Microsoft’s Surface Pro is set to go on sale Saturday, and the tablet is getting mixed reviews from the tech community. On the positive side, the Pro appears to successfully marry the convenience of a tablet with the functionality of a personal computer. The Surface Pro is half-an-inch thick, thin enough to compete with other tablets, but thick enough to house a 1.7 GHz Intel Core i5-3317U processor.
The Intel processor is the key differentiator for the Surface Pro. Unlike its cousin, the Surface RT, the Pro does not use the ARM-based chip architecture that powers most mobile devices. As an Intel device, the Pro can run Windows software and can share files with personal computers and laptops. That compatibility, combined with Microsoft’s attachable keyboard, make the Surface Pro a true competitor to high-end laptops. And at $899 for the 64GB model, it needs to be.
At two pounds, the Surface Pro will feel much heavier than other tablets on the market. It also has lower battery life than many other tablets, according to early reviews, and less usable memory than many laptops.
Does Microsoft need hardware?
It almost seems ironic that the software giant is making its latest attempt to enter the world of hardware the same week that it’s planning to invest $2 billion to help save Dell, a struggling hardware company that has been trying to save itself with software acquisitions. But both moves accomplish the goal of getting Microsoft closer to the devices that run its software.
The Surface Pro puts Microsoft into direct competition with the personal computer makers that have long provided the distribution channel for Microsoft’s ubiquitous software. None of the leaders in the PC market have yet produced a mobile device that can compete with the iPad, and IT departments worldwide are fielding worker requests for tablets (and struggling to manage the tablets that workers try to bring onto corporate networks.) Microsoft is hoping that as a true Windows device with tablet bells and whistles, the Surface Pro will appeal to corporate IT departments and employees alike.
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