What Is The Surface Pro?
The Surface Pro is just like the first Surface except it's thicker, heavier, costs at least $400 more, and has about half the battery life. It looks like a tablet, but you can snap on an optional (but essential) keyboard cover that turns the Surface Pro into a pseudo-laptop.
So why would anyone buy that?
Unlike the Surface RT, the Surface Pro is powered by an Intel chip (like a lot of regular Windows laptops) and can run older Windows 7 apps. That means if you're still using the old version of Microsoft Office or any other program, you'll be able to run them on the Surface Pro without a problem. There's even a "Desktop" mode that lets you work in a classic Windows 7-like environment instead of Windows 8's touch-friendly tile Start menu.
Steve Kovach, Business Insider
But that's a small added value for a laptop replacement that doesn't do a great job at replacing your laptop.
You can't rest the Surface Pro comfortably on your lap without it flopping around. You can 't adjust the angle of the screen when it's propped on a table with the built in kickstand. You need to spend at least another $100 to get the full laptop-like experience with one of the special keyboard covers. At 10 inches, the screen feels a bit small for traditional desktop computing. The cheapest model only has 23 GB of free storage, so you'll have to buy a separate memory card because you'll definitely need more than that.
And so on.
That's the biggest problem with the Surface Pro. Between the pricing and the form factor, it feels like the Pro would only appeal to a limited number of people.
Using It
The Surface Pro runs on Windows 8 Pro, Microsoft's top-of-the line PC operating system. Windows 8 was designed to run primarily on touchscreen devices like the Surface tablets, so it does take a lot of noodling around to get used to how everything works.
I've been using Windows 8 off and on since it launched last fall, and I've only just now figured out all the nuances and tricks of the new OS. There's a steep learning curve with Windows 8, but I was flying once I got the hang of it. Windows 8 really is a fun platform to use, and it's a refreshing take on the stuffy old desktop.
But when you have a tablet-friendly operating system like Windows 8, you need tablet-friendly apps to go with it. Unfortunately, Windows 8 can't offer that.
Microsoft wouldn't tell me how many Windows 8 apps are available now, but the number doesn't matter. What matters is I couldn't find many of the apps I wanted. Most notably, there still aren't apps for Twitter and Facebook, which forces you to use those services in a browser. That doesn't work very well if you're using the Surface Pro in tablet mode.
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