Microsoft Surface Pro in the flesh, first impressions

We received this review unit of the Microsoft Surface Pro last week but we only got to unbox it this week-end. We also got to compare it with our own MS Surface RT (which we reviewed earlier here).

The Surface Pro is the version which closely resembles a full-blown laptop with a powerful Intel Core i5 processor under the hood. The device can be technically considered an ultrabook once you pair it with the keyboard cover.

Based on the design and form factor, the Surface Pro is very similar to the Surface RT although the Pro is slightly thicker than the RT and it comes with a dedicated stylus, just in case you want to draw or sketch on the touchscreen display.

There are two variants of the Surface Pro — one with 64GB SSD and the other with 128GB.

Microsoft Surface Pro specs:
10-inch ClearType HD Display @ 1920×1080 pixels
Intel Core i5
Intel HD Graphics 4000
4GB DDR3 RAM
128GB SSD
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
Rear camera @ 720p
Front-facing webcam @ 720p
USB 3.0 port
microSDXC card slot
Headset jack
Mini DisplayPort
42 W-h battery
Windows 8 Pro
10.81 x 6.81 x 0.53 inches (dimensions)
2lbs (weight)

The pen/stylus comes with the box while the keyboard attachment and cover is sold separately.

The tablet has a built-in metal stand at the back which flips out to give you a free-standing position at about 135-degrees angle. The extra sheet of metal that connects with the stand probably serves as some sort of ventilation (the device can heat up fairly fast).

Using either the stylus, the trackpad on the cover or an external mouse (via USB or Bluetooth), the Surface Pro can basically do anything a regular laptop or ultrabook can — including some serious gaming, video and office productivity (Photoshop/Premiere) and everything else in between.

For the most part, we can theoretically say it’s a good contender for a netbook replacement and likely candidate as an alternative to an ultrabook.

Unlike the Surface RT which failed to impress us as a laptop replacement, the Surface Pro supports basically all apps and programs we run on our regular Windows machine.

We still need to spend some more time with it, use the device as a laptop replacement and observe any difference (good or bad) from this kind of setup. We will get back to you for the full review in a week or two.

The device is not officially released here in the Philippines but there are several grey market units already selling them in the Php60k range. The review unit was lent to us by the good folks from Galleon.ph (see listing of the Surface Pro here). They have order-basis units starting at Php49k for the Core i5 model.