Microsoft Surface Pro 2 review

Microsoft has updated both its Windows 8 tablets (see Surface 2 as well) and the Pro 2 is the big beast of the outfit, with processing power to match a desktop and improvements including a big jump in available memory an update to the operating system and improved keyboards.

It's on sale now for £719 for the 64GB version, £799 for 128GB, same as last time, and now there are also 256GB (£1,039) and 512GB (£1,439) versions. 

Design
The Pro 2 is a little lighter than the original, but it's still pretty hefty for a tablet at 900g. It does however have ambitions to be more than a tablet -- with the processing power and performance capability of a laptop.

The two versions with the lower memory count are backed by 4GB RAM but the two larger ones are blessed with 8GB RAM. All versions come with a microSD slot in the side allowing you to add a further 64GB. There's also a single full-size USB 3.0 port and a Mini DisplayPort video out, as well as a proprietary charging port.
The kick stand on the back is still there but it now has two positions rather than just one which makes it easier to use on your lap.
Features, Windows 8.1 and hardware
The 10.6-inch screen is unchanged but then there isn't very much wrong with it. With a full HD resolution of 1,920x1,080 pixels it's beautifully sharp and crisp, with wide viewing angles, and its ten-point touch capability proved nicely sensitive too.
It runs the latest Windows 8.1 operating system, which further develops the touch-focused OS based around tiles and the ability to slide screens up, down and sideways to access apps and menus. This new version sees the return of the much-missed Start button, making it much easier for Windows veterans to get their heads around the tile architecture by providing a quick link to an old-school Windows Start menu from the desktop. There are other improvements too, some of which are covered in our Surface 2 review.


The touch pen returns and while it can come in handy for drawing or note-taking, with a button on the side that acts like the right click on a mouse, there's still nowhere convenient to store it -- it clips onto the side but is easily dislodged.
But the big change with the Pro 2 is that it's powered by Intel's latest Haswell Core i5 processor, which has plenty of poke. It boots up quickly, though not quite as nippily as the Surface 2, and it had no trouble doing anything we asked of it, including a spot of HD gaming.
As before, there are a couple of clip-on covers available and these have been further refined. The Touch Cover 2 (£100) is thinner and the hard keys are now backlit, while the slightly deeper Type Cover 2 (£110) has also been slimmed down but the full-sized backlit keys retain a satisfactory amount of travel. There's also a new Type Cover due for the Pro next year which includes a built-in battery designed to double battery life.
Battery life has been improved considerably (by around 75 percent according to Microsoft, largely due to the new processor) and it gave us a little over seven hours of continuous use in our test.

Conclusion

The Microsoft Surface Pro 2 doesn't attempt to reinvent the wheel, but then it doesn't need to. It's a timely update of a very capable device that bridges the gap between tablet and laptop and while it's still not cheap, especially once you've shelled out for one of the keyboard covers, it really is a very fine machine.