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Surface Upgrades Add Outlook, Beefed Up Batteries & Stronger Keyboards

Marcus Bluestein

3 min read

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Surface Pro & Pro 2 tablets are faster, thinner, with improved keyboards, targeting business buyers.

Note: The article below, written by Marcus Bluestein, was originally published on October 4th, 2013 in Law Technology News. It is reprinted here with permission. Please visit Law Technology News to subscribe and read more from the legal technology community.

Law Technology News

 

On September 23, I attended Microsoft Corp.’s Surface 2 launch event in New York City, and came back with a lot of information to share. I was quite intrigued by Microsoft’s promise to deliver the first Surface tablet for business – rather than consumers – and was curious about what improvements were added to optimize the device for professionals. Two new computers will be unveiled on Oct. 22: the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2.

Surface 2

Surface 2The Surface 2 has matured – the new iteration of the Surface RT is faster and answers criticisms about its weak battery life and clunkiness: the upgrade offers 10 hours of charge, and thinner, lighter design. Perhaps most significant is its operating system, Windows 8.1, which adds many improvements to the original tablet. The best of these is the inclusion of Outlook 2013, which makes the Surface 2 worthy of consideration as a potential desktop or laptop replacement.

However, despite its upgrades, this tablet still won’t be able to completely replace desktops for most law firms. If you need to run standard Windows applications such as a document management system or an accounting program, you either need to use the Surface Pro 2, or the ability to access those applications via thin client from the Surface 2.

Also worth mentioning is the great leap forward that the Touch Cover 2 keyboard has taken. The original Touch Cover had 80 sensors in it. Essentially, every key had a sensor underneath it. But if you were typing and your finger touched between 2 sensors, the keyboard would not register anything. The Touch Cover 2 has 1,092 sensors, generating a huge increase in accuracy. In addition, there is an attractive backlight on the Touch Cover 2 that is activated when your hand is over the keyboard.

The kickstand on the Surface 2 has been enhanced to include a second position, the design improves the viewing angle for taller people or for when the Surface is being used on your lap.

Surface Pro 2

The Surface Pro 2 also has improved significantly over its first iteration. The biggest complaint from most people was the short battery life. Under typical use, the Surface Pro charge would last about four to six hours. The Surface Pro 2 offers 60% more battery life: Microsoft’s addition of a new Intel processor stretches its battery endurance to seven to 10 hours. Additionally, there is no power leakage from an off device – if you turn a Surface Pro 2 off with a 50% charge and leave it in a drawer for six months, Microsoft promises it will still have that charge when you pick it up again.

The original Surface Pro was a fast computer, but its successor is 20% faster, according to Panos Panay, Microsoft’s corporate vice president and leader of the Surface team. The front-facing video camera has been improved and works very well in changing and poor lighting conditions. This will enhance the Surface Pro 2’s use in video conferencing. Speakers have been improved and now feature Dolby. As with the Surface 2, the Surface Pro 2 has an updated kickstand that includes a second position.

The Type Cover 2 includes a thinner, lighter shape, keys that no longer click, and a backlight that is activated when your hands are over the keyboard. In addition, the flexibility of the keyboard has been reduced considerably and the stiff feel makes it easier to use on your lap. It also now comes in four colors: Magenta, Cyan, Purple and Black.

Microsoft also announced that a Power Cover is coming in early 2014. It will be a separate snap-in keyboard in place of an existing keyboard. It will weigh about six grams less than the Type Cover 2 and offer an additional 50 percent battery life. (It is odd that the press materials from Microsoft measure the Touch and Type 2 covers in grams, but measured the Power Cover in pounds.) The Power Cover will not offer backlighting, unlike the other new covers, and is only available in black. But the innovation is the way it is actually used by the Surface: the Power Cover charges the battery in the Surface device. This means that even when the Surface is in your briefcase, it is being charged from the Power Cover. This is a subtle, but formidable upgrade.

The original Surface Pro was an excellent tablet and desktop computer for lawyers; the new Surface Pro 2 is even better. Starting at $899, the Surface Pro 2 will be offered in 64 GB and 128 GB configurations with 4 GB of RAM and 256GB and 512GB configurations with 8 GB of RAM.

Marcus Bluestein (bluestein@kraftkennedy.com) is CTO at the New York offices of Kraft & Kennedy Inc.

 

If you are interested in the new devices, you can find additional information and pre-order them here: Microsoft Surface Pro 2.