Support NeoGAF

[bounchfx]

That's a fantastic deal. Probably the best thing to draw or paint in, especially for that price. If you don't need editing capabilities of Photoshop, use ms5. I love the brush engine.

Of course I still prefer the even more stripped down paint tool sai but that's because of how simple and focused it was. But seriously great deal

 

[StudioTan]

So I want to get this for my girlfriend for Christmas. She likes to draw and wants to make the leap into digital artwork and graphic design. In reading the last few pages in this thread...is the SP4 super bugged out? Should I hold off on getting this for Black Friday or maybe get something else altogether?

No, it's still a fantastic device and it's great for drawing on. My biggest issues are with getting the tablet out of sleep mode. Sometimes it hangs or won't boot past the Surface screen and I have to hold the power to force a reboot. I will say that I haven't noticed it doing that as much since the last update a couple of days ago.

I also had an issue with the Windows Hello camera not functioning after an update but a soft restart fixed that.

My other issues are related to Windows 10 still being flaky with tablet mode. Sometimes programs won't go full screen if I've rotated the screen and I have to go out of tablet mode, maximize and then go back into tablet mode.

Most of these things are just annoyances that will be fixed over time but it certainly doesn't make for a smooth experience at the moment.

Actually working on the device is great though especially since it's a full Windows machine and it also makes a great laptop and even desktop replacement if you don't play high end games although it can handle some of those pretty well too at low settings.

 

[Stinkles]

Just got an email on this...Seems like a really great deal. Probably going to pick it up regardless of what I decide to do with my SP4.

E: $15 is peanuts for that. Bought.

I soooo want to buy this but every time I buy something from Smith Micro they try to tag on random shit - like "the ability to redownload for up to 2 years!" - oh thanks, the feature almost every single piece of software has by default?


And they spam the crap out of me.

I wish this were on the Windows store.

 

[Shogmaster]

For $15, I'm buying a second license! I have too many tablets, lol.

 

[nicoga3000]

I soooo want to buy this but every time I buy something from Smith Micro they try to tag on random shit - like "the ability to redownload for up to 2 years!" - oh thanks, the feature almost every single piece of software has by default?


And they spam the crap out of me.

I wish this were on the Windows store.

Can't you just store the rar on OneDrive and have it forever?

 

[mrklaw]

According to Reddit, manga studio is the same thing as clip studio, which is often available at that kind of price?

 

[artsi]

According to Reddit, manga studio is the same thing as clip studio, which is often available at that kind of price?

They're the same software, Clip Studio Paint is just the Japanese brand name. The normal price is around $50, I don't know if there's sales often but there is now.

 

[Luigi87]

If you guys like Clip Studio / Manga Studio and haven't bought it yet, now's a good time, it's just $15 until Nov 30th.

http://my.smithmicro.com/manga-studio-5.html

I wholly endorse this. I wasn't going to buy it the last time it went 75% off, but I did at the last moment... So glad I did. Fantastic program with an incredible brush engine that runs incredibly well on the SP4, and has fantastic touch control.

Only real issue is lack of Color Mode in layer blending, but oh well.

 

[spock]

Is a first gen surface pro 64gb i5 worth 200-250?...Obviously not as great as newer models but if you where looking to buy on a budget where would you be looking in relation to surface models?...mostly for journaling/note taking and productivity.

 

[Shogmaster]

According to Reddit, manga studio is the same thing as clip studio, which is often available at that kind of price?

Not often. They both have these sales once in a while. Most of the time it is $50 for download,

The 2 programs use to have some interface differences but Smith Micro gave that up when Celsys started putting out official English version recently.

 

[btrboyev]

Is a first gen surface pro 64gb i5 worth 200-250?...Obviously not as great as newer models but if you where looking to buy on a budget where would you be looking in relation to surface models?...mostly for journaling/note taking and productivity.

If it's in good shape $200 would be good, but battery life sucks on them and since its s few years old, it may be even worse.

 

[Shogmaster]

Is a first gen surface pro 64gb i5 worth 200-250?...Obviously not as great as newer models but if you where looking to buy on a budget where would you be looking in relation to surface models?...mostly for journaling/note taking and productivity.

Easily worth that. The only question is how much of the battery is usable. If you can still get 3 hours udage, go for it.

 

[Stinkles]

I wholly endorse this. I wasn't going to buy it the last time it went 75% off, but I did at the last moment... So glad I did. Fantastic program with an incredible brush engine that runs incredibly well on the SP4, and has fantastic touch control.

Only real issue is lack of Color Mode in layer blending, but oh well.

FINE!


Your unsubscribe link better work this time, Smith Micro!

 

[nicoga3000]

Fucking Surface Pro 4 man...I was using it to play Hitman Go and read comics last night. I was all in love with it again. This morning, I transferred some new comics on and things were peachy. About 30 minutes later, I said, "I'm going to read some of my new books!' Open the type cover, hit the button...Nothing.

Wake from sleep crash/screen not turning on issue again.

I have to ask because this fucking piece of shit is such an emotional roller coaster - is this a problem with the SP4 or with Intel? Because I am so furious right now and am starting to feel ripped off.

 

[brotkasten]

Fucking Surface Pro 4 man...I was using it to play Hitman Go and read comics last night. I was all in love with it again. This morning, I transferred some new comics on and things were peachy. About 30 minutes later, I said, "I'm going to read some of my new books!' Open the type cover, hit the button...Nothing.

Wake from sleep crash/screen not turning on issue again.

I have to ask because this fucking piece of shit is such an emotional roller coaster - is this a problem with the SP4 or with Intel? Because I am so furious right now and am starting to feel ripped off.

Most things seem to point to Intel and their Skylake drivers.

 

[artsi]

Fucking Surface Pro 4 man...I was using it to play Hitman Go and read comics last night. I was all in love with it again. This morning, I transferred some new comics on and things were peachy. About 30 minutes later, I said, "I'm going to read some of my new books!' Open the type cover, hit the button...Nothing.

Wake from sleep crash/screen not turning on issue again.

I have to ask because this fucking piece of shit is such an emotional roller coaster - is this a problem with the SP4 or with Intel? Because I am so furious right now and am starting to feel ripped off.

Intel might be at fault technically, but after all it's Microsoft who pushed the product out despite every issue.

My default pen nib broke, it's weak as hell. I managed to cut a Wacom nib shorter and it fit to the Surface Pen after a bit of sanding in the rear end.
Ordered the nib pack, I hope the harder ones are a bit more tougher. They should have come with the device, IMO.

 

[Got the Shakes]

Fucking Surface Pro 4 man...I was using it to play Hitman Go and read comics last night. I was all in love with it again. This morning, I transferred some new comics on and things were peachy. About 30 minutes later, I said, "I'm going to read some of my new books!' Open the type cover, hit the button...Nothing.

Wake from sleep crash/screen not turning on issue again.

I have to ask because this fucking piece of shit is such an emotional roller coaster - is this a problem with the SP4 or with Intel? Because I am so furious right now and am starting to feel ripped off.

I'm not sure anyone really knows. It seems to be so hit and miss too, like I've seen a bunch of people in this thread have this problem, but myself and a few other Surface owners I know do have the sleep crash/screen not turning on issue but instead I have run into the issue where the device will wake but then all of my inputs from the Type Cover don't work unless I detach it and reattach it. This seems to be the biggest problem with the SP4, there are issues but everyone seems to be running into different ones. Some people have the sleep drain, some the sleep lock, some the input issues I described. I love my SP4 overall so far, but the concerning thing is that since there is no one single issue that everyone seems to be having what is MS going to concentrate on fixing?

 

[Social]

Bought a SP4 8/256 with the typecover and the docking station.

Running a huge dell 4k screen on it nicely, will also connect an extra 1080p screen.

Since yesterday I've had the following issues at random times:

- Typecover suddenly failing until restart
- Touch screen not responding until hard reset
- System freezing (always when using the Windows Store)
- Display driver crashing constantly in Firefox

All the rest has been fine, performance is quite good too!

All in all, once these issues are fixed, it'll be a fine device!

 

[Purexed]

Bought a SP4 8/256 with the typecover and the docking station.

Running a huge dell 4k screen on it nicely, will also connect an extra 1080p screen.

Since yesterday I've had the following issues at random times:

- Typecover suddenly failing until restart
- Touch screen not responding until hard reset
- System freezing (always when using the Windows Store)
- Display driver crashing constantly in Firefox

All the rest has been fine, performance is quite good too!

All in all, once these issues are fixed, it'll be a fine device!

Make sure you install everything from Windows Update that has made the system much more stable.

I think everyone is getting the display driver crashes, but I use Edge/Internet Explorer for now and they happen less frequently. Word is that new display drivers are ready, but Microsoft has to push them, I imagine they'll arrive this upcoming Patch Tuesday.

 

[StudioTan]

Could be just a coincidence but I haven't had any trouble waking from sleep in the last couple of days. My SP4 has installed a number of updates over the past few days so maybe things are settling down.

I did have a bluescreen this morning however which never happened on my SP3. I don't remember what the message was.

 

[nicoga3000]

I'm not sure anyone really knows. It seems to be so hit and miss too, like I've seen a bunch of people in this thread have this problem, but myself and a few other Surface owners I know do have the sleep crash/screen not turning on issue but instead I have run into the issue where the device will wake but then all of my inputs from the Type Cover don't work unless I detach it and reattach it. This seems to be the biggest problem with the SP4, there are issues but everyone seems to be running into different ones. Some people have the sleep drain, some the sleep lock, some the input issues I described. I love my SP4 overall so far, but the concerning thing is that since there is no one single issue that everyone seems to be having what is MS going to concentrate on fixing?

This might be the worst part. The fact is, the issues are numerous and wodespread. But it seems like everyone has little issues here and there that few others have (or few others are speaking up about).

As it stands, the device is incredible when it works. But it feels like an early 90's laptop in terms of stability...Always wondering what's going to go wrong next.

 

[artsi]

I bought the Clip Studio now too. I love Photoshop but I demand responsiveness when I sketch, and while something like my i7 4790K + GTX 780 can handle Photoshop on desktop, SP4 shows (small) lag with even simple textured pencil brushes. Add the N-trig latency to that and it doesn't really cut it. Clip Studio at least eliminates the brush lag and the rough pencil tool is excellent for sketching.

So I can sketch / do lineart with CS and then continue with PS for the rest.

 

[Yaari]

Do you guys use screen protectors on the SP4. I'm not sure if people do that. I never had one on my iPad.

Also how is the sound on these?

 

[dock]

Finished my first picture in Clip Studio. The colouring tools are excellent, so I'll probably try to use it for everything where possible. This is especially because the touch screen controls in Clip Studio are pretty wonderful [note: for a windows app]. I've noticed that my battery life using Clip Studio is amazing as well, whereas PaintToolSai gobbled up battery twice as fast.

I usually draw on my SP4 held in portrait with the keyboard turned upside down and wrapped around. This feels nice to hold and is less warm/cold than the back of the SP4.

 

[Meffer]

Are there any deals for Black Friday?

 

[dolemite]

Finished my first picture in Clip Studio. The colouring tools are excellent, so I'll probably try to use it for everything where possible. This is especially because the touch screen controls in Clip Studio are pretty wonderful [note: for a windows app]. I've noticed that my battery life using Clip Studio is amazing as well, whereas PaintToolSai gobbled up battery twice as fast.

I usually draw on my SP4 held in portrait with the keyboard turned upside down and wrapped around. This feels nice to hold and is less warm/cold than the back of the SP4.

These look super good, I approve

 

[WillyFive]

Are there any deals for Black Friday?

Not for SP4's, but there were a bunch for S3 and SP3.

 

[Laws00]

Damn everyones art pictures are good

The Surface Pro 3 that I had been eyeing on I fucking missed it. It was like 500 bucks

All because I had to work lol

Fuck even though i'd been eyeing the Surface 3 i'm just going to suck it up and get a Pro 3 maybe 4.

I held out this long might as well, hold out longer

 

[Stinkles]

Damn everyones art pictures are good

The Surface Pro 3 that I had been eyeing on I fucking missed it. It was like 500 bucks

All because I had to work lol

Fuck even though i'd been eyeing the Surface 3 i'm just going to suck it up and get a Pro 3 maybe 4.

I held out this long might as well, hold out longer

Haha not everyone...

 

[nicoga3000]

Man, when things are smooth sailing, the SP4 may be the best comic reading device ever. LOVE my digital collection. Got a 64 gig microSD today and all is well.

 

[Apath]

Has anyone here had both the i5 and i7 SP4? I made the switch from i5 to i7 recently, and feel like the computer runs louder and hotter far more often. Considering how often I play games on this, it may not be so worth it after all.

 

[Meffer]

I jumped and got a SP4 256GB, 8 GBRAM and i5. I have the first Pro and I love it but it's time for an upgrade. I'm looking forward to a kickstand that has more than one position for drawing.
Oh and actual touchpad on a keyboard.

 

[mrklaw]

My desire for a SP4 was thwarted by a good deal on a yoga 700. Still tempted by the stylus though so will keep an eye out for a potential surface 4 (non pro) or cheap deals on a SP4 next year.

Edit: oh, missed a surface 3 with keyboard for £339 on Amazon uk..

 

[Laws00]

Anybody buy refurbished surface pro 3?

I'm wondering how reliable they would be and what the screen might look like (scratches and what not)

 

[Apath]

Anybody buy refurbished surface pro 3?

I'm wondering how reliable they would be and what the screen might look like (scratches and what not)

Microsoft Store refurbished units are like-new in my experience.

 

[rand0mZer0]

I just recently returned my iPad Pro (wasn't what I was hoping for) and have been reading some reviews on the Surface Pro 4 and think I might get one. This will be for College (web documents and such) and internet use. With the different models available, I'm not sure which one I should go with.

So if anyone can point me in the right direction, I'd greatly appreciate it.

 

[Meffer]

I just recently returned my iPad Pro (wasn't what I was hoping for) and have been reading some reviews on the Surface Pro 4 and think I might get one. This will be for College (web documents and such) and internet use. With the different models available, I'm not sure which one I should go with.

So if anyone can point me in the right direction, I'd greatly appreciate it.

If you're just using it for college, I think an i5 model would suit your needs fine.

 

[Iced_Eagle]

I just recently returned my iPad Pro (wasn't what I was hoping for) and have been reading some reviews on the Surface Pro 4 and think I might get one. This will be for College (web documents and such) and internet use. With the different models available, I'm not sure which one I should go with.

So if anyone can point me in the right direction, I'd greatly appreciate it.

If it's just standard college stuff of web browsing, word, PowerPoint, etc just get the i3. If you have the money and want more power, maybe if you're doing a CS degree get the i5 if you can afford it.

Don't forget to factor in the cost of the keyboard as well.

 

[sca2511]

slight deal for an SP4 and Type Cover

link

 

[Forsete]

Firefox does not bring up the on screen keyboard when in tablet mode. Any fix for this?

 

[hadareud]

Firefox has to implement it, which they haven't bothered to do since W8 came out.

 

[Apath]

I have not experienced a display driver crash in a couple weeks, but today I started using the Edge browser to watch YouTube videos (uses less resources than Chrome), and I had three display driver errors and one computer freeze within an hour. Pretty sure Edge is just fucking terrible. Started using Chrome again and haven't had one display driver error since.

 

[Forsete]

Firefox has to implement it, which they haven't bothered to do since W8 came out.

Bah, lazy fuckers. I'll just continue to use Chrome then.

I have not experienced a display driver crash in a couple weeks, but today I started using the Edge browser to watch YouTube videos (uses less resources than Chrome), and I had three display driver errors and one computer freeze within an hour. Pretty sure Edge is just fucking terrible. Started using Chrome again and haven't had one display driver error since.

I saw my first display driver crashes today when editing photos in Lightroom. It crashed 2-3 times in a row and the preview window in Lightroom didnt want to update anymore, so I had to restart Lightroom, lost nothing though.

Also, for some weird reason the pen bugged out today when I was writing text in Word. It would just draw small little dots all over the place, same thing in OneNote when I tried it. Restarted the Surface and everything was back to normal.

 

[brotkasten]

Bah, lazy fuckers. I'll just continue to use Chrome then.

They were actually working on a full Windows 8 touch mode, with it's own proper Windows 8 UI and everything. But then they abandoned it some versions ago, because no one was using it.

Today, Mozilla announced that it made the decision to pull the Metro version of the Firefox browser. What this means that the project is dead, at least for now.

One of the main reason for the decision are low user numbers in comparison to desktop beta builds of Firefox. Mozilla states that no more than 1000 users used Firefox for Metro actively daily.

While that can be partially attributed to the non-existent marketing to promote the app version of Firefox to the community, it is more likely that the core reason is that there are not many use cases where users would select to use the app version over the desktop version.

http://www.ghacks.net/2014/03/14/mozilla-drops-firefox-windows-8-metro/

 

[Forsete]

They actually had a full Windows 8 touch mode implemented, with it's own proper Windows 8 UI and everything. But then they abandoned it some versions ago, because no one was using it.

I didn't know that. But they could at least offer the same support Chrome does. Chrome has no problem calling up the on screen keyboard.
Its annoying having to press the keyboard icon every time in Firefox, then manually dismiss it when your done.

Other than this annoying software thing I love the Surface. Great little device.

 

[littlegrasshopper]

Hi all I finally picked up my preorder on Friday for my SP4 (i7/256ssd/8gb ram). The device works like a dream but I have noticed that the fan turns on for anything I do. Checking email in Outlook 2016, Surfing the web (firefox), watching videos, multitasking, and etc. This would never happen on my SP3 (i5/128ssd/4gb ram). Only times the fan would turn on my SP3 was while I was surfing the web and watching youtube videos.

Anyone know what could be causing this? Do I have a faulty SP4?

 

[nicoga3000]

Hi all I finally picked up my preorder on Friday for my SP4 (i7/256ssd/8gb ram). The device works like a dream but I have noticed that the fan turns on for anything I do. Checking email in Outlook 2016, Surfing the web (firefox), watching videos, multitasking, and etc. This would never happen on my SP3 (i5/128ssd/4gb ram). Only times the fan would turn on my SP3 was while I was surfing the web and watching youtube videos.

Anyone know what could be causing this? Do I have a faulty SP4?

I've read that the i7 fan comes on a LOT more than the i5. I think people over at /r/Surface were reporting the same thing.

 

[muu]

wake from sleep seems like a graphics driver issue. most cases ive noticed the screen turning on just not displaying anything. you can hit some of the function buttons and they do what you tell it to, eg turnup brightness all the way and ifyou force restart it'll have set the brightness up.

the last time it occurred i tried a suggestion i read about hitting win+p twice, then doing i ttwice again to go from projector mode and back. that itself didnt do it but then when i long pressed the power button a 'swipe down to shut down' screen popped up which did not shut down when i swiped down. ctrl+alt+del from there however worked.

 

[TheSeks]

Fuck even though i'd been eyeing the Surface 3 i'm just going to suck it up and get a Pro 3 maybe 4.

Eh, unless you're going to be doing intensive tasks, I would just get the Surface 3. I bought the Best Buy Black Friday one (Intel Atom, 64Gig Drive) and am pretty happy with it. I'm a bit disappointed the pen isn't included (I thought it was?) and that's an additionaly $60 along with the $120 for the keyboard/cover. But the cover and Surface itself has been pretty good with general browsing or eReading (or coding practice) that I bought it for. I haven't tried art applications because while I have a Nintendo DS stylus around here, I'm not really comfortable with using it on this when I tried the Surface pen in the past and that shows where your pen will "hit" if you hover over the "board"/Surface for better accuracy.

 

[littlegrasshopper]

I've read that the i7 fan comes on a LOT more than the i5. I think people over at /r/Surface were reporting the same thing.

Just posted a thread there, thanks for the tip.