Microsoft Surface PRO 4 512GB I5 8GB TN2-00001

I was very hesitant to buy this. I have read a lot of reviews stating horrific issues with the Surface Pro 4. I have also been a long time apple fan and have become very accustomed to the apple methodology. For those of you worried about the bad reviews of glitches, I can report that I have had 0 issues with mine since purchasing. For those of you who are hesitant to switch from Apple to Windows, I would say it's worth it with a few caveats. First, I purchased this because I am an amateur photographer and like to do my edits wherever I am (I don't like having to sit in my office and work on my desktop). This device is incredibly portable and the touch screen is incredible for performing edits. I was torn between this, an iPad Pro, or a MacBook. After using the stylus on a photo edit, I found it along with touch interface to be a huge sell for me which the Surface performs perfectly. My only complaint is that it is VERY reflective and difficult to see in daylight. However, if you're buying this as a pure Laptop, to be honest, there are probably better deals out there for less money that aren't detachable. To be honest, if Apple made a detachable I probably would have bought it. OSX is just what I'm familiar with. However, I will say that Windows 10 is INCREDIBLE compared to the windows 7 machines I've used. The tiles are awesome (especially in tablet mode), and the start menu is vastly improved. However, this is a Windows machine, so it is glitchy compared to OSX. I'm not trying to make an "Apple is better than WIndows" statement here, just saying that my OSX desktop is far more stable. However, this is still a great machine with a great OS even with the occasional hiccup. Last, I would say that the marketing for this device is a little "off" in my opinion. This is not a "tablet" that can replace your laptop. Its a laptop that functions pretty well as a tablet. In tablet mode this does most things my iPad could and then some (Like still run full desktop apps, which is amazing). However, there are things a tablet does that this cannot. For instance, iPad's (and similar) can start playing music and then turn off while still playing music. There are ways to do this on a Surface as well, but its not as easy as just clicking the power button. If you're looking for a device that is an exact replacement for a tablet in all ways while still running desktop software, this isn't it (and frankly I'm not sure there is a solution to that currently). If, like me, you wanted to take your desktop software on the go and be able to use touch interface while also being able to utilize it as a tablet in a pinch, you'll be very happy with a Surface Pro 4. Since purchasing this I've gotten rid of my iPad all together (I was a HUGE iPad user at home). My only regret is losing the interconnectivity that Apple does so well with handoff. However, if you're an android user and have Pushbullet you wont miss a thing. Regardless of the occasional hiccup, this is a great machine and I would highly recommend it!

This is, by far, the best computer I've purchased in recent years. It's fast, light, beautiful, and it always garners wow's from onlookers. If you find yourself enjoying the Tablet profile, and touch interface, but wish you could do more with it... the Surface is here to deliver. It has become my primary device, for 90% of all my computing, and I have been thrilled with it. Pros: - Jaw dropping display. Among the most beautifully sharp and vibrant available. The touch is responsive and feels great. Honestly, it's a luxury experience. - Compact, light, and attractive. From the magnetic pen, to the perfect "kick-stand", to the smart cover, to the logo on the back, everything about this design looks and feels modern, convenient, and impressive. - Amazing pen. I have owned multiple Wacom tablets and I am an avid artist. The pen that comes with the Surface Pro is my favorite, by far. It took a little time to set it up with Krita and Photoshop... but now I'm cooking with gas, and the experience is second to none. The pen is just as amazing for writing and note taking as it is for painting or sketching. And with multiple tips available, you can get the exact feel you are after. Be that a #2 pencil, a ball-point pen, or a felt ink pen! - Convenient and powerful. I get at least 3-4 hours on the battery (beware power sucking apps), can use it in portrait (touch), widescreen (touch), or laptop (with cover and mouse), and switch seamlessly throughout the day. The Surface is always ready to be used the way I need it at the moment. My iPad has been almost completely shelved since I purchased this (and I did not purchase it to replace my current gen iPad!) While it's no gaming rig, I have yet to encounter and application that I would typically use (Photoshop, browsers, painting apps, video editing, and some indie games) that don't run fabulously. As an added bonus, I discovered that I can stream my Steam catalog from my gaming PC, when I'm on the same network, so I can play my high-end games in bed! How terrible for my health :). - Cortana, Windows 10, Gestures, oh my! If you take the time to learn and use all the conveniences in the Surface Pro, it is just astonishingly fun and efficient to use. From setting reminders with Cortana, having calls sent to your phone based on internet searches (on Edge), to making hand written notes on a website and sending it to a friend through chat or email, or having the computer unlock upon recognizing your face... there is so much here... reviewing the software would be a whole other article! Cons: - Occasionally, the screen will lock up. I thought this was the machine freezing at first, but it turns out it is the graphics driver failing to behave properly. There may be a permanent fix to this, but the workaround is just to turn off the screen and turn it back on again... so it's not really that inconvenient. This happens maybe once every couple of days for me (and I use this about 10 hours a day, I'd wager... since it's my primary work machine as well as personal.) - The smart cover does not work well in your lap. You're better off using the touch interface if you're going to lounge in bed, or on the couch. I know this review isn't for the cover, but I would guess MOST people plan to get the smart cover. - It would be great if the battery was a bit longer lasting. But when you realize how much of a complete system experience you are getting, the fact that it lasts as long as it does is honestly pretty impressive. - Browsers other than Microsoft Edge just aren't that great on the Surface. I use Google Chrome and MS Edge regularly. But I have tested Firefox, Vivaldi, Opera, and IE. MS Edge performs substantially faster (while it's a fast browsers to be sure, the disparity is not this grand on my other computers) and more importantly, it is the ONLY browser that capably handles Touch and Tablet-mode on the Surface. The others all have various problems, instability, or other inconveniences while dealing with the Surface's changing modes of display and input. - There's not a lot of space on this device. So be sure to lean on cloud storage, network storage, or a usb/Bluetooth storage device. Personally, I use the 1TB of storage provided my Microsoft's Office 365 (which is also amazing.) Conclusion: If you want a device that can fill many roles, capably, and conveniently... this is it. There's nothing else quite like it, and imho, it is the idea computing device for this particular consumer era. Taking me off my desktop and my iPad, and being the perfect companion for my Phone and cloud services, I've honestly never felt this close to zen with my computing situation! I would recommend this machine, especially, to artists, developers, and tablet enthusiasts. I'm an IT administrator, and I have not found this machine lacking in any aspect of my job (beware, network Admins: There is no Ethernet port.)

Worked great at first but after two days it ceased to function in almost every way. I really liked the thing although Windows 10 was not very intuitive for me, having come from Windows XP. The problem began on the third day when the touch screen failed to respond to any input, whether by finger or by stylus pen. I couldn't bring up the Windows screen at all and the Explorer icon was also dead. Oddly, I had installed Google Chrome and I could connect to the internet that way but I couldn't get any of the stock Windows icons to respond. The stylus pen had worked fine the day before but now seemed as dead as a wooden pencil. Also I don't think I was ever able to shut it off as the shutoff required me to slide it downward on the screen and it never would respond to my input so the battery was probably being drained even when it was not being used. Also, I was unable to complete the upgrade for Windows 10 after a half dozen attempts. None of the attempts ever resulted in a successful installation. The fact that it couldn't perform the very first task asked of it should have been a red flag. OK, any company can have an occasional lemon. However when I tried to get some kind of tech support or help line to solve my problem, Microsoft failed entirely. My call in requests for help, as suggested on their website, ended in in a dead end. I gave the robots all the pertinent data, serial #, etc. and then the robot said they couldn't do anything and to try again some other day. I also tried a tech chat line that they suggested but nothing ever happened with that as the link seemed to be dead. Then the help page suggested taking the useless hardware to a Microsoft Store that is near my home and someone could tell me what was wrong with my BRAND NEW COMPUTER. They listed a phone number to make an appointment with the store personnel to take a look at it. Turns out that number was not for the store at all but sent me back to robot hell where the same robots informed me they were useless and to try again sometime in the future and perhaps then they would be functional. Microsoft likely spent a lot of money on this merry-go-round of misinformation of a website which actually leads to NOWHERE. So at this point I have no choice but to send the broken tablet back to the factory and maybe they can decide if its really worth making computers that don't work when they have a total lack of tech support in place. IN BRIEF: Surface Pro 4 broke after 2 days Company provides zero tech support

It seems like the big question right now is, "Do I get the Surface Pro 4 or the Surface Book?" I'll explain why I chose the Surface Pro 4, but first, a quick about me. I am a college student majoring in EECS and I commute 4 hours a day by bus so having a light backpack is important to me. The S.Book is almost two times heavier than the SP4. It packs much more computing power than the SP4, but as an EECS major, I don't need the extra power that the S.Book has. I don't plan to play any intensive games or render/animate things so the SP4 fits my needs better. The S.Book also has a $400 higher price tag ($270 if you get the Type Cover for the SP4) that I'm not willing to pay for unneeded performance. I haven't tried the S.Book's keyboard, but the SP4's keyboard feels great to type on and other reviewers have said both keyboards are amazing. Reading textbooks or other PDF's feels much more natural with the SP4's tablet form. The S.Book without the keyboard only has a battery life of 3 hours, and although it can be used with the keyboard 'wrapped' around the back, I think that it'll only be a hassle for me to deal with. I'd rather not deal with having to detach the S.Book every time I want to use it in tablet mode. If you plan to render/animate things you should probably consider going with the Surface Book. Otherwise, I highly recommend the Surface Pro 4 for doing everyday/light to medium tasks. Now onto the actual Surface Pro 4 Review. I love the SP4. In the past year, I've owned an iPad Air, MacBook Pro, and the Razer Blade 2015. The SP4 fits my needs the best by far. The SP4 replaces both my textbooks and notebooks. For me, this is a big deal because I no longer have to carry around my notebooks, textbooks, and supplemental writing materials (highlighters, etc). The Surface Pen tips can be replaced with other pen tips to change the writing "feedback" feeling but the stock pen tip feels great. OneNote keeps all my notes organized and being able to access them from any device is incredibly convenient. Using the Surface Pen for writing on textbooks and PDF's is also very useful. I've been getting ~7-9 hours of battery life on the SP4 which is more than enough to get me through a school day. The screen is not too small like the iPad, neither is it bulky like a laptop. The screen resolution is high and text/videos are crisp and easy to read/watch. The magnet on the left side of the SP4 is surprising strong and holds the Surface Pen well. The magnet on the right side is significantly weaker (maybe because all the I/O ports are on this side) but it can hold the pen well. The kickstand works perfectly and stays in the position I set it to. The SP4 Type Cover feels great and protects your screen when you aren't using it. Gaming shouldn't be the main reason you buy the SP4, but it could run some games if you decide to do so. I did try running StarCraft II and Heroes of the Storm and the SP4 handled it pretty well. I wouldn't even bother trying to run more demanding games such as GTAV on the SP4. That being said, the gaming experience was rather unpleasant. You should consider the Surface Book if you plan to game on-the-go frequently. Software-wise, I don't have much to comment on. It looks and performs exactly like Windows 10 should on a normal desktop or laptop. I've never used the Microsoft Store and don't intend to so I don't know much about the apps that are available on the SP4. The only con I found with this device is the fact that it only has a single USB port. It's inconvenient when I'm using the SP4 with a mouse and I need to use my flash drive. I haven't had any overheating issues and I can't find any issues with the build quality. In closing, I don't think anyone else offers the performance and quality that the Surface Pro 4 has in the same lightweight and thin chassis. It is incredibly versatile and it has replaced many heavy and cumbersome objects in my bag. I'll update this review as I continue to use the SP4. Feel free to leave questions/comments and I will try my best to answer them.

Update 12/4/2015 Two major things have changed since I wrote my original review. First, Microsoft has kept the updates coming. The stability issues are much improved: it no longer crashes frequently when surfing the internet. The stability of Edge is much improved, too, both on and off the SP4. I'm still using Chrome as my go-to browser, but the gap between the two is significantly narrower. The first thing you do, still, after opening the box is running updates. It's still not 100% of where it could be, but it's a lot closer. Second, I started to experience some additional issues with my touchscreen. When interacting with the screen, it would register touches up at the top of the screen (or the side, if I was using it in portrait mode). The Pen started cutting out intermittently when drawing. Given my previous experiences with Microsoft's phone and online help, I decided to take it to my nearby Microsoft store. They diagnosed a faulty screen and, right there, swapped my unit out for a new one. So far, none of the screen-based issues I was having have manifested. Let me give the Microsoft Store a shout out--every one I have been to has had great staff. Kudos. Original Review, Mid-November (Three Stars) Usually a three star review represents an average product. This three star review represents half of a five-star product and half of a one-star product. At the moment, I feel like I have Schrodinger's Surface: either it's going to be my primary computer for a few years, or I'm going to return it and curse Microsoft's name. It all depends on whether, and how quickly, Microsoft fixes the various bugs that are currently part of the Surface Pro 4 experience. First, the positives: If you've played with the Surface Pro 3, you know that you can fry an egg on it after 15 minutes of use. The Surface Pro 4 has fixed this, which means it's actually viable as a tablet for an extended time. The touch screen is very responsive. This is my first touch screen computer, and I'm surprised how often I find myself reaching up and scrolling instead of using the keyboard's trackpad. The pen is great. It took me about a day to get used to writing with it (my notes during the first day are irredeemable), but since then I haven't picked up my paper notebook. The pen shines best in OneNote, PDF annotation (SP4 comes with an amazing app, Drawboard PDF) and the art apps (SP4 comes with FreshPaint, which is a joy). The pen is also useful in other apps too: I use it to select text in the browser and in documents, and to extend calculations in Excel. The screen looks great. Windows 10 is a great step forward. OneNote is just really cool. The keyboard is amazing. Next, the negatives: As shipped, your battery will drain while the computer is asleep, even quicker than when it's awake. You can fix this by updating your battery driver, but it's a problem out of box. Browsing certain sites causes the computer serious problems. The screen will flash various colors, and eventually blink out with an error message. Occasionally, it will force the computer to restart. Edge, the Internet Explorer replacement, while buggy itself (it refuses to load about one in every three sites), is a lot worse on the Surface, for some reason. I expected Microsoft hardware to play nice with Microsoft software, but that hasn't been my experience so far. I'm so used to on-screen keyboards reading my mind and appearing whenever I need to type. Surface (or perhaps Windows 10) has a long way to go in that department. When I first started using the Surface, it would crash nearly every time the screen rotated. This was fixed by an update. The Surface's screen resolution presents problems with a lot of non-Microsoft Products, and buttons will show up tiny. The Surface doesn't seem like to attach programs to the very top of the screen--locking a program to the top leaves a centimeter or so of the desktop at the top, even for Office Products. The microphone seems to occasionally, and randomly, fail. The camera didn't work out of box either--you have to update in the Windows Store. Microsoft support. My pen's eraser cursor no longer registers, and I've tried three separate times to troubleshoot it using Microsoft's online support team. The first time, I think the guy used my question to go on break, and after 20 minutes he had done little more than verify my account. The last person had me go through all the troubleshooting steps, then once that didn't work, claimed that he scheduled a call with the resolutions team. The call never came. At this point, I prefer a broken product over working with the support team. Overall, it is a great piece of hardware. Windows 10 is a huge step forward and the Office Suite is unparalleled for productivity, especially with OneNote. The hardware and software don't work together. With all the bugs, you will have to spend quite a bit of time just keeping your Surface in working condition. If you don't mind doing that, you will eventually have a great computer and a very good tablet. Just don't get it for your tech-novice relative.

It's an excellent laptop/tablet. Built quality is good, weight distribution is good as well. The tablet feels comfortable for an extended period of time. Fortunately, i didn't encounter the numerous problems that so many other owners reported. As soon as I got the surface, I updated all the software as many suggested. I did see the screen flicker once or twice before the update, but afterward the problem did not reemerge. The pen is quite responsive, though the OS still has some glitches that needs to be fixed. The reason I can't give it a perfect 5 star rating is because the surface has battery issue. I can only get 4 hours a day while browsing and reading some articles. I left the surface off overnight, and the next day, I lost 20%. It just doesn't make any sense right? Windows Hello is a nice feature, but I also noticed that it drains lots of battery as well. Not a good idea, as the tablet already suffers in terms of battery performance. The whole point buying a surface is the portability, but if you have to continue to plug in your device after 2-3 hours than I think beats the whole purpose using a tablet. Microsoft is indeed onto something great. That being said, I don't think they should release a premium product that still has so many glitches. I feel like a guinea pig. Not the best way treating your premium customers right? I will revisit this review once Microsoft resolves the battery issues.

I wasn't sure about ordering it with the issues it had early on, but as soon as I heard in February that a software update was able to fix the battery life issues and the graphics issues were fixed, I got it. I've had no issues at all with it in the 4 months I've owned it, except that the cursor disappears in Google Chrome for some reason, so I have to use the stylus instead. Also, the cursor is still there(but invisible if not using trackpad), so if the last place you tapped is over a mouse-over item(like many menus on websites), it'll activate those menus, especially if you tapped on the menu before. This is likely the case with all Windows touchscreen devices, and maybe there's a setting or program I'm unaware of that'll fix that. If you know of a fix, let me know. I've left the tablet in my bag for days before, and still had loads of battery life(earlier users weren't so lucky). I haven't measured the battery life, but I've definitely gotten over 3 hours of use on one charge, maybe even 4. Photoshop opens in just a few seconds, thanks to the solid state drive. I don't consider Photoshop very touch-friendly, but a wireless keyboard fixes that issue. You could use Microsoft's snap-on keyboard, but the keyboard's not very handy if you want to use it as a tablet. In fact, if you prefer to use it as a laptop, I'd recommend the Surface Book if you can afford it. The kickstand on this model simply doesn't work well on a lap. It's okay, but not as comfortable as an actual laptop. If you plan on using a program that requires a middle mouse button, such as Blender(3D modeling program), you'll need a separate mouse. Microsoft's keyboard simply doesn't have a middle-click option. This tablet is great for drawing, although there's a tiny bit of lag in Photoshop(haven't tried other programs yet), and diagonal lines are a little jagged, even if you put a ruler against the screen. I'd still take it over a Cintiq, as the portability is definitely worth it for me. I've heard that some programs have line smoothing that can fix the jagged diagonal lines. The lag is very likely just from Photoshop. I definitely need to try other drawing programs to be sure. This tablet is also very lightweight. It's comfortable to hold while drawing. It's thicker than any Apple or Android tablet, but the thickness tradeoff is negligible for the power you get. It's also small enough that my laptop bag actually held this and a 17" laptop at the same time. I always put this in the inner pocket because it's so small. It's thinner than a Macbook Air's thickest side, and is lighter. Yet, it's also more powerful than a Macbook Air(as of June 2016, might be different in September or October).

i originally had great experience with this, nothing wrong, other then a little speck that i believe is a piece of dust trapped behind the screen and lcds which wouldve happened when it was factory made, so it wasnt kanga supplys fault on that one. About a week into using this the pen broke on me, the back eraser button would no longer work, so i couldnt pair it or anything. I called them and a lady picked up, she sent me a knock off pen that wasnt magnetic, and didnt have a back button eraser feature, so i emailed them. Joel responded and helped me work through all this, i shipped the knockoff pen back and he sent me a brand new (newer model) pen with 2 day shipping, and it works amazingly, very happy with this product although it had some troubles at first, the customer service is fantastic, very quick responses with emails, and thanks to joel i can do my homework and work on my business flawlessly. I love this surface pro it works great, runs very smoothly, gets a bit warm but thats okay, and i love the face recognition. Great buy.