Microsoft Surface with Windows 8 Pro (Core i5 Processor; 10.6-inch display) - CNET

Microsoft has finally revealed the price and availability for its second Surface tablet, the version that's running Windows 8 Pro. The 64GB model will cost US$899, while the 128GB version is priced at US$999. These prices do not include the Touch keyboard accessories, which start from US$120. This Windows 8 Pro slate will be available sometime in January.

Now that we know the price, what do we think of this tablet? 

Upside

PC vendors, such as Acer and HP, have opted for the less powerful Intel Atom processor on their Windows 8 tablets-cum-laptop hybrids. However, Microsoft has been saying all along that the Windows 8 Pro is a tablet that's as capable as a PC. 

So far, the specifications appear to support this: It has an Ivy Bridge-class Intel Core i5 processor with 4GB of RAM and at least 64GB of internal storage. Except for the amount of storage, which is as limited as the tiny 64GB found on the basic 11.6-inch MacBook Air, the hardware is definitely comparable with Ultrabooks. 

Besides the computing power, the 10.6-inch Surface with Windows 8 Pro has a 1,920 x 1,080-pixel touchscreen. This is a significant upgrade over the 1,366 x 768-pixel display on the Windows RT Surface slate. Yet, despite its middling screen resolution, the display on the Surface with Windows RT has garnered favorable reviews. We believe that the higher-resolution version on the Windows Pro model should address one of the major criticisms of the Surface so far.

As its name indicates, this Surface tablet runs Microsoft's Windows 8 Pro. There's full backward compatibilty with older Windows desktop programs, immediately giving it access to a vast library of existing applications. In comparison, the Surface with Windows RT only supports applications on the Windows Store, which remains at a paltry number.

Short of an Ethernet port, we doubt that users will have any complaints about the connectivity options on this Surface tablet. It has a full-sized USB 3.0 port, a microSD card slot (for further storage expansion) and a mini-DisplayPort for video output. A stylus is also included, and there are both front- and rear-facing 720p cameras on the device.

Downside

The Surface for Windows 8 Pro has a 42Wh battery compared with the 31.5Wh version on the RT model. But the larger battery has to power an Ivy Bridge device, while the one on the Surface for RT is responsible for a more power-efficient ARM processor, The hardware team behind the Surface has confirmed that users should expect around "half the battery life of the Surface RT". That would mean anything between four and five hours, which wouldn't be far off from an average Ultrabook.

If you purchase this device thinking that it's an iPad, you're likely to be disappointed by the battery life. It's crucial that Microsoft convey this important detail to consumers and it's good that the company seems to be confronting this issue head-on now. 

While it looks identical to the Windows RT Surface, the Pro version is thicker and heavier. At around 900 grams, this 10.6-inch slate is rather hefty when compared with conventional tablets. Once you add in the keyboard accessory, it will be about as light as some laptops. Again, it's not an issue if you wrap your head around that this device is closer to an Ultrabook rather than a tablet. 

Outlook

With the Windows RT-based Surface going for US$499, the Windows 8 Pro version may seem pretty expensive at US$899 at first glance. However, that would be getting it wrong. This Surface with Windows 8 Pro is competing in a different segment, one that's filled with Ultrabooks and other Windows 8 hybrids like the HP Envy x2 or the Acer Iconia W510. 

In which case, compared with the US$850 Envy x2, which has an Intel Atom CPU and an inferior screen resolution, the price of the Surface is reasonable. The Envy x2 does include a keyboard dock though, which would set you back by US$120 if you had gone with Microsoft's offering. 

In fact, the closest competitor may be Samsung's Ativ Smart PC Pro, which is priced at around US$1,199 for a Core i5 version with 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. If you do the math, an equivalent Surface with Windows 8 Pro (128GB storage) and a Touch Cover keyboard works out to about US$1,119. It's definitely not as affordable as an Android tablet, but that would be comparing apples with oranges.