Customer Ratings & Reviews

When I was shopping for a tablet, I was debating between getting this model or the RT version. After playing around with both of them, I was sold on the pro version. This little guy can do just about anything that you want it to, if what you want it to do doesn't take up too much hard drive space. If you do buy the surface pro, for the love of all that is good and holy buy the 128 GB version! Windows 8 is quite the hungry, hungry hippo when it comes to memory, even after fiddling around with the backups. Additionally, I find myself to be enamored with the stylus. My job requires a great deal of reading and note taking, so I can just pop whatever I'm doing on over to One Note and stylus away. The tablet also cold boots in record time, so I never have to wait to begin using it. As for the negatives, the battery life is short (but I knew that going in) and I honestly find Windows 8 to be rather annoying. The desktop vs. Ipad-style start menu dichotomy is annoying and feels extremely forced. I understand why Microsoft feels that it needs to take on some of the "cool factor" that apple products have, but they really are not playing to their strengths as a company. The strength of Windows is that it can do whatever you need it to. I don't understand why the makers of Windows 8 thought that I need to be viscerally assaulted by giant news and weather buttons just to get to the comfort of my desktop. Overall, I would recommend this for those of you who don't mind spending a few extra $$ for a superior machine. If you plan to only use it sparingly, I would suggest looking elsewhere, but if you need functionality on the go, I'd say you would be hard pressed to beat it.

This tablet and laptop is great. I has all the power and specs to work with full computer applications like Adobe lightroom and PhotoShop. But super portable. Can run Windows 7 in a virtual machine simultaneously as Windows 8.1 which lets you still use applications and websites not 8 compatible. Business apps are not all working yet. With the stylus great for note taking in classes, and super long battery life with optional power cover. Third purchase in my family. Totally would buy again.

I knew that this came with Win 8.0, but given when I bought it I think MS should have updated all units with Win 8.1; it easily takes 3+ hrs to do the upgrade and then it eats another 5+GB of disk space....First DON'T consider the 64GB version, with 10+GB for Recovery/re-install and 22GB for the OS you' have less than 1/2 the space left; after upgrading to win 8.1 with more hidden partitions it's even worse. So to begin with, a 128GB system 128GB becomes 109Gb after the 3 hidden partitions are deducted with the Win 8.1 upgrade; then the OS on the 128GB version occupies 30+GB leaving 80GB available; doing some cleanup (which should not be required) can get another 5Gb back. Doing a clean install (which can't be done without win 8.1 install disks which normal folks can't get) would have freed up nearly 10GB of additional space.... shame on MS; SSD space is "precious" and your force to buy Win 8.0 and do the upgrade yourself even thought Win 8.1 has been out since Sep to Oct 2013...Done ranting The pen interface works very nicely, too bad the learning curve is so difficult, the win 8.1 interface is just not intuitive, you have to "learn it" and wonder why so many things are so hard to get to. It does get easier with time, but then you deal with "classic" application which may or may not behave the same, still finding the best way to interface with the new and the classic interface is a challenge. And multi-touch remains mysterious as not all apps behave the same way, especially MS office apps where you'd expect consistency and little exists, I guess it's because office is still considered the classic desktop type of application. I do wich it was possible to upgrade or purchase this system with larger disk (256 or 512GB); I've added the largest SDHC card (64GB) but I still long for more disk space; I suspect MS want us us to use the cloud, but without 4G support, it's not always possible. The 128GB Surface Pro is sufficient at what it offers, a fast processor and good Display, but is use of disk space, especially not knowing how many updates MS may do in the near the coming months severely limits the expected life of this product. I also miss not have a Ethernet adapter (or port expander) when I find wi-fi to slow to stream large files (read HD movies). I think this is another "miss" for the product (the single USB 3.0 port is very fast, but with only one port flexibility is limited without more hardware; I've heard rumors of a expensive docking station ($2??) but have not seen one yet, and at that price it's way to expensive. If it included a docking station and keyboard (v2) for the normal list price it would be a great package fro the price; as it is look for big and bigger discounts. Look to see if MS starts shipping New surfaces products with the latest version of windows (8.1 as of today) that would improve the experience you have with this product.

Even though the Surface Pro 2 is available, the original Surface Pro is still an amazing buy for the price. I purchased this tablet for my wife when it went on sale for $499 and at that price it's a steal! Even at the current price, it's still the best bang for your buck if you're in the market for a device that you can use while hanging out on the couch but still allows you to sit at your office desk and get some serious work done. The only drawback is the battery life. However, it's hard to fault the Surface Pro for this when you consider the type of PC you're getting. This isn't an iPad or Android tablet...its a FULL Windows 8 PC, and a great one at that. Once I purchased the Surface Pro it easily became the fastest PC in the house. It easily outperforms all my desktop machines and laptops. This is also a great tablet/PC for someone that is trying out Windows 8 for the first time. You can tell that this is the way Microsoft intended their operating system to be used, and in my opinion, they're perfectly matched. Overall, this was a fantastic purchase and makes me really consider buying a Surface Pro 2 in the future.

My wife and I never liked tablets, because they just had horrible operating systems that made me long for the ease of a regular computer. We bought the Surface and were pleasantly surprised to find that using it was just like using Windows 8 on our home PC, except we now get the added advantage of the touchscreen features instead of the mouse. Windows 8 is an excellent operating system that becomes intuitive within a very short while. I was concerned I wouldn't like the tiles, but they are very simple to use, and I can use the traditional Windows desktop any time I want. The screen is brilliant. The camera sufficient. The app selection covers has expanded tremendously and we have found no problem finding what we like. Installing and deleting apps is a breeze. Setting up a home network with our home computer took 3 minutes, and we had never networked any computers together before. I highly recommend this tablet.

This device is great for replacing a standard work laptop. I now do everything from the Surface Pro and it is integrated into our companies Active Directory as well. I run 3 external monitors from it using the USB port which has a 10 port USB 3.0 Hub plugged into it. When I am in the office it is just like using a laptop in a docking station. Full size keyboard and mouse, plus the monitors. When it is time to head out to a customer I just unplug the power cable and the USB cable and grab and go. Takes all of 10 seconds.

I bought the surface pro to replace the laptop I was using for College. I tried it out at a local staples, but the salesman talked me out of buying it, hoping I would buy a different laptop. I left the store and read nothing but positive reviews about this tablet so I bought it from Best buy. This tablet is what an ipad should be. Its a pretty powerful computer in tablet form. Unfortunately Microsoft knows they have a good thing because they charge a lot for it (and the accessories). There rent a ton of apps for windows 8 yet, but that doesnt matter for this because you can install whatever 3rd party software you want. I play Guild Wars 2 on it (I get good frame rates with default settings).

This tablet Is great. Wonderful actually. The screen is clear, the touch-responsiveness is great and the fact that I can put any windows based application, not just "apps" on it makes it much more useful than any Apple or Android tablet that I've used before. It's priced like a laptop for a reason. (though I did wait for it to be on sale before I got mine) Also, as an artist, the fact that the touchscreen is made by Wacom is wonderful for drawing and using PhotoShop. The touch sensitivity with the stylus is second to none with any other tablet out there right now. The battery life is not so great compared to other tablets (compared to laptops, it's decent) so I would recommend waiting for the keyboards Microsoft will soon be releasing that also work as an additional battery. Windows 8 app store is still behind Android and Apple, so you may not find all the apps you're accustomed to. Do research beforehand. Also, keep in mind you get a FULL web browser on here, so websites will work just like on your PC.

I read a lot of reviews and gave it a lot of thought prior to taking the plunge but have to say after a month or so that I have no regrets at all. Yes it is pricey but I get a lot of function out of it. For work, I have eliminated my notepad for meetings opting for the stylus for taking notes. I can do full review and editing of MS office docs and if I want to enjoy my music, photos, or movies it functions great. No complaints and while I do wish it had longer battery life, it does just as well as my work laptop so I just manage the power accordingly. Quite happy with it so far.

The fit and finish are comparable to any premium device you've every held, or looked at for that matter. You will not be disappointed if you buy with the proper expectations. This is a ultra-book in the form of a tablet, as such it is a powerful and capable computer for everything but gaming and, I would presume, heavy video editing. Otherwise you will be able to do anything you want with it that you would do with any other computer. You can also do anything you would do on a tablet. But this is where it get murky. As a tablet it is great at showcasing the benefits/features of Windows 8 (I happen to like Windows 8 on my work laptop, but I am aware many do not. In the form of a tablet you will love Win 8, I have no doubt.). However, the battery life will be a shock to iPad users, maybe some android tablets. I recently used it to take notes at a convention, it made it through the day, it didn't have much left in the tank. In general practice, I'll make it through the day with intermediate and light use. However, I catch myself being extra conservative with it's use. In recap, if you treat it like you would a laptop, you'll be very pleased. If your wanting a tablet first and a full fledged computer second, you may be better off having two devices. Also, do NOT buy this without either a type cover or a touch cover. I love the touch cover (It does take time to get used to), but I would not like to do much work on this computer without it.

This surface pro is a great super portable way not to have to carry around full laptop for business and personal use. So far have all my business apps on it with no issues. Super fast. only cons, windows 8 took getting used to. Now can toggle between desktop and start so have best of both worlds. One thing that I am disappointed on, not so much for me but for a new user to surface/windows 8 was the lack of anything in the box to tell a new user to features know how to use by swiping left right etc. only pamphlet was a 3x5 warning paper. nothing to say something like there is a full page manual on the web at location xxx. If I was a new non tech user, I would have returned this flustrated. But a day after playing with it and learning by trial and error stumbled across the surface page on the how to book.... Poor advice for Microsoft packaging to include that help paper. Other then that I am super pleased with speed, size and battery life not too bad. Runs a little work but not a big deal.

As with all technology today, there are trade offs. The Surface has great power and is easy to use. Once you get used to Windows 8, you find it very intuitive. Not all tablet computers have the ability to use a stylus or choice of keyboards. I like these features on the Surface Pro. I like that it is just slightly larger and heavier than a tablet, but so much lighter than a full laptop. The screen is clearer and more functional than netbooks of similar size. The battery power is only about 4 hours, but compared to other i5 laptops, it is comparable. Sometimes just closing the cover/keyboard isn't enough to put it in sleep mode. So you do want to be sure and make sure it is asleep or you will feel it get hot and the battery will drain.

The only similarly sized device on the market that can compete with this thing performance wise is the 11" Macbook Air, with it's 8 GB of RAM, i7 Processor, and 500 GB SSD. But then you have to run OS X -- which despite its Unix underpinnings still hosts a lot of flaky Objective-C apps that crash and/or don't provide the power of most Windows applications. The Surface Pro however is still very capable with the i5 Processor and 4 GB or RAM. Imagine a tablet that can run the best C++ IDE (Visual Studio) and tools like Windbg, but still remain the machine of choice for travel and watching a movie. I use mine to run RockSim - for high power rocketry. As a tablet I can use it in the field on launch day. As a capable notebook I can still take it with me when traveling and writing code! I hope there is a v2 -- with more memory, an i7, and 4G. Even better if MS rewards loyal first generation users! One thing to note. The speakers aren't loud. If watching a movie, you will want earphones or powered speakers.

The overall design is slick. The kick stand mechanism is great. Vapor magnum is premium material for building the case. Inside, Surface Pro got Ultrabook level processing power. It stays quiet thanks to the venting and two-fan design. However, the one I received has a small assembling quality issue. The top left corner of the glass is not glued well. It pop out a little bit and a light press by a finger will generate an unpleasant click sound. As a tablet, the Surface Pro is still too heavy. The limited battery life restricted the mobile use. I can only get an average of 4 hours battery life under normal usage. The power-inefficient processor other components also generate quite some heat. Which makes both the screen and back-case hot to the touch.

It's smaller than most normal laptops which is good. The screen is very hi-res. Battery life is sufficient for your normal use. I primarily use it for visual studio work and it has been working fine for that. I do like that it is the 64-bit version of windows 8 and that the virtualization is easily enabled so you can do Windows Phone development with the emulator. Something i couldn't do with an HP i had. The pen works great and can even be used with photoshop. Only 1 usb port so I made sure to get a bluetooth mouse. I got the Microsoft Sculpt Comfort Wireless Optical Mouse Black. Which is actually a realy awesome mouse for the windows 8 because it has a windows 8 type button on the side that you can customize.

Most people will complain about the battery life, however I have not found any issue with it. I use it daily for my work in IT and it lasts about the whole day for me. Total around 5+ hours if I conserve correctly. For anyone who needs the portability for their profession and still wants to be able to have some fun on the side (plays BF3 at 25-30 fps), this is a perfect match.

I did a lot of research before purchasing the Surface Pro 128. The size of the tablet, it's ease of use, bluetooth capability, USB port and compatible with my laptop applications were just a few of the reasons I selected the Surface Pro.

I've been using the IPAD for a couple of years and quite frankly did not think anything could compete with it's performance, ease of use, and quality. The only drawback was having the convenience of a working with business apps in a tablet setting. When I heard about Surface Pro I was bursting with anticipation and couldn't wait to try it. I was actually tempted on several occasions to purchase the Dell tablet with Windows 8 but held out. I'm glad I did. The Surface Pro is unbelievable. It's like working from my desktop or laptop. The performance is amazing. Wow, this is starting to sound like a Microsoft commercial. Let me take a step back. As pleased as I am with the Surface the apps leave a little to be desired, e.g. Nook doesn't have all the features I've grown accustomed to with my IPAD. The selection is limited but I'm sure the offerings will increase and the current apps will get better. For me though even if they don't, what I'm able to do with my Surface right now, as is, more that makes up for any inconveniences I've endured with the apps. I hope this helps. I'm not a big review guy.

It has been a little difficult trying to figure out how things work seeing as it only has the one button, besides the power and volume. I'm still learning but I love the screen quality and size. It is a little heavy. I wish it had a more permanent screen protector besides the optional keyboard attachment. It also seems to not hold a charge for very long.

Love this computer! Works great when I need to do more than just read/browse the internet. I own an Ipad as well, which no longer gets any use. When I travel for work, I no longer have to take a laptop along with my Ipad just in case I have a powerpoint/worksheet/word document to edit. And I can actually use a mouse when I need to, what a concept! Take a folder of documents with me for a business trip? No worries, I can use a thumb drive, again what a concept!