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My Thoughts on Microsoft's Computers

Updated: Apr 28, 2021



While I am mostly an Apple fan girl, I find that Microsoft's laptops are superior to Apple's. Well at least in hardware. I actually dislike Microsoft's software very much since the user experience is subpar. Anyways, I have been able to use Microsoft's Surface Book and Surface Pro laptops. So here are my thoughts on Microsoft's two laptops.



Surface Book

I found the Surface Book to be extremely bulky and heavy. That combined with Microsoft outdated software made the user experience very poor. And while it is coveted by many due to its power, I find that the Surface Book was not worth it. The lack of portability was annoying, and I also disliked the detachable feature that it had. Unlike the Surface Pro where you can simply pull off the keyboard to gain access to the tablet form, the Surface Book requires you to press a button and then you have to wait for the computer to notice you pushed the button and then wait for the mechanism to work. And another thing that I disliked about the Surface Book was that when it was in tablet mode, I could barely use it because there was no stand. Since the screen portion of the laptop is so angular and bulky, it makes the user experience lackluster. OH, and then there's the keyboard! I found the keyboard to be soooooo LOUD! I would tap a key, and it would be just as loud as if you were typing normally. And while the types of keyboards are subjective, I found the noisiness of the keys to be highly distracting when I was trying to work. It wasn't like music or a tv show where I could block it out, it was an annoying clacking sound that was destructive to my ears. Ok ok ok, I may be overreacting but certain noises really make me furious, and can make or break the experience. The keyboard, detach ability feature, and lack of a stand were all features that made me turn away from the all powerful Surface Book and go towards the Surface Pro.



Surface Pro

I LOVE the Surface Pro! Like LOVE LOVE LOVE it! While the Microsoft software is still bleh, everything else about the Surface Pro is PERFECT! The Surface Pro has everything that the Surface Book needed. It has a stand instead of a hinge, an easy detachable keyboard, and quiet keys!! Not only is the keyboard EXTREMELY lightweight, unlike the 2 pound keyboard on the Surface Book, but the stand on the tablet portion make the tablet much more useful when the keyboard is not in use. When taking notes on OneNote, the stand allows you to take notes at a slightly elevated height. The fact that you can push the stand to make the screen whatever height you want, makes the whole laptop THAT much more versatile. For me it really helps that the keyboard isn't made out of metal material and that there is no battery or other internals inside the keyboard. All the power is in the screen portion of the Surface Pro. Which is just one of many differences between the Book and Pro. You see with the Surface Book, you get the keyboard with the screen since its a more formal laptop. And it is because of that, that Microsoft has been able to add a battery to the keyboard AND the screen. Which is why detaching the screen from the keyboard is such an ordeal. And while it looks and sound like a cool transformer, it gets annoying after awhile having to wait the mechanism to detach. And attach for that matter. Because it takes a few seconds for the keyboard to get back in sync so that you are able to use the mouse again. I find the Pro's attach ability to take the same amount of time, but since it attached and detaches through magnetic it feels faster. I also appreciate the fact that the speakers are on the front of the screen pointing towards you because it makes the audio much better. The only thing that I don't like about BOTH the Book and Pro, is that they both have enormous bezels.



Conclusion

Once Apple creates a tablet/laptop that has all the features of Microsoft, you can bet I am going to be switching sides! Because I know that Apple would be able to make the laptop look more modern, have a better software, and an overall user experience. Right Apple's tablet/laptop set up is not good. The new keyboard that Apple introduced makes the tablet portion float, which not only makes the whole thing 2Xs heavier, but I feel that by making it so that the tablet portion floats, it restricts the versatility aspect. So yea if Apple could create a sleek looking tablet (which they already have) with a stand (which they do not have), and a lightweight keyboard that attaches magnetically (which they don't have), THEN I would switch in a heartbeat. I mean is it too hard to ask for an Apple version of the Surface Pro???


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