Microsoft's Surface 2

Microsoft Windows RT won praise for its design with the original surface, but it is a flop in the market. A year later, Microsoft is the lunar surface 2. Model this year you can win respect from its predecessors?

Windows RT and when I reviewed the original surface about a year ago, I came to the conclusion, saying that "it will be better as we get older."

A year later, Microsoft's bold arm-powered tablet computer is back, in a new package, a surface of 2, and wanted to prove something. In the past year, the platform, indeed, greatly improved.

The old hardware upgrades to Windows 8.1, indicating that Windows and Internet Explorer 8.1 11 includes a number of performance tuning to give a new life. After a year on the market, with more applications available than when first unveiled.

Applications are also in the box is better. It is essential that the original weak Mail procedure has been replaced by Windows RT 8.1, but two options--Microsoft Outlook is included as part of Office 2013 RT, new mail application included in Windows RT 8.1 is light years than its predecessor. Similarly,, distracting music and video applications with the initial release of Windows 8 and Windows RT includes has been smooth, polished new versions of Windows replaced by RT 8.1.

These changes are substantial, but they pale next to the 2 hardware changes on the surface.

This year's model has the same general design as the original surface, but a closer look found the wealth of small but significant change:

Cases continued to be magnesium, but the color is a soft silver, compared to last year's surface and two Surface Pro avatar of the dark VaporMg finish. Lighter color means that the device is not a magnet for fingerprints.

Hood, significantly faster than last year's model, using 12 graphics core Tegra 3 gives just about every operation the dual-core Nvidia Tegra 4 (72 graphics core). Performance is the only time I noticed any lag via mini hdmi connector and connect an external monitor in dual monitor Setup with your device.

One of the signature features of the original surface of the bracket, now snaps to the second position, which makes it much more comfortable, balanced on a notebook computer, type or do not touch the lid or cover. That is not going to be long, using the configuration, but it is more than sufficient work calls for a short burst of keyboard and touch pad.

Have exactly the same physical size of the screen-10.6 inches diagonally, three-fourths inches on all four sides of the black bezel-but the resolution is full HD, 1920 x 1080, 1366 x 768 compared with previous versions. New monitor is surprisingly crisp and sharp.

Front and back of the camera is upgraded with the 3.5MP 5 million pixel camera and front-facing camera, which is able to capture 1080p video. Built-in camera application also shot burst mode, capturing 10 images and let you select the one you want to keep.

Compared with the original, 2 is on the surface (by bare a few millimeters) thinner and lighter, in weight, decreased from 654 g 692 g 5.5%.

Type touch cover 2 and cover 2 significantly upgraded. Both use the same "click" backlight connector as their predecessors, made a huge difference, changes in availability. Type of cover is a little thin, a little extra travel and definitely more solid feel than the original key. Touch the cover still needs some time to get used to, but below the top layer of the electronic more sensitive than the original. Typing in my brief testing, I found to be more precise on the touch cover 2.

Now, the full size USB port supports USB 3.0.

Overall, the 2 is better than that on the surface it's easy to forget it's running on ARM processor instead of Intel CPU then more reaction.

Battery life was slightly improved compared to the original. Courses in the past two days, I have always had more than 10 hours of continuous use (usually from SDXC card to play music or video stream on the local network using store all Office programs and Windows applications at the same time mixing). That's 8-9 hours of battery life, I usually get from the original surface room temperature increase 20%

With its predecessor, surface 2lai 32 GB and 64 GB models, both the operating system itself uses a lot of storage.

I tested the surface of 32 GB 2, fresh box installed using 18.8 billion bytes of free space. A recovery partition is smaller, is from the original surface 3.52 GB shrunk to 3.14 GB in this model.

Windows 8.1 two very important changes and major dividends in 2:

First, you no longer need to perform any system-level witchcraft, from an SD storage device integrated into the local library. I moved light SDXC 64 GB full of music and recorded TV shows from the old to the new surfaces 2. Right click on music and video folder on the SD card appear to include in the Gallery menu, the document immediately to the built-in music and video applications are available.

Second, SkyDrive synchronization capability is now built into the operating system, makes it possible to specify any files or folders to store for offline use. (Pro Tip: If you use NTFS format micro SD card, you can move local SkyDrive folder into the SD card, so that it may not cause synchronization under major pressure on local storage SkyDrive collection.)


If you've made a big investment in the two major mobile platform, iOS and Android operating systems, you may find that Windows RT 8.1 surface 2 and extremely limited. If you design your workflow, and your social life around the popular independent online services, you will find 2 extremely frustrating.

Windows RT 8.1 does not run any desktop application. If you want to use the program does not run in Internet Explorer from Windows storage available in 11 or in applications, your luck.

This means some pretty big gaps.

Twitter is available with the Windows available in the store, but not a lot of applications. Windows 8.1 Facebook application just arrived, and very effective on the surface 2.

Dropbox and Evernote, on the other hand, poor Windows 8 applications. Spotify,Rdio is not available at all. Instagram? I'm sorry, but you need to use an unauthorized third-party applications. Flipboard is on the way, but it never comes.

If the machine running Windows 8.1 or x86 Intel Atom CPU, all on the desktop version of the program will provide. But this is Windows RT, this means that the program is not a supported option.

Mobile computing has a lot of applications from other heavyweights.

Amazon works on Windows RT Journal of 8.1,Kindle programs, but it does not support, you can also import non-Amazon eBooks purchased from anywhere.

ICloud and iTunes doesn't exist on this device.

Google applications, including Gmail and YouTube, only Internet Explorer 11 (where they worked surprisingly well) or in a Google search application, which can be used as a container for other Google services. But you can't replace Internet Explorer with chrome or Firefox.

Its real trump card is the Outlook Office 2013 feel complete with. Windows 8.1 adding a series of measures designed to make more delicious as 2 devices in an enterprise setting, like built-in whole disk encryption (enabled as soon as you log on Microsoft account) and support the workplace to join, which can authenticate on the device and to allow access to resources on the corporate network functions.

Make no mistake, 2 is a dramatic upgrade of the surface than its predecessors, but it is not likely to lure followers of the iPad back to the Microsoft fold. 2 form factor, and fixed on the surface of the stand to embarrass in portrait mode, suggesting that it will always be in need can also use doubles as a Tablet PC.

Its marketing materials, surface 2, Microsoft pointing device as "tablet computer business." This is solid pitch, is a terrible dancing girls hit the first representatives of advertising is more likely to succeed.

Ultimately, the true market, comfort with this device requires Microsoft Office and other Microsoft services, such as Exchange online (Office 365), SkyDrive,Outlook.com, and Xbox Music and video people. Is there enough of those buyers are willing to pay for $449 (64 GB version for $ 549) light, thin was hardly a PC device? Or if they would prefer to use the full Intel processor tablet or touch screen notebook? Simplicity and lightness of the latter option 2 for compatibility with desktop applications.

I've used the original surface regularly for the past year, it has been a good companion. I will use the new surface 2 widely in the next month or two. As with the original, I will send subsequent impression on me after I had the opportunity to put it through its paces.