Customer Ratings & Reviews

Very Good PC for Comp Sci Coding and I’m a CS Major take my word

This is my second Surface Pro and I absolutely love it! Speed, battery life, ease of use.... highly recommended.

I love, love, love my Surface Pro! It is the perfect size and speed for someone taking online-only classes. It doesn't come with a keyboard, but you can easily purchase one. I purchased the keyboard from Best Buy in Gainesville. I happened to be out of town and needed the keyboard for homework (I had to write a paper), so I opted for the open-box version and got a deep discount. I have had several other brands, including HP, and no other laptop/tablet comes close to my Surface Pro! I'm a customer for life. I love the fact that it's a touch screen. I'm not a fan of laptops because most have a built-in mouse pad, and I have never been a fan. That is another reason I need a computer that doubles as a tablet with touchscreen features. This type of laptop/tablet doesn't make me wish I had a mouse, and I don't miss it! I'm about to upgrade next year, and I'm already looking at the newer versions.

The Surface Pro 8 is a versatile 2-in-1 laptop from Microsoft that offers impressive performance, speed design, and a range of useful features; with its 13-in PixelSense touchscreen display and Intel Core processors, the Surface Pro delivers a smooth and responsive user experience. the device's slim and lightweight build makes it highly portable, and the adjustable kickstand allows for comfortable usage in laptop or tablet mode. Overall, the Surface Pro is a premium device that excels in performance, portability, and versatility, making it an excellent choice for both work and leisure.

The latest evolution of the Surface is perhaps its greatest yet. And that's coming from someone who as owned every previous version. The new form factor is outstanding and the black finish is classy without being a fingerprint magnet. This machine does everything that I have thrown at it with aplomb. I love the pure Windows install without any unnecessary bloatware common from every other manufacturer. The portability is great and display rivals the Apple products I also use. It's still ridiculous that the type cover is sold separately (even for the variety of reasons they do so), and you pay a bit of a hardware premium. But that's just it---it's a premium product and should be priced as such.

I've had the Pro 8 for a few weeks now and I'm glad I made the purchase. The device has performed very well for my needs. I'm still getting things set up the way that I like for my workflow: multiple desktops with multiple instances of the same apps for each desktop. I highly recommend going for the 16gb model. I chose the 512gb SSD because it was the only one available at the time in Graphite color. I matched my Pro 8 with an ice blue Signature Keyboard and ice blue Arc Mouse. As standard practice I have 3 desktops open designated for my business, my daily exercise planning, and my personal daily to do. Each desktop will have 3 to 4 Notepad files open and tiled along with a Sticky Notes note detailing the To Do for whatever project I'm working on. I have a separate display which I use as an extended display running Firefox for each desktop. Each have their own related tabs open. I also run Youtube Music in a tab as there is no native Youtube app for Windows. The quality of sound from the Pro 8 is very good. It isn't audiophile excellent but it's still quite good and a welcome to the old HP laptop it's replacing. The speakers are clear and can get very loud. I don't plan on using the Pro 8 outside so the brightness of the display is good enough for me. I utilize only one Thunderbolt port and that's to connect to an Anker 8-in-1 USB-C hub. This charges my Pro 8 so I have no need to have Microsoft's proprietary charger connected. When I want to take the Pro 8 with me I only need to disconnect one cord. This is proving to be very convenient. The weight of the Pro 8 isn't heavy but you can tell that this is a quality device and not some cheap plastic gizmo. It's easy to lift and take with you. Having the kickstand is a really nice feature as it can stay in kickstand mode when you pick it up and you can easily set it down while still in kickstand mode thus eliminating the need to fiddle with anything to get it propped up. I do wish it had built-in SD card reader but I've been using my USB-C to SATA adapter to connect to an external hard drive. It's basically the SSD that was in my old laptop. Battery life is around 6 - 7 hours. I'm not complaining though. I don't ever plan on sitting somewhere working on my Pro 8 for several hours unless I'm at my home office plugged into my hub. The battery life for me is sufficient for when I want to work at the coffee shop or some other temporary spot. I don't need the Pro 8 to have LTE because I can just use my phone as a hotspot. I have a Samsung phone so I use Bixyby Routines to have the laptop automatically connect to the phone when the hotspot is activated. Windows 11 is visually appealing. There are still some small bugs to be worked out. I know that some people who have 360 type devices are frustrated when trying to use tablet mode as there is no Tablet Mode per se like in Windows 10. The new tablet mode is automatic if you remove your keyboard. But 360 devices aren't removable so the display stays in regular move. Thankfully I don't have that issue. Performance has been stellar. I do use Photoshop occasionally but I haven't had the need to use it yet but if my 4gb 1.2ghz I3 HP laptop could satisfactorily handle Photoshop I know the Pro 8 won't have a problem. The Pro 8 shines as an easily portable computer first then as a consumption tablet device 2nd. Don't get confused by thinking it's an Ipad-like device because it is not. The Pro 8 is in a different class and excels far beyond Ipad in that class. Overall, I think that anyone who gets the Pro 8 to get work done on the go will be very pleased with the Pro 8. It's sleek, beautiful, and capable as a PC but can also be used for entertainment to consume media. I highly recommend.

Very happy, would buy again. No issues with type C ports after Windows update as experienced by an earlier reviewer. Most recently my home computer has been an HP Spectre 2-in-1 with a keyboard that can completely folded back for use as a tablet. But it's heavy and the battery has a limited life. I am an IT professional who needs Office 365 for reports and spreadsheets. I use OneDrive for cloud storage. I also run the Tradestation stock market application 24x7, which also requires an extension monitor as it spreads over two screens. I travel and need to access my home computer with extension screen remotely. For this I use the Teamviewer application which allows remote access of my home computer including the extension monitor. Back in July, when the latest iPad Pro 12.9" came out, there was a lot of hype about using it with a keyboard and mouse and how it could function as a laptop. I was lured into buying the high end model and quickly realized it couldn't do what a Windows computer can do for real world, industrial strength activity. The Surface Pro 8 does the job as an industrial strength but lightweight portable travel laptop and tablet. The lack of an SD card slot, 3.5 mm aux jack and HDMI port are easily fixed by a 9 port Hyperdrive hub. The same hub can be used on an iPad Pro, but as that has only one type C for both charging and everything else, once again, the Surface Pro 8 is superior with a separate charging port and two type C ports. The iPad keyboard functionality misses out important keys which are standard on a Windows keyboard, and the iPad Office 365 and Teamviewer app both feel restricted compared with their Windows versions. My iPad Pro is now mostly used as an extension monitor for the Surface Pro 8 - the Duet app can be used to enable this and the Surface even charges the iPad in this mode. Granted Windows machines don't have the vast range of apps iPads have, but if I need to use such apps, it's simple to switch to using the iPad as an iPad.

I've been waiting a very very long time to get a Surface device and with this latest generation, it's not my ideal size but... they finally got close enough to what I was waiting for (14") to take the plunge. I have been glued to 15" 16:9 screens for many many years now and I just couldn't see myself going to the 12.3" screen of previous generations. I was even nervous about this 13" size before it arrived and how I would adapt with my reader wearing eyes and large hands on the smaller keyboard without an external monitor/keyboard. I am pleased to say that I absolutely love it! I still have my 15" 4K laptop for heavy Lightroom and Photoshop work when needed but this will serve me extremely well for everything else. The light weight and portability is also very welcome. The resolution is great and having the same OS on all my devices is not to be underestimated in importance. The build quality surpasses so many other devices out there from many manufacturers and it screams quality. Windows 11 is excellent and has been extremely stable and fast, while I'm still getting used to specific settings and where they are now located/ what they are called... the changes have been a very welcome upgrade to Windows 10 and has been extremely stable thus far. I even upgraded my old Dell XPS to Windows 11 Pro ahead of when directed to do so and have not had a single issue, which is saying something based on past Windows releases. Some nitpicking issues... I have a NAS and private cloud at home so storage isn't an unmitigated issue but I would really have preferred a 1TB drive with 32G RAM in the Graphite color so I could never worry about access to the majority of my files when traveling. I detest silver electronic devices in general. I'd also like it to be easier to upgrade... of course. I probably would have opted for a 5G version if one had been available to provide some more future proofing. No option to purchase direct with Windows 11 Pro... I had to upgrade via the MS Store for an extra 99$. Note: Offline files sync (in the native OS) like in previous home versions of the OS is not available, you have to go to Pro for that capability. In the end however, I am very excited with my Surface Pro 8 and every time I pick it up and use it, I know it was the right decision... Microsoft, I'd still really like a 14" version! In Graphite! With a 1TB SSD and 32GB RAM and Windows 11 Pro installed already!

I've owned quite a few Surface devices, going back to the RT and I have to say with this iteration they've hit the mark, save one thing, more on that later. Design-wise this unit is actually a wee bit smaller than the 7/7+ but to me, it actually felt larger but lighter. I love that they moved away from the chassis having hard edges to more rounded sides. Much nicer to hold. Port-wise having two thunderbolt 4 on board (finally) is nice to see, even if it cost the type a port. It's also great that with thunderbolt 4 you can now hook up an eGPU. Combine that with the new 120hz display and the Surface 8 becomes more viable for gamers and content creators. Speaking of the display, in typical Surface fashion I find it wonderful, even though it's not OLED or microLED. It's also now around half an inch larger due to the decreased landscape side bezels which I really like. Windows 11 has been fine. The updated UI looks modern and softer which feels easier on my eyes. It feels faster in some aspects but slower in others. There is no more tablet mode, removing the keyboard merely spaces taskbar icons and other UI and text labels further apart. Being hot of the press, I'm sure these kinks will get worked out in time (I'm looking at you taskbar). So that one thing I said I mention later? It's the reason I can't give the Surface Pro 8 five stars. And it's no stranger to the Surface line. The stated battery life is listed as "up" to 16 hours. I'm getting on average, 7. That's at 50-60% brightness. I could possibly get more shutting down networking and going into battery saver mode but for the cost of this machine, that's completely out of line. I'm no stranger to MS's battery life claims, and yes, the "up" in "up to" is basically the free pass they've given themselves if anyone complains. Putting this into perspective, I owned the Surface Pro 4. To this day it remains the Surface with the absolute worst battery of the entire line up (well maybe it beats Surface 3). I was lucky to get 5 hours, usually 4. Thanks intel, Skylake was great. There are 2 saving graces here. First you can charge either with the typical surface connect charger or usb c. Secondly, a truthful fact from MS, it does charge very fast. At 10% I can get back to 80 in thirty mins. so I guess you could say I'm coping but like I said, at this price you should, at the very least, be getting a solid 10 - 12 hours. But I do have a personal vested interest in the Surface line and I love the form factor. I like to sketch and doodle or even some adult coloring books. And the new pen is great, I wasn't sure about the carpenter barrel but I loved it the first time I used it. Try it with the 120hz display on! In the end I can honestly say this is the best Surface ever made. The power and performance are there. Turn on 120hz display and you'll never want to go back. But keep in mind, until MS ships the dynamic refresh rate (coming very soon), it hits the battery hard.

Although a little high in price, this tablet laptop is excellent and fast ! Be aware that it will need a docking station to maximize its performance and plug in HDMI cable for multiple monitors and older usb equipment

Upgraded from SP4. This is an awesome laptop for my business and personal use, compact, lightweight and fast. This handles ALL of my needs from simple spreadsheet to extreme graphic creations.

Powerful, quick, light, and good looking. The issue I have is the battery life. The listed battery life must be with zero applications running, I get maybe 2 hours. But if your looking for a tablet that runs on windows, this is it. I have only had it a few weeks so I can’t say much to the durability, but the keyboard feels a little flimsy. The pen is cool, I really like the tactile feedback.

I absolutely love this laptop. Prior to this, I was using a Surface Book 2 15. That was a great laptop, but I didn't like the way you had to detach the screen. This laptop is just as powerful, if not slightly better, but its much more usable with the kickstand and ability to pull the magnetic keyboard off or even flip the keyboard underneath. Highly recommended.

Great product! Fast, reliable and good looking. A bit heavy if you have to carry it daily but it packs a punch of options.

I purchased the latest Surface 8 Pro as an upgrade to a Surface Go. My primary business is training and I always liked the features of the surface for training purposes. During the last few classes I have essentially stopped using flipchart paper as I can do everything using the drawing features of the Surface. The pen allows me to advance slides in a PowerPoint presentation, so no separate advancer needed as in the past. There is no comparison in the speed that apps open, switch windows, etc. I wanted the best processor and it beats anything I have had in the past If any downside: tends to run hot when on the internet with multiple apps open...probably normal; cost, but since everything that the laptop runs is MS, I was OK with it. I do not expect to have to replace this laptop for many year. It would be nice if MS sold a package deal instead of separately.

Love the surface! Light, black color looks awesome, and very fast and user friendly.

Great speed and user friendly, high contrast touch screen

I've had this new Surface Pro 8 for about a month. So far, it has been great. I love the screen size, resolution, and it doesn't scramble like my Pro 4. It's much faster loading applications. I also like that it can act like a laptop or tablet, depending on what I want.

NB This review is for this make and model device but purchased directly from Microsoft, not Best Buy. It was delivered on and has been tested since November 27, 2021. Our experience with it has been terrible. We still own a Surface Pro 7 with an Intel i5 processor, 256GB storage, and 16GB RAM. We kept and will keep that device after comparing its display, battery life and printing performance against this new SP8. 1. DISPLAY: It's much, much dimmer than the SP7's. Reading from this device requires 100% brightness. Set side-by-side with the SP7 shows a huge downgrade in clarity, brightness and color. I thought it was hardware-related, but it may be Windows 11. Either way, running this SP8 looks like running an old, no-name brand smartphone from, oh, a decade ago. A photo is attached to show the difference between the SP8, which has a dark, blue filter, and the SP7. As an aside, a YouTube reviewer also side-by-side compared the displays of his i5 SP8 and his i7 SP8. His video shows the same differences as shown in my photo. 2. BATTERY: With very basic use - think light Microsoft Edge web browser searching, browser emailing, and browser chat-sessioning with Microsoft support over these problems - this SP8 just doesn't last nearly as long as advertised. Try about half or less than half of that. How full is a full day, Microsoft? I guess that depends on the era and the CEO. 3. WAIT; PRINTING?!? This is why the problem here, at least, may be Windows 11-related. That new, SP8 display PRINTS web pages as terribly as they are displayed! I printed the exact same Microsoft Support web page running on each of the SP8 and SP7. The SP8 printout is dimmer and very blurry and grainy. At the end of the day I don’t know if the problem is hardware, Windows 11, or both. I do know I am livid.

This is a perfect "small laptop/large pad" type device for people on the go. It is my away from home computing platform. Works well. This is my second one. This is replacing my Surface Pro 4. So far no issues. I now want to figure out the best peripheral port hub to go with it.