Microsoft Surface Pro 4
- Thread starter Ilya
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Well, it didn't take Microsoft too long! A new system update has arrived to my SP4 tonight. And it appears to address most of my issues! The background color is no longer changing in Edge and the battery life in Connected Standby seems to be improved!
After using my new Surface Pro 4 for almost 2 weeks, overall I am happy with it. But my feelings are somewhat mixed. If I compare it as a tablet to my iPad, iPad wins in usability, stability, battery life and of course in apps designed for that type of use. If I use it as a laptop and compare it to other laptops I had, I find traditional laptops easier to use, especially those with bigger screens. I guess I am just too used to having 15" screens and solid keyboards. But this doesn't matter if you use it with an external monitor of course.
However, for what it's intended for (a tablet that can be used as a laptop and that can run serious CPU and memory-intensive software), SP4 has no equals! Nothing comes even close! There are not too many 2-in-1's or even ultra-books that pack so much power in such a light and thin case. It's truly in a league of its own. For the time being at least. I have personally compared it to HP Spectre x360, for example, and to me, the SP4 is a clear winner. Both as a tablet and as a laptop too!
At the same time, this is the buggiest computer I ever had! I never had so many issues and crashes within the first 2 weeks of using! Microsoft has certainly rushed to release it ahead of the iPad Pro and also ahead of other Skylake-based systems. As a result the drivers are still too buggy! I find it ironic that a software company like Microsoft managed to nail the hardware design but to fail so miserably on the software side!
Of course, in this case, it's probably Intel's fault, more than Microsoft's. Most problems seem to be related to Intel's drivers. And from what I've read they are not unique to Surface: other Skylake-based systems seem to be having similar issues. A system update a few days ago has already addressed many of the problems, but not all. Some major issues still remain.
I am cautiously optimistic. I love the design and the quality of this device. And I am hopeful that the software bugs will be fixed soon. I really look forward to my next trip and hope I won't have to carry a laptop anymore. But the drivers need to be fixed ASAP, or it will be a no-go.
However, for what it's intended for (a tablet that can be used as a laptop and that can run serious CPU and memory-intensive software), SP4 has no equals! Nothing comes even close! There are not too many 2-in-1's or even ultra-books that pack so much power in such a light and thin case. It's truly in a league of its own. For the time being at least. I have personally compared it to HP Spectre x360, for example, and to me, the SP4 is a clear winner. Both as a tablet and as a laptop too!
At the same time, this is the buggiest computer I ever had! I never had so many issues and crashes within the first 2 weeks of using! Microsoft has certainly rushed to release it ahead of the iPad Pro and also ahead of other Skylake-based systems. As a result the drivers are still too buggy! I find it ironic that a software company like Microsoft managed to nail the hardware design but to fail so miserably on the software side!
Of course, in this case, it's probably Intel's fault, more than Microsoft's. Most problems seem to be related to Intel's drivers. And from what I've read they are not unique to Surface: other Skylake-based systems seem to be having similar issues. A system update a few days ago has already addressed many of the problems, but not all. Some major issues still remain.
I am cautiously optimistic. I love the design and the quality of this device. And I am hopeful that the software bugs will be fixed soon. I really look forward to my next trip and hope I won't have to carry a laptop anymore. But the drivers need to be fixed ASAP, or it will be a no-go.
Do not give up Ilya, the SP3 was extremely buggy when I first got it, it would lose the BT connections all the time, it would lose it keyboard all the time, etc. A few firmware upgrades later via windows update, it finally got to be reliable. I went from rebooting it a few times a day to never rebooting it to fix a problem.
Now I will say that the SP4 keyboard is a big improvement on my SP3, but it still does not equal a real laptop keyboard like Apple's. It is OK to use, and I do not think I will have to bring a full keyboard with me when I travel - it is good enough. I will probably still continue to bring a mouse.
Now I will say that the SP4 keyboard is a big improvement on my SP3, but it still does not equal a real laptop keyboard like Apple's. It is OK to use, and I do not think I will have to bring a full keyboard with me when I travel - it is good enough. I will probably still continue to bring a mouse.
I just returned from a 2-week trip where the SP4 was my only computer. This was a good road test. And it served me very well! After recent updates, the most serious glitches are gone, and those that still remain, I can live with. Some additional benefits on the airplane: because the SP4 is considered a tablet, I am not required to pull it out from the bag when passing security and I can use it during the take off and landing unlike any laptop! Nice!!!
