Reviewer: Microsoft's New 'Toaster-Fridge' PC Still Has A Few Problems
It even won over Yahoo Tech's David Pogue, a former consumer tech columnist for The New York Times, who was always skeptical of Windows 8 and Microsoft's Surface tablet.
This new do-it-all PC is being called the "Toaster-Fridge," by some in the industry, a term that stems a statement by Apple CEO Tim Cook back in 2012 when a Wall Street analyst asked him if Apple would ever do a hybrid.
He famously replied, "You can merge a toaster and a refrigerator, but that's probably not going to be pleasing to anyone."
Apparently Cook was wrong. Pogue praised this Surface as "the one machine (so far) where Windows 8 makes sense. You've got one OS for tablet mode and regular Windows for desktop mode. Boom."
But that doesn't mean it's perfect.
Nick Barber, a reviewer from enterprise tech publishing conglomerate, IDG, didn't find the Surface Pro 3 tablet such smooth going.
Although he liked its "remarkably clear and crisp screen," super fast processor, size, and adjustable kickstand, he ran into a bunch of issues, both with the hardware and with the non-Microsoft apps in the Windows store. So much so that he warned:
Its productivity software and robust processor make it good for creating and editing content on the go, but its limiting eco-system and applications - some of which don't even work - make us question its overall usefulness.
He was testing a midrange system priced at about $1,300, with the optional Surface Pro Typecover (another $130).
His gripes were plentiful.
1. Typecover didn't always work.
"Unfortunately, the keyboard was hit or miss. During my tests there were points when the keyboard didn't work and the trackpad did and vice versa," Barber says.
2. No place to store the Bluetooth pen.
A Bluetooth pen is included with the tablet - one of the Surface Pro 3's most distinguishing features. Unfortunately, "there's no storage slot for the pen. So unless you are really set on using the gadget it might end of staying in the drawer or on the desk at home," he says.
3. Office not included.
This tablet does not include any versions of Office. He opted to buy Office 365 Home, which costs $10 a month (or $100 if you pay annually). It worked well.
4. The Dropbox Windows 8 app didn't work.
"I was excited when I found Dropbox in the Windows store, but the app was plagued with so many problems, I couldn't even use it," he says.
4. Limited support for Google's storage cloud, Google Drive.
"There's no native app for that. Only the Web interface," Barber says.
Note: This shouldn't be surprising. Arch enemies Microsoft and Google have been battling about Windows 8 apps for Google services for years. Last year, Google made Microsoft kill its Windows 8 YouTube app, for instance. But it's still a pain for users who want to be able to choose their cloud storage based on what they want, and not vendor rivalries.
5. Microsoft's native cloud storage worked well, but only let him upload one file at a time. "It was slow going uploading individual files to one drive."
(Note: Using OneDrive for a backup is easier when the documents are created on the device, There's a setting in Windows 8 that will automatically save documents to OneDrive by default.)
That said, he concludes that the tablet/PC is a good choice for those "willing to invest time and money into Microsoft's eco-system" of Windows 8 apps.
Here's the full video of his review.