Microsoft Surface Pro 4, 2015

on 2018-12, i swapped my Dell Inspiron 15 7559 with roomate's Surface Pro 4 (year 2015). He needed gaming, i needed portable.

Truly impressed by Surface Pro. Especially with the pen. I find myself using it, not the touch keyboard nor the “typecover” keyboard. One thing interesting is that it can hover a cursor sans touch, like mouse pointer.

Now i can draw, write random notes in cursive style, and draw math graphs, or annotate screenshots. It's like a new dimension to using a computer.

Where to Buy

Surface Pro 4 Buy at amazon

Latest Microsoft Surface Pro

Surface Pen

The pen is absolutely great. You have to buy it separately.

Microsoft Surface Pen, Silver (3XY-00001) for Surface 3; Surface Pro 3 and 4; Surface Book Buy at amazon

One day, after a Microsoft update, the pen stopped working. Am not sure it's dead battery or what.

Typecover Keyboard

It's a bluetooth keyboard with trackpad. It has magnet snap on. No backlight.

It works ok, and also works as a cover protector.

It's not really a good keyboard. it's ok for casual typing in a coffee shop, but at home or office, you rather want a real keyboard.

It's flimsy. When you use the tablet as a tablet, you have to either detach the keyboard by pulling it off (and find somewhere to put it down), or, you have to flip it to the back side. When it's on the backside, it's rather annoying, and adds weight. Both ways are annoying. I find myself simply detach it and never use it.

Currently, it's selling at about $100. That's too much.

For that price, you can get a nice compact light keyboard with mechanical keys, if you really type a lot.

I recommend you get a nice mechanical compact keyboard.

〔see Keyboards without Numeric Keypad〕

Surface Pro 4 Spec

my surface pro 4 config. (the cpu, gpu, memory, storage, etc may be diff for others.)

• Release date → October 26, 2015
• Introductory price → $899
• Operating system → Windows 10 Pro
• CPU → i5-6300U 2.4 up to 3.0 GHz, 3 MB cache, 15 W
• Memory → 8 GB
• Storage → PCI-Express SSD: 256 GB
• Display → 12.3 inches (31 cm) 2736x1824 (267ppi) PixelSense display with 3:2 aspect ratio
• Graphics → Intel HD graphics 520
• Dimensions → 292.1 x 201.42 x 8.45 mm. (11.50 inch x 7.930 inch x 0.333 inch)
• Mass → 786 grams (1.733 lb)

Surface Pro 4 Manual

Surface_Pro_4_User_Guide_EN_95edf.pdf

Gallery

Microsoft Surface Book

The Surface Book model comes with a hardware detachable keyboard, with a GPU in the keyboard, for gaming. Otherwise, it's the same as Surface Pro.

If you play 3D games, get Surface Book.

• Microsoft Surface Book

Surface Tablet Charger Problem

• Microsoft Surface Tablet Charger

Digital Pen on the Mac

While enamoured with Surface Pro with its pen, i bought a drawing tablet for my Mac, thinking i'll be taking notes with pen on Mac too.

But was very disappointed, because Mac is not integrated with touch screen or digital pen. Apple wants you to buy its iPad or its Apple's “Magic Trackpad”.

see

• Drawing Tablet