You
could say it’s definitely bigger, better, and faster than the original Surface.
OK, maybe not bigger—it’s exactly the same size—but it is significantly faster
and better. First of all, what is the Surface? Think back to Apple’s
introduction of the iPad in 2010. This enormously successful tablet computer
changed the way people interact with computers, and since 2010, Microsoft has
been struggling to keep up. With the release of Windows 8, Microsoft added
significant support for touch computing, and the Surface tablet was Microsoft’s
entry into the huge array of Windows 8 tablet computers.
Microsoft
created two versions of the Surface tablet: The Surface tablet runs Windows 8
RT, which runs only Microsoft’s “Modern UI” applications (the full-screen
touch-centric applications that you see in their commercials). The Surface Pro
runs these applications, plus any application written for the Windows desktop
(including most, if not all, applications that ran under Windows 7)—in other
words, it’s a full-featured, portable computer that also works as a tablet in
touch mode.
The
Surface 2 is a faster, more powerful version of the Surface. Again, it’s
available in two versions (RT and Pro), and if you’re considering using it as
your only computer, you should only investigate the Surface 2 Pro (because the
Surface 2 won’t run legacy Windows applications).
Doug
purchased a Surface 2 Pro and is quite happy with it, as his only day-to-day
computer. He admits that the screen real estate can be somewhat cramped, but if
he needs more room, it’s easy to add an external monitor and expand the size of
the screen. That doesn’t work when traveling, of course, and the screen is just
fine for most casual users, as is. (Note that using the Surface 2 Pro as a
tablet, touching the screen, really only works well when running Modern UI
applications—standard Windows desktop applications, like Microsoft Word, really
require a keyboard. Luckily, Microsoft will be happy to sell you an excellently
engineered keyboard that attaches to the Surface 2—Doug likes his a lot.)
The
bottom line? If you’re considering getting a Windows 8 tablet-based computer,
the Surface 2 Pro is an excellent choice. We strongly recommend against
purchasing a previous version at this point, as the newer one is so much more
powerful (and faster)!
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