Microsoft Surface Pro 2 tablet now back in stock
256GB, SSD, 8GB RAM
Windows 8.1 Pro which can be updated to Windows 10 when released - date to be advised.
See windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/about for more details
WHILE STOCKS LASTS
Microsoft Surface Pro 2 Tablet $899 - 256GB, SSD, 8GB RAM + Upgrade to Windows10 @ eStore
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AssociatedLShoplyBargains on 15/05/2015 - 14:39 estore.com.au (589 clicks)
Last edited 15/05/2015 - 15:05 by 1 other user
Last edited 15/05/2015 - 15:05 by 1 other user
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I got my 128GB SP2 for $738 with type cover included in the Harvey Norman firesale near the end of last year. This deal does not come with type cover, which will set you back 100 dollars minimum (138 on the site). You WILL want a type cover if you plan to do any serious work on this (hence why you'd be buying this instead of a cheaper device or an iPad or something). So be warned.
My impressions on the SP2 in general - I love it. Great computer. Great touch experience. Good enough performance for most purposes. Compared to SP3 it's heavier and thicker, but it actually has slightly better performance in some things (i.e. gaming) because the extra thickness results in better thermal tolerance. But you're NOT buying this for gaming anyway, intel HD4400 graphics being what they are. You'll run DOTA2 / LoL etc, maybe a bit of WoW or SW:TOR or something. Some indie games etc. Pen works ok, the SP2 uses some kind of Wacom tech but I don't really use it.
I am not interested in buying this thing but want to appreciate your gesture of putting it all out simply..
So you can click the little plus button on his comment to show your appreciation
I wanted to do more!
@ashar: Find his other comments and plus them all! :p
But yeah, it's nice of him to do a quick, informative write up.
Sp1 and 2 have always had poor Bluetooth and WiFi radios. Drop outs and weak performance are pretty abundant with these. Can't easily change the radio modules on these due to nature of the access panel being the screen and glued on. Quite disappointed really having owned and used both, was planning on changing to sp3 but that's got thermal issues preventing it from outperforming the i5 sp2 when it really matters. Disappointed considering this was suppose to be the Jesus of x86 tablets.
I've personally had no issues with both the SP1 and SP2 tablets wireless radios. My room is 15 meters away going through 3 walls. The wifi performs just a little under my $100 Asus desktop wifi card so I'm happy.
I have had some intermittent WiFi issues with this, in my case it only lasted for about half a day and only in one environment (worked fine at home; didn't cooperate with workplace wireless). I guess it could just come down to luck. But you're correct to say that this is an issue, when I was searching for a solution at the time I encountered numerous forum posts from people suffering various issues.
While I'm here, I will also comment on the other difference between SP2 and SP3, which is the screen. The SP2 is a 16:9 aspect ratio (1920x1080), the SP3 is a 3:2 aspect ratio (2160x1440). The SP3 is more usable in both directions, the SP2 can be a bit awkward when you position it vertically because it's much taller than it is wide. The SP3 being slightly higher res is also a benefit.
Just to add, the SP3 pen uses a battery, whilst the SP2 pen does not.
Another niggling issue is the single USB port, which can be worked around by getting the USB hub/dock.
Also got myself a dock for this Pro 2 from Amazon, leave it in the office.
Internet Explorer has surprisingly been the browser for the surface (since Chrome doesn't have a Metro App for it).
Bought one of these from HN in a preXmas deal and using it predominantly as a laptop but often take it on the road and using it with type cover. Most issues I have had were Windows 8 related. There is a lot of improvement to be had on this front.
As for the SP2 a couple of observations: 1. It is slightly on heavy side of your 10inch tablet, 2. The sides where all the connections are are on a slant, cables when connected look is if not connected properly and have found a pair of Sony earphones that can not connect properly as the pin length is not sufficiently long enough to account for the slanted edges on SP2. 3. As it is essentially a laptop usb charging is not available on SP2 so cannot use powerbanks as a backup power, SP3 might be different.
No issues with WIFI or performance and generally pleased with the unit.
I think the weight and the usb charging problems are all due to the fact that SP2 is more of an ultrabook in a tablet form. So the power usage from SP2 is fairly high compared to ARM tablets (so you cannot use USB for charging) and therefore more battery is needed as well as a fan for cooling (which makes it heavier). I wouldn't call the SP2 weight to be comparable to ARM tablets. I have TabPRO just because I know that I cannot use the SP1 (I own SP1) while on the move, because SP1 is very heavy for a tablet (light for a laptop though).
It's normally free if you already have Windows 7 or later…