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Test Drive Surface Pro Today!

Surface Pro goes on sale later in the week, but some retailers will have demo units out today
Feb. 3, 2013 Paul Thurrott

In the days ahead, I’ll be unleashing a tsunami of coverage around the launch of Microsoft’s new Surface with Windows 8 Pro tablet. But you don’t need to wait for me to see Surface Pro for yourself: Starting today, select retailers will have demo units in their stores for you to try your own hands-on evaluation.

It’s not clear which retailers will have Surface Pro available to demo. But I’ve previously reported that Best Buy, Staples, and the Microsoft Store will be selling Microsoft’s new tablet device. So if one of these retail stores is in the area and you simply can’t wait to see what it’s like, head on over to check it out. You never know.

Microsoft previously revealed that Surface Pro would be available for purchase on February 9. I’ve not heard anything about pre-orders, and scanning today’s Best Buy circular and Microsoft Store’s web site, I don’t see any mention about such a thing, so you may simply need to wait for that date. It is reasonable to assume that I will begin my own exhaustive coverage of Surface Pro on February 9 as well.

Of course, I know many of you are as excited about Surface Pro as I am. I previously published Microsoft Surface with Windows 8 Pro Preview, which is worth reviewing. And last October’s Microsoft Surface: RT vs. Pro, a Specifications Comparison provides a useful reminder about the differences between the original Surface RT and the new device.

More soon. A lot more.

Discuss this Article 16

worleyeoe
on Feb 3, 2013

Let's hope these sell well, or MS definitely needs to rethink pricing, especially with the Surface RT. Wider distribution (aka Fry's, Walmart and on-line) would be nice as well.

In my opinion, the Type / Touch covers should be included in the base price of the Pro tablets, while the price of RT should be lowered to $449 with these detachable keyboards costing 1/2 as much. Despite these keyboards being engineering wonders, they should have been positioned as subsidizing the cost of jumping into the MS Surface ecosystem. Unfortunately, MS has taken the opposite approach, which is without a doubt hurting sales.

I agree with Paul that most consumers purchasing Pro versions of hybrid tablets will want more than 2 GB's of memory, but unfortunately this isn't going to arrive until Temash and Bay Trail.

GoodThings2Life
on Feb 3, 2013

The irony is that if they had included the keyboards as a default and kept the same pricing, nobody would be complaining about that (other things, yeah, but not this), because they're still cheaper and more functional than their iPad equivalents.

No, people are more confused by Windows RT and frustrated by the lack of big name apps than they are about the price.

JimmyFal
on Feb 3, 2013

Those keyboards should have been their "angle". I am so saddened that it seems so obvious. And I wonder what is the method to the madness in this department. I think is just moving at a pre-determined pace, that is to slow for all of us that are actually rooting for them.

SvenJ
on Feb 4, 2013

I disagree with the comments that suggest the keyboards should be included. I wasn't especially happy that I was forced to buy a gray/black one with my 64G RT. I likely would have bought one, but might have picked a different color. There are numerous BT keyboards that would work just as well too. I'm never impressed by getting something included that I didn't want. I figure I've paid more for the freebie. If you have a special promotion, and throw in the $100 keyboard and charge me the standard price for the unit, I'm good with that.

Pricing can be discussed ad infinitum. I think the Surface is comparably priced when looking at peer devices, Zenbooks, Ultrabooks, Airs. Surface RT is priced well against iPads with similar specs and accessories required to come close to parity. I wonder about all the folks who suggest that high quality devices be sold at bargain prices, 'to get in on the market.' I hope Tesla and Fiskar adopt that philosophy.

eyeHawk
on Feb 3, 2013

I've been along time windows tablet user starting with a Fujitsu Stylus many years ago, some HP and currently Lenovo convertible. What I have always wanted is a good support for stylus/pen. So I will be interested in the inking experience in OneNote which I use as a engineer notebook. If the Surface Pro is not good I will have to look at ThinkPad 2.

Asok Asus
on Feb 3, 2013

Here's the main problem with retailing the Surface Pro. When you walk up to it, it looks just like the Surface RT. If you've already tried the UI on Surface RT or Windows 8, and you hate either, then you're not even going to walk up to a demo Surface Pro and start poking germy smudges on its screen. Or maybe you do, and then you find out the price is $1000.00. Or that it has 23GB available storage.

I predict retail sales of the Surface Pro are going to be abysmal, even worse than Surface RT.

torsampo
on Feb 3, 2013

Part of your argument leads into an unending loop of bizarre circular logic that I can't unravel, but a some thoughts on 2 points:

The $1000 version of the Pro will have 83gb usable (not 23). That's not terrific, but for those who care about the usable space, it can be increased through cleanup or expansion options. There is also the shift toward data to the cloud so local space should not be quite so large a concern. Frankly I doubt that for the majority of customers, storage is not the primary concern when shopping for a tablet PC.

Regarding the price, we'd all like nice things to be cheaper, but alas, they're not. I am tired of shopping for a laptop and being embarrassed by the build quality, the stupid stickers and cheap plastics you find on most Windows PCs. Inexpensive computers are hugely important and if price is a primary concern there are a lot of options. I'd also like an option of a well built, well designed, sleek machine- and if that costs a bit more I am ok paying for that.

I won't attempt to predict how well the Surface line will do in the long term; I can only speak for myself and say I am happy for the option of- dare I say it- Apple quality build and design in the Windows world.

dmfdsandman
on Feb 3, 2013

They have them in the Microsoft store in the Park Meadows mall in Lonetree Colorado(Denver). The pen input worked really well and it didn't feel to heavy. It did get heavy trying to hold it from the edge in one hand. I couldn't hear any fan noise, but there weren't any applications that seemed like it would tax the processor. It was pretty loud in the store too. The battery indicator was at 76% and said it had 2 hours 46 minutes left on it. I've never seen those be that accurate though. The battery life concerns me, but I think I will get one after playing with it for a while today.

garymguk
on Feb 3, 2013

Any news of when or if it will be coming to the UK, the Zune never made it.

SvenJ
on Feb 4, 2013

In retrospect, not a bad thing, eh.

Grant Barker
on Feb 3, 2013

Typo - I’ve not anything about pre-orders

Noticed during a quick scan/read before work.

ad24
on Feb 3, 2013

It seems that prices of all new Win 8 convertibles are a way to high. Look at Acer Iconia w510 for example, $500 for 32GB + $100 for additional $32GB + $150 for the keyboard dock.. And that for an Atom-based machine. Hope that they will realize that they are no Apple sooner than later

bathswana
on Feb 3, 2013

Yesh. Apple sells 32GB iPads for $600.
No USB.
No SDXC.
No possible way to improve onward storage at all.
No keyboard dock.
No file management.
No connection to large display/HDTV.

People will soon realize they have been buying a toy for $600.

torsampo
on Feb 3, 2013

I stopped by my local store to check out the Pro. I will happily purchasing one on the 8th. The thickness of the device looks a bit wider than I would like, but in hand I found it comfortable and weight hardly noticeable above the RT. If heat was an issue, it was not enough of an issue to notice. The UI was very snappy.

Interestingly the two oblong slots that flank the keyboard connector have what appear to be copper contact within them (where the RT does not). It may be pure speculation but perhaps these are for some sort of dock or keyboard with a battery?

Carl Dodds
on Feb 4, 2013

Still no UK launch date :(

wp7mango
on Feb 4, 2013

Apparently the Surface Pro does NOT include WiDi because it does not have an Intel Wireless chipset. So WiDi would need to be done with a USB dongle.

It does have NFC.

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