Poor Microsoft: When you announce a pro-level tablet and promise that it is all about "no compromises," you should know that you're just setting yourself up for failure when the first reviews arrive.
MacRumors has compiled early reviews of Microsoft's new Surface with Windows 8 Pro, the company's high-end $899 and up tablet that runs a full, professional version of Windows 8 on an Intel processor instead of Windows RT under ARM.
While none of the reviewers outright hate the Surface with Windows 8 Pro, it's clear that Microsoft has indeed made plenty of compromises with the tablet, despite its initial launch claims to the contrary.
The Verge calls it "too big, too fat and too reliant on its power cable to be a competitive tablet," while Walt Mossberg over at AllThingsD remarked that the battery lasted a mere four hours -- three hours less than the Windows RT version, and less than half of Apple's iPad.
Gizmodo praised the Surface Pro's ability to launch apps "almost instantly" along with its impressive 1080p display, while TechCrunch warned that the optional $129 Type Cover and $119 Touch Cover should be considered "essential to the Surface Pro experience."
If these reviews haven't completely turned you off from buying one, Microsoft's Surface with Windows 8 Pro hits stores on Saturday, February 9 starting at $899 for a 64GB version, which AllThingsD notes will only net you 30GB of free space. Might want to spring for the 128GB version instead for $100 more…?
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b9bot1
February 06, 2013 at 9:30am
Get an iPad 128GB instead with really that much storage instead of less than half compared to the Surface Pro Zune. Twice the battery life and 700,000 apps that work now. Need a keyboard for $69 add a real bluetooth keyboard instead of that cover pad that costs over $100 and falls apart in less than a month.
Really, if you want a real tablet get a tablet. If you want a real laptop, then get a real laptop.
Apple was right, you can't do both and Microsoft just proved it with the Surface Pro Zune.
Soon to be a cancelled product like all of the Zune line of products.
