Microsoft launched the newest version of its Surface Pro 2-in-1 device today — a convenient cross between a laptop PC and tablet. The new model comes in a 12.3-inch form factor that features a 2736 x 1824 resolution touchscreen display.
The latest iteration of the Surface Pro weighs in at just 1.69 pounds, making it attractive as a lightweight mobile device. Meanwhile, enterprises will likely appreciate the device’s support for Windows Hello facial recognition sign-in feature, which should help increase security.
The new Surface Pro device also features the TPM security chip for enterprise-level security, and comes with a 5.0MP front-facing and a 8.0MP rear-facing camera. The Pro will be running a full-fledged version of the Windows operating system in the form of Windows Pro, rather than the stripped-down Windows S version Microsoft is shipping with the Surface Laptop.
More Attractive to Artists
Microsoft has upgraded the new model from Intel’s Skylake architecture to Intel’s more advanced Kaby Lake chip. The change is expected to improve battery life up to 50 percent, according to Microsoft’s estimates. The new Surface Pro also offers accelerated 4K HEVC video decoding, and a new stylus with reduced latency and four times as many different pressure levels as its predecessor, plus new support for drawing at a tilted angle.
While the stylus used to come included with all but the cheapest Surface Pro models, users will now have to shell out extra for it, as the price of the stylus has increased to $100 from $60. For artists who plan to use the Surface Pro for drawing on the go, the pen might represent enough of an upgrade to justify the increased investment.
In fact, artists and other creative professionals seem to be the key demographic Microsoft is targeting with its latest set of upgrades. The…