Surface Pro (2017) Discussion Thread

The only thing preventing me buying one is the uncertainty with Type-C and Thunderbolt 3 support.I need eGPU support but doubt if this would work...

 

I would not mind the upgrade but having it the same price without the pen is just pissing me off that I might just pass on it


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That's what I was wondering when getting the Yoga 720.

I like that Microsoft said they can implement tilt with a firmware upgrade. This probably means they're doing tilt the same way Apple does - with sideways emitters next to the tip. This also means that Wacom AES can support tilt. Chances of actually getting a firmware upgrade that adds digitizer features? Zero.

 

Something like this...

 

RANT WARNING - Don't Feed the Troll by reading this...
You know, one of the longest running b!^&#$ about the Surface line has been the fact the keyboard was not included in the price, and so what does Microsoft do, it doubles down AND TAKES AWAY THE PEN AS WELL for another $100 bump (just like their mentors at Apple)!

As for the "LTE option," since it is coming "later this year" I'm with Tom Warren - that comes with the Surface Pro ARM edition LATE this year - no LTE love for Core M or Core i processors...

I was not right about this being a "meh" upgrade - it is a very sad departure further into the Apple world - they are now BMW to Apple's Mercedes - small step upgrades for more money. At least Samsung only sees itself as a Lexus...

PS: Panos is quoted as saying “I believe it will be the fastest adopted Pro we’ve ever shipped," claims Panay. "There’s a reason for that, the brand is here and there’s people who have been waiting for it, and it turns out it’s just a kick-ass device."

No USB-C; no Thunderbolt 3; no Smart Screen (or even adding another half-inch); no Wacom...real kick-ass alright - unless you consider the price bump by leaving out the pen and increasing the keyboard cost so they can color-accessorize your Surface Pro - that's a real kick in your @$$.

Just like Apple, wait TWO YEARS for a new MacBook Pro, with minimal change ...now all they need is a Jony Ive voice-over "It is magical...you can't see where the design ends and the price begins..."

PS - notice how your "Microsoft Pen" is the same price as the "Apple Pencil" but at least you get an eraser...Apple envy is getting to be like (oops, better not say that here)..."

 

Gah. I want the Surface and this category to succeed and grow. But these friggin' prices!

 

<<...these friggin' prices!..>>

... @Marty has some good observations about that...

 

Hate that the fanless i5 comes with 256Gb version. You cannot even backup your phone. WTH?
And based on the upgrade history, it is way more than being SP5. And it is not mid term upgrade.

 

glad to see some serious improvements to the pen. I'm pretty sure the pen compatability all the way down to the Pro3 will just be general pen usage. tilt, 4096 levels, and super low latency, and all those bells and whistles I can't imagine they could put on the Pro 3 or 4 by way of firmware. The Studio and Surface Laptop almost certainly were made with this pen spec update in mind so they should be able to reap the benefits.

I am a bit curious just how effective these 'Spec' updates to the pen will actually perform in real world use. since its using the same AAAA power requirement and the same pen nib system as the Pro 4 pen, can't say I'm not skeptical how effective tilt is going to be. Tilt only works so well in the Apple Pencil because there is an actual sensor in the nib. I'd image Tilt here will be more akin to the S-Pen tilt.

 

If their goal was to not piss off their partners with overly competitive pricing... mission accomplished. Would be awesome if those pen improvements make it downstream to some older Surfaces or even other "older" N-Trig devices like the 2017 Spectre X360.