Surface Pro 4 Owners Lounge

As I've pre-ordered a Surface Pro 4, I felt like I should create the owners thread.
Currently, the available configurations are:

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store...25711500?icid=en_US_SurfaceP4_cat_modF_100615



Processor: m3; (Rumored fanless) 4GB RAM; 128GB SSD (No CTO options); Intel HD Graphics
Processor: i5; 4, 8, 16GB RAM Options, 128, 256, 512 SSD Options; Intel HD Graphics
Processor: i7; 8, 16 GB RAM Options, 256, 512, 1TB SSD Options; Intel Iris Graphics (w/ 64MB L4)

All models include the Hybrid Liquid Cooling system (unconfirmed with m3)

Not all models will ship by Oct 26th- please note i7 variants will not ship until Nov. 20th

New Keyboard attachment (sold separately) has fingerprint reader, and will work with SP3 according to Engadget

"Like the Surface itself, the Type Cover is thinner and lighter. The trackpad is 40 percent larger and the keyboard has been upgraded with more space between the keys and better travel at 1.3mm. A lot for a cover this thin. The new Type Cover also works with the Surface Pro 3.

With Microsoft Hello, the front-facing camera can log you in to the computer with your face and other biometric inputs including the fingerprint scanner found on the keyboard."

More information to come as we discover it...

 

Which one did you order? Are you going to use it for primary laptop? I am comparing it with xps13, I have used Dell before, just worry about Dell's customer service and quality control.

 

I'm just waiting to buy the new pen for my Surface 3.

 

Personally, can't wait to see the new heat sink/cooling system in action. If they have improved that area alone and nothing else I'll jump all over the SP4. Excited to see some real world results.

Use my i7 SP3 daily, mostly as a tablet/slate w/ pen, but also love having the keyboard handy when needed. Fantastic devices, great form factor.

 

The i7, which unfortunately means that it won't ship til Nov 20th.

 

I have ordered SP4 (i5/16/512) on-line and also pre-ordered an i7 SP4 at a Microsoft Store, just in case. Microsoft store didn't require any prepayment, or even a credit card for pre-orders, so I said why not!
Most likely I will just keep the i5 (once I confirm that all my software runs fine).
This will be my secondary laptop intended for travel.

By the way, our local Microsoft Store offers the following bundle for Surface Pro 4:

1) 3 or 4 year Business Complete with Accidental Damage
2) Type Cover
3) Docking Station

Prices:
3 year: $479
4 year: $599

I am thinking about it.

 

Need some advise: do you think that I could replace my rMBP 13 with SP4 ? Thanks

 

@be77solo Take a look at Engadget's review. I think one of the most interesting things in it is the benchmark scores, E2,697/ P1,556/ X422 (3D Mark 11 for the i5) compared to the HP Spectre x360 E1667 / P932 / X265 in roughly the same form factor and almost the same GPU, it gets destroyed. Some of that could be optimization of the GPU and CPU, but in reality, I think it's due to the fact that we don't see massive (or even slight) throttling. That alone has me excited. I believe when I looked at anandtech it mirrored the idea...
http://www.engadget.com/2015/10/21/surface-pro-4-review/

@hunterdt
It depends on what you do with your rMBP, and what level of hardware you'd need in your Surface, + accessories.
Personally, I have a wireless keyboard and mouse for my SP2/4 at home so I don't need the keyboard cover since I usually use stylus input on the go. What do you intend to use it for?

 

The definitive Anandtech review is now online guys, you can get all your questions answered and more from this extremely detailed Surface Pro 4 review: http://www.anandtech.com/show/9727/the-microsoft-surface-pro-4-review-raising-the-bar

 

Just went digging through my 3DMark11 scores for my SP3 i5 and i7 tests I ran for comparison back at launch:

SP3 i7: P1015
http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/8575293

SP3 i5: P966
http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/8511323

So, they have definitely improved things, looks like around +P5-600 for the SP4 i5! The SP3 i7 should have been faster than it was, but throttling neutered it completely.

Now just very curious to see SP4 i7 results, and whether or not they are like the SP3 series and perform similarly due to heat/TDP restraints, or if the SP4 i7 can actually pull ahead and use the extra power.

 

Don't worry, I'll let you know as soon as possible! @be77solo

 

I'm not an owner but here (where else?) I have to ask: what scaled resolutions are available on the Microsoft

Surface 3
10.8” ClearType Full HD Plus Display • Resolution: 1920 x 1280

Surface Pro 3
12" ClearType Full HD Display • Resolution: 2160 x 1440

Surface Pro 4
12.3" PixelSense display • Resolution: 2736 x 1824 (267 PPI)

And how do they look like, respectively?

Microsoft's site is not so helpful in this regard, comparing to Apple's. See more here.

 

I pre-ordered it and will pick it up in my local Microsoft store here in Canada on the 26th. Can't wait! I'll report back my impressions as soon as possible.

 

Guys with the m3 and i7, please post info here when you get your new toys. I am super keen to see these chips in the wild.

 

SP4 start shipping today, anyone received the shipping notification?

 

Shipped on Friday. Received today!

 

What a shame that they chose to go with 1600L DDR3 instead of 2133 DDR4.
(i5 model, info @ Anandtech)

 

On my SP4 with Core i5 I see 25 different resolutions ranging from 800x600 to 2736x1824 (recommended).
I tried a couple of them and they looked reasonably well. The pixels are so tiny that scaling to non-native resolutions works fine.
Of course, as always in Windows, you need to log out and then log in after changing the resolution in order for all icons to re-scale correctly.

 

I am returning my after playing for 20 hours, the left part of screen is kind of yellowish. Some third party softwares I use often still not scale well in Win10. But I am so impressive about the fan and heat, it is totally silent and stay cool...

 

Oh no!
Are you going to return it for another? Or are you just getting out completely?

Hopefully it is a one-off issue, and it's not a widespread problem.

 

I am returning for good, be honest, Lenovo Y900 is more comfortable to use than SP4. You should give that a try.

 

Personally, I've never had a good experience with Lenovo, and my Surface's have been rock steady. This can vary from person to person, but for me it's a good selling point. If there's something wrong with my Surface or it isn't up to par, I'll consider the Y900. Early indicators, though, look good for the Surface.

 

I used to own Thinkpad, and now using Macbook pro. Surface is not a cheap device, I would expect Surface has great performance and quality control, otherwise I would rather stay with my rMBP. I know sometimes I am too picky.

 

Ok so I've been playing with my i5 256 surface pro 4 for two days now. To get some negatives out of the way:

1. I've had the display driver fail on me a couple of times. It starts out by blacking out for a half a second every time I scroll on Edge before just completely turning off. It also does this weird thing where the screen turns into a yellowish tint then back to normal when browsing om Edge (happened several times already as I'm typing this post).

2. Edge again. I don't know if this is mainly a software or hardware issue, or a combination of both, but Edge can be really frustrating at times. It loves to just randomly refresh webpages, especially when scrolling through a long webpage (i.e. facebook). It also stops responding at very random moments where I only have one tab open (happened several times while typing this post, again). As I continue to type this post, I'm noticing that the ads on the page keep refreshing for whatever reason, and that's when edge stops responding. I literally can't do anything for a solid 10 seconds before it recovers. I am going to try out firefox or chrome and come back with an update but it's a shame because when Edge does work, it's a charm.

3. The speaker just pops randomly every now and then. Again, this could be an Edge problem as I've been spending most of my time on Edge these past two days.

4. Though the magnet on the pen feels strong, apparently it's not strong enough to always remain attached in my bag. Not a big deal though.

5. While I didn't have it long enough to tell you anything about battery life, something weird happened today. I put it in my bag in standby (battery at 60%) on my way back from university. 35 minutes later when I reach home, it's already down to 50%. I don't know what happened there. This only happened once, but I guess it's worth mentioning.

Some Positives:

1. The keyboard is great. It definitely feels like it has more than 1.3 mm of travel, and feels so much better than my HP Spectre x360 keyboard (which I returned due to fan issues). Doesn't flex when typing.

2. The touchpad is amazing. Super smooth. Can be overly sensitive at times, but easily the best trackpad I've ever used.

3. Screen looks nice and sharp (when it's working at least). Best screen I've ever used.

4. I used the pen for the first time to take down notes in my lectures today. Works very well, and my handwriting isn't half-bad. Increasing its sensitivity definitely helps make it feel more like a real pen or pencil on paper.

5. Speakers are surprisingly loud, crisp, and clear. Doesn't distort much at high volumes.

6. Overall package (with keyboard) is super lightweight and even the power brick is nice and light.

7. Actually works well on my lap. It does require some getting used to, though. Though for any students thinking about using this on their daily two-hour commute, forget it. The bus is way too shaky, making it very unstable and unusable on your lap. I'm lucky enough to have only a 35-minute commute, so it doesn't really
bother me.

8. Dark Blue keyboard cover looks perfect.

Overall, I'm really enjoying the Surface pro 4. I just have to figure out if the issues I'm facing are software related. The display driver failing and the yellowish tint worry me, so if anyone here can help with that, that'd be greatly appreciated.

 

I have a similar experience and most of the same issues. The video driver issues and the changing tint / color temperature in Edge problems - seem to be universal. Everyone is reporting that. Hopefully these are all software issues and will be addressed with a patch. Try using Internet Explorer instead of Edge (found under Window Accessories).

 

That does not scale well means... too small or too big?

Perhaps, could you do a screen shot? Thanks!

 

What you recommend between this and the alienware 13?

Enviado desde mi Nexus 5 mediante Tapatalk

 

Microsoft Surface book zBrush and photoshop test

 

These are two very different notebooks (Mind you, this is the SP4 Owners lounge, not the SurfaceBook, but I'm going to guess you meant the SB) that have very different functions.
The Surface Book is going to be a device that's OK at best for gaming, and is going to be better utilized for ultra mobility and creativity due to the N-Trig digitizer and ability to separate the base dock and be used as a Tablet.
The Alienware will be better suited to gaming at all times, it has a larger cooling system and better GPU. It lacks a touch screen if memory serves me correctly, and it has less mobility. I wouldn't try to do very much on the AW's battery, compared to the SB/SP4.
The designs are wildly different, too. I could go to work and bring my Surface Pro 4 / SurfaceBook no problem, but it would be out of place for me to bring the AW into a conference room.
The AW has better ports and upgrade paths, whereas the Surface line has more accessories to replicate everything the AW chassis has built in, meaning additional cost.
Hopefully this gives you a good idea, but if you have specific needs, we can recommend from there.

 

Unlike the above poster, I am going to assume you are truly comparing these 2 (SP4 and AW13). Having owned an AW13 and SP3 I am a pretty good person to answer this. I would say if you really are cross shopping the 2 then you should go with the alienware. One does not even look into the AW brand unless gaming is a major priority. You probably saw the SP4 out there and are drawn to its good looks and fun things like pen support, weight, keyboard etc... but at the end of the day if you want to game the SP4 really can't hold a candle to the AW. Not to sound rude, but also you are comparing 2 things that are completely different in every single way, so you seem to be a bit of a novice when it comes to this sort of thing, and alienware has great support, in my experience even better than microsoft. If something happens, they send a repair tech to your home or business to fix the computer... simple as that.

 

Thanks for the answer. The alw13 its slim and light to be a laptop? The model than i can afford its i5 5200u from amazón because i from another country cant buy it directly from alienware site

Enviado desde mi Nexus 5 mediante Tapatalk

 

Well its not really slim or light, but it is the slimmest and lightest alienware out there. Its not bad and carrying it is not difficult at all. The i5 is the one to get seeing as the i7 does not add that much more performance for the major increase in price, so you are all good there. I suggest you do some digging around the alienware forums here and that should help your decision, this thread is more dedicated to the SP4. Either way, glad to help and good luck with your purchase.

 

Microsoft Surface Pro 4 Review

 

I went over to Best Buy and grabbed a SP4 w/ i5 4gb and 128GB ssd while I waited to get the i7.
First impression, wow. Even nicer than my SP2. I skipped the 3rd gen, so for those of you that didn't, it probably won't wow you as much.
Performance: It's fast. I threw a quick DotA game up and it played at lowest settings but max resolution well. It was even better once you took it down to around 720p and raised the graphics quality up- I can't wait to get my hands on the i7 variant. The fan wasn't terrible during the test, it was relatively quiet, but the back was warm. It wasn't hot, but it was noticeable.
The new N-Trig is very responsive and was fairly accurate- for fun I used it as a 'mouse' during my DotA test and it actually did fairly well.
Screen is lovely, though as others have noticed, there are some items that don't scale to that perfectly.
What do people want to see or know?

 

@pdagal Thanks for the review on the m3- I'm sure there were quite a few here with questions!

 

How many fps you think it handle dota2? And if it handle dota2 without problems can handle league of legendario with high fps?

You think i5 with 4gb of RAM its ok for web surfing youtube and light gaming or ill need 8gb?

Enviado desde mi Nexus 5 mediante Tapatalk

 

Remember m3 model comes without coolers like macbook 12 and the charger come without the USB port for USB charging

Enviado desde mi Nexus 5 mediante Tapatalk

 

I typed out a really nice reply to this, but it seems that it never made it to you...
If there's no action on screen at absolute lowest settings with a higher resolution, 45-55fps. Move towards battles and it drops accordingly. I honestly think you are better off with a AW13 or smaller notebook that can game better, (See: Asus UX303LN / UB - AW13) to be honest. You will get more for your money there and a much smaller footprint than a regular laptop (Skylake i7, Nvidia GT 940m, 12GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Touchscreen 3k screen for 1250 on Amazon)

 

So I picked up the SP4 i5 256GB 8 gb ram also grabbed the dock (have not tired it) and the type pad with the fingerprint scanner.

My other notebooks that I have right now
Apple Macbook (sold and replaced by SP4)
Apple Macbook Pro 15 (sold and replaced by SP4)
HP Elitebook 820 G2 (company notebook)
Panasonic CF30 (my workhorse)

So I have had every surface they have brought out. Surface RT, SP, SP2, SP3, Surface 3 and hated them for one reason or another.
Surface RT = well need I say why
Surface Pro = battery life sucked (could not make a transcontinental flight or much else)
Surface Pro 2 = Not much better battery and the type cover touch pad was ok at best (just made a transcontinental flight)
Surface Pro 3 = Much better battery, but that keyboard and touch pad.....WTF Microsoft. a downgrade for sure.
Surface 3 = Same issue as above, and SLOWl, LTE was nice though however I ended up using my phone more as a hotspot
Surface Pro 4
Microsoft, thank you for finally bringing a touch pad that actually works and feels like a regular notebook touch pad.
So I got mine with the fingerprint sensor for a couple of reasons.
1 faster to logon
2 security when in a board meeting, on the airplane etc (better than typing out my password each time) yes i know why type of sensor it is so lets no go there.
3 not a fan of the camera software

After using this for the better part of a week I have to say the fingerprint scanner works as expected and better than on my HP 820. It works every time no questions. Cannot say that about others.
so good for MS for getting that right the first time.
Screen is awesome
Windows 10, the issues that people see on Edge etc are windows 10 in general.
I will say Windows 10 works much better on this tablet than it does on others, you can tell MS though about this unit and really polished the OS for it (page out of Apple book?).
I have not had the issues other have with the screen, sound or battery (left mine on standby for a whole day and no change) but I will be superstitious and say knock on wood.
All in all for my use (email, surfing, network engineering, Datacenter administration etc) it works fantastic.
I do not game on this as i have a dedicated gaming rig.
Battery life at this point has been true with 25-50% backlight, get about 8-9.5 hours.
so zero complaints.
I also find the pen works as well, and oddly enough does not disconnect as much as the old one did.

Last comment, if you have a SP3 then just get the new type pad, that alone is worth the investment.

On a side note I almost bought the Surface Book but after I realized that the tablet portion only got (if you were lucky) 3 hours of battery. this is a joke and just not interested. the GPU does nothing for me and it is much more expensive for not much more. To get the dGPU that price jumps a lot.
Maybe Version 2.

 

What do you guys think of this ?

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer...ce-book-laptop-is-almost-impossible-to-repair

 

1. Get the best configuration you may need and can afford, so you wouldn't have to upgrade down the road.
2. Get an extended warranty with Accidental Damage Protection, so you wouldn't worry about any repairs.

 

I sort of expected it to be honest. Microsoft doesn't want us messing with their incredibly slim products and that's fine by me. I would like to see what a re-paste could do for my future i7, but it isn't a big deal to me.

 

Long review podcast, (sorry if this has already been posted)

 

And why do you keep posting Surface Book reviews in this Surface Pro 4 owners thread?

 

I'm thinking of getting the SP4 i7 16GB 512 SSD as I wanted to buy the Lenovo W550s with similar spec to SP4.

I want to use it for SharePoint Development with VMWare Workstation. Can I install VMWare Workstation on SP4?

Also, having been used to 15" screen size laptop for many, many years, will I be able to get used to a 12.3" screen for development?

 

I don't see why not. As I understand, VMWare worked fine on SP3. Even the i5 might be sufficient.

Going from 15" to 12" might be a problem though. Unless you use an external monitor for more serious work.

 

Sure since you have good density of pixel with excellent screen definition.
16 GO is a must have if you use VMWARE.
Please try to check though the quality of typing on the SP4 which is a personal opinion ... then decide if not going for a MicrosoftBook, i ve heard Keyboard is better on the Mbook.

 

I don't need MicrosoftBook. I need a 2-in-1 laptop and tablet. I already have the Lenovo W520 and T440s

 

Mivrosoft book its also a tablet

Enviado desde mi Nexus 5 mediante Tapatalk

 

@ chukwe Problem with Lenovo is they add trojan/spyware in ALL their system. I was trying to help you.