In the first several days of the Microsoft Surface Pro‘s life on the market, it was an extremely successful product, selling out in many locations across the United States and online. This week the head of the Microsoft Surface team Panos Panay spoke up about the stock shortage many areas have been experiencing, assuring them that more units are headed to stores this week, with delivery expected by Saturday. This comes shortly after a series of demands for more units to be placed in stores by customers hoping to get their own brand new Surface Pro in one of the first launch days here in the first half of February.
Both of the two different models of the Microsoft Surface Pro are having stock replenished this week. Speaking on the situation in no more than 140 characters, Panay noted that Microsoft is “shipping more 64GB now to BBY, Staples, MS Store and online.” He also let it be known that the 128GB model will be at Best Buy (aka BBY) and Microsoft Stores (MS Stores) by Saturday.
This is good news for those hoping for the larger model especially since it was this larger version (internal storage-wise) that has turned up sold out across the nation first. Panay also noted that “there continues to be a great demand” for the Surface Pro and that Microsoft is “working hard to restock” this week. A similar situation came up recently when Google was found to have less stock than needed to supply massive waves of customers hoping to purchase the LG-made Nexus 4 smartphone.
As it was (and in some cases is) with the Google/LG supply issue with the Nexus 4, so too is it with Microsoft and the Surface Pro. Many consumers are commenting – in forums and in the winchat session the Panay comments above were a part of – about the possibility of a miscalculation in Microsoft’s perceived demand for the Surface Pro. Whether estimates were too low or the companies involved in these situations wanted simply to drive demand with news bits, the end result is the same: there’s one whole heck of a lot of people out there that want a Nexus 4, and there’s a lot that want a Surface Pro as well!
There is a disturbing trend in the gadget world, and it’s that laptop, tablet and phone makers aren’t taking battery life seriously enough. Yes, having touch on a Windows 8 notebook is great, but not if the computer lasts an hour and a half less than one without that capability. And what good is a smartphone with an HD display and superfast processor if you have to plug it in around lunchtime? We run our homemade battery test, which involves continuous Web surfing at 40 percent brightness, on every device we review. And if the endurance isn’t good enough, regardless of the gadget’s other features, we simply won’t recommend it. More »
Get ready to toss out your brand-new Surface Pro by mid-2017 because that’s when Microsoft is cutting off support for the tablet. According to Microsoft’s Product Lifecycle webpage, the Surface Pro will see its “mainstream support” ending on July 10, 2017 — just four and a half years from now. Granted most people may move on by then, but what about those who want to keep the tablet longer?
Obviously, you’ll still be able to use the Surface Pro long after that date, but many owners of tablets and computers rely on regular updates, and some consider it to be something that they need before considering buying a new product. While four and a half years seems like a long time, there still may be customers who buy a Surface Pro two years from now when prices go down — those people will have an even shorter amount of time with the support lifecycle of the product.
Another interesting facet is that Microsoft usually applies “extended” support for business devices specifically, but the Surface Pro is currently listed as “Not Applicable” under that category, suggesting that while Microsoft advertises the new tablet as a business device, the company may be catering it more towards the everyday consumer in the long run.
Then again, cutting off support for a device a few years in isn’t anything new. Apple has done that with their older iOS devices, including the first-generation iPad and older iPhone and iPod Touch models, which were all shafted of an iOS 6 update. Then again, this may just be the nature of the beast, and the older devices get, the less likely they are to run more complex software as time goes on.
Super Talent makes some very nice flash storage solutions and other computer accessories and hardware. The company has announced that its USB 3.0 Express RC4 flash drive has now been certified for use with Windows To Go. Windows To Go is one of the new features in the Windows 8 Enterprise edition of the operating system.
This marks the second drive that Super Talent has certified for Windows To Go. Using the drive, users and network administrators are able to provision a full corporate image on the external flash drive allowing users to work from almost any computer using a familiar environment. Super Talent notes that it will unveil a “hardware secure” version of this drive soon.
Super Talent says that the RC4 will deliver high reliability and the real world performance that users need to work from a Windows To Go environment. The drive has four channels of NAND flash and uses a high-performance and low-power JMicron SSD/bridge controller. The drive also features enterprise-level provisioning allowing for performance of up to 240 MB/s during reads and up to 100 MB/s during write functions.
Like all USB 3.0 drives, the device is compatible with USB 2.0 ports. The drive will be available in three capacities including 32 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB. Pricing for the drives is $74.99, $127.99, and $279.99 respectively.
Microsoft’s Surface Pro is apparently in short-supply, though whether that means the Windows 8 tablet is in hot demand or merely hardly seeded is already prompting controversy. The stylus-enabled slate – which we reviewed last week – went on sale over the weekend, only to be swiftly followed by claims that the larger, 128GB version had already sold out at multiple retailers.
Microsoft’s own webstore also shows the 128GB version of the tablet as out of stock, with no indication as to when it might return to availability. The 64GB model – particularly criticized for the relatively small amount of storage space left over, once the OS, preloaded apps, and default recovery partition have their way – is still listed as in stock.
That could indicate a surprising degree of demand for Microsoft’s own-brand tablet; however, as Business Insider flags, there are also counter suggestions that Microsoft merely failed to anticipate interest in the slate, and didn’t provide enough to retailers. Comments at Microsoft’s own Surface blog and at Reddit complained of minimal stock, with some Staples and Best Buy stores supposedly claiming to have only been provided with two units each, none of which were the 128GB variant.
If that’s true, it’s unclear whether Microsoft faced production delays or simply didn’t make enough to cater to demand. The Surface Pro – like its RT sibling, released last year – uses a precisely machined “VaporMg” case material, which could be causing the company problems in manufacturing. Meanwhile, initial reception to the $899+ price of the full-Windows tablet had been lukewarm, and it’s possible that Microsoft had been hedging its bets in case of minimal demand.
Meanwhile, pre-launch reviews also proved mixed. While we were impressed by the usability of the stylus and the flexibility of the Surface Pro’s battery life, others were less convinced.
Shortages do make for good headlines, but they don’t help contribute to Microsoft’s market share, and when the company is trying to compete with the best-selling iPad and iPad mini – both for end-users and for developer consideration – that’s not good news. Microsoft is unlikely to comment specifically on its supply chain, but whether the lack of devices is down to production mishaps, poor planning, or even artificial limits, the company is probably kicking itself now over the loss of goodwill incurred.
Did you buy a Microsoft Surface Pro at the weekend? If so, did you get a 64GB or a 128GB? Let us know in the comments!
On its launch day, the Microsoft Surface Pro has been announced as “sold-out”. There were the occasional lines in front of Microsoft stores, and it wasn’t hard to find excited customers on the web. However, it is just impossible to tell at this point if the fact that it is sold-out is the result of high-demand, or short-supply. Overall, I really see why a certain crowd of ultra-mobile users would want one: it is a real PC, yet has a smaller footprint than 11″ laptops and weigh only 2 lbs, which is about 0.5 lbs more than an iPad. Others people complain that the Surface Pro has too little storage (83GB of actual user storage after accounting for pre-installed software and OS on the 128GB version, there’s a 64GB version with about 30GB left for the user), or that the battery life is too low (we estimated it to be 6h at best, and half that for watching online movies). If you are still on the fence, I would recommend reading our surface pro complete review, and form your own opinion based on our real-world usage. Weeks from now, we will know what “sold out” really meant. If you look in the past, the Surface RT was also “sold out” initially, but Microsoft said later that its start was rather modest, so take the hype with a grain of salt.
Upon first glance, you might think that the EliteBook 2570p came straight out of 2002, and while first opening it up to get a look at it, I thought I had mysteriously jumped through a time warp that took me back ten years and didn’t even know it. However, as much as I’d like to travel back in time, that wasn’t the case. The 2570p is a business laptop from HP that’s meant for the business-minded road warriors who need durability and reliability when it comes to portable computers. It may not have good looks that will turn heads, but it has enough horsepower on the inside to make any suit wearer happy. Let’s have a look at what the 2570p offers and see if it can be considered a must-have in the competitive business laptop market.
Hardware & Design
The 2570p is built to last, and it’s somewhat thick structure gives it some ruggedness so that it’ll withstand more than the usual beating. It has a magnesium alloy shell, which should tell you right away that this thing isn’t messing around. Plus, it’s extremely portable, even with it’s added thickness. It’s got a 12.5-inch display with a 1366×768 resolution. Certainly nothing magical in that case, but considering it’s only a 12.5-inch screen, an HD resolution is a welcomed surprise. The hinges connecting the display to the bottom portion of the laptop are made of aluminum, which means you could open and close the lid as much as you want and the hinges won’t weaken one bit, which is a big plus, especially since I’ve seen my fair share of hinges weaken over time.
However, while the palmrest and the top outer shell are made of magnesium alloy, the bottom of the laptop, as well as the screen bezel, is made of plastic. Granted, it’s a really durable plastic that’s a bit more sturdy than what you’d find on most other plastic-lined notebooks, but it’s a slight bummer that the entire laptop isn’t encased in the beautiful aluminum that we’re big fans of. Either way, the entire thing weighs about 4.6 pounds, which certainly isn’t bad at all and it makes it easy to stow away in a bag without having to use two hands. However, for a 12.5-inch laptop, 4.6 pounds definitely isn’t light, so don’t expect to be twirling it around in your hands, and while I was able to carry it around and pick it up with one hand, it definitely wasn’t a breeze to do so.
As far as hardware is concerned, the 2570p definitely isn’t messing around, but it’s also not a powerhouse machine. It sports an Intel Core i5 3210M dual-core processor clocked at 2.5GHz with 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive. This kind of performance will definitely allow you to open apps quickly and browse without a hiccup, and I’ll discuss the overall performance a bit later, but the 2570p only comes with Intel HD 4000 graphics, which will be able to play HD video depending on your player, but don’t expect to do much else graphics wise.
The keyboard is quite impressive. It’s a chiclet-style keyboard and the keys have a DuraFinish coating on them, making them resistant from long-term wear. It’s also spill-resistant, meaning that a small mug of coffee won’t do any damage, but it may leave a sticky mess. Of course, you won’t be able to dump a tall glass of liquid all over the surface, but it can withstand some minor spills if they do end up happening. The keyboard isn’t black-lit, which almost seems like a must nowadays, but the laptop does come with a retractable LED light where the webcam is. It’s not extremely bright, but it works in a pinch. To round out the keyboard, there’s a biometric fingerprint scanner on the right side of the palm rest, just in case you want added some security to your laptop — a subject that many companies are serious about.
As far as the touchpad goes, it’s extremely tiny. There’s not a lot of room to move around your finger to navigate windows and such, but there are several different options that you can choose from. First, the touchpad has top and bottom mouse buttons. Traditionally there only on the bottom of the touchpad on most laptops, but you now have the choice of having them on top, which I actually find more suitable. There’s also a mini joystick in the middle of the keyboard that you can use to navigate the mouse cursor. It takes some time to get used to and I wouldn’t say it’s any better than the touchpad, but it’s there if you want it.
As far as ports go, there’s quite a bevy of them. On the left side is the power jack, Ethernet port, optical drive, and then a smart card reader that may come in handy for a lot of business folks. On the right side, there’s an ExpressCard 34mm slot, SD card reader, dual headphone/microphone jack, DisplayPort jack, eSATA and USB 3.0 port (combined), and a docking connector towards the back. On the back of the laptop, there’s a VGA-out port, one extra USB 3.0 port and a USB 2.0 port. So in all, there’s three USB ports, which is certainly respectable, and along with all the other ports you get, we have to say there’s not a lot that HP left out. Businesses most likely won’t be disappointed by the 2570p offerings.
As far as the 2570p’s display, it’s just a normal LED screen, and there’s no IPS technology included, meaning that viewing angles are extremely limited. This probably won’t be a huge deal for most business users, but it’s at least something that’s worth keeping in mind. I personally didn’t have a problem with it since there was need to view the screen at an odd angle, but if you’re in a business meeting, for example, and need to quickly huddle around your laptop to show coworkers something, it may not be ideal.
Software
The EliteBook 2570p runs Windows 8, which from a business standpoint is a huge downside. Windows 8 has yet to prove to be a solid OS for business use. Personally, it’s an OS strictly meant for consumers, and it no way does it scream, “business.” Granted, when the laptop was first released, it came with Windows 7, but if you plan on buying any laptop anytime soon, it’ll have Windows 8 on it, no doubt. Luckily, if you buy the 2570p directly from HP, you can actually configure the laptop to include Windows 7, so not all hope is completely lost in this case.
As far as bloatware goes, there’s no shortage of it. It comes with the CyberLink Media Suite, which includes a photo organizer/manager, media player, video editor, and webcam software. There’s also an HP support app, HP Client Security (which uses the fingerprint scanner), and HP’s SoftPaq download manager. Other than that, the computer comes pre-installed with Evernote and PDF Complete, two apps that are proven business tools.
There’s definitely a lot more bloatware than what we’ve seen on past HP computers that we’ve reviewed, but for a business-oriented laptop, that’s not too surprising. My only huge complaint with the software is that it’s Windows 8. I’m not quite sure if PC manufacturers realize that Windows 7 is the business OS that we need to use, or if they’re only concerned about updating to the latest and greatest OS, no matter what. Maybe there are actually some business men and women out there that prefer Windows 8 for their business needs, but it seems that most companies aren’t jumping on the upgrade bandwagon just yet. Again, we’re glad that HP is still giving us the option to stick with Windows 7, but that won’t last forever.
Performance & Battery
As mentioned earlier, the 2570p comes with a dual-core 2.5GHz Core i5 processor and 4GB of RAM, with integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics. Everyday use proved to be speedy, and while more-intensive apps tended to take a bit longer to load, other apps like Google Chrome, Mail, Calendar, etc. opened up swiftly. However, as expected, benchmarks weren’t anything to write home about, but they also weren’t bad by any means. The 2570p scored just under a 7,000 in Geekbench. Either way, the average user probably isn’t going notice a lot of hiccuping with everyday use. Plus, those business folks that’ll primarily use this type of laptop will mostly use it for documents, spreadsheets, and maybe some video conferencing, but video performance was excellent. Even viewing a 1080p YouTube video wasn’t a challenge for the laptop. It played it nearly flawlessly with little lag.
System – Hewlett-Packard HP EliteBook 2570p
Manufacturer
Hewlett Packard
Product Type
Notebook
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 8 Pro (64-bit)
Motherboard
Hewlett-Packard 17DF
Processor
Intel Core i5-3210M
Processor ID
GenuineIntel Family 6 Model 58 Stepping 9
Processor Frequency
2.49 GHz
Processors
1
Threads
4
Cores
2
L1 Instruction Cache
32.0 KB
L1 Data Cache
32.0 KB
L2 Cache
256 KB
L3 Cache
3.00 MB
Memory
3.87 GB DDR3 SDRAM 799MHz
FSB
99.8 MHz
BIOS
Hewlett-Packard 68ISB Ver. F.34
The really good news is that fan noise remains low most of the time. While streaming video would cause my MacBook to get really hot and force the fans to spin at max speed, the 2570p stayed calm the entire time, and I didn’t even notice the laptop getting too hot at any point. This was probably the most impressive facet of the performance of the laptop. I hate fan noise, and while you can still hear the fans running most of the time, they hardly ever get to the point where they start to sound like jet engines.
Benchmark Score – Hewlett-Packard HP EliteBook 2570p
Section
Description
Score
Total Score
Windows x86 (64-bit) – Microsoft Windows 8 Pro (64-bit)
Integer
Processor integer performance
5366
6953
Floating Point
Processor floating point performance
9652
Memory
Memory performance
5904
Stream
Memory bandwidth performance
5167
As for battery, you’re looking at anywhere from 4-6 hours, and this is from my own testing. Light browsing and document work doesn’t put a lot of strain on the battery, but doing more intensive tasks like video conferencing or watching movies will definitely see a hit on the battery. Of course, screen brightness plays a huge roll as well, and just lowering it down a bit added a good hour of extra battery time for me.
Wrap-Up
In the end, the EliteBook 2570p is a sturdy, well-built laptop that screams professionalism, and can prove itself out in the field. The Core i5 keeps the laptop humming along nicely, and while the integrated graphics aren’t anything too special, they prove that big things can come in small packages. As far as price, the 2570p starts at $949, which certainly isn’t cheap by any means, so what you’re paying for is ultimately the build quality of the laptop, along with all of the port options along the edges of the notebook. Sure, you could get a laptop with similar specs for slightly cheaper, but the 2570p will last you a long time, and needing a laptop that’s rugged will be well worth the investment that you put into it.
Right on schedule, Microsoft’s Surface Pro is now available to purchase for prospective buyers in the US and Canada. The new tablet was going to be the main event at a special midnight launch event in New York City, but that ended up being cancelled due to the snowstorm. However, the Surface Pro still launched as planned, and consumers can now get their grubby hands on the Surface RT’s successor.
The new tablet starts at $899 for the 64GB model and goes up to $999 for the 128GB variant. Both versions use Intel’s Core i5 processor and integrated HD 4000 graphics. There’s also 4GB of dual-channel memory, and a 10.6-inch Clear Type display on top, which features a full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080. The screen also supports both 10-point multitouch and digital inking thanks to the special stylus.
The 42Wh battery has been one of the big talking points for the new tablet, however. We averaged about five hours, and sometimes even six hours during some occasions. Obviously, for a tablet, this isn’t quite what people were expecting, but Microsoft is hinting at some kind of battery add-on, which means users may soon be able to bump up the battery life a bit.
Of course, you can read our full review of Surface Pro to get a better idea of what you’ll be in for, but if you’re set to buy one right now, you can get one at any Microsoft Store in the US or Canada, as well as Staples and Best Buy in the US, and Best Buy and Future Shop in Canada. And of course, the tablet will also be available online.
Microsoft‘s launch event for the Surface Pro in New York City has been cancelled due to the impending snowstorm “Nemo” that is said to bring around a foot of snow to the city. Microsoft had plans to hold the event at Best Buy in the Union Square section of Manhattan. However, it looks like the tablet will release in stores without a reception.
Microsoft’s head of the Surface division, Panos Panay, tweeted that he would personally not be able to make it to New York City because of the snowstorm, and Neowin has confirmed that Microsoft has cancelled the event altogether, but the tablet will likely go on sale anyway at retail stores and online.
So far, at least 3,800 flights to New York City have been cancelled, with the possibility of even more to be cancelled later on. All public transportation has also been shut down in Boston, and in Rhode Island, non-essential state employees have been sent home by the governor. While the storm has yet to hit at full capacity, it looks like it’s going to be a big one.
Microsoft’s Surface Pro is the second Surface tablet that the company is releasing. They initially released the Surface RT back in October, which comes with a modified version of Windows 8, while the new Surface Pro comes with a full version of Windows 8, as well as better display and 128GB of storage.
If you thought the Surface Pro was great, but only if Microsoft decided to shave a few inches off and make the tablet more “mini”, you may be in luck. Though the Microsoft Surface RT and the Surface Pro are going to be the mainstay units for the Windows 8 and Windows RT operating systems for some time to come, it’s been made clear by the company this week that different display sizes are a possibility. At this point it’s just a matter of time.
We’ve had our own up close and personal looks at the Microsoft Surface RT as well as the Microsoft Surface Pro in the past few weeks, and it was only after our review of the Pro model that we found ourselves comparing and contrasting with the MacBook Air. What’s being suggested this week is that it’s not a notebook the public is looking for, but a smaller tablet.
Speaking with Bloomberg about the general ups and downs of the Surface lineup thus far, chief financial officer for Microsoft’s Windows unit Tami Reller noted that the company “will scale over time, but right now we’re focused on making sure the designs that have been built do have commercial availability and commercial success, and we’ll stay focused on that for the short-term.” This of course means that while the company could potentially create a smaller (or larger) tablet in the future, for now they’re putting all efforts into making sure the models they’ve got out at the moment sell well.
With the Google Nexus 7 still running strong after several months of sales straight from the company that pushes the device with Android, it’s no wonder Microsoft wants to keep to itself – so to speak. And while the Nexus 7 dominates the $199 price point, there’s another tablet between here and there that dominates an in-between price point: the iPad mini. While it’s certainly not Microsoft’s goal to dominate the mobile tablet universe with the Surface RT or the Surface Pro, they’ve made it clear this week that they’re going to attempt to stay strong in the standard 10.1-inch size segment for the time being.
Have a peek at the timeline below to see each of the most important recent stories released on the Surface lineup and let us know what you think. Are you ready for a 7-inch Surface tablet – or perhaps an 8.9-inch tablet with another keyboard dock?
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On its launch day, the Microsoft Surface Pro has been announced as “sold-out”. There were the occasional lines in front of Microsoft stores, and it wasn’t hard to find excited customers on the web. However, it is just impossible to tell at this point if the fact that it is sold-out is the result of high-demand, or short-supply. Overall, I really see why a certain crowd of ultra-mobile users would want one: it is a real PC, yet has a smaller footprint than 11″ laptops and weigh only 2 lbs, which is about 0.5 lbs more than an iPad. Others people complain that the Surface Pro has too little storage (83GB of actual user storage after accounting for pre-installed software and OS on the 128GB version, there’s a 64GB version with about 30GB left for the user), or that the battery life is too low (we estimated it to be 6h at best, and half that for watching online movies). If you are still on the fence, I would recommend 
