Preface
Let me preface this review with a little bit of info about the user:
- Is familiar with Windows 8 on a traditional desktop environment i.e. downloaded the customer preview and then downloaded the RTM build when available on MSDN, knows that there is no Start button and understands that it is an operating system built for “touch first” in mind.
- Has had < 30 mins of experience on a Surface through a friend.
Touching Windows 8
What a refreshing, and easy to use Operating System! The gestures make it easy to fly around the different apps, without a big learning curve. App selection is a little limited, but that’s okay considering it’s only a 3 day old platform! There are definitely some bugs in the apps i.e. the AccuWeather app would not refresh sometimes, and end up crashing, but that’s okay because there are other weather apps like Weatherflow, Bing Weather or Weatherbug. This is the perfect segway to the next section – Apps!
Apps
Apps are all the rage, and there are plenty available in the marketplace to keep someone busy for a while, some of the big names are missing like Facebook, Flipboard or Mint (hint, hint), but I’m hoping this gap gets filled soon!
Hardware
The hardware is great, screen is vivid, the casing is solid, and the surface team’s recent facebook feed shows why – there is literally no air in this device! The tight packing, and the nvidia chip also don’t heat up, and are at par with what is expected from a premium Hardware Company.
Position and Ergonomics
Using the Surface in a number of positions is one of the key promises/goals that any tablet has to pass, to actually be usable… extra-long delays when going from portrait to landscape have caused a lot of customer dissatisfaction with current competitors and Microsoft must’ve taken that into consideration, because not having the “flipping” animation was very refreshing for an iPad user like myself. Add to that its “journal-ly” (16:9) feel, it makes the Surface a lot of fun to hold, and easy to use as a reading device.
My biggest concern, something the other tablets lack – how will it do when I really just want to get work done. I’ll be honest, I hate using that on screen keyboard on the iPad. I may not comment on some issues because typing on a real keyboard would be faster. So, combined with the Touch keyboard, I started trying out different positions in which I would likely have used a laptop to do the work instead.
The standard table position
The touch keyboard really shines in this position, the keyboard is flat and it feels a little like I’m just typing on the desk. There is an occasional delay or lag when using word in the Desktop mode, but I’m hoping that’s going to go away as soon as the “Preview” label goes away.
Feet up and watching TV
This is most likely my 60% scenario, hopefully I’m not the only one who liked the idea of having a laptop to work and watch some TV in the background (possibly a boardwalk empire episode?). In this mode the Surface is actually very usable! The angle worked out perfectly for me, and the weight was just right. The Surface transforms into a fully usable “productivity” device!
Lying on the bed and working.
This isn’t one where the touchpad shines, it looks like when flexed the sensitivity changes…significantly. To such an extent that I would rather use the on screen keyboard, which is also pretty good! The fact that I have a choice is very refreshing. I am still very torn on which one of the two on screen keyboards I prefer more – the full keyboard sacrifices the flexibility for a faster typing speed, the split keyboard sacrifices the speed for a slightly more unconventional keyboard. I’m guessing the accuracy of the onscreen keyboard will improve the more I use it.
Conclusion
The desktop mode definitely stands out on the Surface, but using Word and the touch keyboard to write this review was tiring at times, not because there was something wrong with the hardware, but because sometimes the delay that Word Preview would cause was very annoying.
The question is not whether Windows 8 is good enough or not. Its whether app developers realize that there is a new and evolved platform in the market, and that they need to start building for it’s millions of users, coming back to Ballmer’s infamous quote – “Developers, developers, developers”.
One reply on “My Surface review – from a Surface”
Good analysis. I absolutely agree! Using Surface while on the couch with TV is comfortable. I find when on my iPad I’m simply consumptive, but with the Surface, I’m productive to boot. I’m chatting with friends, browsing reddit, and tweeting. I’m still customizing it and getting it to be exactly how I want it to be setup. A bit more tedious than I expected it to be though.
> portrait to landscape have caused a lot of customer dissatisfaction with current competitors and Microsoft must’ve taken that into consideration
Not sure if I agree. I found iPad’s transition to be smooth and responsive. Surface on the other hand is jarring and frankly, annoying.
From a hardware perspective, I’m using the type keyboards, which feels just as flexible as the touch keyboard, but with physical keys to let your muscles instinctly react. It doesn’t feel as comfortable as the touch keyboard when flipped behind the slate though. The trackpad deserves some considering as well. I don’t like it as much. I was hoping for it to feel as comfortable as the trackpad on the MacBook Air or better.
All in all, I like it. It’s a v1 and it’s very promising. I see myself using it and completely replacing my iPad and Air. I’m excited to see the ecosystem expanding and building around Windows in the coming months!