Marketing is important to a product's positioning, what products it will compete against and how it's perceived independently and in relation to other products in a category.

Microsoft's Surface Pro was a unique device that was designed to showcase Windows 8, an OS meant to transition seamlessly between the touch-friendly mobility of tablets and the productivity context of laptops. Conceived during a time, per Surface creator Panos Panay when tablets were predicted to replace laptops, Surface was intentionally designed to meet that shift while retaining the productivity forte' of Windows on a laptop form factor.

Putting the full power the PC into a tablet form factor was, therefore, the springboard of the Surface journey.

Surface Pro

In 2012 former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer introduced Surface Pro, the tablet that can replace your laptop (which came to market in early 2013). Ballmer's walking around stage with the keyboardless Surface (touch and type covers were introduced later in the presentation) was an interesting visual that hammered home the tablet positioning of this device.

The focus on leisure activities, Store apps and the kickstand which allowed comfortable media consumption were highlighted before the introduction of the keyboard which allowed the more familiar Windows productivity scenarios.

It's important to remember that in 2012 Windows tablets were woefully absent from a popular slate tablet space dominated by iPads and Android tablets. Microsoft's Surface and Continuum-enabled context-conforming Windows UI was Microsoft's way of bringing a Windows tablet category to market buttressed by the strength of its desktop legacy.

Surface Pro 2

Surface Pro 2 began an interesting trend in Surfaces evolution and the language used to define it. Though Panay presented the Pro 2 as the most powerful professional tablet, the context and the language he used to qualify these claims reveal how Microsoft was really positioning this tablet.

His reference (above video) to how this tablet was faster than 95 percent of the laptops in the market (at the time), and highlighting the revised kickstand for better lap use reveal the product category Microsoft was really targeting with Surface. He referred to the device as a full PC and referenced transforming that word (PC) and putting it into a tablet form factor.

This PC positioning was hammered home when Panay introduced the Surface Docking Station which allowed the Pro 2 to power up to two screens in a desktop scenario and handled raw image/video processing from one of the movie industries most advanced cameras.

Surface Pro 3

Though the first two Surface iterations lost Microsoft $1 billion the company plowed forward. CEO Satya Nadella shared that the company wanted to design a device that takes the best of a tablet and laptop and enables individuals to both consume and create in various scenarios from literature, art and even movies. He qualified the Surface Pro 3 as a major step toward that goal.

Panay expressed that the company was, at this time, at a crossroads because when consumers went to make a purchase, there was a conflict as to whether they should get a tablet or laptop. "What is it that you want to do?", the question sales clerks ask, Panay shared was the context for Microsoft's Surface strategy.

Ultimately people have both a tablet and laptop in their bags and phone in their pocket he acknowledged. He also highlighted that 96 percent of the journalists at the Surface Pro 3 event were using laptops, and not tablets, which were predicted years earlier as laptop replacements. It is upon this reality that the Surface marketing continued to evolve from a tablet to laptop positioning.

Panay stressed the early "click and do more" motto which differed from the primary consumption use of tablets. He also stressed how the 12-inch display of the Surface Pro 3 showed six percent more content than that 13-inch MacBook due to its 3:2 aspect ratio. He also bragged about the PC power in this thin tablet form factor. And to drive his point home, he put an iPad and MacBook on one side of a scale and the Surface Pro 3 on the other to demonstrate how it was lighter than the laptop and tablet it was positioned to replace. From Microsoft's perspective Surface Pro 3 was a turning point that began resolving the conflict PC and tablet consumers have.

How the Surface changed Microsoft forever

Surface Pro 4 and Surface Pro 2017

During the Surface Pro 4's introduction, Panay consistently compared it to a Macbook. In fact, he stated that he wouldn't compare it to any tablet because there was no tablet in its class. So though Microsoft still pushed the "the tablet that can replace your laptop" tagline with the Pro 4, it's clear the company had long been targeting, and was settling on, laptop users as the Surface's audience.

Part of this laptop positioning was doubtless a play to the company's strengths. Though Surface's tablet design is both efficient and premium, the software ecosystem for consumption activity on Windows falls short compared to iOS and Android. Second, over the years, the slate tablet form factor has dropped in popularity as the market favors 2-in-1s. Thus, by the fifth iteration of Surface Pro, the combination of the state of the tablet industry and Microsoft's own strengths positions the company to, without reservation, bring the Surface's laptop focus to the forefront.

Thus, Surface Pro 2017 with its 165-degree hinge and Surface Studio-inspired Studio mode, LTE for improved mobility, more advanced camera and microphones for Skype communication, detachable tablet mode and more, make this Surface, at least from Microsoft's perspective, the most versatile laptop.

See at Microsoft

Is it really laptop?

Our own Senior Editor Zac Bowden contends with this designation. Though I'm not completely sold on its accuracy, Microsoft has progressively positioned Surface Pro more as a laptop than tablet.

And though it is not a "laptop" in the traditional sense, particularly with the keyboard sold separately as Bowden points out, perhaps its category-defining nature and "most versatile" designation makes allowances for this "non-traditional" laptop packaging. Perhaps. What do you think?

Related reading

Surface Pro 2017 Review

Before I joined Windows Central, I worked as an I.T. coordinator for an umbrella organization, providing tech support and deployment to various types of businesses. I've been through a ton of computing hardware during my time there, on the budget side, to the mid-range, all the way up to high-end. I keep coming back to Surface.

The benefits of Surface, for me, extend beyond their versatility. Microsoft created Surface to give OEMs a bit of direction in an age where Apple laptops are considered the pinnacle of premium. It took a long time to get to this point, but in 2016, I think that Surface finally represents how the best Windows hardware experiences should feel.

Surface RT

The ill-fated Surface RT failed to light the world on fire, but in my book, it offered the promise of a future where Windows would be truly device agnostic. And now, it feels very much like we're nearly there.

The Surface RT ran an ARM-based version of Windows 8, making it virtually impossible to run traditional, Win32 .exe programs. My old gaming PC had died on me and at least in the interim, all I needed was a browser, some apps and perhaps word processing, having moved my gaming to Xbox.

Windows 8 was controversial for its touch-based leanings, but on a device like the Surface RT, it was damn near-perfect. Even Apple is attempting to emulate some of RT's most intuitive aspects in their suspiciously familiar iPad Pro.

The Surface RT was lightweight and had decent battery life, solid build quality, and incredible value. My company was purchasing them from Microsoft at £99 ($142) through an educational discount. They even included the intriguing, but cumbersome fabric-based touch cover – which lacked physical keys.

It's pretty standard now, but we ran one of the first schools in my town that were able to turn any classroom into a computer suite, utilizing a portable cabinet of Surface RTs. Ironically, that school now uses Chromebooks for the same purpose. Microsoft stopped offering the cheap first-generation Surface RT, and the RT-based Surface 2 was far more expensive than an equivalent Chromebooks. Still, students and faculty lamented the Windows RT, finding it to be more familiar – even in its unpopular Windows 8 incarnation.

The Surface RT struggled with its identity as an "iPad with a keyboard", lacking quality apps. Microsoft paid for it with a near billion-dollar write-down of unsold Surface RT inventory. Even though the Surface RT failed to ignite the brand, one of my previous company's subsidiary bosses still runs his entire business from one, using an external display and Office 365. It still works as new. Perhaps more companies would have picked up Surface RT were it not for some of its confusing and ill-advised marketing…

Windows on ARM processors lives on as Windows 10 Mobile, delivering unique experiences like Continuum on devices up to nine inches. Hardware like the upcoming HP Elite X3 phone, with its Continuum dock, would likely be an incredible Surface RT replacement for my former colleague. It remains to be seen whether businesses will be deterred by the price, however.

As much as I liked my RT, I had decided it was time to buy something to replace my desktop PC. Thankfully, Microsoft had just released the Surface Pro 2.

Surface Pro 2

All Surface Pro devices run the full version of Windows on Intel processors, which is a fact I still find myself explaining to people. I skipped the first Surface Pro, sticking it out with the Surface RT. When the Pro 2 was announced I found myself unable to resist as it improved heavily on the Pro 1's notoriously poor battery life.

The Surface Pro 2 was chunky, far more than the RT, and far more than you'd want from a tablet experience. Overall, the Pro 2 was still tidier than many laptops of similar specs. I rarely used the Pro 2 in tablet mode in a recreational setting, but found the form factor, coupled with the pen inputs and OneNote, really enhanced my workflow productivity. I was now able to follow teachers around one of the school's I provided support to, writing out their I.T. problems into OneNote while standing, rather than trying to remember every detail, every serial number, etcetera. Of course, it was entirely possible to do this with my Lumia 920 as well, but being able to take photographs of faulty hardware and annotate them felt a little more natural on the larger tablet screen. Windows Phone 8 didn't even have Word Flow swipe typing back then either.

It was around this time I began producing content as a blogger. Thanks to the Surface Pro 2 running full Windows, I was able to design and build a site using Adobe Suite, something that proved difficult on the Windows 8 Store-bound RT. The Pro 2 was even capable of running older games fairly competently, such as World of Warcraft and The Witcher 1, making it a decent gaming travel companion (or procrastination tool while at work, ahem).

As great as the Pro 2 was, it was still a little too clunky. The "tablet that can replace your laptop" tagline didn't hold up. Using the tablet on the sofa or in bed wasn't a particularly pleasant experience due to its weight, and the flat type cover and kickstand made it hard to use in your lap. These issues were compounded by the Windows 8.1 app store. At the time, Windows Phone had a much better app experience for leisurely computing.

Even if I was desk-bound, I found myself eagerly working around the Pro 2's problems, simply because its versatility and uniqueness was just so fun. It was an excellent device for productivity, albeit inelegant. It was fast, intuitive with touch, and I found myself using the pen inputs far more often than expected. I'm not much of an artist, but it inspired me to try and learn.

The Surface Pro line laid bare Microsoft's ambitions for an adaptable Windows, with apps capable of conforming to multiple types of displays simply by examining the screen dimensions and available input methods. I expected Windows 10 on a Surface Pro 3 to nail the proposition of power and mobility, but after a year of heavy use, I think it slightly missed the mark.

Surface Pro 3

I traded up my Pro 2 with an Intel Core i5 processor to a Surface Pro 3 packing a Core i7, and initially, I was thoroughly blown away.

The Surface Pro 3 tablet portion was thinner and lighter, making it far more usable away from the desk. The kickstand ditched the fixed positions of its predecessors and was now omni-positional — never faltering after a year of pretty serious abuse. My favorite addition was the new screen size. The Pro 2 featured a 10.6-inch display, which was not particularly comfortable on the eyes. The Pro 3 bumped it all the way up to 12.1 inches, with a higher resolution for good measure.

On the face of it, the Surface Pro 3 made a compelling argument for the 2-in-1, and saw the brand begin to hit some serious traction. More and more apps were utilizing some of Windows' and Windows Phone's unique features as well, such as cloud-based authentication and settings migration, making the ecosystem experience even better.

After the initial buzz had worn off, it became apparent that the Surface Pro 3 still wasn't capable of fully replacing a similarly-priced laptop for tasks that utilize the full capacity of its hardware. Many Surface Pro 3 owners are likely aware of the system's dreaded throttling, which sees the CPU pull back the speed to prevent overheating. Even basic tasks like browsing the web often induced processor throttling on my Pro 3. While the problem got better over time with updates, overheating seemed to be a physical consequence of squeezing so much powerful hardware into such a small device.

I tried to circumvent this issue by using an external fan; it helped to a degree, particularly when attempting to game or use Adobe Premier for video editing, but it was quite clear that I'd pushed the Pro 3 to its limits.

Still, I have to praise the Pro 3. I used it all day, every day, from the point of purchase until the day I got my Surface Book. It didn't crash on me once, never blue screened, and it survived some serious blows in the course of my worldly travels. If it weren't for the processor overheating issues, I'd probably still be using it today.

I had the choice of upgrading to a Surface Pro 4, with its superior cooling, or something even more powerful. As I was using my Surface Pro 3 more and more intensively, I eventually decided to upgrade to something with a dedicated GPU.

Surface Book

After reading about some of the troubles some reviewers had with the launch Surface Book, I was initially dissuaded. I had read horror stories about the Surface Book's unique mechanical locking mechanism for its detachable keyboard base getting stuck. I had seen accounts of numerous BSOD errors, issues with Microsoft's biometric authentication – Windows Hello – and various other problems. For a £2200 device, that seemed a little too much of a risk.

Initially, I purchased a Dell XPS 15, which is not only significantly cheaper but also packs more powerful internals. The Dell XPS 15 is an incredible machine, with its futuristically slim bezel, gorgeous 4K display, and pervasively impressive craftsmanship. As great as the XPS 15 was overall, I'd become accustomed to polished software. My unit suffered from a bunch of minor software and driver issues that I was unable to fix, despite spending days trawling forums, support pages and the Dell subreddit. While the bugs I had were by no means universal (as Windows Central XPS owners like Daniel Rubino, Richard Devine and Matt Brown will attest), it wasn't the software problems that highlighted what I missed about Surface.

I missed the physical versatility, I missed the polished experience, I missed the fun. In an age of PC market saturation, I just find the idea of a standard clamshell laptop to be a little dull.

My edition of XPS 15 had a touch screen – but why? You can't detach the screen, and it's far easier to defer to your trackpad rather than reach across the keyboard and get fingerprints all over that gorgeous display.

There's no bloatware or third-party solutions out of the box on Surface either. Just pure, uncontaminated Windows. Even if I didn't use tablet mode on a daily basis, it was something I sorely missed in the XPS 15. Even if I'd only used my Pro 3 Surface pen twice a week, it was an excellent, powerful and fun addition to the overall package, especially when coupled with drawing apps like Sketchable, and note taking apps like OneNote.

My Surface Book experience hasn't been without blips, and many of those early reviews for the Surface Book told a similar story. The first unit I purchased had a faulty battery and wouldn't charge. Thankfully, the Microsoft Store was swift in replacing it (thanks Ellen Z). The unit I'm using now is not only completely flawless, but after a couple of months of heavy use, I'm pretty convinced that the Surface Book is the best device I've ever owned.

With the pen magnetically attached to the Surface Book screen, I find myself reaching to use it far more often than I did previously. No longer do I have to keep track of the pen's whereabouts, or rely on flimsy adhesive pen loops. The tablet portion is incredibly light as well, despite its larger screen, aligning it closely with the way I used my undocked Pro 2 and 3 in a productivity context. I haven't had any issues detaching it from the base either, which you trigger by holding down a dedicated key, resulting in a reassuring click.

The Surface Book's design and build quality are on another level. The base is so thin that it almost fades into the desk. The display, while not as vivid as the XPS 15, doesn't seem to suffer as badly from ghosting (which, again, might've been the result of a faulty unit). The Surface Book's unique fulcrum hinge is surprisingly resistant and strangely satisfying as it curls. I would've liked to have seen the hinge be a little more generous with its available angles, but the current implementation hasn't caused me any major gripes.

Thanks to that hinge, you can detach the screen, flip it backwards, and reattach and close the whole unit, giving you a slightly angled drawing tablet or note taking station. The upcoming Windows Ink feature will enhance the Surface Book's digital inking even more.

Perhaps, most crucially for me, it doesn't overheat. Editing 4K video and even running optimized modern PC games (albeit on low-to-medium settings) is entirely viable on the Surface Book's modified 940M-range Nvidia GPU, and it doesn't get too noisy with the fans get going. Unlike my Pro 3, I couldn't extend the Surface Book's versatility to frying an egg.

For £2200, I would've liked to have seen a more powerful GPU perhaps at the very least, though. I also find myself missing the kickstand sometimes on the tablet portion. It's a pretty nifty feature if you just wanted to watch a movie while traveling or when cooking in the kitchen. Sometimes you just don't need the keyboard, but still need to prop up the screen.

I'm still getting to grips with the Surface Book's full capabilities, but at this point, Microsoft has pretty much proven Surface to be a leading computing solution. The Surface line has shifted existing paradigms, taking leadership from companies that have been doing PC and tablet hardware for decades. You have to wonder if the Surface team can extend that success to mobile.

Surface Phone

The Surface line has always been about challenging existing form factors. Rather than go head to head with the iPad, Microsoft asked the question "is this all that a tablet should be?"

Microsoft's Surface division is another billion-dollar business in the company's portfolio, and the team kick-started a wave of Windows hardware excitement. They did this by deconstructing what a PC should be, in addition to shining a spotlight on quality and detail. I find the biggest endorsement of Surface to be the iPad Pro, which does little to hide its inspirations.

It's all about personal preference, but I always found it humorous when I saw clients carrying tablets, laptops and phones around with them to business meetings. Microsoft will most likely try to further streamline those paradigm dilemmas with its Surface Phone, expected to land sometime next year. It's long been rumored, and it simply cannot be a standard rectangular phone with a touch screen.

Until then, what is it you lovely people would like to see in a Surface Phone? Are you a Surface user? Let us know in the comments or say hi to me on Twitter!

See at the Microsoft Store

Owners of the Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2 tablets have apparently not been forgotten by Microsoft. Both devices have new firmware updates that were quietly rolled out this week,

Here's what is included in the Surface Pro firmware update:

• Surface Pro System Aggregator Firmware update (v2.84.450.0) eliminates instances where the device wakes randomly.
• Surface Cover Audio driver update (v1.0.360.0) improves system stability when detaching the cover

Surface Pro 2 owners can download these updates:

• Surface Pro System Aggregator Firmware update (v2.4.450.0) eliminates instances where the device wakes randomly.
• Surface Cover Audio driver update (v2.0.306.0) improves system stability when detaching the cover.
• Microsoft Surface ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery driver update (v1.2.0.2) ensures correct surface driver is installed.
• Intel HD Graphics Family driver update (v20.19.15.4331) improves color calibration and system stability.
• Intel Display Audio driver update (v6.16.00.3189) supports compatibility with the updated HD Graphics Family driver

Thanks to averes for the tip!

Source: Microsoft

There was quite the humorous dig at Microsoft during a recent NFL game between New England Patriots and Denver Broncos, which left the former team with little to no play information due to their Surface tablets ceasing to function as expected. While many attributed the issues with Microsoft's tablets themselves, it was later confirmed to be down to network trouble.

As covered by The Guardian:

Unfortunately for the New England Patriots squad, Surfaces deployed by Denver Broncos continued to work throughout the match, enabling them to take full advantage of processing power and win the game. Microsoft later fired out a statement to clear up any confusion surrounding exactly what went wrong:

So do calm down, Apple fans. If it were indeed down to networking problems, we doubt the iPad would have fared much better, but it's still a massive blow to Microsoft and its costly product placement.

Source: The Guardian

As previously announced, Microsoft has begun a voluntary recall of some of the power cords that were included with Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2 and Surface Pro 3 tablets. The recall affects those tablet owners who bought them before March 15, 2015, in the U.S. and Canada and before July 15, 2015, in other markets.

Microsoft stated the reason for the recall:

Again, this recall does not affect owners of the non-Pro Surface tablets, nor the recently released Surface Pro 4. It also is just for the power cord, and not for the power supply brick.

Sign up for your free Surface Pro power cord replacement

Source: Microsoft

Microsoft is going to be issuing a voluntary recall later this week for some of the AC power chargers that were included in some Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2 and Surface Pro 3 tablets. The recall is due to a possible fire hazard for those cords.

Channelnomics Europe reports that the recall will affect all Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2 and Surface Pro 3 tablets in Europe sold before July 15, 2015. It says Microsoft will officially announce the recall plans on Friday, January 22:

ZDNet received a statement from a Microsoft spokesperson who said:

The spokesperson added the recall will be for those tablets that were sold in the US before March 2015. The recall will not affect owners of the non-Pro Surface tablets, nor the more recently-released Surface Pro 4 model.

Source: ZDNet, Channelnomics Europe

During its Windows 10 Devices event in New York City last October 6th, Microsoft announced the Surface Pro 4, the next generation of the ultimate tablet that can replace your laptop. This is the latest version of the most popular device built by the software giant that brings many improvements over the Surface Pro 3, and even more over the Surface Pro 2. Are you thinking of updating your tablet to the much-improved Surface Pro 4?

Making a choice can be somewhat difficult when you have many different options and price points to choose from. Adding to the mix that you probably already own a Surface tablet, it can make the decision a little more complicated. As such, today, we are taking a closer look at the new improvements and benefits of the new Surface Pro 4 to try to figure out if it's worth the upgrade for Surface Pro 2 or Surface Pro 3 owners.

Surface Pro 4 is the result of three prior generations that helped shape the best Windows tablet you can get today. The fourth generation of the tablet is faster, lighter, and thinner than any of its predecessors. Statically, there have not been a lot of significant changes since Surface Pro 3, as both devices look very similar. They both come with a silver body, they both come with the same available ports, such as USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, power connector, and the same microSD card reader to expand storage even further, and the same full friction hinge design for the kickstand.

Also, both devices have exactly the same dimensions (height and width), but Surface Pro 4 features a 12.3-inch PixelSense display with a resolution of 2736 x 1824 pixels (267 pixels per inch). This is 60 percent more pixels, and it translates into over 5 million pixels, which the company describes as one of the best display ever shipped on a Surface. Microsoft was able to accomplish this by reducing the bezel by 0.3-inch that allows to fit an even bigger screen in the same form factor, without compromising its original and elegant design.

The advantage of being the same size also helps with compatibility, as Surface Pro 3 customers can save some money by using the same Type Cover, dock station, and power port, which technically could make the upgrade a bit cheaper.

Besides the new display, the Surface Pro 4 comes with many improvements and refinements. The new tablet, features Intel's latest 6th generation processors, including the options of Core M3, Core i5, and Core i7 that offers boost on performance and battery life, helps to generate less heat, and offers large improvements on graphics.

Overall, Surface Pro 4 is 30 percent faster than Surface Pro 3.

The Surface Pro 4 running the new Intel Skylake Core i7 processor is the fastest and more productive tablet you can purchase. This model has a lot of power aimed for demanding professionals working with video editing, 3D modeling, and performance-intensive applications, including a great experience on PC gaming.

The Core i5 model is aimed for those people who need the productivity of a great laptop, they like to play PC games that wouldn't run optimally on the lower-end model, and they can't spend a lot of money.

There is even a Surface Pro 4 without fans that features Intel's Core m3 processor, which the company says that will run with the same performance as a laptop on the same category and with great battery life thanks to the low power processor. However, this is the model that replaces the previous Core i3 model, and it's aimed to be a consumption device, more than it's a productivity device.

Surface Pro 4 also doubles the RAM on its different configuration options of up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of internal storage, which were some of the most requested features by customers.

Should you upgrade your Surface Pro 3 to the new Surface Pro 4?

After looking at some of the improvements, the Surface Pro 4 is a great upgrade. Now, you are getting more powerful processors, more memory, more storage, larger and better screen on a package that is 8.4mm thick, down from the 9.1mm thick from the previous version.

However, Surface Pro 3 is still a great device. The hardware inside of this tablet continues to be very good, and battery life still in the same 9 hours range. In addition, the older generation of the tablet can also take some of the benefits available in the new tablet.

For example, Surface Pro 4 comes with the necessary hardware to enable Windows Hello, which is the new security feature in Windows 10 that allows users to sign into their accounts using only their face, ditching passwords once for all. Surface Pro 3 doesn't include this capability, but purchasing the new Type Cover with fingerprint reader (which by the way, it includes a 40 percent larger trackpad and resigned keyboard) that allows users to take advantage of Windows Hello as well.

If you like the new Microsoft Surface Dock, you can also get it for your Surface Pro 3, as both devices, including the Surface Book, support the new dock through the power connector. Though, pixel support output is greatly improved on the Surface Pro 4 and the Book.

The new improved Surface Pen is also compatible with Surface Pro 3. The Pen features interchangeable tips, tail eraser, and 1,024 points of pressure sensitivity instead of 256 on the previous model. However, only the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book support the increased points of sensitivity.

As you can see, Microsoft isn't forgetting Surface Pro 3 owners, and it seems we will continue to see the tablet for a while longer. Furthermore, the tablet runs Windows 10 perfectly, and the performance is still outstanding.

So, should you upgrade your Surface Pro 3 to Surface Pro 4? Well, the answer depends on many factors. If you're a Surface fan, and you can spend the money, the Surface Pro 4 is a great upgrade, and you'll even be able to use your same accessories, which can help you save some money.

If you're a professional with a lot of demand for performance, work with a large amount of data, and need to connect to more than one 4K monitor, you may be able to take advantage of the new configurations with more memory and storage that the Surface Pro 4 offers.

If you fall into the category of heavy users, heat might have been a problem with Surface Pro 3. The new models of the refreshed tablet running Intel's Core i5 and Core i7 really improve on the heat dissipation with a new "hybrid cooling" system. It uses liquid inside of the cooling pipes to dissipate heat more efficiently, making the device run cooler, quieter, perform better, and extends the lifespan of the components. As such, if you have been using a Surface and overheating was an issue for you, then the new upgrade might just be what you have been waiting for.

If you can get the work done with the current performance of the tablet, you will probably OK with what you have now. Though, you could upgrade to the new accessories, and in the future, if your tablet dies, you can purchase a Surface Pro 4 knowing that you can also use the same accessories.

Should you upgrade your Surface Pro 2 to the new Surface Pro 4?

The Surface Pro 2 is a different story. The second generation of the tablet is already a two-year-old device, which might not look like very old, but a lot of innovation has happened since the original launch back in October 2013.

Surface Pro 2 featured a 10.6-inch 1080p ClearType display, which is significantly smaller than its successors. However, despite the tablet being heavier, bulkier, and smaller, it packed great hardware as well. In fact, Surface Pro 2 and Surface Pro 3 feature the same fourth-generation Intel processors.

The biggest difference was that Surface Pro 2 only shipped with the Core i5-4200U, where Surface Pro 3 offers more choices, including Core i3-4020Y, i5-4300U, i7-4650U, which are the same generation processors, but more capable.

Note: In December 2013, Microsoft updated the processor on the Surface Pro 2 from the Core i5-4200U to Core i5-4300U.

Accessories are another problem. While Surface Pro 3 accessories are compatible with Surface Pro 4 and vice versa. Surface Pro 2 accessories aren't compatible with Surface Pro 4.

The second generation of the tablet offered a dual-position (22 and 55-degree angles) kickstand, which didn't deliver on "lapabilty" like its successors, which include the full friction hinge design that helps position the kickstand on many angles (up to 150 degrees).

Surface Pro 4 offers more capable hardware for today and future performance demands. While the new tablet won't replace your gaming PC or workstation, it has been greatly improved with the latest hardware that helps to run the tablet faster, quieter, and cooler. It also comes with an amazing 12.3-inch PixelSense display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, compared to the 10.6-inch 1920 x 1080 pixels display with a 16:9 aspect ratio included in the older version of the tablet.

So, should you upgrade your Surface Pro 2 to Surface Pro 4? The answer depends on various factors, but looking at the improvements on Surface Pro 4, the decision seems a little simpler.

When you compare the Surface Pro 2 against Surface Pro 4, the new tablet is far more capable, lighter, thinner, and larger. In addition, performance and battery life have been greatly improved.

If you need a more powerful device with an amazing screen, supports more pixels to external monitors, more storage, and can take full advantage of all the new features of Windows 10, then the Surface Pro 4 is a great upgrade from the Surface Pro 2.

Also, if you skipped getting a Surface Pro 3 last year, you probably won't go wrong upgrading to the new Surface Pro 4.

Wrapping things up

Surface Pro 4 is an amazing device that delivers on the promise of being a tablet that can truly replace your laptop. If you're a user caught in between of wanting a laptop and a tablet, the Surface Pro 4 is the perfect solution. If you are a Surface Pro 2 owner, the new tablet can dramatically increase your productivity with a larger canvas packed in a thinner and lighter package, and a much-improved kickstand.

However, if you already own a Surface Pro 3, then there will be a little more thinking you have to do, as the third generation of the tablet is still a great device.

If you're not completely convinced, one thing you could do is try to sell your Surface to help you get a brand new Surface Pro 4. Previously, I wrote a [guide to get safely rid of your tablet](http:// /how-sell-surface-pro-3-for-surface-pro-4), and while it focuses on selling your Surface Pro 3, the same concept will work if you're trying to sell your Surface Pro 2.

Surface Pro 4 will be available on October 26th in the United States, and in the UK on November 12th. The tablet starts at $899 in the US and £749.00 in the UK for the Core M3 model with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The Core i5 model starts at $999 in the US and £849.00 in the UK, and prices go all the way up to $2,699 for the Core i7 with Intel Iris graphics 540, 16GB of RAM and 1TB of Storage.

Are you planning to upgrade your tablet to the new Surface Pro 4? Let us know in the comments below.

Surface Pro 4 review

Pre-order the Surface Pro 4 at the Microsoft Store (US)

If you're using a Surface Pro 2 or Surface Pro 3, you should have a new update waiting for you. Microsoft has pushed a firmware update to both tablets aimed at improving graphical performance on Windows 10. Here are the details of the update from the Surface update page:

This one looks to be only hitting the Surface Pro 2 and Surface Pro 3, and isn't listed for any other Surface models. You should be able to pull the update down from Windows Update now, and feel free to let us know if you notice any smoother graphical performance on Windows 10!

Thanks to Richard for the tip!

Source: Surface Update History (Surface Pro 2, Surface Pro 3

Last week. Microsoft released new firmware updates for the Surface Pro 3 tablet, along with the older Surface Pro 2. Now the company has updated its Surface support page with change logs for both firmware updates.

The Surface Pro 3 has the following firmware change log for May:

• Surface Pro 3 UEFI update (v3.11.850.0) includes changes needed for compatibility with the updated graphics driver.
• HD Graphics Family driver update (v10.18.14.4170) improves graphics performance and includes better Miracast (wireless display) support.
• Display Audio driver update (v6.16.00.3172) improves audio experience and supports compatibility with the updated graphics driver.

The change log for the Surface Pro 2 is basically the same as the one for the Pro 3, with only the UEFI update getting a different version number, v2.5.250.0. None of the other four current Surface models have received firmware updates in May.

Source: Microsoft

If you own a Surface Pro 2 or Surface Pro 3 and have been looking to utilize the device to draw a bit more, you will definitely want to check this deal out. The folks behind the powerful creative application Mischief have extended an offer to Surface Pro users for 20% off the application until March 16th.

To take part in this discount all you have to do is head over to the Mischief store and use the code SURFACEPRO at checkout to redeem the 20% off the normal $25 price tag.

Source: Surface Blog

Microsoft released new firmware drivers for all three of its Surface Pro models earlier this week, including the Surface Pro 3, but now more details about that particular update has been revealed. The information comes from the company's Surface for IT Pro blog, which targets employees who use Surface tablets at work.

The change notes concentrate on what's been fixed and improved in the tablet's latest Intel HD Graphics Family drivers. Intel has released a newer set of those drivers but they have yet to be approved by Microsoft. There's also more info on the new Marvell Wireless Network Controller drivers for the tablet:

Intel(R) HD Graphics Family driver update (v10.18.14.4029)

• Adds support for the Autodesk Mudbox 2015 paintbrush tool.
• Ensures that unreadable text does not appear in the Microsoft Outlook calendar pane.
• Improves performance of video display and zoom features in DirectX applications
• Adds support for the fast cursor feature when using Miracast adapters, including the Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter.
• Ensures there is no flickering/blank display on externally connected monitors, especially when connecting multiple monitors in a daisy-chain configuration
• Improves compatibility with Samsung U28D590D and Dell 2713Hb monitors. Some customers reported they saw a change in screen resolution when the device is docked and connected to Dell monitor. This has been addressed in the update.
• Adds additional support to enable better compatibility with Panasonic and Actiontec Miracast adapters
• Ensures there is no unexpected battery drain while the Surface device is in Connected Standby mode.
• Resolves KMODE_Exception_Not_Handled system crash when using Excel PowerMap
• Resolves some instances of Stop 0x9F and Stop 0x133 system crashes.
• Resolves system hang that could occur if f.lux was enabled by an application.
• Resolves system crash that could occur when attaching to external monitors immediately after waking the device from sleep or removing it from the docking station.

Marvell Wireless Network Controller and Bluetooth driver update (v15.68.3073.151)

• As part of ongoing improvements to Wi-Fi experience on Surface Pro 3 device, customers now have the ability to manually select a preference between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz connections for their device. We will publish a separate blog to describe this functionality further so more customers can take advantage of this capability.
• Modifies power management logic to allow the wireless adapter to function properly when the Hyper-V feature is enabled in Windows.
• For European Union customers, there are specific requirements outlined in EN 300 328 v1.8.1. This update includes capabilities to stay current on these requirements, including an LE switch to better control energy detection and Bluetooth Power setting.
• Resolves a low throughput scenario when using Cisco 3702 access points in 11ac mode.

Surface Home Button driver update (v2.0.1179.0)

• Improves compatibility with Surface Hub application.

Surface Integration driver update (v2.0.1182.0)

• Improves compatibility of Surface Pro 3 with Windows 10.

Microsoft Docking Station Audio Device driver update (v1.31.35.7)

• Addresses scenario where no sound would play while the device was docked without an external speaker connected.

Source: Surface For IT Pros; Via: Thurrott.com

Microsoft is pushing out new firmware for all three Surface Pro devices

Patch Tuesday came and went this week without anything additional for the Surface Pro 3, however, late tonight a new firmware package did go out. Additionally, Surface Pro 2 and Surface Pro owners are also getting some new firmware, though not as comprehensive as the one for the Surface Pro 3.

Microsoft has published the full details of the firmware bundles, which includes many new additions, including new HD graphics drivers, some Wi-Fi connectivity fixes when using Hyper-V and more.

Surface Pro 3 System Firmware Update – 1/15/2015

• Surface Pro UEFI update (v3.11.450.0) adds support for updated HD Graphics Family driver.
• HD Graphics Family driver update (v10.18.14.4029) enhances display stability and performance, improves user experience when using Miracast adapters. Improves compatibility with DisplayPort monitors and daisy chaining.
• Wireless Network Controller and Bluetooth driver update (v15.68.3073.151) addresses connectivity issues while Hyper-V is enabled. Adds an advanced feature to control the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz band preference.
• Surface Home Button driver update (v2.0.1179.0) ensures compatibility with the Surface Hub app.
• Microsoft Docking Station Audio Device driver update (v1.31.35.7) improves the user experience while using the Surface Pro 3 Docking Station so that sound is available when a speaker is not connected to the docking station.

Probably the biggest change for users will be the new HD Graphics Family driver, which is not quite the same as the one people were manually installing months ago (this is newer) but it is not quite as new as the latest ones from Intel, version 4080 (not approved by Microsoft). Still, users should see a boost for Miracast and DisplayPort usages.

The other tweaks and fixes are also quite larger, with new Docking Station Audio Device drivers, fixes for Hyper-V connectivity problems and a new Surface Home Button Driver update.

To get the latest firmware, head into Settings > Change PC Settings > Update and Recovery. The download and installation of the firmware is surprisingly light in terms of size and time.

Additionally, the Surface Pro 2 and Surface Pro line are also getting new firmware tonight:

Surface Pro 2 System Firmware Update – 1/15/2015

• Surface Pro UEFI update (v2.05.0150) improves the PXE boot experience with the 1 gigabit Surface Ethernet Adapter and further enhances the system security.
• HD Graphics Family driver update (v10.18.14.4029) enhances display stability and performance, improves user experience when using Miracast adapters. Improves compatibility with DisplayPort monitors and daisy chaining.

Surface Pro System Firmware Update – 1/15/2015

• Surface Pro UEFI update (v1.7.50) further enhances the system security.

Download the updates and let us know in comments if it improved your Surface!

Source: Microsoft; Thanks, Markus C., for the tip!

In 2014, Microsoft inked a deal with the NFL for them to exclusively use the Surface Pro 2 on the sidelines. The devices were meant for the various coaches as a tool to replace the tried and true printer and paper method of years past. Now, instead of printing up plays and grainy images, coaches can use sanctioned photos along with the Surface's pen to go over plays and adjust strategy.

Tonight at a preview event for CES, Microsoft was on hand to show off the combination all-weather case for the Surface Pro 2 and the massive storage sheds where the device gets charged and stay protected.

The case itself is a hardy, well-built design with a strap for the hand on the back. Although the famed Surface kickstand is inaccessible, the Surfaces that reside in these cases can withstand the rain and snow with ease. Combined with the bright Cyan look and these Surfaces are hard to miss.

When not in use, the Surfaces get stored in the NFL-branded cabinets, which are super tough (and heavy). The cabinets are made here in the US by Anthro. If that name sounds familiar it is because they also make my standup desk, which I reviewed over the summer (Anthro is based out of neighboring Oregon, making them a great partner for Microsoft).

Those cabinets include built-in chargers, their own network for receiving data, and are even climate-controlled with a built-in air conditioner for those hot days (and can heat up if super cold as well). Anthro is no stranger to building this kind of equipment as they make stripped down versions of these Surface cabinets for schools and hospitals.

The NFL and Microsoft partnership is certainly one of the better promotions that Redmond has engaged in, even if it had a rough initial start.

Finally, for those asking, there are no immediate plans to sell those rugged NFL cases for the Surface Pro 2. Part of the reason is it is only for the Surface Pro 2, which is no longer widely available. Another issue is more about message: that case inhibits the kickstand of the Surface, which is fine for the NFL, but is at crossed paths for Microsoft's main message of their unique two-in-one. For now, you will just have to appreciate them from the sidelines.

Everywhere you look tablets and Ultrabooks are becoming more and more prevalent. But when it comes to ultra-portable devices, the number of onboard USB ports is often greatly diminished in favor of a smaller footprint.

If you are fortunate enough to have any USB jacks at all, like on a Microsoft Surface, you likely only have one. That may be enough for most occasions, but it is helpful to have the option for more, if needed.

So today, I am checking out the Sabrent 4-port USB Rotatable Hub, a handy way to increase the number of ports on your device.

The Pros

The Sabrent Rotatable Hub is about as tall as your thumb and about twice as thick, making it easy to slip into the pocket of a bag or carrying case. It gets power from your device's USB jack and indicates that it is working with a blue LED light.

The USB hub can accommodate the designs of different devices and workspaces by rotating 180 degrees. The rotating turret clicks into place at 0, 90, and 180 degrees.

Another thing to like about Sabrent's hub is the price. Though it retails for $15.99, you can find it for as little as $5.99 USD (see the link at the end of this article). Therefore, even if you do not anticipate using it very often, you will not have to shell much money to give yourself the option to expand your USB capacity.

Ultimately, the best thing about this product is that it does the job you need it to do at a very reasonable price.

The Cons

My only real issue with the Sabrent hub arose when using it with my Surface Pro 3. Because of its cable-free design, it becomes a little ridiculous hanging on the side with a few devices plugged into it. It got the job done but at the expense of looking rather silly.

The biggest knock that people will find against the Sabrent 4-port USB Rotatable Hub is probably its lack of USB 3.0 support. It's a fair point, given that most laptops and tablets that are equipped with USB ports have version 3.0.

However, I contend that the majority of people who would use a device like this are using it primarily for peripherals, like a mouse, or for charging a smartphone. Even if you are connecting a thumb drive, it is more likely for documents, not large file transfers. This hub is more for convenience at a low cost, so steer clear if you are looking for high transfer speeds.

In summary

Like nearly every device I review, Sabrent's 4-port USB Rotatable Hub is not going to be all things to all people. It is a wallet-friendly USB hub that is lightweight and easy to carry. It's not pretty, but it gets the job done the majority of the time.

If you are looking for high-fashion or top-notch performance, you may want to look elsewhere. But if you're in search for a good hub that won't break the bank and will help you out on the occasions you need it, then you can get it cheap on Amazon for $5.99.

Do you know of a cool must-have accessory for the Surface Pro 3? Let us know in comments and we'll see about reviewing it!

Microsoft has quietly ended sales of its year old Windows 8.1 Surface Pro 2 tablet. The 10.1 inch device was first launched alongside the Windows 8.1 RT-based Surface 2, which is still available for sale.

Neowin reports they confirmed the end of Surface Pro 2 sales with an online Microsoft Store sales rep. While it's possible that a few online retailers and brick-and-mortar stores might have some Surface Pro 2 units still available for sale, the fact that Microsoft has ended its availability shows that the tablet has reached the end of its sales life.

As we mentioned, the Surface 2 is still on sale as well as the 12-inch Surface Pro 3 that debuted in June. Microsoft seems pleased with the sales of the Surface Pro 3 but has yet to offer any concrete sales numbers for the tablet. It's highly likely that the company won't release any new Surface tablets until the official launch of Windows 10, which will happen sometime in 2015. How do you feel about Microsoft retiring the Surface Pro 2?

Source: Neowin

The NFL will be employing modified Surface tablets on the sidelines of games beginning this season. As part of an existing deal with Microsoft, the NFL will deploy Surface Pro 2 tablets beginning with the Hall of Fame game today. The tablets, modified externally with a thick blue case, will be used to review plays instantly. Each sideline will have a temperature-controlled cart of Surface tablets, which will remain locked up at the stadium when not in use during games. Additionally, the tablets will be locked down to prevent cheating, according to Engadget:

What do you think of the NFL using Surface tablets during games? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: Engadget, Bloomberg

Microsoft will release firmware updates for nearly all of its Surface family of tablets today, including the new 12-inch Surface Pro 3, which will get another update later this month.

Here's the change log for the Surface Pro 3 July 8 firmware:

• Surface Pro Embedded Controller Firmware (v.38.2.50.0) reducing power consumption, and enhancing system stability.
• Surface Pro System Aggregator Firmware (v. 3.8.250.0) enhancing battery life, and increasing efficiency and reliability in low power states.
• Surface Type Cover Firmware Update (v. 2.0.1021.0) improving trackpad reliability and system stability.
• Surface Accessory Device (v. 2.0.1012.0) helping the on-screen keyboard (OSK) appear and disappear at the correct times.
• Wireless Network Controller and Bluetooth (v. 15.68.3042.79) enhancing system stability, reducing power consumption in low power states, and improving some WiFi connection scenarios.

Microsoft also announced that a second firmware update for the Surface Pro 3 will be released on July 16 "to further improve Wi-Fi connection and throughput scenarios."

The Surface Pro 2 gets just one minor update today

• Wireless Network Controller (v 14.69.24054.176) enables functionality on wireless networks utilizing hidden SSIDs

The Surface Pro gets a rather detailed firmware update for July:

• Surface Pro System Aggregator Firmware (v2.84.0350) improves battery management when a Surface Cover is attached.
• Surface Pro UEFI (v1.6.350) provides support for PXE boot with the new Surface Ethernet Adapter.
• Intel(R) HD Graphics 4000 (v10.18.10.3496) improves Miracast wireless display experience and enhances display stability.
• Intel(R) Display Audio (v6.16.00.3135) enhances compatibility and improves the display experience for DisplayPort monitors.
• Surface Accessory Device (v1.0.338.0) improves the experience when using Surface accessories.
• Surface Power Cover Firmware update (v1.0.339.0) improves the experience when using Surface Power Cover.

While the regular Surface 2 tablet won't get an update, owners of the LTE version do have to download some new firmware for one issue:

• Modem Firmware Update (v5.706.306.1) enhances the performance and reliability of AT&T 4G LTE network on Surface 2 4G LTE.

Finally, even the Surface RT gets an update today:

• Surface Home Button Driver (v1.0.255.0) enhances system stability in both the active state and the sleep/wake transition state.

What do you think of Microsoft offering new firmware updates for most of its Surface tablets?

Source: Surface History page

Ever since the Surface Pro 3 announcement, the future of the Surface Pro 2 was in question. Would Microsoft continue to sell both or focus on their new redesigned Surface Pro 3, and what about Surface 2? The story is coming into focus a bit as it looks like Microsoft is putting the Surface Pro 2 out to pasture.

Windows Phone Central has learned through various Microsoft Stores that all or most stock of the Surface Pro 2 and Surface Pro 2 accessories are being sent back to Microsoft. A few stores are keeping units on hand for customer issues, should any arise, but many stores now have zero stock with no plans to carry it any longer. It is not clear if other retailers are following suit or if Microsoft is mandating this only for their own stores.

On Microsoft's Surface.com website under 'Products', only the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 3 are in bold font, while the older Surface and Surface Pro 2 are pushed down with a ligther, less emphatic typeface. Customers can still buy the Surface Pro 2 direct from Microsoft. Nonetheless, it is clear that Surface 2 and Surface Pro 3 are what Microsoft are directing customers to these days.

Surface going forward and a new Lumia tablet

Recently I hazarded a guess on Twitter that the Windows RT is folding into the Lumia line, and Microsoft would retain the Surface name for their Pro series. That follows on the recent rumor from @evleaks, who made a more substantial claim of Lumia replacing Surface completely. I have no information if that is true or not, but it would be a massive shift (and step backwards, in my opinion).

On a similar note, I have overheard that there is a sequel coming to the Lumia 2520 tablet later this year. The tablet would be released around the same time as ' McLaren,' the new 3D Touch Windows Phone that Microsoft has been working on for some time. Whether or not this tablet runs RT, or full Windows 8.x unknown, likewise for the specifications. I think how they market that the device is crucial to understanding where Microsoft is taking these brands in 2015. I suspect it would be another RT tablet and called Lumia.

Personally, I like 'Lumia' for phones and tablets with 'Surface' for Microsoft's own pseudo-laptop line running full Windows. Such a distinction between devices and PCs is what Microsoft desperately needs, especially with the fumbling of the Surface RT/Surface Pro brands.

The Windows Phone and RT operating systems are expected to merge into one SKU next year with the arrival of 'Threshold', leaving just three categories: Windows Phone/RT, full Windows and Xbox One.

Best Buy Blue exclusive Type Cover ends in September

Finally, if you are looking to grab a Surface Pro 3 and want that exclusive Best Buy Blue Type Cover, you'll be able to pick them up direct from Microsoft starting mid-September as Best Buy's exclusivity in the US comes to an end.

Los Angeles officials are looking to Chromebooks, Microsoft's Windows 8 and other hardware to complement its iPad offering in the education sector. Students in Los Angeles have enjoyed the use of iPads to aid with not only their education, but also social lives too thanks to easily bypassing any security filters in place. Schools will be able to differentiate what is offered to students, a choice of six devices.

"The benefit of the new approach is clear," said Los Angeles school board member Monica Ratlif to the LA Times. "Why would we treat all our students – whether they are a first-grader or a high school freshman – as if they all had the same technology needs? They don't." Devices will include Chromebooks, Surface Pro 2 and Lenovo's Yoga Touch with teachers and students testing said units this fall.

Other issues with the iPad tablets included incomplete educational material, apparent difficulty in use due to on-screen keyboard and sometimes exam problems were often obscured due to the screen size. While iPad distribution across LA schools remains on hold, some schools are still scheduled to receive units later this year.

Source: LA Times

A company called Urban Armor Gear has started selling a rugged case, the Scout, that's been made especially for Microsoft's Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2 tablets. The company claims it is the first case for those devices to meet military standards.

The Scout has been independently tested to make sure it meets the MIL-STD 810G-516.6 standard for drop and shock when it is used in combination with Microsoft's Type Cover keyboard. That means the case can protect the Pro or Pro 2 from a drop of several feet. Urban Armor Gear adds:

The Scout case, which at the moment only comes in black, is now on sale for $59.99. There's no word on if a version of the case will be made for the new Surface Pro 3. If you use your Surface Pro or Pro 2 a lot, are you interested in checking out this rugged case?

Source: Urban Armor Gear

Microsoft has reduced its pricing for the Surface Pro 2 range of Windows 8 tablets in the US, knocking off $200 on each model. This price alteration follows a similar cut in the UK, where Microsoft slashed the price tags on the tablets by £150. While the move is due to the upcoming Surface Pro 3 launch, the previous generation hardware are still worth picking up when discounted.

This deal follows the education discount we covered earlier in the year. The Surface Pro 2 comes with a 10.6-inch full-HD screen, Intel Core i5 CPU (fourth-generation), 4 GB RAM on the 64/128 GB storage models, 8 GB RAM on the 256 and 512 GB variants, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity.

• 64GB: $799 (was $899)
• 128GB: $899 (was $999)
• 256GB: $1,099 (was $1,299)
• 512GB: $1,599 (was $1,799)

Will you be looking to pick one up with this offer in place? Let us know in the comments.

Source: Microsoft Store; Thanks, Stephen, for the tip!

It's the second Tuesday of June and Microsoft is back at it with firmware updates for the Surface Pro 2 and Surface 2 tablets, bringing some performance improvements and bug fixes to both slates. Owners of either tablets can download the updates through the Windows update menu, and doing so will give you improved battery life and sleep performance with the Power Cover among other improvements. Hit the break to see what has changed.

Of note, there are no updates this time around for the original Surface RT and the Surface Pro. The changes for the Surface Pro 2 and Surface 2 are listed as "System Firmware Update - 06/10/2014."

Here is what has changed for Microsoft's newer tablets:

Surface Pro 2 Update: Release notes

• Surface Pro UEFI (v2.4.950.0) and Surface Pro Embedded Controller Firmware (v24.1.50.0) updates enhance system stability with microSD products, improves compatibility with Power Cover, and increases the reliability of sleep state transitions. Surface Pro UEFI update also provides support for PXE boot with the new Surface Ethernet Adapter.
• Surface Pro System Aggregator Firmware (v2.4.350.0) update improves sleep state transitions when a Surface Cover is attached.
• Surface Accessory Device (v2.0.287.0) update improves sleep state transitions when a Surface Cover is attached.
• Surface Power Cover Firmware Update (v2.0.288.0) improves reliability when the Power Cover is attached to Surface and folded behind Surface.
• HD Graphics Family (v10.18.10.3496) update improves Miracast wireless display experience and enhances display stability.

Surface 2 Update: Release notes

• Surface 2 UEFI (v4.21.500.0) update enhances overall system stability, including boot and reboot scenarios, compatibility with Surface Power Cover, and increased battery life when Surface 2 is not in use.
• System Aggregator Firmware (v1.0.50500.0) update enhances the charging behavior of the Power Cover.
• Surface Power Cover Firmware Update (v2.0.595.0) update improves battery life when using the Power Cover with Surface 2.
• Surface Platform Power Driver (v2.0.557.0) update improves battery life when used with the Surface Power Cover.
• Audio Driver Set (v 9.17.13.2819) and Display Driver Set (v 9.17.13.2818). This update provides enhanced support for external displays, improves the Miracast experience, and enhances the overall system stability while reducing power consumption in many scenarios.
• Surface Accessory Device (v2.0.583.0) update enhances the experience when using a Surface Cover.

In addition to the updates listed above, an additional update for Surface 2 4G LTE is listed below:

• Wireless Network Controller (v14.62.28061.10179) and Bluetooth (v14.62.28061.10179) update simplifies and improves tethering for Surface 2 4G LTE.

If you've applied any of these updates to your Surface 2 or Surface Pro 2, let us know if any of the issues have been corrected or if you have encountered new issues.

Today Microsoft announced the Surface Pro 3, a new tablet joining the Surface family of devices. Last September, Microsoft announced the Surface 2 and the Surface Pro 2. Here we are, over half a year later and there’s a new device. How does it stack up against its siblings?

The Surface Pro 3 is really some impressive tech combined into a sleek, sexy package. To be fair, the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 are just as hot, but in their own, unique way. The devices come in at different price points, have different specs and will appeal to different users. That said, we can’t help but put sibling up against sibling up against sibling. Let’s see how these three machines compare.

Thinking of picking up one of these devices? Which would you go for? 

Microsoft’s Surface Pro line of tablet devices can be seen as the perfect companion for the traveling Photographer. No longer is there a need to carry around a bulky laptop powerhouse, Wacom tablet, and never-ending power cords. With the Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2’s Core i5 processors, large amounts of RAM, long battery life, and Wacom powered display – there is a new Photographer’s best friend on the market.

However, as wonderful as the Surface Pro is out of the box, we can make a few tweaks and changes to make it the absolute best for those looking to make it their Photoshop companion device. Follow our guide below as we upgrade your graphics drivers, install extra Wacom software, and turn your tablet into a device Annie Leibovitz would be proud to use.

Updating your graphics driver

Whether you are using Microsoft’s Surface Pro or Surface Pro 2, your graphic experience is being powered by Intel’s integrated chipset. The problem is that Microsoft only wants you to run the latest tested and verified version of the graphic driver on your device. While this is great for stability in most cases, it can hold you back from getting the latest and greatest performance.

Some Surface Pro users have actually complained that the current Intel driver being distributed by Microsoft crashes when Photoshop CC is launched (we are not sure if this issue is present on past issues of the software suite). Not all experience this problem, but if you are one of them, or you just want to best performance from your machine, you can bypass the verification process of installing the latest driver and install it manually. Here is how to do so:

1. Head over to Intel’s support website by clicking here.
2. You have a few ways to get to your appropriate driver. We suggest using Intel’s Driver Update Utility, which will automatically scan your system. Note: you may be required to install a small piece of software to run the wizard.
3. Once the wizard is done running, Intel will display a list of their hardware currently installed within your machine. One of those options should be a “Graphics Driver” and it should say that it is out of date.
4. Click on the plus next to the “Graphics Driver” option and you should be presented with Intel’s HD Graphics version 10.18.10.3496. Click and save the driver to your PC.
5. While the driver downloads, we are going to have to grab one more piece of software. Download and install 7-Zip for free by clicking here (if you do not already have it). Allow 7-Zip to install its contextual menus onto your system.
6. Once 7-zip is installed and the graphics driver has been downloaded, head over to your “Downloads” folder and right click on the Intel Driver Setup file. This will produce a context menu and you will select the option to extract the files from within the 7-Zip menu option.
7. Now you will have a folder, with all of the files that were once tucked away within the Setup file itself.
8. Head to device manager by going to the Start Screen and typing “device manager” and hit Enter.
9. Once inside the device manager, click the tiny arrow next to “Display Adapters” to show “Intel® HD Graphics Family”. Right click on the Intel hardware and select “Update…”
10. A wizard will appear (a setup wizard that is, not Gandalf). Select the option to “Browse my Computer for driver software”, then select “Let me pick from a list of device drivers…”, finally select “Have Disk…”
11. Now navigate to where we extracted the Intel Graphics Driver and select the driver file. Driver files end in “.inf” and this specific one will be located under the “Graphics” folder.
12. Now complete the driver update wizard and restart your computer to experience a more stable and graphic accelerated Photoshop experience.

Make your digitizer pressure sensitive

There are different drivers that allow your digitizer to communicate pressure with various applications on your PC. When the Surface is shipped, it includes a basic driver that communicates with many of the applications in the Windows Store including Fresh Paint, but Photoshop support is missing for all creative suites and creative cloud.

To add pressure sensitivity within Photoshop, you will need to download an update from Wacom’s own website. The driver you will be downloading will add something known as “Wacom feel IT technology” to your Surface Pro. Click here to head over to Wacom’s site and download the latest version (7.2.0-4) of the “Tablet PC – Enhanced Tablet Driver”.

Once downloaded, simply install the driver via the setup wizard and reboot your machine. You should now have pressure sensitivity within Adobe Photoshop.

A few tweaks on your machine

These tips are not Surface Pro exclusive, but will ensure that your Photoshop CC experience is the best around. All settings we about to discuss can be accessed by heading to “Preferences > Performance” in Photoshop or by pressing “CTRL-K” on your keyboard while in Photoshop.

First, depending on how much memory your Surface has we recommend different Memory usage settings. In general, make sure that your system has at least 2GB of spare memory in the background to use. For example, on the Surface Pro with 4GB of RAM, we recommend using 2GB max, while on the Surface Pro with 8GB of RAM, we recommend using 6GB max for Photoshop.

In addition, now that we have manually force updated your driver, you can feel free to take advantage of the “Advanced Drawing Mode” under the advanced graphic settings. We also recommend raising History States, Cache Levels, and Cache Tile Size if you have enough room on your drive to store the data. When working with Photoshop, it can be helpful to have 5-10 GB of free space on your drive for the application to use as “scratch space”.

Conclusion

We have manually force updated your graphics driver to the latest version, which should allow Photoshop CC (and possibly older versions) to run without any hitches or glitches. In addition, the newly updated Wacom driver will allow you to work within Photoshop with extremely accurate touch sensitivity. Lastly, the Photoshop CC tweaks we recommended should squeeze every last bit of performance out of your machine without busting it.

Are you a photographer or someone who uses Adobe Photoshop? What do you think of Microsoft’s Surface Pro with its integrated Wacom technology?

A combination of deals from the Microsoft Store could have you making off with a Surface Pro 2 at a great price, so long as you're a current student or teacher. Microsoft's education site already provides a solid 10 percent discount on most everything from the store, including the Surface Pro 2, but a current end of the school year promotion will shave an additional $100 off your purchase if you use a promo code.

After adding a Surface Pro 2 of any capacity to your cart, enter the promo code "GRADUATION" to receive an additional $100 off, knocking the 64GB model down to $709, 128GB to $799.10, 256GB to $1,069.10 and finally 512GB model to $1,519.10. Depending on your state you'll be paying sales tax on top of that, but the store is also offering free shipping on all orders. Interestingly the deal doesn't seem to be Surface 2 Pro specific, and is also working on some other laptops on the store.

If you're not looking to spend so much and think your needs will be served by a Surface 2 instead, the 10 percent educational discount drops the 32GB version to just $404.10 and 64GB to $494.10. Best of all, the Surface 2 LTE is eligible for the $100 discount like the Surface Pro 2 because it is over $599 retail price, dropping the final price to just $511.10 — down from $679, or almost 25 percent off — after the promo code is applied.

Although Microsoft doesn't make you jump through any official hoops — aside from simply selecting a school with no verification — to get into the education website and make a purchase, the fine print does indicate that it has the right to charge you the difference between the standard and education discount price if you're found to not actually be an active student or teacher. If you are in the position to take advantage, though, this is a pretty awesome deal.

Source: Microsoft Store; Via: Neowin

Microsoft’s Surface Pro tablet coupled with Windows 8, brought one of the most immersive gaming experiences to the mobile computing space when it was released back in February of 2013. Popular Android and iOS devices were also able to bring an exciting experience, but a well-built tablet with the full power of Windows truly unlocked the door for more than just a casual game on the go.

One of our loyal readers and forum members, MicrosoftFoLife, started a thread commenting on how much he enjoyed gaming and playing Skyrim on his personal Surface device. We would like to know is what some of your favorite PC games to play on your tablet are.

Popular games such as World of Warcraft, Counter Strike, Team Fortress, Portal, Call of Duty, and more, could be played directly from the Surface Pro due to its Intel Core i5 CPU and integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics chip. The Surface Pro 2 upped the power even more with Intel’s Haswell chipset and a new world of possibilities.

Popular benchmark site NotebookCheck, ran a collection of game benchmarks that included World of Warcraft, Diablo III, and F1 2012. All games were able to achieve a very playable frames per second rate of 27-32 on high graphic settings. If you turn down the graphics to medium in World of Warcraft, Diablo III, and F1 2012, you will get a wonderful 128 fps, 43 fps, and 28 fps respectively. If you turn down the resolution from native, you can achieve even smoother play rates.

If you have a Surface Pro 2, we really want to know what you have been playing! Do you play with your device’s Touch cover, Type cover, controller, or other peripheral? If you are a big gamer, make sure to also include your benchmarks and FPS rates!

If you want to join in the original conversation, you can click here to check out the thread over in our “Microsoft Surface for Windows 8 Pro” forum.

Related reading

• Guide – How to use the Xbox One controller with your PC or Windows 8 tablet

Microsoft's Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 are great machines for getting things done. They're equally as good at entertainment. Movies, television shows and games look great on the 1080p resolution spread across the 10.6-inch display found on both machines. Here's a project on Kickstarter that's going to increase your listening experience when watching video or playing games. Want some Ears for your Surface?

Ears for Surface is a new project on Kickstarter that aims to add 10dB of loudness to your listening experience. The Ears are small pieces of silicone that slip onto the corners of the Surface. They work by directing and focusing the sound from the speakers forward, towards you.

These little pieces of silicone are designed to work with the Surface RT, Surface 2, Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2. Right now the early bird pricing of $5 to get a paid on Kickstarter has sold out. You can pledge $10 to get a pair of Ears for Surface if you want. There are of course pricing tiers that increase in the amount you need to contribute, but you get extra perks as you move up the ladder.

Ears for Surface come in a variety of colors and even include the colors to match your Type or Touch Cover. You've got cyan, magenta, orange, white, purple, black and green to choose from.

Anyone thinking of picking up Ears for Surface? While they certainly won't beat a pair of wireless speakers or headphones, they could be a very good way to increase the volume for your kids without damanging their ears. Anyways, let us know what you think!

Source: Kickstarter Via: @maryjofoley

What happens when a tablet and an ultrabook have a one night stand? You get the Surface Pro 2. Thank you, I’m here all night. Both the Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2 are killer machines, but like all machines they have a few faults. With both you only get one USB port and neither machine has an Ethernet port. Here’s one little doohickey that could become an essential travel companion to your Surface Pro 2. The DualRole from Kanex.

How do you overcome the limitation of the single USB port and no Ethernet port on your Surface when you’re mobile? You probably pick might pick up a USB hub and a USB-to-Ethernet adapter. The DualRole from Kanex combines all those into one slick product that looks pretty svelte.

The DualRole has contains three USB 3 SuperSpeed ports. It also has a Gigabit Ethernet port bundled. This basically makes the DualRole an essential product for your Surface Pro (or any ultrabook really), especially if you’re a road warrior.

You can also buy the Universal Power Adapter from Kanex, which is an optional accessory for the DualRole. It plugs into the DualRole and gives more power to each USB port, in fact up to 900mA per port. This is useful if you need to plug in something like an external hard drive that requires a little more oomph to power up. They include international plugs for the adapter. That way you can plug in while visiting Europe, Australia, the United States or the United Kingdom.

The DualRole goes for $59.99 and the universal power adapter will is $19.99. But we found it for $47 on other online retailers like Amazon.

The Kanex DualRole looks like a great accessory to make your Surface Pro or ultrabook more useful on long business trips. Have any other suggestions for similar products? Share in the comments. It’s almost like we’re going to order a bunch and compare them…

Source: DualRole, Power Adapter

Thanks for the heads up Simon!

Microsoft’s lineup of Surface tablets can be an excellent solution for those either looking for a tablet companion or to replace their existing PC. With the recent launch of Microsoft’s Power Cover, the abilities of Surface have expanded, but new hardware is not the only way Surface is improving. Today, as part of Microsoft’s March 2014 update, a stream of firmware updates and software fixes have been released for the Surface 2, Surface Pro, and Surface Pro 2.

If you are a Windows RT person and carrying around a Surface 2, you have a plethora of updates available for download. The first is a UEFI firmware update for the device that will allow the device to support the latest Power Cover accessory from Microsoft. Another Surface 2 firmware update, software driver update, and firmware update for the Power Cover will get the hardware ready when it launches on March 19.

Surface 2 will also be receiving firmware updates for the Touch Cover 2 and Type Cover 2 that are said to “improve multiple finger support on the touchpad”.

Lastly, two software fixes will be released for both the Surface 2 hardware itself. The first update will fix behavior issues with the Home button and the second update will help improve overall “stability and experience improvements.”

The original Surface Pro will also be receiving a collection of updates for Windows 8.1. To start, all wireless devices including the network controller, composite device, and Bluetooth adapter, will be receiving updates to improve performance.

The Surface Pro will also be receiving the same firmware updates to improve multiple finger support on the Type Cover 2 and Touch Cover 2, while brining support to the upcoming Surface Power Cover.

Because the Surface Pro was released before Windows 8.1 was around, there is still a collection of users running vanilla Windows 8; those still running Windows 8 will receive the Touch, Type, and Power Cover updates, but will not receive the wireless device driver updates.

Last, but not least is the Surface Pro 2. Microsoft’s latest flagship tablet device will be receiving the same updates as mentioned above, but will also receive an update to “improve experience when using Bitlocker so that Surface Cover can provide PIN input” and an update to “improve stability and experience for Surface Covers.”

The Surface Pro 2 will also see minor updates to the Intel Display Audio, Intel HD Graphics Family, and Intel WiDi audio.

Do you own a Surface 2, Surface Pro, or Surface Pro 2 – are you enjoying it?

P.S. – We are sure Microsoft still loves you too, Surface RT owners.

Source: Microsoft [1,2,3]

We have been hearing about Microsoft’s Surface Power Cover since back in September of 2013. The new Surface accessory was expected to launch near or alongside the second generation of Surface tablets, but apparent delays kept it from being on schedule. Luckily, and thanks to a collection of patience from Surface users, the Surface Power Cover is now available for sale from the Microsoft store.

The new Power Cover is advertised to extend “the battery life of your Surface up to 70% and double as a screen cover. Reports from fellow journalist, Paul Thurrott, stated the cover would “significantly” expand the life of the device, but up to 70% is a bit of a shock – we were expecting around a 50% boost at most. To clarify for each device, the Surface Power Cover will expand the Surface 2's battery life by 70% and the Surface Pro models by 60%.

In comparison to Microsoft’s Type Cover 2 that comes in at a jaw dropping 5 mm thin, the Power Cover comes in at 9.75 mm thin – both devices are .55 pounds in weight. While the Power Cover may be almost twice as thick as the Type Cover 2, you will not be noticing any extra weight in your bag.

One thing that you will notice, at least in the dark, is that the Power Cover does not contain a backlit as the Type Cover 2 and Touch Cover 2 do. This might be a deal breaker for some, who want to expand the life of their tablet, but cannot live without the convenience of backlit keys.

The Power Cover is compatible with the Surface 2, Surface Pro, and Surface Pro 2; unfortunately, Surface RT owners are out of luck if they are interested in the accessory.

The Microsoft Store states that the Power Cover will begin shipping out on March 19, and will cost $199.99 USD – this is in comparison to the Type Cover 2’s $129.99 USD price point.

Picking up the latest keyboard cover from Microsoft will cost you $70 extra than the non-power-extending Type Cover 2 and will remove the convenience of a backlit keyboard. That being said, with real world testing of the Surface Pro 2’s battery life clocking in at around seven hours, you could easily see hitting eleven hours with the new attachment.

What do you think – is the Surface Power Cover worth $199?

Source: Microsoft; Thanks to Danny Davis for the tip!

The Surface Pro 2 is an incredible machine. Those who have on love them. The biggest complaint against the Surface Pro 2 is the stock issue. Since launch, those wanting a Surface Pro 2 have had an impossible time getting their hands on one. Those who pre-ordered didn’t see them arrive for months at a time. Good news if you’re still hunting, the Surface Pro 2 is back in stock at the Microsoft Store.

Head to the Microsoft Store website and you’ll see all four models of the Surface Pro 2 in stock right now. Pricing for the Surface Pro 2 starts at $899 for the 64 GB model and goes up to $1,799 for the 512 GB model.

Not only is the Surface Pro 2 in stock, but so is this the Surface Docking Station. It retails for $199 and gives your Surface Pro 2 (and original Surface Pro) some additional functionality. With it you get a display port, audio input/output jack, Ethernet port, 1 USB 3.0 port and three USB 2.0 ports.

Anyone still looking for either the Surface Pro 2 or Surface 2? Order them today!

Source: Surface Pro 2, Docking Station Via: Twitter

Thanks for the tip Gerard C! 

Still looking for the perfect case for your Surface 2 or Surface Pro 2? You might want to check out the FreedomCase on Kickstarter. The innovative case will give you not only a way to protect your Surface, but it doubles as a stand with adjustable angles. Let’s check it out.

The Kickstarter campaign for this new accessory just kicked off. As you saw in the video above, this is part protection and part stability for your Surface. With the FreedomCase you’ll get an additional 8 viewing angles for your Surface in addition to the original angles. If you’re rocking a first generation Surface or Surface Pro you’re stuck with one viewing angle. Microsoft attempted to spice things up a bit with the second-generation Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 by giving you two viewing angles.

Another few bonuses of the FreedomCase? A place to hold your pen, better lap support and more. It works with and without the keyboard cover.

The Kickstarter campaign runs from today until March 15th. Late April is when the FreedomCase is expected to start going out to those who preorder or back the product on Kickstarter.  Like most projects on Kickstarter you’ll need to pledge a certain amount to receive the product you’re backing. Pledge $39 and you’re going to one of the first to get the FreedomCase when it ships in late April.

You can bet we’re backing this project. Anyone else interested in using the FreedomCase?

Source: Kickstarter, FreedomCase

​Thanks for the tip Philip C!

It’s the second Tuesday of the month, which means it’s Patch Tuesday. Today is the day that Microsoft puts out updates for Windows and firmware updates for all the Surface devices. We’re looking at new updates for the Surface 2, Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2, but nothing for the original Surface.

Surface 2 – Release notes

• Marvell AVASTAR Bluetooth Radio Adapter (v14.62.28058.10171)
• Marvell AVASTAR 350N Wireless Network Controller (v14.62.28058.10171) resolves wireless network connectivity issues.

Today the Surface 2 is getting updates for both the Bluetooth radio adapter and the wireless network controller. You should see improvements in audio related issues when using Bluetooth. Additionally you should see issues resolved for Bluetooth mice and keyboards being unavailable when you wake the Surface 2.

Surface Pro – Release notes

• Surface Pro Embedded Controller Firmware (v9.00.50) to resolve behavior where the Surface would reset when waking from sleep.
• Surface Pro System Aggregator Firmware (v2.84.0150)
• Surface Pro UEFI (v1.6.50) improves experience when using a Surface Cover on your Surface Pro.

The honorable Surface Pro picks up some nice updates in this latest round of Patch Tuesday. You’ll notice various issues should be resolved. For example, the issue when the Surface Pro would reset after repeated Surface Cover attachment and detachment has been resolved. Another issue fixed is when the On Screen Keyboard would unexpectedly pop-up even though the Surface Cover was attached and when the Surface Cover wasn’t detected after waking the Surface Pro from sleep.

Surface Pro 2 –Release notes

• Surface Display Panel (v1.0.2.0) provides tuning to the Surface display calibration.
• Surface Pro Embedded Controller Firmware (v24.00.50)
• Surface Pro System Aggregator Firmware (v2.04.0150)
• Surface Touch Cover 2 Firmware Update Device (v2.0.228.0) update improves two-finger touchpad use.
• Surface Type Cover 2 Firmware Update Device (v2.0.226.0) update improves two-finger touchpad use.

The Surface Pro 2 picks up the most firmware updates this round. You get a display calibration with the latest update. In addition to fixes for when the Surface Pro 2 would not go into hibernation and when the available battery percentage was reported incorrectly. You’ll also get fixes for the Surface Cover like in the Surface Pro above.

Patch Tuesday isn’t all about Surface firmware fixes. There are literally millions of other non-Surface devices needing some update love. Which is also why they get super fun security updates today. You can head to TechNet to read the full Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for February 2014. There isn’t anything too sexy in there, just updates to make sure nobody exploits vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer to allow remote code execution.

Apply the updates to your Surface 2, Surface Pro or Surface Pro 2? Sound off below if any of those issues are fixed for you. 

Last week Microsoft pulled their latest firmware update for their Surface Pro 2 tablet. The update itself had caused issues on the devices of users who initially grabbed the update and Microsoft promised that a new update would be posted “after the holidays”. To our surprise (and delight), the update will actually be right around the corner instead of early 2014.

For those unaware of the issue, the initial firmware update that was released for the Surface Pro 2 caused battery issues with the devices it was loaded upon. Users reported that their units were experiencing extremely low battery times after they had downloaded and installed the update.

The update being delivered so quickly is a surprise as WinSuperSite’s Paul Thurrott has pointed out. At Microsoft, a majority of the company takes most of December off for some personal downtime. This had created a large worry that Surface Pro 2 users would be stuck with the broken update until sometime in January, but alas – that is not true.

Microsoft issued a statement stating that the new firmware update would be pushed through Windows Update as soon as they could:

Sure, Microsoft has not given us an exact date, but they have updated their press comments from the original “after the holidays” to the much better “as soon as possible”. Either way, the folks at Microsoft are working hard to fix the original issue that should have never occurred in the first place.

Stay tuned to WPCentral to learn when the update is released.

Did you download the bad firmware to your Surface Pro 2 – how are you managing?

Source: WinSuperSite

What’s your favorite Tuesday of the month? If you’re anything like us your favorite Tuesday is the second one. The one that Microsoft calls Patch Tuesday and puts out a ton of updates for things like Windows 8 and your Surface device. Today is that Tuesday, so let’s check out what’s new this month.

For Surface owners, we’re looking at updates available across all devices: Surface, Surface 2, Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2. Here’s the breakdown on what’s new and/or fixed in the latest updates:

Surface – Release notes

Updates on both Windows RT 8.0 and Windows RT 8.1 that include:

• Surface Home Button Driver update to optimize available system memory.
• Surface Type Cover audio device driver update to enhance trackpad sounds for Type Cover

Surface 2 – Release notes

The Surface 2 is only running Windows RT 8.1. That said, here are the updates for the latest and greatest Surface:

• Screen dimming during CPU intensive operations resolved.
• Decreased charge time for batteries.
• Two-finger trackpad use optimized.
• Update to support additional external displays.
• Skype video quality improved.
• Resolved delay during restart when Bluetooth devices are connected.

Surface Pro – Release notes

Nothing new for Windows 8.0 users on the Surface Pro, but folks using it with Windows 8.1 will be seeing something that should make Rafael happy:

• Wi-Fi driver (v14.69.24047.156) update for improved wireless display experience.

Surface Pro 2 – Release notes

Again, the Surface Pro 2 shipped with Windows 8.1 on board, so the updates are for that. Here’s what you’ll find new with your Surface Pro 2:

• Improved system stability, including when minimizing full screen games.
• Updated Wi-Fi driver for improved wireless display and connectivity with wireless access points.
• Improved Surface Cover interaction including power-saving sleep functionality.
• Color fidelity improvements for all applications.
• Optimized two-finger trackpad use.
• Enhanced audio experience when connected to a Display Port 1.2 device.

If you’ve got a Surface device you’ll want to head to Windows Update in your PC’s settings to get the latest firmware. The updates posted above (especially for the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2) fix a handful of issues with the devices. Not rocking a Surface machine? No worries, Patch Tuesday is also a day for general and security fixes to Windows 8.

We can’t list every single security bulletin list that the Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for December 2013 does, but we can point out a few big ones. For example, bulletin ID MS13-096 is an update that addresses a vulnerability that could allow remote code execution in products like Windows, Office, and Lync. Another, MS13-097, is a cumulative security update for Internet Explorer that fixes privately reported vulnerabilities that could allow remote code execution. Head to Windows Update to grab all the latest there.

There are also optional updates in Patch Tuesday that are worth downloading. For example, KB 2913320 is an update that improves SkyDrive reliability and user experience when editing files from multiple endpoints in Windows RT 8.1 and Windows 8.1.

Any updates (either Surface firmware or Windows 8 related) you’re looking forward to the most?

Via: ZDNet

As you may know, Microsoft is throwing a 12 Days of Deals sale at their physical Stores, starting this Monday. That first deal is for the Dell Venue 8 Pro, which gets a massive discount to just $199 (or $99 if you’re on of the first 20 customers).

Well, Microsoft has just posted a new ad to their Microsoft Store YouTube page, and it’s causing quite a stir tonight. However, we’re treading cautiously here, and we’ll explain the nuances of the deal and why it's not what you think it is...

The ad boasts about Day 6 of the special offer, which puts it at next Saturday, December 14. The commercial tells us about the following offers for that single day, only available at their brick and mortar locations:

• Surface 2 complete bundle for $149 ($99 for the first 20 customers)
• Surface Pro 2 complete bundle for $249 ($199 for the first 20 customers)

Now, the big question is what is a “complete bundle”? From the ad, the Surface 2 bundle shows the device with an Incipio case, Type Cover 2 and a $25 gift card to the Windows Store. The Surface Pro 2 portion has the Incipio screen protector, Office 365, Surface Pro 2 and Type Cover.

Could Microsoft really be offering all of that for those prices? We think it’s a bit deceptive, and the answer is ‘no’. It appears that complete bundles are just a discounted accessories packages:

• Surface 2 Complete Bundle ($149, regular $253.98): Type Cover 2 ($129), Incipio Case ($34.99), $25 Gift Card. 2-year warranty
• Surface Pro 2 Complete Bundle ($249, regular $348.97): Touch Cover 2 ($119), Office 365 subscription ($99), Incipio Screen protector ($19.99), Premium Software support ($99), 2 year warranty

In other words, the idea that Microsoft on top of all of that will also throw in a Surface 2 or Surface Pro 2 is a little crazy, even for them. So while many of you have interpreted this as being everything in that image, we’re not so confident.

Granted, since Microsoft does not define what the bundle is either (though see ‘Surface Pro Accessories Value Bundle’ for $169) it’s easy to run away with the idea, especially after the Dell Venue 8 Pro deal, but alas…it’s too good to be true.

Finally, with the title of the video being "Day 6 SurfaceBundles final 2", we're betting this was posted early and by mistake. [Update: Ass suspected, the video is now 'Private' meaning this was posted early and in error]

Still, if you need a discounted accessories bundle for your Surface 2 or Surface Pro 2, next Saturday is your day.

Source: YouTube; Thanks, ddavi021 and Kingsly E., for the tip and Ryan for the math fix

If you recently picked up one of Microsoft’s latest devices, the Surface 2 or Surface Pro 2, you might be experiencing a slight issue with the screen dimming its brightness level when working on CPU intensive activities.

Not to worry though, Microsoft is in the processes of creating and releasing a firmware updates to the units.

High intensive activities such as gaming, are causing the unit to overheat and thus BIOS begins to lower the brightness of the display as reaction to try and cool the unit. There has been some confusion over the issue and some consumers “believed they had a defective unit”. A spokesperson for Microsoft commented on the issue and clarified that the issue is indeed due to an increase of the unit’s internal temperature.

The update should be available shortly, so stay tuned – are you experiencing this issue with your Surface 2 or Surface Pro 2?

Source: WinBeta

Windows Phone Central has brought you several accessory reviews for the Microsoft Surface over the past few months. We’ve covered cases from Bear Motion, MiniSuit, and more. One case manufacturer has been noticeably absent though: MoKo Cases. These cases came highly recommended by a few of our readers, which of course caused us to take notice…

At last, we’ve picked up both styles of MoKo Surface cases to review. Today’s review covers the MoKo Detachable Rotary Case for the Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2. This particular case doesn’t come in a Surface RT-style, but Surface Pro owners should be impressed by its unique features and dignified appearance. Head past the break for our full review.

Serious colors

The MoKo Detachable Rotary Case comes in four colors: grey, indigo, black, and brown. For this review, MoKo provided the grey and indigo versions. The grey is quite dark and muted – almost tan in color. The indigo is a deep purplish tone, nearly navy blue but still more purple.

These color selections contrast with the bright, widely varied colors of the MoKo Slim-Fit Case (review coming soon). The Detachable Rotary Case is all business and class.

Case exterior

Whichever color you choose, the outside of the Detachable Rotary Case has a diagonal cross-hatching texture that feels pleasant to the touch and provides a bit of grip. The front exterior is blank other than a small MoKo logo in the bottom-right corner.

The rear of the case is where the Detachable Rotary Case proves most visually distinct from other folio cases. This part of the case has two levels or layers. The layer closes to the case’s opening has a long vertical rectangle with black at the top and bottom, creating an interesting look. That stripe also has a function, which we’ll get to in a bit.

Just beside the stripe, a stretchable black band runs from the top to the bottom of the case. This band can be used to hold the case closed by pulling it around the front of the folio – we saw the same feature in the previous Surface cases we reviewed. The difference (and not for the better) is the MoKo band’s width: about half as wide as other brands’ cases. As a result, it would be much easier to tug on the band and tear it from the case. That’s pretty much the only element in which MoKo sacrificed substance to style in this case’s design.

Port access

Another important aspect of case exteriors: how the cut-outs fit the various ports and features of the device.

On the rear of the case you’ll find a generous hole for the Surface Pro’s rear camera. The edge along the top of the Surface Pro has a circle for the device’s speaker and ten tiny holes that either provide airflow or serve a purely aesthetic purpose. The Surface Pro’s power button is completely exposed for easy access.

The left edge of the Surface Pro is where you’ll find its single USB port and volume buttons. Both cutouts fit nicely. The headphone/speaker jack on the same side is completely exposed.

The right side of the Surface Pro holds its Micro-SD card, power jack, and video out jack. The video jack is completely exposed whereas the other two inputs have cutouts. The power jack’s cut-out could use a few more millimeters on one side, but it still provides better access than Bear Motion and MiniSuit’s cases.

Case interior

Open the case up and you’ll find three vertical stripes on inside front jacket of the case. These serve as the case’s stand mechanism. Fold it over and rest the bottom of the Surface Pro along any of the stripes to stand it up. That way you have a choice of three different angles when standing.

As for the portion that holds the Surface Pro itself, it provides generous room at the top for the device’s front-facing camera. Even more generous is the room at the bottom of the Surface Pro…

Other brands’ cases have sometimes obscured part of the capacitive Windows button, making it slightly difficult to press and impeding downward swipes. MoKo’s case avoids that problem by leaving the bottom edge of the Surface almost entirely exposed – other than the corners. It’s a bold design choice that probably provides a little less protection than the alternative.  Still, the improved access to the Windows button and bottom edge of the screen justifies MoKo’s take.

Detachable action

It’s high time we got to the two design elements that really separate this case from traditional folio cases. Number one: the rear of the case (the part that actually holds the Surface Pro) can detach from the front!

That’s why the rear has that two-level appearance; it’s actually two separate pieces. A metal stud button connects the two pieces. Pull both sides apart to separate the pieces, or push the male and female parts of the button together to reattach them.

Here’s where that rectangle on the back of the case I mentioned earlier comes in. Slide your fingers under it and it becomes a hand strap. I imagine that using the Surface Pro in a vertical orientation either to write or read would be especially easy when the case is detached. And you don’t have to worry about keeping a strong grip on the device like you would without a case.

Also, when detached the rear case has a kickstand function that can stand the device in a landscape orientation.

Rotation station

Oh, but the Detachable Rotary Case doesn’t just detach. While the two portions of the case are connected, you can actually rotate them independently of each other. The stud button provides the axis for rotation. Why would someone want to rotate half of the case, you ask?

Simple. Rotating the rear of the case ninety degrees allows the user to stand the Surface Pro up in a vertical orientation. The bottom of the device (technically the left or right side) rests along the interior ridges just as when used in a landscape orientation.

The vertical stand option should be useful for reading recipes or other documents while working with your hands. You do like to cook, don’t you fellas?

Keyboard and Stylus support

The Detachable Rotary Case supports the Surface Touch and Type Covers about as well as any other folio case – maybe even slightly better. The case can hold the device with either keyboard attached when closed.

Detaching the case provides an interesting option for keyboard users. With the front cover removed, you can use the Touch or Type Cover to protect the Surface Pro’s front while the case guards the rear. Kind of like you’d do without a case. The only thing you can’t do with the keyboard and this case (or any case) is fold the keyboard behind the Surface Pro when not in use.

As for stylus support, the case has a black stylus holder along the edge, much like other folio cases. No need to worry about losing your stylus here.

Overall Impression

The MoKo Detachable Rotary Case has so much more character than other Surface Pro cases. You can use it like a normal folio case and it will look perfectly professional and yet distinctive thanks to the two-level rear design. Or you can snap the two sections apart in order to get the front of the case out of the way during use. Then you have three angles for landscape standing and the option of portrait standing. All that, plus the case just feels great to hold.

Of course, some people will probably prefer the personal expression that comes with additional color choices over the ability to rotate and detach a case. That’s where the MoKo Slim-Fit Case comes in. We’ll review that one soon as well.

• MoKo Detachable Rotary Case – Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2 - $24.99 – Amazon Store Link

An important factor for laptops, tablets and other mobile hardware is battery life. After Microsoft released the Surface Pro 2, the company pushed out a firmware update enabling the WiFi to go into lower power states and utilise even less power. AnandTech has run another battery life benchmark for the product after updating to see just how much of an improvement we're looking at. 

Too long, don't read version? The improvements are fairly significant. We'll simply grab a few of the results and cover them here for a short read, though we strongly urge you to head on over to AnandTech to enjoy the full read through. So, what benchmarks were ran? First up is a web browsing battery life test, simply because we all go through numerous web pages while on the go.

You'll now be able to take advantage of the web for well over 8 hours. That's not bad considering the original version lasted under 7 hours. In fact, the Surface Pro 2 overtook the ARM Surface 2. We'll look at one more, video playback. Playing through a Harry Potter movie (720p, 4Mbps HP H.264), the test showed improvements once again, with a considerable boost in battery life.

Even though there are improvements, the product and chip still lags behind competitor hardware, including the Surface 2 with video playback. However, it's positive to see such advances being made without having to purchase new hardware. Microsoft's tablet (sporting an Intel Haswell chip) is a solid performer considering just how much functionality is packed inside (sensors, capacitive touch, etc.). 

That said, 7 hours for video playback will get you through a film or two, which isn't bad going - especially with an i5 processor with a full HD display.

Head on over to AnandTech for the full test and read through.

Source: AnandTech

We’re at home rocking our Surface 2 (that’s the RT version in case you forgot) and while we’re super pleased with it, you ‘Pro’ fans out there have something to get excited about too: the Docking Station.

A few of the next-gen Surface accessories, like the Docking Station and Battery Cover, did not launch with the Surface 2, leaving a few of us a little flummoxed. However, after a few tips we received and some details posted on ZDNet by Mary Jo Foley (and Windows SuperSite), we can let you know that the Docking Station is now available—in limited quantities.

Fetching for $199, the Docking Station is the end-all, be-all when it comes to pro level accessories for the Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2. It boasts “a display port, an audio input/output jack, an Ethernet port, as well as a high-speed USB 3.0 and three USB 2.0 ports” all in the matching Surface design. It’s an impressive piece of hardware and will allow many of you to replace your desktop setup with an all-in-one Surface Pro system.

So that’s the good news, the bad news is that these are only available in limited amounts. Both the Docking Station and Battery Cover were slated for an ‘early 2014’ release, but some of the Docks are now out for purchase (Battery Cover is still MIA). Indeed, when we checked the Microsoft Store online, we could order it for $199 with next-day shipping. How long you will be able to do that is anyone’s guess, so if you were considering it, you may want to act now.

To clarify, the Docking Station won’t work with the RT versions of the Surface—so no Surface RT or Surface 2, only the ‘Pro’ editions can take advantage of it.

[Update 4PM ET: The Dock is now listed out of stock. No word if it will come back.]

Thanks, James B., Todd P and others for the tips.

Attention Microsoft fans, it is officially October 22, 2013 here in the United States, and the latest generation of Surface tablets are now available for your purchasing delight. In addition, all new Surface accessories are also available including the refined Touch Cover 2 and Type Cover 2. The questions many are asking, are of course "should I pick one up for the first time?" and "should I replace my current Surface device with the Surface 2 or Surface Pro 2?"..

Surface 2

Microsoft’s latest Surface 2 is a follow up to their pervious Surface RT tablet. The new next generation unit includes NVIDIA’s Tegra 4 processor, which features a more modern architecture that now supports USB 3.0 and power that is promised to be around 6 times faster than Tegra 3.  The tablet’s weight and thickness are close to the last generation tablet at 1.49 lbs. and .35 inches respectively. The Surface 2 now also features up to 10 hours of battery life while consuming video (compared to the Surface RT’s 8 hours).

The biggest improvements to the Surface 2 besides the new Tegra 4 processor, is the redesigned two angle kickstand and the newly upgraded display. The previous Surface RT’s 1366 x 768 resolution was less than desirable, while the new Surface 2 now packs a full 1080p HD display for your viewing pleasure. Internal memory has stayed the same at 2 GB, and storage can be picked up in either 32 GB or 64 GB flavors.

The Surface 2, as expected, has been upgraded to Windows RT 8.1 and includes Office RT for free. In addition to Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote – the new Surface 2 also includes Outlook for managing your emails, calendars, and contacts.

Surface Pro 2

If you stood Microsoft’s latest generation Surface Pro next to the Surface Pro 2 – you probably wouldn’t be able to tell a difference. The two units are essentially the same aesthetically, as the real differences are internal.

The new Microsoft Surface Pro 2 includes Intel’s Core i5 Haswell processor and either 4 GB or 8 GB of RAM for some serious multitasking. Solid state storage for the device is available in either 64 GB, 128 GB, 256 GB, or 512 GB.

The Surface Pro 2 includes a battery that is said to last up to eight hours active and 7-15 days in standby (or “Idle life” as Microsoft now calls it). Just as the new Surface 2 includes a two angle kickstand for easier use on your lap – the Surface Pro 2 does also.

Other differences apart from the regular Surface’s ability to run legacy Windows applications, include a digitizer pen for sketching/note taking and a 1080p touch screen that can detect up to 10 points of multitouch interaction (versus the Surface 2’s five points of interaction).

Both the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 also include 200 GB of online SkyDrive storage for two years (a $400 value) and unlimited minutes with Skype for one year.

The Accessories

Accessories for Microsoft’s Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 machines are not left out of today’s launch. The biggest products on display – Microsoft’s Type Cover 2 and Touch Cover 2.

The new Type Cover 2 features an improved button layout for a more efficient and comfortable typing experience, a thinner profile, and backlit keys. The cover is currently listed in a variety of colors including comes in Black, Cyan, Purple, and Magenta for $129. At this time, only Cyan is listed as In Stock on Microsoft’s web store.

The new Touch Cover 2 has also been redesigned with more touch sensitive, enabling a more accurate experience, and backlit keys. The cover is currently listed in Charcoal for $119 on Microsoft’s Store, but is currently out of stock.

And before you ask, yes, the Touch Cover 2 and Type Cover 2 are compatible with your first generation Microsoft Surface RT or Surface Pro tablet.

Other accessories include Microsoft’s new Wireless Cover Adapter, which allows users to detach the keyboard from their Surface and go wireless up to a distance of 30 feet. The cost for wireless freedom will cost you $59.99.

For the more productive type, Microsoft is also offering up a Docking Station and new Arc Touch Mouse for their Surface products. The docking station allows Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2 to become full desktop workstations; the dock provides a display port, audio input and out jacks, an Ethernet port, and four USB ports (one of which is 3.0). The docking station is not currently available from the Microsoft Store website, but will cost $199.99 upon availability.

The new Arc Touch Mouse Surface Edition is also up for display, yet not available, and will cost $69.99. The Arc Touch Mouse is a flat foldable Bluetooth mouse with Microsoft’s BlueTrack technology. A touch strip replaces the standard scroll wheel for navigating through documents. We personally recommend other mouses from Logitech like the MX series, but some may prefer the Arc Touch Mouse for its foldability.

The Decision

The question you may be asking yourself, if whether you should run out and purchase the Surface 2 or Surface Pro 2, is a valid one and something to consider.

If you currently have the Surface RT and wish to upgrade to the Surface 2 – it will most likely be a great purchase. The new Surface 2’s 1080p full HD screen, two angle kickstand, USB 3.0 port, and Tegra 4 processor will provide a much better experience than the RT. If you have the cash and are sure you love Windows RT devices – the Surface 2 is not a bad upgrade choice.

The Surface Pro 2, on the other hand – takes some serious consideration. The processor has been upgraded and the new kickstand has been added, but nothing has significantly altered the user experience. The previous Intel processors ran well on the Surface Pro and while, the Surface Pro 2 does provide a jump in power – not everyone will need it. The HD screen has also remained the same and provides no compelling reason to upgrade. If you don’t have a Surface Pro already, the Surface Pro 2 might be a great choice and is a good step in the right direction for Microsoft. If you already own the Surface Pro and are enjoying it – you can probably skip this update and wait for Surface Pro 3.

Don’t forget that new Type Cover 2 and Touch Cover 2 do not require the latest generation of Surface devices, they will work perfectly on the Surface RT or Surface Pro. In addition, the new docking station is also compatible with the original Surface Pro.

Whether you choose to upgrade now or wait, is your own decision, but we hope the above advice makes your decision a bit easier. In addition to Microsoft’s Surface devices, other great Windows 8.1 machines to check out include Lenovo’s YOGA Pro 2 and ThinkPad YOGA, Sony’s VAIO Flip and VAIO Tap 11 (for the review click here), and the latest Nokia 2520 RT tablet introduced today at Nokia World. You can check out our hands on experience with the Nokia 2520 by heading over to our post here.

Are you going to run out and pick up a new Surface or are you waiting for different devices on the horizon? If you are already a Surface owner, share your experiences and what you think about the product that Microsoft calls the #1 tablet for productivity.

All products mentioned above can be order at the Microsoft Store online by clicking here.

Microsoft is currently running a cool deal at supporting stores across the US, where you can trade in your old iPad and get a minimum $200 gift card for your troubles. We last covered the offer back in September when the website stated the deal closes on October 27th. The official Microsoft website now shows an expiry date of December 31st, so you have more time if you haven't already taken advantage of the offer.

Why would you want to trade in your old iPad? With the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 just around the corner, now's a perfect time to be out with the old and in with the upgrades. That and you'll get a minimum of $200 for your old tablet.

Be sure to get in touch with your local Microsoft store for more details and if that store is participating in the offer.

Source: Microsoft; thanks, bdball, for the tip!

Microsoft will be launching its second-generation of surface hardware soon. To celebrate, the company has been running sweepstakes on Facebook. We've somehow managed to miss this opportunity for you all to win some cool prizes. You'll need to hurry up and get involved as there are only three days left. As well as the sweepstakes, there's an Ultimate Surface Fan contest!

The upcoming sweepstake days are as follows:

• Saturday, October 19, 2013
• Sunday, October 20, 2013
• Monday, October 21, 2013

How do you enter? It's simple. On the days above, head on over to www.newsurfacecountdown.com (redirects to a Facebook page - linked below) and login with your Facebook account. You'll then be shown a calendar with a tile flashing. Click this tile to see the prize giveaway that day and be automatically entered. You'll then be contacted within 24 hours if you've won. See? Simple.

Are there any requirements? Sure, you have to be over the age of 18. Also, residents of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria are not eligible to enter. Read the terms and conditions (.PDF) for more details and what prizes are included in the sweepstakes.

The Ultimate Surface Fan contest

Are you the "Ultimate Surface Fan"? Prove it by entering in a contest. Found on the same Facebook page as the above sweepstakes, you'll be able to enter yourself to potentially win a Surface Pro 2, Docking Station, Arc Touch Mouse and Type Cover 2. How awesome is that? All you have to do is explain in your own words why you're the ultimate Surface fan.

Do you love the kickstand? Has it survived numerous drops? Do you simply lay awake at night reading through weird Reddit posts? Touch on subjects including what Surface means to you, how you use the tablet and why you'd buy another to really be in with a chance of winning. Good luck!

Source: Facebook

A couple of days ago we reported that pre-sales of the new Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 were doing very well, with stock running low on a few variations of the new hardware. Indeed, we can now confirm Microsoft wasn’t bluffing as the Surface Pro 2 (128 GB) is now listed as ‘out of stock’ through the Microsoft Store online.

It’s not clear how much initial inventory Microsoft planned for nor if the the 128 GB version will be replenished in the coming weeks. Presumably Microsoft can adjust manufacturing orders for the devices accordingly and we may see the 128 GB version come back online in the coming days.

So are the new Surface 2’s and Surface Pro 2’s really selling well? Since we don’t know how many units were actually allocated, it’s hard to say. Interest in general does seem to be higher than for the previous Surface launch. There is also no doubt that the four week turnaround time from announcement to availability will go a long way in keeping that awareness high. But without any firm numbers, they could have sold a hundred thousand or fifty.

Interestingly, Microsoft did not predict the 128 GB version from running out of stock. Instead they warned that the Surface 2 (64 GB) and Surface Pro 2 (256 GB and 512 GB) were running low. That means we may see other configurations run out soon too, so you may want to get your preorder in now if you were hedging.

Devices will ship by October 21 for an availability of the 22nd.

Source: Microsoft Store; Thanks, Keval S., for the tip

It's no secret that Microsoft's first generation of Windows 8 tablets haven not done as well as the company hoped. That said, the Surface 2 and Surface 2 Pro, which were both announced late last month are set to launch later in the year, both featuring new chips, improvements and appeal. To avoid experiencing Déjà vu, Microsoft will also be looking to partner with companies to help ship units, including Delta Airlines.

Both parties have announced a deal that will involve 11,000 Surface 2 tablets to replace heavy pilot flight bags.

You may now be wondering how exactly they plan on saving fuel with Windows 8 hardware, possibly assuming the absence of pilot bags will not affect the plane weight. You'd be wrong. That's exactly what Delta plans to do. The idea is to remove the 38-pound flight bags pilots' use, which are loaded with maps, charts, checklists and reference materials. All this information will be stored digitally on the Surface 2 tablets.

So how much fuel will the airline be saving exactly? According to a blog post by Delta Senior VP, Captain Steve Dickinson, the move will reduce duel consumption by 1.2 million gallons per year. This will lead to a 26 million pound reduction in annual emissions (the equivalent to taking a fair few vehicles off the road). It's not just the saving of fuel, though.

Dickinson also notes that the ability to run two apps side-by-side enables pilots to examine multiple sources of information at once (think weather conditions and navigation). This isn't the first time Microsoft and Delta have worked together either. Microsoft is currently looking to outfit 19,000 flight attendants with the Nokia Lumia 820 smartphone for in-flight services.

It's actually interesting Delta has gone with Microsoft's second-generation Surface hardware, especially since the tablets have not yet been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for cockpit use. The airline will be rolling the tablets out on 700 Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft, with the aim to complete the rollout and go paperless by 2014.

Via: CSMonitor; thanks, Atif, for the tip!

Microsoft announced the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 last week at an event in New York City. The two devices, along with their new accessories, are due out on October 22th. Pre-orders started last Tuesday online and in-person. If you wanted to pre-order online you’d have to pay the full price of the device or accessory. However, if you did the pre-order in person at your local Microsoft Store you had to put at least $50 down to reserve your device.

Starting today, you can reserve your Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 without paying until you pick it up.

The Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 will be available in 22 countries at launch. We’ll see it in places like Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. China is part of that initial 22, but they’ll get it in early November instead of Oct. 22.

But having physical access to retail Microsoft Stores gives Canada and the United States an advantage over the others. Starting today you’re able to reserve your Surface 2, Surface Pro 2, and associated accessories for $0 down. You’ll be paying the device when you pick up your new toys in a few weeks.

We received the tip from a retail employee of a Microsoft Store. We followed up by calling a few of our local Stores in southern California and confirmed the same thing. Head into your local Microsoft Store and you should be able to reserve your new devices without having to pay until you grab them. Unfortunately, it looks like you won’t be able to do that for the 512GB version of the Surface Pro 2, but it should work for the rest of the lineup.  

Pricing for the Surface 2 starts at $449, while the Surface Pro 2 starts at $899. Check the full pricing here.

Thinking of going this route to reserve your Surface 2? Be sure to call ahead to your local Microsoft Store before heading down to the mall and tell us below what device and configuration you’re getting!

Thanks for the tip Derek! 

Microsoft has only recently unveiled both the Surface 2 and Surface 2 Pro Windows tablets, but already the company has released an advert showing off exactly what these new products can do. The above video explains why the Surface Windows tablets are worth checking out, and what an advert it is. "Not just a laptop, not just a tablet."

From the increased battery life all the way to the new Intel chips utilised, Microsoft is going all out when it comes to the second generation of its Windows tablets. When the original Surface tablets launched back in 2012, Microsoft emphasised how unique and fresh the products were (with a focus on movement), compared to the competition. It's clear with the second wave that we will see the company promote what improvements have been made.

If you're interested in the new Surface tablets, be sure to head on over to Microsoft's website to place a pre-order. As an incentive, remember the company is packing 200GB SkyDrive and free Skype calls with each Surface 2 and Surface 2 Pro.

Source: YouTube; thanks, frugo, for the tip!

Panos Panay and the Surface team just wrapped up their AMA on Reddit. The Q&A session had hundreds of questions about the new Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2. We’ve collected some of the more interesting answers and factoids into a handy, easy-to-digest bullet point list. Enjoy!

Surface 2

• Surface 2 with LTE integrated coming early next year. (Source)
• LTE version will have GPS. (Source)
• Surface 2 only comes in silver, no black option. (Source)
• Surface 2 does not have support the Surface Pen. It is still a capacitive display. (Source)
• Surface 2 still uses a 5-point multitouch display. (Source)

Surface Pro 2

• Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2 do not support connected standby. (Source)
• Surface Pro 2 features Intel 4400HD graphics. (Source)
• Surface Pro will work with new Docking Station. (Source)
• Surface Pro 2 uses the Haswell Intel Core i5-4200U as processor. (Source)
• Surface Pro 2 will support dual external displays at 2650 x 1600 along with the internal display. DisplayPort 1.2 on the Surface Pro 2 allows for daisy chaining 2 monitors. (Source)

Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2

• Surface display goes up to 400 nits in brightness. (Source)
• Both Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 feature Dolby processing built-in to improve audio. (Source)
• Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 will have Miracast support.
• Both Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 use 802.11 a/g/n 2x2 MIMO special diversity streams for Wi-Fi capabilities. 2.4G and 5G are supported for 802.11n. (Source)
• No support for NFC in either Surface 2 or Surface Pro 2. (Source)

Accessories

• Power connector is now easier to connect with the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2. It has been redesigned to be easier to position and insert. The LED can now be seen from any angle. (Source)
• The Power Cover does not come with backlit keys (saving power is the concern, though it can charge your Surface when in the bag). (Source)
• The entire Touch Cover 2 can be used for gestures. (Source)
• Both Touch and Type Cover 2 will work with first generation Surface devices. The backlit functionality will also work on both the Surface RT and Surface Pro. (Source)
• Surface Pen and chargers from first generation will work with Surface Pro 2. (Source)
• New keyboards support Microsoft’s Precision Touchpad functionality in Windows 8.1. (Source)
• Touch Cover 2 features 1092 pressure sensors, up from 80 in the original. This will enabled more blades, like the Surface Music Kit, in the future. (Source)

Misc.

• Panos Panay uses the Nokia Lumia 1020 as his smartphone. (Sure it’s silly, but I thought it was cool). (Source)
• Julie Larson-Green enjoys a good, hoppy IPA. (Source)

Overall, a solid AMA. Curious about pricing and worldwide availability? The Surface 2 starts at $449 and the Surface Pro 2 starts at $899. Get full details here. What other questions do you have about the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2? Sound off below.

Source: Reddit AMA

Microsoft has chosen to include some interesting extras with the new Surface 2 tablets. As well as announcing the actual hardware today, this bundle include free Skype calls and SkyDrive storage to get you started with your new Windows 8 product. The best part? Both Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 purchases are eligible for the promotion. So what's included with each purchase?

You'll receive 200GB of SkyDrive storage for two years. That's a massive amount of cloud, which can be utilised for anything and everything. Fancy buying a Nokia Lumia 1020? Now you'll be able to upload high quality shots to share with friends without freaking out about your 20,000 photo album from taking up too much space.

That's not all as free Skype calls to landlines in 60 countries, coupled with free Skype WiFi at over 2 million hotspots for a single year are also included. Tablets are perfect products for keeping in touch with family and friends, especially when abroad and with this promotion pack, you'll be able to enjoy calls back home or video chats on the free WiFi.

So which Surface 2 are you? Answer in our poll!

Source: Surface Blog

When the original Surface and Surface Pro launched last year there were only a handful of accessories in the Surface family. You had your various HDMI out dongles, two types of keyboards, and a pen for the Surface Pro. Today, Microsoft announced even more accessories alongside the new Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2. Here they are.

There is no denying that Microsoft created a groundbreaking product with the original Type and Touch Cover that launched last year. They show no signs of slowing down their innovative pace with the next generation of Surface. Here are the seven new accessories:

Type Cover 2 - $129.99

The second generation Type Cover is 1mm thinner and adds a backlit keyboard. Available for pre-order September 24 in the United States and Canada. 

Touch Cover 2 - $119.99

The Touch Cover 2 is thinner and lighter with the added ability to support touch gestures across the entire keyboard surface. Available for pre-order September 24 in the United States and Canada. 

Surface Music Cover

One surprise in the Surface accessory lineup is the Music Cover. It's a keyboard tailored specicially for Daft Punk inside us all. Pressure sensitive pads all you to remix all day and night. 

Power Cover - $199.99

Microsoft has finally added an extra battery for your Surface Pro. This is give you a boost of 50% battery life. Coming early 2014. 

Docking Station for Surface Pro -$199.99

Your Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2 can now call your desk home. The Docking Station adds a power supply, 1 USB 3.0 port, 2 USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port, 3.5mm audio input/output, and 1 DisplayPort video output. Coming early 2014. 

Wireless Adapter for Typing Cover - $59.99

A nice surprise, the Wireless Adapter for your Typing Cover gives your Surface keyboards some extra range. It connects to your Type and Touch Covers magnetically and allows you to use the keyboard from far away. Available for pre-order September 24 in the United States and Canada. 

Car charger with USB - $49.99

Here’s an accessory that will boost the adoption of Surface as a tool for trucks and mobile road warriors. Charge your Surface via USB by plugging in the car charger. Coming early 2014. 

Arc Touch Mouse Surface Edition - $69.99

Microsoft releases the Surface Edition of its very popular Arc Touch mouse. The device uses Bluetooth 4.0 low energy to work on nearly any surface with its BlueTrack technology. Available for pre-order on September 24 in the United States and Canada. Coming to other markets in the coming months. 

We’ll be getting hands on with all Surface accessories as they come out over the coming months. Which accessory are you most looking forward to?

Don't forget to join our Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 forums! And make sure you get your pre-order on!