Microsoft Surface Pro get half battery life of Surface RT

How much does battery life matter to tablet users? Microsoft may soon find out, first hand.

Microsoft went public today with pricing for its Surface Pro PC/tablet devices -- the Intel-based ones running Windows 8 Pro that will allow users to run their existing third-party apps on the desktop. The 64GB version will be $899; the 128GB version, $999. (Both prices include a pen, but no touch or type keyboard/cover. So add another $120 to $130 for that.)

Pricing is not all the team shared about the Microsoft-branded Surface Pros, due out in January 2013.

Surface Pros are going to get about half the battery life of the Surface RTs. Surface RTs get between eight and ten hours of battery life, based on various estimates I've seen (and my own personal experience on mine).

Read more at source:
Microsoft Surface Pro to have half the Surface RT's battery life | ZDNet

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
Unlike a conventional laptop where unless you are in a plane (Horrible place for using a laptop BTW) these days battery life isn't of prime importance --even "out in the field" car adaptors are fine and you are usually using a laptop with a whole load of other gear - particularly if you are measuring environmental / engineering data.

A Tablet on the other hand is designed to be a much more portable device from the outset and in this case Battery life IMO is much more important.

6 Hours though with an I7 processor doesn't actually sound too horrible which ever way you cut it -- I'd imagine that a tablet with this type of processor in it would in any case have a decent "Power saving mode" when using it for typical "tablet" type stuff, and the real drain would only be experienced when working in "Serious Laptop Mode" in which case as for those using a laptop would probably have access to power supplies fairly often. (The tablet would get really hot also with an i7 in it -- my Galaxy IIIs phone gets surprisingly warm sometimes - European model with the QUAD processor rather than the US model with the DUO -- can't say I've ever needed the power of the QUAD in the phone though !!).

I can't see this feature being a deal breaker -- Price though most definitely when you look at some of the great really thin "Ultra book" laptops out there now - still selling by the truckload --so this segment of the laptop market is by no means dead yet.

I can't wait though to actually see one of these in the flesh - and we all know after a while these products will be discounted by re-sellers -- so it could be "game on".

One thing is for sure this will definitely be an Ipad exterminator unlike the RT which is a bit like a toy rather than a real computing device -- we'll see however.

I still really can't see why you'd need an i7 processor in a tablet -- I'm managing just fine with an i3, SSD and 8GB in my laptop and even for things like photoshop it performs just fine. Due to the size limitations of the tablet form I'd imagine an SSD would be fitted as a matter of course, and memory would have to be decent as these things aren't "expandable" like normal PC's or even some laptops.

The storage size in the spec is also unclear -- does 128GB mean 128 GB RAM or is it 4GB "Conventional RAM" and the rest by a built in SD micro card or whatever.

128 GB Internal RAM is probably grossly overkill anyway - unless I'm running around 8 VM's concurrently I don't have any problem with 8GB ARM. - I do need removable storage though whether its via a USB ext drive, a USB flash drive,an SD card (or micro SD) or a combination of all 3. If you don't have external storage then you'll be forever syncing this thing with either a phone, or your remote (work or home) computer.

I really don't see a tablet user either for instance running 3 or 4 Virtual machines concurrently or hooking it up to an industrial cutting machine for metal working etc -- tasks most laptops can do with ease.)

I'm not trying to be negative about this device --I really am curious to see how it fits in to "general computing" today. Maybe users will find new applications for it that we haven't even thought about yet.

So I can't wait to see this thing out in the flesh. Will judge it more then. All I'm going on now are basically "rumours and leaks". I have yet to see an actual RETAIL production model of one of these yet.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[Ruudfood]

It's definitely NOT 128GB RAM. Who would need that even in a desktop? Not even the most serious gamer. I believe the options for RAM are 4GB and 8GB (in future) and storage options 64GB and 128GB.

Surface will also have an i5 variant and I think that's likely to be enough processing power for most people.

Back to the storage and, well, 128GB is not too shabby. 64GB is not a huge amount considering that the OS takes up some of that space but there is a microSDXC slot so you can expand your storage as and when needed. That's going to be absolutely vital because there's no 3G/4G capabilities that would allow you to sync to the cloud when on the go.

I think the key differentiator between this and the ultra-notebooks currently available is the touch capabilities. Windows 8 is built for touch and if you want a tablet with Win 8 AND require the serious capabilities that a regular laptop or desktop provides then this is for you.

I reckon I'll be in the market for one.

 

[Ray8]

I'm managing fine with my Arm based tablet and can run full Office and Adobe products without any issues. The ability to change hard drives etc is a bonus. It came with a 320GB HDD, which I've swapped for a 128GB SSD (the HDD is a backup with full image). I'm only limited by the size of hard disks available in 7mm or smaller format.

What's also handy is that it has a mini-PCIE slot (as well as an external SD slot) so that I can use that to increase storage capacity with a mini-PCIE to SD converter and I think I can also install mSATA storage cards and increase the memory substantially. I'm only limited in the capacity of mSATA that's available.

All tablets should have such versatility, rather than being built as sealed devices allowing no modification whatsoever. That, to me, is the mark of a true PC.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there

Perhaps another option for tablets is a "swappable" battery so if you really need longer battery life take two batteries -- a battery that fits into small 11.2 inch ultrabooks is very portable and can easily be kept in a pocket too. Even easier if your 2nd battery can be plugged in to an external 20V (or whatever voltage these things need) connector on the tablet case so you don't even have to open it to use a different battery.

The circuitry could take power primarily from the external source if connected too and only use the internal battery if no external supply was available. Really simple electronics 101 to organse that type of switching circuit - and charging would only occur if the device was connected to the mains.

The distinction between "Tablets" and "PC's" is now getting really "vague" -- pure basic tablets like say an Ipad are probably going the way of the dodo -- PC's are morphing into tablets for example the HP envy series where you can operate in "Tablet" or PC mode and Tablets are morphing into PC's -- most new Tablets on offer now have most of the capabilities of a "Classical PC".


The real market now will be in price / looks etc. The actual capabilities of these devices will all be roughly equivalent to similarly powered PC's.

I'd also be interested in how "rugged" the device is -- such as being dropped (while in in a rucksack or other case of course), being manhandled by those security "Gorilla's" at airports and some railway stations, how it fares in a carry bag while riding a bicycle in cobbled city streets or being out in the field connected to some measuring devices where the "traditional laptop" does really well.

We shall see -- but "If it looks like a Duck, quacks like a Duck and Waddles like a Duck then it's a DUCK".

Cheers
jimbo

 

[Ray8]

I'm able to use a second battery that attaches to the base of my tablet to approx double the operating time. I can also charge mine through any 12V source and possibly with generic external battery packs. I haven't looked into it, but as my battery can also be replaced, I may be able to find a more powerful battery if needed.

I think most of these tablets are as rugged as any laptop (maybe more so) other than dedicated 'tough tablets'. Mine goes off-road regularly and survives the jolting and dust quite respectably. The fact that I can open the case and blow out the dust helps.

 

[alphanumeric]

ASUS has some hybrids like that, a second battery in the base section. You get some extra USB, etc ports in the base/dock too. :thumb: