MICROSOFT TABLET PRO2

MICROSOFT TABLET PRO2

PROS

• Attractive, well-built hardware
• Great display
• Fast performance, improved battery life
• More comfortable to use in the lap     

CONS

• Still heavy as a standalone tablet
• Typing experience hasn't improved much

HARDWARE

With the exception of that dual-stage kickstand, this is basically the same hardware as the original. Sure, it's now made of two pieces of magnesium alloy instead of three, but the difference is so subtle you might not spot it even if you tried. For all intents and purposes, though -- and in all the areas that count -- the Pro remains unchanged. Chiefly, the dimensions are exactly the same as they were last year: 10.81 x 6.81 x 0.53 inches (27.45 x 17.3 x 1.35cm). And at two pounds, it's as weighty as the first edition. In some ways, it even feels heavier than we remembered. That's partly because the accompanying Surface 2 is noticeably lighter than its predecessor, the original Surface RT. But even the Pro now finds itself competing against some skinnier, lighter-weight rivals. Namely, Sony's 11-inch Tap 11 tablet, which comes in at 1.7 pounds and measures a much thinner 0.39 inch thick (and that's also with a USB port!).

Thankfully, its build quality hasn't changed either. If a thin-and-light design is the main reason you'd want to buy the Tap 11, then top-notch craftsmanship is one reason you might still want to go with the Surface Pro 2. Once again, Microsoft's design team went with black magnesium alloy, and it's as tactile as it is minimal. Turned off, the tablet's metal surfaces feel smooth, cold and... expensive. Fortunately, it's also durable: The Pro emerged from my week of testing scratch-free, and with only a light dusting of fingerprint smudges. And that's even after I carried it around in a tote bag with other objects, like a wall charger and the included stylus.

DISPLAY

Much like the rest of the hardware, the Pro's screen has stayed the same for 2013. Once again, we're looking at a 10.6-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 display. In addition to being an IPS panel, it's optically bonded, so that there's minimal space between the glass and touchscreen, resulting in reduced glare. Also, like last time, it makes use of Microsoft's ClearType sub-pixel rendering technology to help smooth out jagged edges. All that still adds up to a lovely display, one with good contrast, wide viewing angles and a bright enough backlight to be usable even outdoors.

The pen experience hasn't changed either. Here, too, Microsoft went with a Wacom digitizer that recognizes 1,024 degrees of pressure sensitivity. Whether you want to draw a faint line or leave a thicker marking, you'll have plenty of flexibility in the sort of scratchings you'll be able to produce. Even outside of drawing apps, note-taking is also a smooth experience; it's unlikely you'll ever have to go back and re-trace your letters because they didn't register the first time. All in all, Wacom might still be the best in its class, though we also had a similarly good experience with N-trig's digitizer in Sony's new Tap 11. We know, we know, that won't be enough to convince some of our more snobbish readers, but to most consumers, the experience should be on par.

SOFTWARE

It's no coincidence that the Surface Pro 2 is going on sale just days after Windows 8.1 came out: Microsoft's new tablets are meant to be centerpieces for the company's latest software update. If you haven't yet read up on 8.1, we'd encourage you to check out our exhaustive screenshot tour, which breaks down not just the new UI features, but also the new built-in apps as well. Speaking of new UI elements, you've probably heard by now about the "return" of the Start button. Indeed, there's now a Start button fixed in the lower-left corner of both the Start screen and the desktop, but clicking it just takes you back and forth from one to the other; if you were hoping for a return to the old-school fly-out menus, you can keep dreaming. What's nice, though, is that Microsoft added an option to keep the same wallpaper for both your desktop and Start screen, so that the transition from one to the other feels less jarring; it almost looks like the Live Tiles are floating on top of your desktop. One of our favorite features, actually -- we suggest you try it out.

Otherwise -- and this is just a recap here -- you can snap more than just two windows side by side on-screen, depending on the size and resolution of the display you're using. You also get more flexibility in terms of how much space every window takes up; it no longer has to be an 80/20 split. Other changes: You can take photos from the lock screen, and accept Skype calls too. Users now have more tile sizes to work with, including an extra-wide one and a tiny, quarter-sized one. You also have more options for arranging your app list, so that alphabetically isn't the only option. The on-screen keyboard has received some neat shortcuts, which should be especially useful on all those smaller 8-inch tablets, which are easy to type on in portrait mode.

PERFORMANCE AND BATTERY LIFE

	PCMARK7	3DMARK06	3DMARK11	ATTO (TOP DISK SPEEDS)
Microsoft Surface Pro 2 (1.6GHz Core i5-4200U, Intel HD 4400)	4,922	6,236	E1,906 / P997 / X303	534 MB/s (reads); 167 MB/s (writes)
Microsoft Surface Pro (1.7GHz Core i5-3317U, Intel HD 4000)	4,673	3,811	E1,019 / P552	526 MB/s (reads); 201 MB/s (writes)
Sony VAIO Tap 11 (1.5GHz Intel Core i5-4210Y, Intel HD 4200)	3,798	2,713	E943 / P504 / X171	548 MB/s (reads); 139 MB/s (writes)
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus (1.6GHz Core i5-4200U, Intel HD 4400)	4,973	5,611	E1,675 / P867 / X277	547 MB/s (reads); 508 MB/s (writes)
Acer Aspire S7-392 (1.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U, Intel HD 4400)	5,108	5,158	E1,724 / P952 / X298	975 MB/s (reads); 1.1GB/s (writes)
Sony VAIO Pro 13 (1.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U, Intel HD 4400)	4,502	4,413	E1,177 / P636 / X203	1.04 GB/s (reads); 479 MB/s (writes)
Sony VAIO Duo 13 (1.6GHz Core i5-4200U, Intel HD 4400)	4,440	6,047	E1,853 / P975 / X297	546 MB/s (reads); 139 MB/s (writes)
Sony VAIO Pro 11 (1.8GHz Core i7-4500U, Intel HD 4400)	4,634	N/A	E1,067 / P600 / X183	558 MB/s (reads); 255 MB/s (writes)

KEYBOARD COVERS

In addition to the Surface Pro itself, both the Touch and Type keyboard covers have received modest updates. Starting with the $120 Touch Cover 2, it's slightly thinner than the original (2.75mm vs. 3.25mm) with a more rigid design and subtle backlighting that you'll only notice in dim conditions. More importantly, the flat keys promise greater keystroke accuracy, and can now support a few gestures they didn't used to, like sliding two fingers across the numbered keys to highlight text (you can delete the selected text by then taking your fingers off the keyboard). There's also a new space bar gesture that lets you quickly choose from spelling recommendations when you make a typo. Note: Neither of these gestures is for the dainty-handed. You'll need to exert a good deal of pressure to make either of them work.

Speaking of typos, I don't necessarily buy that the Touch Cover 2 is more accurate than its predecessor. The learning curve is as steep as always, which is to say you'll probably start off typing slowly and deliberately to avoid making mistakes. You'll get the hang of it, I promise, but you'll also make your share of mistakes along the way. Even now that I've learned to trust the Touch Cover and let myself type at a faster clip, I still have trouble capitalizing letters using the Shift key. The Touch Cover 2 doesn't really help there. Microsoft is correct, though, that the keyboard is more rigid -- it's definitely less bendy than I remember it feeling. That should come in handy when you're using the device in your lap; on a flat surface, less so. Really, unless you're wild about the backlighting or those keyboard gestures, you could probably get away with buying the last-gen Touch Cover for $80 while it's still around.