Couldn't find this price anywhere else.
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/microsoft-surface-pro-7-1… - $1498
From wherever you are the Microsoft Surface Pro 7+ 12.3-inch i5-1135G7/8GB/128GB SSD 2 in 1 Device lets you stay productive. With a slim, lightweight design and powerful performance, it allows you to stay on top of your daily tasks even when you're out and about. It includes a full-sized keyboard with backlit keys and a large trackpad for fast typing and easy navigation.
I'd recommend 16 GB RAM at least. 8 GB seems too little.
is the ram easily upgradable?
No, it’s soldered
16 GB ram would be instant buy. Don’t understand why 8GB still standard
My laptop struggle with chrome
try using edge ….less memory hungry than chrome ….
@garage sale: Can you ensure all sites load properly? I understand it's chromium based but it's no faster than Chrome nor Privacy wise better than Firefox….
The only reason to use Edge is for Education school or uni websites for kids
Because you can use Family Security for tracking usage under parental control and that only works with Edge browsing
No other advantages atm
@neonlight: FWIW I have found better battery life and lower memory usage when using edge over chrome on my surface device. I've not recorded any numbers, so it's colloquial but I definitely feel I've noticed the improvement on an 8GB surface.
@ neonlight
A relatively clean Windows 11 installation without any bloatware or memory hogging background apps should only use around 3GB of RAM. That leaves you with 5GB for apps. While that is not a lot, you can still comfortably open 20~30 tabs (depending on the site content of course) and have few other small programs running in the background.
The main reason for performance issues people have with their PCs is not lack of RAM, its all the bloatware manufacturers bundle with new PC that take up RAM and CPU resources, for example 3rd party virus guards like MacAfee and Norton can slow down your overall browsing experience quite a lot, which is why I always advice anyone who buys a new computer to either do a clean install of Windows or at least remove all the bloatware that came bundled. The built in Windows defender is all you need if you use some common-sense browsing habits.
Check how much RAM your computer uses after a restart, while you are at it check your system tray to see what sort of background apps you have there.
This is perfect for coding, just need a bigger monitor to goes with.
Only if your workflow is single task. If you use a lot of chrome tabs, 8GB isn’t great
Only? I'm using for eclipse ide for Java ( can't get any worst) + plus tons of chrome tab + background music player, no issue on surface old generation, 2015 model no issue for few years. Now i got Dell, 16gb only noticeable difference is eclipse load up quicker, and comple time, but I'm comparing 5 year old laptops.
@boomramada: It's a well known fact that Microsoft optimises its applications to suit surface pros, just ask Tim Apple.
@boomramada: Building and rubbing multiple projects is the killer for low ram. Sure if you run and don’t attach debugger then it could work - but that’sa massive compromise. It definitely suits single app dev as long as you don’t mind the huge compile and test time, and the average keyboard and small mouse pad, and the limited cooling.
@onlinepred: True but is your work let you bring your massive projects home? Fun Fun.
All my work based projects are living in VMs and compile in VMs. Some of my projects take few hrs to compile, 8gb to 16gb wouldn't make much difference.
Although if you can get 16gb for few $$ more why not. If that the case, I would go for 500gb hard disk as well, this is way too small once the windows and IDE settles in. Dell XPS (HP equallent) is a best and economical candidate.
@boomramada: Yea I tried dev on surface for 6 months and hated it. Got a dell xps 14 and it’s perfect. For sure if you aren’t actually using for anything and just using vm or Remote Desktop, literally any tablet would work. My tests run in almost 23 minutes in the dell compared to 1hr12 mins in sp7
Also, you work on non work devices?
@onlinepred: WFH using our own PC to connecting to remote VMs. But if I want to code on the surface or laptop, I just plug in into dock and use with the external keybored, mouse and a monitor.
@boomramada: Yea okay. We get work devices secured by domain/VPN. Hence why I take whole projects home. Not a huge company, and not a huge test suite - roughly 2400 tests. All .Net and C#. I CAN dev on a Surface, but man is it limiting haha.
edge is based on the open source version of chrome ….chromium, but microsoft have optimised for windows so doesn’t use as much memory for tabs like chrome does …..chrome plug ins work on edge …..
The M1 macbook air will kick this tablets butt pretty hard when it comes to compiling code and working fast. But unfortunately its not a tablet and there is no touch screen.
Why would you pay the premium for this if all you're doing is coding
For the added convenience of coding on the go? If you are working from home as a software programmer that can give you some extra flexibility to roam around and get back to the job when you have to.
Honestly don't think there's much difference if it's being moved from desk to desk. You can get a light laptop for cheap nowadays.
Using these on your lap is a nightmare, flimsy connection on the keyboard and a top heavy balance that makes the tablet backflip on your lap.
@krisspy: yep great in office where you have a dock and take your device to meetings …..but if at home get one with a bigger screen and fixed keyboard ……i handed mine back to IT and for a surface pro with the fixed keyboard …..it’s a great …
I am still using the pro 6, mainly for J2EE as well. Processing/compiling speed seems fine. If you ended up buying this I would strong recommend the Kensington dock. It is on the expensive side but allows you to convert the surface pro between a pretty decent workstation and a portable device in a matter of seconds. You can connect up to 2 digital (HDMI/DP) monitors and any number of VGA monitors via USB3-VGA adapters. I am currently using a 4 screen config (2 digital+1 VGA+tablet screen) and it worked pretty well. If you buy another dock and leave it in the office, you can just take the tablet with you home instead of doing RDP which may or may not work depending on your company policies.
Nice thanks.
So, I had a surface book 2 with 16gb of ram, and the fan noise was excessive and it wasn't performant enough.
Then, I had an Asus zephyrus g14, with a 5700hs processor. More performant, but again, the fan noise was crazy.
Then I had the Macbook pro with the M1 processor. And everything works extremely quickly and the fan hardly turns on.
Its substantially more money, but for any developer who doesn't have Windows workloads, I would recommend a Macbook air or pro over any other Windows device on the market today.
You know this Surface is fanless right?
I RDP/ssh into a machine that has more RAM and better CPU. This way I don't always have to carry a beefy laptop.
All this through CloudFlare One Trust over a 250 NBN (internode) with a 4G/5G device and I hardly notice that I am coding remotely.
If you go hat route just choose a device that supports RDP, such as a Lenovo P11, and you could be coding remotely for under $300 plus whatever home lab costs.
I'd say no, as the keyboard is not what it needs to be and the screen is a little small. I had a surface pro 3 and it was pretty good but nowadays I'd say that for an app developer you need to be able to build for apple and android, so a Mac is almost mandatory. Also, as stated above you need more Ram for emulators and for running the different pieces for testing.
I actually like the keyboard on the Surface lineup way more than I thought I would, especially for a 2 in 1. Though if you ever plan to use it on your lap, it is definitely less stable with all the weight on the screen rather than the base in a standard laptop.
Yeah from SP4+ keyboard definitely one of my favs
Really solid price, shame it's only 8gb ram. I imagine that would get annoying for multitasking.
I’ve got an 8gb sp8 and I’ve never had an issue. I can run Lightroom and mediamonkey and a bunch of chrome tabs I swear I’ll read one day just fine.
Only actual issue I’ve run into was it struggles a bit with a couple of huge excel sheets, but so does my 32gb i7.
8GB+128GB is ok for 2018 but painful for 2022, even before upgrade to Win11…
I'll wait 2 years from now to get this price on Surface 8 series… oh wait, then there will be Win 12 but needing 32gb and 1tb…
win11 doesn’t use more memory than windows 10, which we run at work on 8gb with office365 …..
Jeez 128gb … 8gb?
Price is good for what it is
Bricked a fair few of these at work with Microsoft yet to tell us why they can't fix them / what caused them to die.
We have a stack of these and none have been "bricked" (other than a single DOA and a few staff have smashed). If you're bricking them you're doing something wrong
We (large IT company) have gone through hundreds of previous surfaces, surface laptop 3's, etc, and thousands of other devices with the software we use. The Surface 7+ has been the only device that has actually been bricked by it.
If your software is "bricking" devices, maybe gasp there's something wrong with your software.
We (numerous large government departments over the years) have had stacks of Surfaces, the odd one just dies, batteries blow up because people treat them like desktops, the old ones sucked in general but so far the 7+s we've had (about 60 in production at the moment, about another 50 in the pipeline) have been solid.
If your software is "bricking" devices, maybe gasp there's something wrong with your software.
This is absurd. Software should never be able to brick a device. If it can it means that there is a hardware problem.
I've personally gone through 3 of these (used to buy them when they go on clearance for $400) Ssd and sleep of death.
I have 2 SP4's that will only work if plugged in to the power supply. If the magnetic cable is accidentally untethered, the SP just dies and any unsaved work is lost. I thought this was a fairly common problem judging by the number of suggested fixes and YouTube tutorials on the web.
Suggested fixes?
It's clearly a dead battery. The only fix is to replace the battery.
It's a fairly common problem on all laptops. No idea what these YouTube tutorials could possibly think the issue is, but don't waste your time on any of them.
we aren’t big organisation, only 2100 laptops in the fleet, about 500 MS devices …..none have bricked , if they did we would have meeting with our MS success manager ……
What's the advantages of a Surface Pro over a regular laptop
I believe Surface Pro has so many constraints
PC power and apps in tablet format
Portability
Touchscreen
Convertible to tablet dedicated mode
Pen support
A e s t h e t i c s / weight / size
And less risk when you spill your coffee.
Aesthetics can’t be transformed to productivity unless decoration on your desk with MS logo
Ok I’ll bite - so what’s your pick for a more productive / better overall laptop for sub 1k? Genuinely curious.
That's the same reason my work provides us $500 Dell notebooks and $1700 iPhones.
Improved productivity.
@indemnity: i got the $1400 laptop and $600 iphone at work ….rather better laptop and crap phone as i spend hours on laptop than phone ….
Tablet form is good, BUT:
MS Surfaces devices are very difficult to repair, also has proprietary charging cable.
The Dell/HP/Lenovo (and probably others) variants are more likely to be more useful and practical (USB-C based, potential ugradability etc)
You can charge it with usb-c as well
Lighter, tablet/laptop, pen support (its really good even for hand drawings) build quality (better than most of laptops for around $1k), magnetic fast charger, screen is very good
Honestly wouldn't call these convertibles a "laptop". Absolute nightmare to use in your lap since you can't full stabilise it by resting your palm on the kb
Agree. I have a Surface Laptop, they're still so light and mobile anyway, but so much easier to use. Surface Pro with keyboard won't sit well on all surfaces.
128GB SSD with Windows, that is really limiting the use cases.
SSD is upgradeable on this model
But it's 2230
What do you mean? There are a few tutorials online and can find plenty of 2230 ssd on ebay
@Richardc: What do you mean? It's replaceable from the outside, if you want to claim warranty, just put the original one back, just one screw in.
Is it? Better check my time circuit.
Great price.
Unless you do things that require more grunt (engineering, design work, programming etc) for standard office work these things are great and of course the inking abilities I find very useful.
Bezel is so thick…
Not for a tablet…
Very good price, considering Microsoft Surface Go 3 cost 796.
Good device… though I would go and higher SSD.
It's upgradable in the 7+
Called my local JB to see if they could price match. They wouldnt match it as it is marked clearance and best price they could do was $150 more.
Typical. Did they say "that is wayyyyyy below our cost price"?
Yeh they did. Guy was good about it. Said it was a good deal and should try and get it from HN
"Here at JB Hi-FI, we rather hold onto items until they are totally obsolete than sell it to you"
Fair enough thou, selling it below cost price doesn't net profits, just 'brand loyalty' which sure as heck no one has for JB.
Thanks, bought one. Wife was looking for a sub $1k sub 1kg tablet 2-in-1 for light computing tasks, was thinking of getting an 8GB Duet 5, but for $300 more I think this is a much better deal given the better CPU and having Windows.
Me too. My wife has had a SP3 and SP4 and we feel we got our money's worth. Good timing too, as the SP4 is playing up now.
my 2 desktops and laptop are now on windows 11, stable as rock slightly different interface , so don’t downgrade it ….
Unless you really need the tablet function, I would go with a touch screen laptop with betters specs (16GB RAM and 512GB SSD)
Suggestions in this price range?
Need to wait for a deal like the followings
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/659158
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/673810
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/687871
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/693708
128gb is a crime… even apple stopped doing that lol
Atleast it's upgradable in this model
no 4 gee
Waiting for m1 price drop very very soon to get m2 as much faster than Sp7/8/9
Just picked 1 up. Now for the ssd to arrive. Time to have some fun.
Where'd you get the SSD?
Just bought one off ebay. Theres a few different models available, depending on what size u are after.
Can you link us what you bought?
@sillydumbo: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/115265595173?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&…
No guarantees it work but from forums it says this model is compatible. Will confirm once it arrives and is installed.
Can anyone suggest an alternative that's light to carry and better in specs?
Is this recommend for coding purposes for app developer?