Surface Pro 4

Isn't this supposed to be fanless.

Rumors that are floating around, a 12" fanless version and a 14" with a fan. Not sure if this is coming from the same place but multiple people have reported it. Seems logical.
 
If they can offer a device that is basically what we already have with the Surface 3 Pro (There isn't much to improve here physical design wise.) but fix the thermal/throttling issues that the 3 pro has it'll be a killer device.

I needed a new laptop and decided to pickup a 3 Pro i5 and the hardware is actually surprisingly beastly for how small it is.. But then the BS 60c chassis temp throttling kicks in and ruins that fairly decent performance.

If they fix that, and hopefully support Thunderbolt / USB-C brought w/ Skylake they'll have a killer device on their hands coupled with the vast user experience improvements Windows 10 has brought. Anyone buying an iPad 'Pro' over this thing will frankly be idiots that didn't bother to do even the slightest bit of research or just wanted a larger iPad and have no real productivity needs.
 
If they can offer a device that is basically what we already have with the Surface 3 Pro (There isn't much to improve here physical design wise.) but fix the thermal/throttling issues that the 3 pro has it'll be a killer device.

I needed a new laptop and decided to pickup a 3 Pro i5 and the hardware is actually surprisingly beastly for how small it is.. But then the BS 60c chassis temp throttling kicks in and ruins that fairly decent performance.

If they fix that, and hopefully support Thunderbolt / USB-C brought w/ Skylake they'll have a killer device on their hands coupled with the vast user experience improvements Windows 10 has brought. Anyone buying an iPad 'Pro' over this thing will frankly be idiots that didn't bother to do even the slightest bit of research or just wanted a larger iPad and have no real productivity needs.

I think the SP3 form factor redesign was initially intended to have a 5th gen core processor, I doubt the SP2 and SP3 were originally intended to have the same CPUs. But intel kept pushing back release dates and MS felt they had to come to market with the physical redesign rather than wait. Thus we got the overheating SP3.
 
So, Microsoft has announced an October 6th event for Windows 10 devices.

Guess we know when the Surface Pro 4 will arrive, then. And now we know why Microsoft announced that the Surface Enterprise Initiative would launch in October -- Dell and HP may well be selling the Pro 4 to the corporate crowd from day one.

I'm curious to see what Microsoft has learned about tablets in the space of a year and a half. Hoping that Skylake means less performance throttling and battery life that finally comes close to the iPad. Oh, and if Microsoft could finally admit that the keyboard is virtually mandatory and either bundle it or reduce the price, that'd be swell. (Not counting on those last two.)
Well this explains why you can get up to $200 off on a Surface Pro 3 for the rest of the month. I was going to bite and finally by one, but with this news I'm definitely going to wait for the SP4, discount be damned.
 
Well this explains why you can get up to $200 off on a Surface Pro 3 for the rest of the month. I was going to bite and finally by one, but with this news I'm definitely going to wait for the SP4, discount be damned.

Yeah, guess they are trying to clear out inventory. Probably is best to wait now and see what's coming. I'm thinking the SP3 will soon be discontinued as it would make sense to have two 12" machines especially considering the advancements that Skylake should bring.
 
With the discount it's a decent deal though. Honestly for most users I can't imagine there being much difference between the 3 and what the 4 will bring. Most users will never see the throttling issue since they aren't gaming. The 3 is perfect otherwise, and with $200 off it means you can get the model you want and the type cover and still be under normal price.
 
With the discount it's a decent deal though. Honestly for most users I can't imagine there being much difference between the 3 and what the 4 will bring. Most users will never see the throttling issue since they aren't gaming. The 3 is perfect otherwise, and with $200 off it means you can get the model you want and the type cover and still be under normal price.

You could be right but without knowing any specifics about what the SP4 will bring it's impossible to say. Since the announcement is only two and half weeks away unless one has urgent need at the very least it's probably smart to wait and see. An SP3 could still be a reasonable purchase after the announcement and I imagine that SP3 will be on sale until the stock is gone even as the SP4 becomes available.
 
Microsoft has leaked, whether intentionally or accidentally, information that indicates they will be announcing windows 10 devices of which the words Surface is included in the leak. We are getting the pro 4 in about 3 weeks so just hold out unless you really want a pro 3 on discount is what I would have to say makes sense right now.
 
Yeah, only reason I got it was because I needed a laptop/tablet for a couple week trip. I was waiting but didn't have the choice, still got $200 off so I don't feel bad. Hopefully they don't change the physical design and the current type cover works with the 4 that way I can just ebay my 3 when the 4 comes out and not be out much.
 
Yeah, only reason I got it was because I needed a laptop/tablet for a couple week trip. I was waiting but didn't have the choice, still got $200 off so I don't feel bad. Hopefully they don't change the physical design and the current type cover works with the 4 that way I can just ebay my 3 when the 4 comes out and not be out much.

Microsoft has pretty much said that current SP3 peripherals were going to be compatible with the next SP. So there's pretty definitely going to be an SP4 that's physically close to the SP3. Hopefully there's a bigger version.

Often on a site like this we get caught up with the latest and greatest and if the SP3 works for you, and it has for me overall, it's still a great device. If in fact there isn't a 14" SP4 I may not pick up the SP4 unless there's something that strikes me as must have.
 
The SP3 is indeed great for me. The size, build quality, features, etc is everything I need and I don't need more in that regard.

The only issue is the throttling issue. I do like to play computer games, and my hope was that the Surface 3 Pro would be powerful to play my favorite games at low settings. To my dismay I discovered that while it is powerful to play games like world of warships on low settings at above 30 FPS; Once that throttling kicks in the performance goes to shit. I am aware of the fan trick and just cooling off the chassis for about a 60% boost - But I shouldn't need to do that. Hopefully this issue is not present with the S4Pro, and if it isn't it fixes the only 'flaw' I have with the surface.
 
LTE modem would be nice addition -

That's what we are waiting on at work so we can deploy to a lot more people. We have a few people in our IT group that have them and we love them. But, our field guys need that always available connection.

The SP3 is the killer Surface. The 1 & 2 were alright. Not great. The SP3 was when it finally hit it's stride. I want to see the improvements they've made on it for the 4.
 
The SP3 is the killer Surface. The 1 & 2 were alright. Not great. The SP3 was when it finally hit it's stride. I want to see the improvements they've made on it for the 4.

Agreed. I'm a huge fan of Windows hybrid tablet/laptop devices but the first two SPs just didn't do it for me. When I saw the Surface Pro 3 for the first I had to have one. Definitely looking forward to the 6th to see what's coming.
 
I have SP2 and i really love it! Never regret it, i was between SP3 and SP2 and i went with 2 coz i believe that this is the ideal size for table/mobility/weight
 
I have two SP3s.
I think they are awesome for my work.
Everything I need and nothing I don't.
My wife had an iPad....hated it.
She tried my SP3 and liked it so much she bought one.

I thought I was going to hate W8.1, but it is a good fit for the Surface Pro.:D
 
I'm hoping they do something big with the Surface Pro 4. I bought a regular Surface 3, which is a decent little tablet that does a lot considering there is an Atom inside.
 
Big thing for me would be if they actually started selling them in Poland...

If I want keyboard I'd need to buy it from UK Store since Germany and France have their own key layouts and we use US layout. Then Surface 3 in UK is overpriced compared to continent so I'd have to get it from France (preferably since they use same type of power plugs as we do so at least I wouldn't need to buy new charger or carry adapters with it).

And I'm loosing on currency exchange rate.
 
Can you have a friend in the US Buy you one and ship it to you? That might be ideal cost saving for you.
 
Big thing for me would be if they actually started selling them in Poland...

If I want keyboard I'd need to buy it from UK Store since Germany and France have their own key layouts and we use US layout. Then Surface 3 in UK is overpriced compared to continent so I'd have to get it from France (preferably since they use same type of power plugs as we do so at least I wouldn't need to buy new charger or carry adapters with it).

And I'm loosing on currency exchange rate.

Yeah i know that pain. I bought mine Surface Pro 1 through ibood in Poland and the keyboard on the polish equivalent of the Ebay(allegro) There is no other way practically to get a good price.
 
so lets say the SP4 is announced on the 6th of Oct. When do you guys thnk that we will be able to actually buy them, i.e. Best buy, Online, Verizon, etc...?
 
so lets say the SP4 is announced on the 6th of Oct. When do you guys thnk that we will be able to actually buy them, i.e. Best buy, Online, Verizon, etc...?

I'm guessing they'll have to have at least some models out by mid-November to make the Christmas shopping season.
 
The rumors surrounding the Surface Pro 4 are very different than those for the Lumia 950... we've had tons of hard leaks surrounding the phones, but only vague "trust us" claims surrounding the tablet. I would be somewhat surprised if the SP4 is a no-show on October 6th, but this at least suggests that Microsoft has been much more secretive here. I'm not counting on anything happening besides the use of Skylake processors.
 
Well it has to compete with the sp3 otherwise there is no incentive to buy it and a skylake process means jack squat to a society who are sky???whaaa?

I will just buy a sp3 if the only thing us skylake.
 
As a 8-year loyal Mac user, today could be the day I make my switch back.

If the Surface Pro 4 has the level of performance people have been discussing leading up to this release and the connectivity, I'll be selling my MBP/iPad Air combo as soon as possible.

Praying too for that sick makeshift vert dock Microsoft did a vlog about on YouTube. That dock with a VESA mount and a curved 34in or 27in monitor would be awesome
 
Ok, time to make some predictions and see how they stack up. I did well with the iPad Pro, most of the rumors there had been going for a long time and repeated from multiple sources so that one was easy. Lot of stuff about the new Surface Pros just cropped up in the last week. So here it goes:

1. Skylake CPUs, that's pretty much a given.
2. Pen and touch improvements
3. 12" fanless (Core M's) and 14" (Skylake U series) models.
4. Adaptive screen bezel

Pricing I'm having a hard time with. I feel like there's going to be some type of price reduction on the low end but that does start to encroach on the Surface 3, maybe there'll be some type of reduction there.
 
Regardless of screen sizes for this device, I really only think that the high spec models (i5, i7's) will hit that increase. I can see the other models remaining the same price point.

Also, I'm praying too that this model offers a stout 16GB option for purchase. I feel it would be a good move for Microsoft and their efforts to reach creatives who want the ultimate desktop replacement.

In fact, I would much rather see battery improvement before I'd want to see any dedicated graphic options. I know this was a huge complaint with the 3.
 
SP4 claims to have Iris... so then it will contain the thus unreleased Intel Skylake SKU
 
Just pre-ordered the Surface Book i7/512 GB/16 GB model. Pretty much the ultimate convertible to date. A few things I don't like, no ports on the tablet section and no way to charge the tablet section without the keyboard. Would have been really cool to have a kickstand on the tablet section. No USB C is fine for a device that can't charge through it anyway. Will wait and see what early reviews say before I commit fully.
 
Just pre-ordered the Surface Book i7/512 GB/16 GB model. Pretty much the ultimate convertible to date. A few things I don't like, no ports on the tablet section and no way to charge the tablet section without the keyboard. Would have been really cool to have a kickstand on the tablet section. No USB C is fine for a device that can't charge through it anyway. Will wait and see what early reviews say before I commit fully.

usb-c opens the door to actual professional grade GPUs

Sure I can CAD on the mobile nvidia gpu.... but with USB-c I can actual use a proper quadro.
 
ok i have two questions about the surface book:

1. what kind of nvidia gpu is it? the press doc says "1 GB GDDR5", but no such model exists.

2. what's the battery runtime of the display alone?

other than that....i am extremely impressed by the new products and the presentation. very well done.
 
Just pre-ordered the Surface Book i7/512 GB/16 GB model. Pretty much the ultimate convertible to date. A few things I don't like, no ports on the tablet section and no way to charge the tablet section without the keyboard. Would have been really cool to have a kickstand on the tablet section. No USB C is fine for a device that can't charge through it anyway. Will wait and see what early reviews say before I commit fully.

Exactly my same sticking points with it. Other than that it should be a fantastic device. I've used a similar device with a docking keyboard, the Dell Venue Pro. It's quite compelling to have something that can be used as a tablet for a lot of the time, but then if you wanted to get the extra battery life and features you can click on the base and go. They didn't have the best hinge design so it was a bit sloppy connecting the screen. The Surface book looks to have solved that issue. When he was shaking it, you didn't see the keyboard flopping around on the bottom.

I kind of see the device as being a tablet most of the time, then docking it into the base when you want to get work done. (With the base left plugged into power and a dock connected to external monitors) Then for the other times you need to take the power with you, you dock the base and unplug it from the rest of the stuff and go on your way. It's like the idea of how to use thunderbolt for external GPUs, but rather than being in a box it's in a compact form that is still portable. You could take the base with you and keep it in your bag, but it's up to you to decide if you want / need it.

@DJS4000: #2 is an interesting proposition. In the Dell Venue Pro configuration, the base doubles the battery life. So I'd imagine it might only be 6 hours as a "Clipboard". But like the DVP, you would simply hook the screen back to the base to get the other 6 hours out of it. We all know you're not getting up to 12 hours if the Nvidia GPU is running. What could be more interesting is if you can tune how it uses battery charge. On the DVP I think it pulled from both equally, but I can't remember exactly. So you could use the device for part of the day as a laptop, take off the bottom half and throw that on the charger while you use the tablet. Then once the tablet is depleted you can just plug the base back in and use it as a laptop again for more time. So if you are using it heavily there are scenarios where you can get more than a single charge out of it by charging part of the device back up while you're using the other part. Also, in a situation where let's say you have multiple of them in the same area (We have done this in a work environment), you can steal someone else's base unit which is already charged and use that for extra battery.
 
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usb-c opens the door to actual professional grade GPUs

Sure I can CAD on the mobile nvidia gpu.... but with USB-c I can actual use a proper quadro.

Good point. But I don't think that's a critical element for this type of device especially in its first generation. I think the most critical component of the Surface Book is the keyboard and how well it works in a lap and docks. That will make or break this device as docking solutions like this historically tend to be problematic. It needs to be almost perfect.
 
Good point. But I don't think that's a critical element for this type of device especially in its first generation. I think the most critical component of the Surface Book is the keyboard and how well it works in a lap and docks. That will make or break this device as docking solutions like this historically tend to be problematic. It needs to be almost perfect.

USB C is only USB C.

want graphics you need a thunderbolt capable C port.

Thr IRIS Pro on Skylake should be more than enough for light gaming i.e. World of Warcraft in low etc...
 
usb-c opens the door to actual professional grade GPUs

Sure I can CAD on the mobile nvidia gpu.... but with USB-c I can actual use a proper quadro.

Nope.

Need thunderbolt. USB C doesnt have accomidations for PCI-e lanes.
 
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