Microsoft Surface Pro 4 - 256GB / Intel Core i7 - 12.3-inch
PixelSense touchscreen display 6th Gen Intel Core m3, i5, or i7 Surface
Pen included Windows 10 Pro
Exceptional performance
Surface Pro 4 with 6th Gen Intel Core m3, i5, and i7 processors
is not only more powerful – it is quieter, runs cooler, and is even more
efficient than before.
Runs Windows and Office
The Windows you know plus lots of new features you'll love. No
matter what you're doing, feel like an expert from the get-go.
|
Advanced technology
Surface Pro 4 brings you advanced technology to streamline your
life. No matter what you are doing, Surface Pro 4 comes with powerfully
simple solutions for the things you do every day.
Microsoft Surface Pro 4 Review :
I'll explain why I chose the Surface Pro 4, but first, a quick about
me. I am a college student majoring in EECS and I commute 4 hours a day
by bus so having a light backpack is important to me.
The S.Book
is almost two times heavier than the SP4. It packs much more computing
power than the SP4, but as an EECS major, I don't need the extra power
that the S.Book has. I don't plan to play any intensive games or
render/animate things so the SP4 fits my needs better. The S.Book also
has a $400 higher price tag ($270 if you get the Type Cover for the SP4)
that I'm not willing to pay for unneeded performance. I haven't tried
the S.Book's keyboard, but the SP4's keyboard feels great to type on and
other reviewers have said both keyboards are amazing. Reading textbooks
or other PDF's feels much more natural with the SP4's tablet form. The
S.Book without the keyboard only has a battery life of 3 hours, and
although it can be used with the keyboard 'wrapped' around the back, I
think that it'll only be a hassle for me to deal with. I'd rather not
deal with having to detach the S.Book every time I want to use it in
tablet mode. If you plan to render/animate things you should probably
consider going with the Surface Book. Otherwise, I highly recommend the
Surface Pro 4 for doing everyday/light to medium tasks.
Now onto the actual Surface Pro 4 Review.
I
love the SP4. In the past year, I've owned an iPad Air, MacBook Pro,
and the Razer Blade 2015. The SP4 fits my needs the best by far.
The
SP4 replaces both my textbooks and notebooks. For me, this is a big
deal because I no longer have to carry around my notebooks, textbooks,
and supplemental writing materials (highlighters, etc). The Surface Pen
tips can be replaced with other pen tips to change the writing
"feedback" feeling but the stock pen tip feels great. OneNote keeps all
my notes organized and being able to access them from any device is
incredibly convenient. Using the Surface Pen for writing on textbooks
and PDF's is also very useful.
I've been getting ~7-9 hours of
battery life on the SP4 which is more than enough to get me through a
school day. The screen is not too small like the iPad, neither is it
bulky like a laptop. The screen resolution is high and text/videos are
crisp and easy to read/watch. The magnet on the left side of the SP4 is
surprising strong and holds the Surface Pen well. The magnet on the
right side is significantly weaker (maybe because all the I/O ports are
on this side) but it can hold the pen well. The kickstand works
perfectly and stays in the position I set it to. The SP4 Type Cover
feels great and protects your screen when you aren't using it.
Gaming
shouldn't be the main reason you buy the SP4, but it could run some
games if you decide to do so. I did try running StarCraft II and Heroes
of the Storm and the SP4 handled it pretty well. I wouldn't even bother
trying to run more demanding games such as GTAV on the SP4. That being
said, the gaming experience was rather unpleasant. You should consider
the Surface Book if you plan to game on-the-go frequently.
Software-wise,
I don't have much to comment on. It looks and performs exactly like
Windows 10 should on a normal desktop or laptop. I've never used the
Microsoft Store and don't intend to so I don't know much about the apps
that are available on the SP4.
The only con I found with this
device is the fact that it only has a single USB port. It's inconvenient
when I'm using the SP4 with a mouse and I need to use my flash drive. I
haven't had any overheating issues and I can't find any issues with the
build quality.
In closing, I don't think anyone else offers the
performance and quality that the Surface Pro 4 has in the same
lightweight and thin chassis. It is incredibly versatile and it has
replaced many heavy and cumbersome objects in my bag.
|
