power hoggery is built into the architecture of the chip and there's a limited amount Intel can do about it.
Second, Windows was designed as a true multitasking operating system, and that fundamentally uses a lot of power. This is part of the deep architecture of Windows, and there's not much Microsoft can do about it short of rebuilding Windows from scratch.
Third, the screen is big and bright—and therefore sucks a lot of juice. This is obviously a place where different people would make different compromises, but I wouldn't mind if the screen were a little smaller and little lower resolution.
Of course, one easy solution to all this would be a model that had a bigger battery. This would make the Surface Pro bigger and heavier, but it's already so big and heavy that I don't think it would matter much. You're either willing to accept big and heavy or you aren't, and Surface Pro users are obviously already OK with it. An extra few ounces isn't going to kill the deal.
The battery comment reminded me of the old VW bug, circa early 1960s: every year they said they had fixed the heater, and every wintering driving around Iowa City we would shiver with cold and rub the windshield with rags to clear the condensation.
I recall when the VW got air conditioning. A friend got it, and I asked how it was. "Not much around town," he said, "but get it out on the highway and it'll freeze your balls off."
My cousin could truly receive money in their spare time on their laptop. their best friend had been doing this 4 only about 12 months and by now cleared the debt. in their mini mansion and bought a great Car.
That is what we do. http://www.richsalaries55.blogspot.com/
My '74 SuperBeetle had what I called "death heat". Basically you had two choices, freeze your balls off or wedge it wide open and heat the car up to 90 degrees. You'd get sleepy after about 15 minutes and then either crack the window (not so great in a snowstorm or turn it off and watch the temperature fall rapidly.
Glad you're happy with it. I bought one a couple years back for a specific use case, for which it didn't work out.
The reason for the Surface was to write an Access database for an inventory project at a place I volunteer. But it turns out that trying to use Access with a touch screen is garbage-miserable, it clearly wasn't built for it. So I wrote a web app, which meant multiple people could work on it and use whatever they wanted. In retrospect I obviously should have done that first, but it involved setting up a server and AP in a basement without connectivity, which seemed like more work.
Otherwise, I type too much for a tablet to be my daily driver. Those folio keyboards suck for heavy use. I have an Ipad, but for me it is basically just a TV and I don't see a reason to replace it when it finally dies.
Ok I’ve gotta take issue with the statement “Windows was designed as a true multitasking operating system”
Most would tell you that expressly the opposite is true. It’s *marketed* as a true multitasking operating system, but if that were true it wouldn’t hog so much power and resources for things you’re not using. Its a weak management layer stapled on top of a non-multitasking operating system designed for a single person doing a single thing (it’s why everyone gets so pissy at Microsoft for bloatware, their OS can’t handle it)
Linux is the closest thing to a purpose-built multitasking operating system I think, since thats what it was built for. Hundreds of people time-sharing a big system
Not suggesting you use Linux Kev, but just so you know, this IS the hill I die on. I’m a Windows hater. Glad you got more battery life though
> Its a weak management layer stapled on top of a non-multitasking operating system designed for a single person doing a single thing
Sorry, that's simply not true. You're describing Windows 95, which indeed was a GUI slapped on top of DOS.
I think it was Windows 2000 that merged the codebases with NT, which is indeed a preemptive multitasking kernel, same as Linux or BSD. And it has been ever since. Windows may suffer from performance issues but it isn't because of kernel architecture.
I hate using Windows too, I'm a unix graybeard, happily living at the command line since the early 90s. But I also like accuracy.
I also take issue with the statement. Linux and MacOs are both true multitasking operating systems. Pretty much all laptops have multitasking operating systems, so calling out the OS as being a power hog doesn't really make sense.
Windows is awful, and Bill Gates owes all of humanity an apology.
With the exception of XP, which was moderately decent, every Windows system has been a life sucking force.
I do miss XP. OTOH, I dread the upcoming forced 'upgrade' to Windows 11. ISTM they're scraping away at user functionality with every iteration and substituting an unwanted packaged 'user experience'.
My surface pro 3 screen just stopped working. I can’t get anything to appear except a quick gray flash. Interestingly my wife’s surface pro 3, bought at the same time, just bulged its screen out with the battery. She’s going to carry on with her iPad which does everything she needs and I just ordered a surface pro 7. I hate getting new computers up and running….
Oh, me too. I have a 6 year old Samsung laptop that's on it's 4th power cord. But it still runs great. Also own an ancient ipad that's taped along one side side that bulged a few years ago. It still runs great too. That and an iphone 8+. Still works fine too.
My partner's sister pointed out that while inductive charging is a waste of electricity and real estate, it shaves off a lot of wear and tear on the power port.
My cousin could truly receive money in their spare time on their laptop. their best friend had been doing this 4 only about 12 months and by now cleared the debt. in their mini mansion and bought a great Car.
That is what we do.. https://earningblue.blogspot.com/
iPad battery life is terrific. I use mostly google apps on it so they are fine. It’s light, the screen is big, you can add a keyboard, screen is clear. If you want I tablet why bother Microsoft? I have a PC I bought for WFH and it is fine. I gave on Microsoft years ago at home when I had to be the IT guy constantly. Apple does actually make life easier. MS has improved though, however from your review it looks like it has a long way to go in the tablet world. Of course everyone has different uses so to each his own.
Kevin is a long time anti Apple person. I agree though there is nothing out there that compares to an iPad. On the other hand Kevin has a well-defined workflow that he is used to. There is a lot to be said for the productivity benefits of not messing with that even if as a general solution it is inferior.
And that's entirely Apple's fault. Don't try to sneak in assumptions about unreasonable prejudices.
Wait, how is any of the above Apple's fault? That Kevin is anti-Apple? That nothing else compares to an iPad? That Kevin has a well defined workflow? That there are benefits to continuity? That MS can't build a better machine?
Don't try to see prejudice everywhere.
Can't comment on the screen life of an MS tablet, but the battery ... this is why Apple ditched Intel and went their own way. And the results are amazing in the laptops and M powered iPads.
But yeah, Kevin gets to choose. I used to have both a PC and a Mac on the desk. I found I argued with the PC constantly but just got work done on the Mac. So the PC went away. Others have different experiences ... But of course now I find the "Apple-ness" of many things to be frustrating ... too much control handed over to 24 year olds with good eyesight. Wishing there were another option...
Still have 2012 IMac. Work great and my wife won’t even touch my HP because as you says “it’s a pain”. Unfortunately, Apple never updates the OS anymore. Still works with everything she uses though.
I just bought from Costco a Lenovo 14" WIN 11 machine. It's sole puropose was to be able to be a lazy sod and stream movies while in bed. It is an Intel Core 13 and as everyone indicates...it is a power hog...but since the recharge cord is next to the bed...who cares?
Now then, this 5th working computer of mine has something that maybe every one knows about already, but what I have just discovered (feel free to shame if if this is already general knowledge and widely used)....but WIN 11 has a very very good speech recognition software built in.
What? What?!?
This has been kind of the holy grail for me...but Dragon never really worked for me not Google software either....but WIN 11 actually works....I am completely puzzled and dumbfounded to find that Window has a builtin functionality that actually works....
For me, the Windows and the h key, depressed simultaneously is like....F` ing Magic.
Damn, lean something new everyday. (but do speak clearly)