Complex Shadow
Cudi Lame
verg s2
really? 1080 isnt good enough for you or something? on a goddamn tablet.
really? 1080 isnt good enough for you or something? on a goddamn tablet.
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Surface 2 and Pro 2 |OT| Lap it up
- Thread starter GK86
- Start date
Don't think HD 4400 would be enough for 1080p yet, hopefully next year I can game older titles in 1080p, they be able to have the Xbone controller connect to the Pro 3 or whatever without dongles/wires. That will be one killer setup
Overly sensitive much?
Complex Shadow
Cudi Lame
lol you got junior'd. didn't even notice.
Don't think HD 4400 would be enough for 1080p yet, hopefully next year I can game older titles in 1080p, they be able to have the Xbone controller connect to the Pro 3 or whatever without dongles/wires. That will be one killer setup
Well with the Surface Pro I can play the game at a better framerate than the Xbox at 720p. 1080p runs well sometimes indoors, but it runs bad where there is a heavy use of shaders etc. I'm pretty sure the HD4400 takes care of that.
Tbh unless you want to be right close to the machine 1366x768 looks great. Surface Pro 2 will run most games like that.
Just changed my mind on the Purple Type Cover though. Seems that everyone is aiming for it...
Yeah, it's annoying how easily they spin the new improvements off into mediocrity and disregard stuff, if it was Apple they would tout it as something cool users just haven't fully grasped yet. It's a matter of who gets the most benefit of the doubt, and MS sure doesn't get that from them.
I'm not even talking about the number at the bottom of their review, just the how they explain and comment on features. Stop focusing on lack of legacy on Surface 2, that's a plus in terms of security/stability and streamlining the user experience. It's like they fail to get how much better the Pro 2 is than a MB air at the same price... 7~ hours vs 12 is a big difference, but it's obvious why that happens, and those things are tied to the Surface Pro 2's numerous advantages.
Compound that with the technical lack of knowledge on the Verge's side, and well you get some really attractive, yet to an extent shallow reviews. Too bad Anandtech doesn't appeal as much to the mainstream
-COOLIO-
The Everyman
that would be a helluva sacrifice to render games natively.
besides a lot of games should run well at 1080p. torchlight, source games (except for maybe dota 2), indies etc.
Paul Thurrott's first impressions and unboxing:
Microsoft Surface 2 Accessories: First Impressions and Photos
Microsoft Surface Pro 2: First Impressions and Photos
Microsoft Surface 2: First Impressions and Photos
Microsoft Surface 2 Accessories: First Impressions and Photos
Microsoft Surface Pro 2: First Impressions and Photos
Microsoft Surface 2: First Impressions and Photos
Battery life on Surface Pro 2 is still rather disappointing. I think I'll probably hold off for another revision before jumping in, despite the concept of the Surface Pro appealing to me tremendously. Hopefully by then the resolution scaling situation will have improved as well.
Well strictly speaking, Skyrim, New Vegas, Deus Ex 3 and Dishonoured would run close to 60fps at 1366x768. I know of course every other aspect of the Surface Pro benefits from 1080p but still...
BTW I think Windows 8.1 has fixed the whole DPI scaling issue. I have it running 125% and Steam nor Office stuff bugs up anymore. I'm very happy.
I put down an order for a Surface Pro 2 128GB before I went to bed last night and it should ship today or tomorrow. I guess it's lucky that I live in a low turnover country.
The reviews and early impressions are looking good so far. Ignoring The Verge as usual, it's silly how they always review products from an Apple centric perspective instead of reviewing them on their own merits.
The reviews and early impressions are looking good so far. Ignoring The Verge as usual, it's silly how they always review products from an Apple centric perspective instead of reviewing them on their own merits.
Ordered the 32GB Surface 2.
I wasn't going to do it, but I just got a new phone and if I sell my old 920 and my Surface RT on ebay I'm actually going to make more than the S2+a new touch cover costs.
Not buying it would have been like throwing money away. Right? RIGHT??
I wasn't going to do it, but I just got a new phone and if I sell my old 920 and my Surface RT on ebay I'm actually going to make more than the S2+a new touch cover costs.
Not buying it would have been like throwing money away. Right? RIGHT??
Video comparing app launch speed of Surface 2 and Pro 2 side by side by Tom Warren.
Rather impressive.
Rather impressive.
Very impressive.
The power/speed of the RT was a concern, as was the low resolution. They've fixed both of those things, so I'm happy that I'm upgrading.
I don't think there was anything fundamentally wrong with the original Surface. Nor is there anything wrong with RT (you wouldn't believe it if you read the forum).
Yes, the lack of apps is a concern - or rather the lack of certain apps is a concern. The majority of things that I need and use are covered nicely by what is there and the internets. I'm still baffled by the fact that people want every app they use on their phones on their tablet as well when for a good few of them it makes absolutely zero sense when you have a decent sized screen and a web browser.
Obviously there's some glaring holes (Sky Go for instance) that need to be addressed sharpishly.
Even so, the Surface RT to me was a vastly superior experience than the Galaxy Tab. I find it superior in almost every sense for the stuff I do.
The power/speed of the RT was a concern, as was the low resolution. They've fixed both of those things, so I'm happy that I'm upgrading.
I don't think there was anything fundamentally wrong with the original Surface. Nor is there anything wrong with RT (you wouldn't believe it if you read the forum).
Yes, the lack of apps is a concern - or rather the lack of certain apps is a concern. The majority of things that I need and use are covered nicely by what is there and the internets. I'm still baffled by the fact that people want every app they use on their phones on their tablet as well when for a good few of them it makes absolutely zero sense when you have a decent sized screen and a web browser.
Obviously there's some glaring holes (Sky Go for instance) that need to be addressed sharpishly.
Even so, the Surface RT to me was a vastly superior experience than the Galaxy Tab. I find it superior in almost every sense for the stuff I do.
Ken Masters
Banned
Saw the verge review, it's a nice device for sure but just can't ever see myself using a tablet that is basically unusable in portrait mode
DirectX applications usually won't work via RDP. I think Civ V does though.
My order is still on processing. Hurry up already.
most of the time I hold my tablet (win 8, atom) but most of the time with two hands. Windows 8 is designed around using your thumbs so it is natural to hold the device with two hands. And of course always in landscape. Whenever I use an iPad it is always in landscape as well, although that device is almost square so there isn't much of a difference. As for on a bus, etc...I use my phone.
I believe when they say ESPN, they are talking about the ESPN 3 video service. But..the website works fine sooo I don't know what their deal is. All of those services work fine in a web browser.
Why is it unusable in portrait mode?
LaserBuddha
Member
The weight and aspect ratio make it really awkward and undesirable. This is what made me return my Surface Pro (other than having no way to use the keyboard in my lap because there is no rigid hinge design, something still not fixed). The screen wasn't tall enough in landscape mode for drawing, but wasn't wide enough or comfortable enough in portrait mode.
Why doesn't anyone but Apple see the superiority of 4:3?
I don't think 4:3 is that big an advantage on a screen that size.
It's nicer for reading books, but for surfing the web and stuff like that it doesn't make that big a difference I think. Not as big as on a 7 or 8 inch screen anyway.
And obviously 16:9 is a lot nicer for video.
It's nicer for reading books, but for surfing the web and stuff like that it doesn't make that big a difference I think. Not as big as on a 7 or 8 inch screen anyway.
And obviously 16:9 is a lot nicer for video.
LaserBuddha
Member
It's the same size as the iPad screen, so I've been able to make a direct comparison. It's an advantage for webs surfing and literally anything else you might want to do in portrait mode, because the widescreen mode simply sucks in portrait. Web surfing is actually superior in landscape on a 4:3 screen, not just portrait. Anything that makes it practical to use a tablet in multiple orientations is a big deal.
The only real advantage for widescreen is movies, and beside the fact that movies are no one's primary use case for this thing, the advantage really means "it will be a little bigger in landscape and smaller in portrait, and the former only applies to widescreen film"
Xplatformer
Member
Curious about this too.
Comics are pretty much all I use portrait mode for, but they should work fine in Portrait.
So...Pro has worse camera than RT
Pro has less battery life than RT
Pro doesn't ship with Office
But Pro is better at gaming, runs legacy Win32 apps and supports Wacom like pen interaction.
Xplatformer
Member
I'd argue that for media consumption 4:3 is not good. And I'd also argue that media consumption is the #1 use for a tablet.
LaserBuddha
Member
It's a lot narrower than "media consumption". You're talking widescreen video. Having smaller black bars on a widescreen tablet is nice, but when "media consumption" is actually worse in portrait mode on a widescreen tablet, in addition to everything else being worse or more limited, I find it hard to bemoan the black bars too much.
I should note that when I say media consumption isn't the primary use case, I'm talking about the Pro. The RT has little use outside of media consumption so I agree with you (kidding). Web is really everyone's primary use case in the end, and 4:3 definitely wins there
I know that it's the same size, that's why I mentioned the screen size.
I also meant the surfing in landscape, I don't think it makes that much of a difference on a 10 inch screen - on a 7 inch screen it makes a big difference on the other hand. I'd agree that it's still nicer in 4:3, but it's not horrible on a 16:9 screen either.
And widescreen video consumption is quite big on a tablet. It's not just movies - streaming TV, streaming live sport, watching TV series, watching video podcasts, game trailers and so on. All of that is in 16:9. All you have big black bars with in 4:3 with all of that, so naturally a widescreen display is a lot nicer to use for that. And as mentioned, that's one of the main uses of a tablet.
What's also nice in 16:9 is if you use it for work, it's a lot better for emails.
At the end of the day it comes down to preference. Neither aspect ratio is horrible and neither is superior imo.
LaserBuddha
Member
Surfing isn't a huge problem, I agree, but with that aspect ration you're either viewing a page normally with huge empty space to the right and left like on a desktop, or you've zoomed in to make the page take up the whole screen but now you're viewing a thinner horizontal slice that interferes with viewing large images, etc. Again, not a horrible thing to work around.
In the end I returned my Surface Pro because it can't replace a laptop if I can only realistically use the keyboard at a desk, and it can't replace a tablet or serve as an artist tool if I can only realistically use it in landscape mode.
I'm not one to just poo poo a product that doesn't apply to me. I'm driven to vent about it because I REALLY want a Pro, but I just can't.
In the end I returned my Surface Pro because it can't replace a laptop if I can only realistically use the keyboard at a desk, and it can't replace a tablet or serve as an artist tool if I can only realistically use it in landscape mode.
I'm not one to just poo poo a product that doesn't apply to me. I'm driven to vent about it because I REALLY want a Pro, but I just can't.
Sorry, but I have to disagree. Nearly all monitors and laptops nowadays are 16:9, and I'd wager over 90% of people browse full screen. In fact, on Surface/win8tabs you actually get more screen real estate, because there's no chrome when viewing a webpage, than the same ratio screen on a laptop.
I am not a fan of 16:9 monitors at all, but on a tablet there's no issues at all with it, I have found. There's + and - to both 16:9 and a 4:3 ipad ratio on tablets.
Sorry for singling out your post, but it was on the bottom
fallingdove
Member
Just got an order update that my Surface Pro 2 has shipped. Hoping I get it by Wednesday. A touch cover, screen protector, and 64gb micro sd card are anxiously awaiting it.
LaserBuddha
Member
Nearly all monitors and laptops have larger screens, so having the page content take up little more than a third of the screen in full screen mode isn't much of a problem. On a smaller screen it is. When zoomed in to fit the page on screen, you'd find that pages like GAF's PC screenshots thread are problematic because you can't fit whole images on the screen. That's why I don't browse in landscape on my phone, but prefer to do so on my iPad.Sorry, but I have to disagree. Nearly all monitors and laptops nowadays are 16:9, and I'd wager over 90% of people browse full screen. In fact, on Surface/win8tabs you actually get more screen real estate, because there's no chrome when viewing a webpage, than the same ratio screen on a laptop.
I am not a fan of 16:9 monitors at all, but on a tablet there's no issues at all with it, I have found. There's + and - to both 16:9 and a 4:3 ipad ratio on tablets.
Sorry for singling out your post, but it was on the bottom
Tathanen
Get Inside Her!
Good luck - especially since they probably won't sell it to ya till tomorrow anyways
YEP. Another friend mentioned this to me before I went actually, I didn't realize they were publicizing tomorrow as the launch date, I just remembered my original preorder's 21st date.
But they said the 256GB Pro 2 was still available to day-1 preorder in their store, so awwww yiss got my preorder back. Wouldn't let me pre-get a keyboard, said they don't know what specific colors they're actually getting yet, so hopefully I'll still be able to snag a black type 2 when I go back tomorrow. I'm happy to use some random shitty keyboard I already have until I can actually get the specific one I want.
Oh, that makes sense. 16:9 screenshots would definitely fit better on a 4:3 screen.
vagabondarts
Member
I'm in as an upgrade to my motion computing tablet as soon as I can afford it.
Looking forward to putting Mischief through its paces on it
Looking forward to putting Mischief through its paces on it
ThatGayWolf
Member
I'm only here to say
CINTIQ COMPANION REPRESENT
Actually I only ordered it for the 30 day trial period, but I'll probably keep it. Planning on going to the microsoft store to try out drawing on the surface before I make my final decision about which one to go with, but 10 inches on the surface 2 screen is really kind of cramped.
Also buying the companion/a tablet to replace my LE 1600, which is catching the dead quite rapidly.
CINTIQ COMPANION REPRESENT
Actually I only ordered it for the 30 day trial period, but I'll probably keep it. Planning on going to the microsoft store to try out drawing on the surface before I make my final decision about which one to go with, but 10 inches on the surface 2 screen is really kind of cramped.
Also buying the companion/a tablet to replace my LE 1600, which is catching the dead quite rapidly.
Ken Masters
Banned
LaserBuddha
Member
They do. If you set the page size to the width of images to make them as large as possible, then on a 16:9 screen the only images you'll be able to view entirely with scrolling are 16:9 images, and that's only if there are no address bars or other UI. In that case, I also find the lack of vertical space uncomfortable when, for example, skimming through forum posts. Using a full screen keyboard sucks too because you often can't even see everything you've typed above it.
When browsing in landscape on a 4:3 screen, I can zoom in on the page to the width of images, and view most image aspect ratios without scrolling. I also have more vertical viewing space which makes navigation and reading easier for me. Those are just minor bonuses, imo, compared to how 4:3 blows 16:9 out of the water in portrait mode.