If anyone could recall what everybody's opinion was about Microsoft's Surface tablets last year, I would say they are now in for a sweet surprise. All the short comings which were reported to Microsoft have now been rectified in their latest offerings i.e. Surface 2 and Surface 2 Pro. Read on to find out what changes have been made to the new slates.
Both the offerings have an upgrade in almost every sense possible but the design obviously remains the same. You can't have 10.6" tablets shaped like smartphones right?. To kick start our review the Surface 2 is actually an upgrade rather than Apple repackaging its iPhones. So, the Surface 2 is the successor to the much less popular Surface RT tablets that were introduced last year which didn't quite grasp the attention Microsoft hoped for.
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But with Surface 2 nonethless, it may get some this time. The Surface 2 runs Windows 8.1 RT edition on a 10.6 inch 1920 x 1080 resolution screen and humming along is a Quad Core Nvidia Tegra 4 processor and Intel HD4400 to kick the graphics and 2Gb RAM(not quite sure about this one as most smartphones have now),a redesigned Kick-stand at the back that lets you have a 2 stage position where in you can place the device on a table top for more upright look or you can altogether place it in your lap in the 2nd stage so it stays according to your eye level. This is definitley appreciated as the Surface RT made me slouch whenever I placed it in my lap. Not to mention the chronic neck pains I had. So the second thing that you'll notice immediately when you hold the Surface 2, its ligther and thinner than the previous gen. But one thing is for sure its not Apple iPad-thin but does keep the thinness in perspective. The keyboard now that comes with it is backlit so searching for the keys in the dark wont be a problem. The sluggish USB 2.0 is now replaced with speedy USB 3.0 and the tablet has dual Dolby Digital speakers. But Surface 2 loses the "RT" moniker but OS retains which you means you have to download RT specific apps for the tablet to run. Finally Microsoft intends to sell it for $450 with 32GB and 200GB free Skydrive storage for one year as well free Wifi calling with Skype. You can pre-order it starting today i.e. 24th September.
The only thing that seperates Surface 2 Pro and Surface 2 externally is the inclusion of a pen with the former. Internally the Surface 2 Pro is actually a successor to the original Surface Pro from last year which had a full blown Windows 8. The Surface 2 Pro comes with an updated OS i.e Windows 8.1 pro and 4th Gen Intel Core i5 processor clocked it at 1.6Ghz maxing out at 2.6Ghz and Intel HD 4400 grahphics which combined with the latest Windows 8.1 brings you better battery life and 75% more performance. Yeah now that's and upgrade. The Surface 2 Pro offers the portability and flexbility of a tablet and power of a laptop whenever and wherever you need. Microsoft sells this for $899 with 64GB and 128GB along with 4gigs of RAM. You get 8gigs of RAM if you buy the 256GB or the 512GB versions which should be more than enough. Lastly it does feature the 2 stage kick stand at the back and Dual Dolby Digital speakers with USB 3.0. Oh and the tablets come with beautiful colors in the forms of covers. The pre-order starts today i.e 24th September. Signing off don't forget to comment below and don't go away before you watch the hands-on videos at the bottom.
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Author : Nadeem Ansari
Designation: Senior Editor
Bio: A gadget freak who can't make a day without his tiny little toys and is constantly trying to keep himself up to date with the latest events in tech history. Loves to read and write articles.
Bio: A gadget freak who can't make a day without his tiny little toys and is constantly trying to keep himself up to date with the latest events in tech history. Loves to read and write articles.
