Fascinated by the fact that 30% visit Meh.com from a phone and 6% from a tablet. So 64% from a computer? That makes clicking here sound like a conscious decision, a destination, a planned event, and not something one does cuz he's got 5 minutes to kill.
Wondering if there's a correlation between this tablet selling out and only 6% using a tablet to come here?
@Nexar I second all of this. I have the original Pro and have the clicky key version of the keyboard and a Bluetooth mouse (with a mini USB one for travel).
@ThoR294 four is probably the best bet consodering thurrott couldn't recommend the pro book because of the many issues. I bet he'd recommend it if it were cheaper though.
At $399, I can wholeheartedly recommend this but it'd be nice to know about the battery and especially the charger situation.
My friend had trouble with charger. It was under warranty though.
@kus yeah i think the surface has come a long way currently. Android tablets are lacking right now and the pro4 is a powerhouse. Pen is super responsive and screen is amazing.
@Nexar I'd really agree. I picked up the 3 (not pro) recently and am really pleased even with the Atom processor. The older ones were much thicker and clunkier than the 3+ range.
@haydesigner I too want a place where I don't get Episode V: The Internet Snarks Back. But alas, that place doesn't exist so, here the snark comes: which part of Mac's interface do you like best, the part where you can't customize anything or the part where you fit in really well at expensive coffee shops?
@haydesigner "better" = what you're familiar with. Personally, I find many aspects of UI on my iPad, like the dozen different ways to close a modal window, frustratingly inconsistent. But, to each his own.
@FredWallace18 (For iOS, which is arguably more on-topic, not Mac) I like the consistency, continuity and actual ease of use. But since you mentioned it, the inability to customize shit I don't need to is actually a bonus for several reasons. Chiefly (but just for instance): 1) I don't waste time twiddling with settings that I usually end up reverting back to their original state anyway. 2) I don't accumulate the overhead of all of those often-memory-hogging customization apps and widgets that fairly reliably offer me little to nothing in terms of UI in return for their hit on performance. 3) I'm not constantly looking for some way to make a broken interface tolerable, because the interface works to begin with. 4) I don't chase rabbit trails to dead ends looking for that sweet spot I'm never going to find, because despite the plethora of options offered up to fix what's fundamentally wrong with Windows, none of them actually does. 5) I don't have to deal with--on that rare occasion that I find a software patch that fixes part of my user experience--the fact that that beautiful customization make me more frustrated that I still have to struggle with the same deficiency in most of the rest of the operating system.
Sure there are times that I wish I could tweak one little thing. I can't name one off the top of my head. Usually I adapt, it's worth it, and I'm not obsessed with it.
And, again, now that you mention it, yes, I'm willing to pay a little more for something that works and isn't frustrating. On a personal level, my time and freedom from frustration are worth at least a few hundred bucks. And I've got functionality out of the box with iOS I would have had to pay extra for on Windows anyway.
Let's not forget that Windows, with every new version, feels the need to move things around and fairly fundamentally change both the user interface and the api, which is not just a tacit admission that their system is fucked, but, speaking of fucked, typically fucks up both my personal connection to the OS and the third-party software I'd grow fond of.
I've used Windows professionally for over twenty years and counting. It's okay. And a lot of the software I rely on is only written for that platform. I get plenty of "opportunity" for customization and to assist others in dealing with its "superior flexibility." On my own time, I'll skip that "fun."
But, again, I've been so happy with my experience of iOS, I've spec'ed iPads for work. And they're exceptionally effective. You know what's great about that as a technology professional? The time I spend hand-holding and troubleshooting is maybe 10% of what it would be on a comparable Windows platform. Regular users get iPads. Most of them are quite happy without the capacity (and need) for customization that apparently makes you cream.
I'm fine with folks using whatever operating system they want, especially when they don't come whining to me on a regular basis about what isn't working or what they don't get. Truly, there are benefits to all of them. In addition to Windows and iOS, I've used (and enjoyed) at least a dozen forms of UNIX. I have a little experience with Android. As far as I can tell there's room for all of it. But thanks for reminding me of some of the reasons I love Apple.
@joelmw I now use android far more than win. Because it's in my pocket.
I have an ios 6s device also and use it a fair amount. Like it well enuf, but if If were my only pocket device, i can promise i would use mostly win, not ios, at home.
Have a debian box, but i didn't do the setup, and it's not my toy or my work machine.
Never owned a mac.
Have a recent nice ipad and a recent nice android tablet. Both sit there unused. Android 4 me. I spoze it's what you are accustomed to or are willing to master.
@f00l I've never owned a Mac either. I tried to talk the wife into it when we bought her laptop, but she was put off by the unfamiliarity.
My attitude towards Windows is influenced not only by the bulk of my career in IT, but the fact that I--for a short and unpleasant time--was saddled with a Win-based phone and I have a good friend with a Windows phone. I don't mean to be a hater, but Microsoft just has a way of producing the flakiest, least stable, inconsistent OSes, IMO. A get by fine on the job and, hey, I think variety is good for the ecosystem, so I'm happy that others are taking their chances on Windows mobile so I don't have to.
Ironically, what I've seen of the Surface has impressed me enough that I'd like to try it out. I've got a lot of Wintel hardware in the house (most of it unused) and I recognize that I'll probably always want something around that runs Windows.
I'll also admit that I don't have a ton of experience with Android. I won't blame them for the Kindle, which I know is somewhat proprietary and restricted and (maybe therefore) crap in terms of general-purpose functionality. @christinewas, who convinced me that we should go with iOS for our first smart phones when I was leaning toward Android, has since switched to Android. And that's fair. I just prefer to settle in and still find the iPhones to be excellent devices with potential still worth exploring.
I definitely agree that to each his own, and while I am a lover of standards, I do think that it's a good thing to have more options, including OS.
I'd buy one of these. I may even talk to the wife about it. We're not necessarily in need of a tablet/laptop and we probably don't have that cash just sitting around, but seems like a good deal to me.
@DaveInSoCal@Satchmo@medz I will occasionally make quiet purchases below $20, in part because the wife is trying tying to grow a sense of entitlement and self-autonomy in me (honest to God; it's a long story) and has more than once scolded me for feeling like I need to ask (though on the other hand, she does kind of hate the accumulation of meh shit). But I'm all for as much transparency as I can get--and I'm a talker (go figure)--and we can't just afford to drop $400 without checking the account and doing some math. I casually pointed out what a good deal it would be if we had the money were in the market for a tablet/laptop. "Neither," she said, a little too hastily.
It's all cool. I kind of hate her current, big, clunky laptop, but we aren't in need and have other things to spend money on. Besides, I have my iPads and really don't get into Windows much away from work. I'd probably make more use of one of those Chromebooks.
@RedOak I've never had Edge crash, but the lack of extensions has kept me from using it on my desktop, only use it on tablet. Hoping the extensions currently in testing will work well, since that's really the only functionality that's truly missing now.
@thedefect I wanted to like Edge since Microsoft swore (yah, I know) they got it right with Edge. No excuses since they are the OS developer. Should have an inside "edge".
But with only 6-8 tabs open it regularly crashes. Those tabs also regularly get forgotten by it. And look at the feedback in their own site - it crashes for a lot for a lot of folks.
It is missing several little things like tab-pinning and restore.
On the plus side it is clean looking.
BTW, I used it on a fresh, direct from the local Microsoft Store (means no crapware) Dell laptop.
@RedOak Sure. Not discounting your claim or anyone else's, if you say it crashes, I'm sure it does. I've just never encountered it myself. Of IE, Chrome, and Firefox, Edge is the most stable of the four browsers I personally use on various devices at present (although I only use IE for very limited purposes at work and very, very, very rarely). I only use it on a Surface, not on any other device presently, so there's the possibility it's optimized more for such devices and that is improving my experience.
I'm more inclined to give them a pass until it's been around a bit longer, but if they don't do well with the extensions, I'll probably have to write off the browser. I was a bit nervous when I heard they were taking Chrome's approach to extensions, since I regularly have more problems with Chrome extensions than Firefox (and find Adblocking extensions less reliable on Chrome).
@radi0j0hn The screen is great on these. The keyboard it comes with is fine, I wouldn't do any serious word processing with it but it is great for light usage, and it doubles as a great screen protector when closed. The keyboard is super light and super thin, you don't even notice it attached.
I do recommend getting the mechanical keyboard option if you are going to be typing a lot, or a Bluetooth/usb one.
I have the original surface 1 Pro. I love it and almost traded it in for a to just because it was a little bit more but it was also a lot more expensive so I've been making do with my wife for many years since the first year they came out. I'm really thinking about this if the website comes back up
@Cerridwyn I'm in the same boat. I just caved, because I'm really feeling the strain from the 4 gigs of RAM lately. Hard to multitask in Creative Cloud without 8.
@JunoZXV Ha! Nevermind. After a lot of refreshing I managed to nab it about half an hour from the original complaint. Yes I got the bright red keyboard, but I'm planning on hunting down the Music Pad that was designed for this model so... Meh.
IIRC, this one has the i5-4200U processor. Around 3200 PassMark benchmark score. The Surface 4 has a i5-6300U which scores a PassMark benchmark of about 4300.
Eeeeeh... This is one of those things I would totally buy if I had the money, but I envision not using it as much as I would need to warrant the purchase. It's right in-between my 15" laptop and my 5" phone. But I still want it :(
I'd love to buy one. I started a new job so I can actually afford to buy this.
At the end of the month.
:sigh:
Before someone asks, yes I have a credit card, no I can't afford to use it to buy this, and saying do it anyway won't make me any more able to afford it.
As a professional mechanic, I am always looking for a new way to kill time instead of working on your car.
The Surface Pro 2 allows me to browse the intertubes for hours while padding your bill... and I can use it to lookup solutions to the symptoms I told you I could fix!!!!
I bought 4 of these as spares because I really love the ProPen and clearly these come with them... of course I got VMP... you should too.
@Dizavid Great value until you realize the included keyboard is crap and you have to shell out another 75 bucks for the mechanical. Good luck with your new portable heater! ¯_(ツ)_/¯
@brainsuey There is a maybe remote chance some refurbs could have the i5-4300. From what I've read the upgrade was so silent it was difficult to determine what you were even going to get when buying it new. I will expect the 4200, maybe be pleasantly surprised?
If I didn't have to stay up late refreshing the screen to see it, I TOTALLY would have bought one. AWESOME deal at 11PM central - but after wondering WTF is going on with the site, this is completely underwhelming. MEH!
So I was at Starbucks today, thinking, Man, I need something to do during the day this summer. Hey! There are always hotties in these coffee shops! I could totally do video editing and maybe some hotties would be interested in it and subscribe to my channel! Free advertising and productivity!
But I had no device for it, and I figured I'd wait for it on Meh.
And then Meh came to my rescue that very night.
Red so that I won't lose it, ever! Red is also cool.
Nice change. Too bad I already have a Pro with "Battery Cover", and an RT -- which I use more -- and doesn't have the warm back-side issues of the Pro's. My buddy's 3 also gets warm on the back-side.
For those considering it because it has a stylus, I RMA'd my Pro after demonstrating to Microsoft how the pen deflects strangely around the perimeter. The RMA unit they sent back did the same thing. I'd wait for the Pro 3 with the bluetooth stylus.
@zahgrim Electronics getting warm isn't necessarily an issue. My Surface Pro 1 can run warm sometimes, but it's still within normal operating parameters. Or were there documented issues about damage due to heat?
For $394, I will sell you a chromebook with a better processor, no bloatware, faster wifi and I will even teach you how to dual boot Linux, so that you get that "whole OS" experience. Want a tablet, buy Apple or Android. Want a laptop, stay away from this, as the processor is garbage and the wifi is slow (this won't pick up 5Ghz). I know what your thinking, 8GB of RAM and Big SSD, it must be Christmas Harry! But even Lloyd knows those are to compensate for bugs in Windows 8, the slow processor, lame apps...dammit meh, love you. But this deal is for suckers.
Meh, will you ever sell Raspberry Pi 3 kits (I mean starter kits Meh, not just the board - this way you can make a little $)? Kids and (adults) need them. Great item to donate to schools.
Other posters want to chime in on the musings of @AccusingEwe? I definitely want to be absolutely certain about this purchase, although if I end up disliking the thing, I can surely sell it for more than I'm fixing to pay for it.
@Dizavid Look below at @Bandrik. Main advantages of the Surface are its pen and being able to use desktop programs, often more powerful than their tablet counterparts. If it's just for consuming: videos and games, skip it. It's a pretty powerful machines for 400 though. @AccusingEwe And there won't be bloatware, it's from Microsoft, not Dell, Toshiba, etc etc. Dual booting Chromebook is "fun", but when you need to do shit, barebones Linux with poor software and driver support is a headache. "Oops sorry you need this dependency. Nope, that version doesn't work. Oh you got it? Now you'll need this dependency." My Surface Pro 1 is not an angel either. It'll not shutdown/power off sometimes or the wifi doesn't work unless you power cycle it.
@JohnGames Because the Wireless protocol is 802.11n, I am almost certain you need to update the driver. I tested one of these and it didn't pick up 5Ghz. If you are picking up both bands, let others here know if it worked that way out of the box. Or did you need to update?
@AccusingEwe When I bought mine I didn't have a 5ghz wifi network so not sure, I ran through all the updates including an optional one for networking when I first got it. When I bought a new router it detected and connected to it fine. Works with 2.4 and the 5 ghz.
So, I am going to assume you are correct in it needing an update first.
@kus the pen feature is awesome. i take notes and annotate pdfs all the time. i'm not an artist and don't draw though. i mentioned somewhere else that you can pick up a Lenovo Thinkpad X61 tablet stylus for $10 on ebay and it comes with an eraser end.
@AccusingEwe I guess I'm talking about responsiveness to the open page. Ultimately I'm wondering if there is an upgrade between the Toshiba and a Chromebook Pixel.
@quimming I agree barebones Linux isn't for everyone, but I put Ubuntu on all of mine, so I have the same tools as any Windows user. Yes, there is a learning curve. I want to like this machine but I have 4 Windows machines: a low end i3, an i5 w/ 6GB RAM and 512GB SSD, top of the line i7 w/ 16GB RAM (gaming PC but use it for Bloomberg), and Dell R620 (server for data collection, running Linux). I also had one of these. ALL of them have what I believe to be OS problems, no matter how we try and correct them. We open a small combination of programs, but the CPU and RAM struggle on ALL of the machines. I end up opening my old Macs or Chromebooks, bc they are so much faster. And I think everyone knows why- the OS itself is bloated.
@sourhead I have 3 of the Toshiba Chromebooks and one ACER. I often open 15+ tabs while using Google docs and RDC w/o any degradation to responsiveness. Sounds like a problem with your machine. Toshiba warranty service was very responsive last time I had a problem w/ the screen on a Meh purchased Chromebook. I don't think you need something faster, but I did see the Pixel on sale for $399 the other day. I was on the same hunt as you....I gave up and bought another Mac which I upgraded.
@AccusingEwe What chromebook would you recommend for the same price? I bought the Toshiba one 2nd to last time it went around and set it up for my parents. But it was to slow for my liking and didn't have enough SSD space to really mess around with linux.
Does the Pixel get this cheap? I like the the high resolution on the Toshiba, one of the only upsides of it. I just want something light to install linux on and have some fun with while watching TV and the like.
@aknapp I haven't found a better screen than the Toshiba (Pixel aside). ACER was solid but didn't like the matte screen.
Why not boot full Linux from a USB? You will have plenty of room - I would pick up a 64gb or 128gb USB 3.0 (they do run hot after a little while though).
Frankly, for Linux, I'm having more fun with Raspberry Pi 3 using the 314GB Western Digital Drive Pi Drive. There is a trick to use your laptop monitor with your Pi.
@AccusingEwe To be honest, it sounds like you're having an issue with the software package that you're using. If it's something you're using on MacOS and Linux, but the issue is Windows, maybe the software was written for unix and the port over or compiling didn't work properly. Software engineers/computer programmers aren't perfect. (We just bought a 16-core machine with the promise that a piece of software will parallelize. Sure, one part of the program does, but another doesn't.) You're saying that a Chromebook (likely a Celeron processor) is outperforming an i3, i5, and i7?
I also don't think you're using the term "bloatware" properly. Bloatware is all the crap from a manufacturer. i.e. Lenovo's version of backup software. Dell's own version of, I don't know, a volume controller. All of the additional stuff running, even though barebones Windows has all of that. It's analogous to Samsung having its own Messenger App, App Store, or Photo viewer, even though those are already included in stock Android. A computer from Microsoft will not have "bloatware".
I'm not really trying to be antagonizing, I just don't want people to think this computer is lesser than a Chromebook. There are great things a ChromeOS can do, but writing with a pen or using applications outside of a word processor, spreadsheet, and slides is not one of them.
@aknapp You can also look into Neverware if you have something lying around. Turn any computer, old or new, into a "Chromebook". You could potentially have better video processing and CPU than any Chromebook out there. Benefits of ChromeOS security and speed, with even better specs.
@AccusingEwe Maybe i will have to pick up another Toshiba 2 if they come around again for 160$ and boot linux off of a usb. Just want something portable and post on forums and stuff from the couch.
I don't see "bugs in Windows 8, the slow processor, lame apps" as valid criticisms as Microsoft will bludgeon you over the head to update to Win 10, the processor is the same as what was in a MacBook Air 2013, and you can run any Windows app, right?
@f00l Thanks. I've never been a tablet guy, but over the past couple years I've been pining for a Surface Pro cause I love the idea of a desktop PC crammed into tablet form. I know this is an older model, but the new ones are SOOOO expensive. So here we go. ample-unwary-cloth
The Surface Pro's are a (un?)holy marriage between tablets and laptops. If android or iPad apps don't cut it and you need full Windows apps and want a tablet formfactor, this is for you.
ATTENTION ARTISTS: The other reason to buy this? If you get the Surface Pro 2 pen, it is pressure sensitive. That means if coupled with Photoshop and other drawing apps, the harder you push the darker and/or bigger the stroke becomes (similar to the iPad Pro and Wacom tablets - in fact I believe this uses actual Wacom tech). For Wacom fans, it's basically a poor man's all-in-one Cintiq and works pretty good.
If these 2 reasons aren't appealing, this probably isn't for you. But otherwise, it's pretty neat.
Disclaimer: I bought a used Surface Pro 3. It's pretty rad.
To hide scratches, since they are refurbished, it appears they added a sticker to the back. The original Surface Pro 2 doesn't have that strange texture on the back.
@JohnGames I bought a refurb SP2 recently elsewhere and it came with a textured sticker applied to the back, like you said. I was afraid it was to hide scratches, but on mine at least there were none (I removed the sticker). That said, mine NOW has plenty of scratches, so maybe I should've left the sticker on. It just looked terrible with it on. I'm sure there are some refurbs with scratches it is hiding.
I've had a Surface RT 1 for a couple years now and use it regularly as a consumption device. I've been looking to upgrade to a Pro 2 (because I can't justify the cost of a 3 or 4 just for a couple desktop applications). I've kept my eye on eBay for a 64Gb or 128Gb model (my RT is 64Gb, so want at least that) but they always run $350+ and I was hoping to find one for $250-300. But $400 for twice the RAM and storage clinched this deal for me.
(Also, a while back I purchased the battery keyboard not realizing it wouldn't work with an RT1 device. So I have that going for me, which is nice.)
@mitzoe we picked up a Surface RT cheap when Microsoft realized the market wasn't going to pay $500(?). Got a special edition new with the keyboard/cover for $170 from Microcenter.
While it sucks that neutered-Windows RT is deadended (a lot of folks will say yay) we were really surprised at how bullet proof the hardware was. Magnesium case, a nice built in kickstand, mag-connector charge cable, decent battery life.
And it included virtually full desktop function Microsoft Office, free. So we use it as a nicely compact backup "laptop", kids throw it in the pack to use at school, device. No regrets.
Point relative to this Surface 2 Pro - if you've held a Surface, they are nice solid hardware - no plastic. And this Surface Pro is a full function Windows (not Windows RT) laptop in a tablet form.
If you don't like it as a "tablet", think of it as a really slim, easy to tote, compact laptop.
@mitzoe This was exactly my path. I bought a Surface RT for super cheap because I wanted something portable when I was studying for the Bar that could basically run websites, videos, etc. It has limited functionality, but it is lightweight and doesn't take up much space. I use it mostly for reading comic books now, and upgraded to the SP2 a couple months back. Also invested in the battery keyboard. Just a note: The SP2 is noticeably thicker and heavier than the RT, and with the battery keyboard it can get a little heavy. Still really nice, though.
I have an original SURFACE PRO & PRO 3 and will say that this is a very good deal. The jump in battery life of SURFACE PRO 2 vs the original was huge (which was the only thing holding back the PRO). Suffice to say that this is plenty of power (an Intel i5) for the average user and a humongous amount of storage for this form factor (especially for SURFACE).
The hardware is rock solid....while it is not upgradeable really, the screen is beautiful. and the unit is sturdy & compact. I personally like the build & quality of the Pro & Pro 2 vs the 3 & 4....I still use my original Pro to this day.
My wife upgraded to the surface pro 3 and our daughter now has her old surface pro 2. The only problem is the fan on the pro 2 sounds like something is being ground to death inside. Everything still works as it should if you can ignore that horrible sound, but I can't, so I am looking at today's deal trying to justify replacing a working computer with the exact same, albeit quieter, computer.
Believe it or not, it was my wife that made me pull the trigger on this deal. Apparently she hates the sound even more than I do. Now watch this refurbished unit have the exact same problem.
@Lister I've been around a few PCs like this. What's bad is that moment when the fan goes blissfully silent. The first time it happened, I didn't connect the dots . . . until a few hours later when the motherboard had burned up.
What is the deal with battery failure on these things? Since it apparently costs $450 to replace the battery out of warranty (read: have MS replace your device with a refurbished device), it would be nice to know how long to expect the thing to last. Is anybody still using this device since launch? $400 is steep to lease a computer for 2 years with no cost-effective option to repair.
@mlegower My Surface Pro 1 still has good battery life (for a Pro 1), even when disconnected from the battery keyboard. No reason to think the Pro 2 would have any trouble.
I have been using an RT for a "vacation" computer to keep up with e-mail and other light weight needs. Started looking at a Surface 3, but when I saw this deal I jumped on it... more computing power than the base Surface 3 and it will run all my apps! Great Deal...
Step one: purchase Surface laptop. Step two: look up how to connect multiple monitors to the Surface laptop. Step three: quickly cancel purchase.
When all of your work requires two monitors, and the small sleek laptop tablet you're looking at requires a $150 clunky adapter, things aren't so cheap and sleek anymore.
@melonscoop While true, nothing remains sleek while attached to a second monitor. The price issue is a legitimate concern, and I was hoping the adapters and bases would come down.
@melonscoop I'm sure there is either a DP-> dual HDMI adapter or simply use DP plus USB-to-HDMI (DisplayLink) adapter that will get you to two monitors for a lot cheaper than $150
I Really wish the actual CPU was listed... Intel Core i5 (Dual core) isn't as useful as it once was now that there are up to 6-7 generations of Intel Core i5 processors... It's almost as common and descriptive as Centrino or Pentium now...
@sohmageek wikipedia says: Surface Pro 2 was shipped with the fourth generation Haswell Intel Core i5-4200U (1.6 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost up to 2.6 GHz). In December 2013, Microsoft updated the CPU to a 1.9 GHz dual Core i5-4300U.
@Potatoboy Right... But it didn't say in the writeup... and at midnight when the site was down... and I was debating... wait up and maybe buy... or hit meh and just sleep.... having that on the product info page would have been awesome (probably would have made my debate in my head faster... to a no, as I don't need that old of a laptop... but hey I've wanted a surface pro for a bit now... just not that much.)
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE SELLOUT MEH! Now you all can go home with pay. Post haste! oh remember to queue up the speaker docks for tomorrow before you turn the lights out on your way home!
@sohmageek Not bad indeed - 424 unit sell out. It likely didn't hurt that this deal made cnet.com. (Look at the traffic bars on the front page.) Also noticed that rather than hoping it would hit dealnews.com's radar naturally, Meh sponsored it over there.
There was recently a manufacturer's recall for all Surface Pro 2 power cords. (Not the brick, just the cord between the brick and the wall.) Will these refurb units ship with the new cords, or will we need to contact Microsoft for replacement cords once we get our Surfaces?
Basically, it looks like all Surface Pros sold before March 15th, 2015 are affected by the recall. If you look at the diagram they provided, you'll see that the newer power cords have a stress reducer on the end, whereas the older power cords do not.
Once you receive your Surface Pro 2 from meh, I would check to see if the cord has the stress reducer. If it does not, then I'm guessing that means it's an old one and it should be replaced.
Edit: I just realized this totally doesn't answer your question about whether or not these actually ship with the outdated cords. Sorry about that. But there is some advice for how to recognize the cord immediately once you actually get your surface.
@Dankk Thanks for the reply, and for realizing you weren't answering my question, haha. I'm upgrading from a Surface Pro 1 and I've been through the replacement with one device already, and also know what both cords look like.
If the meh.com staff do figure out either way, might be useful to send a message to all buyers - since lots of folks may not even know about the recall, and may not register their devices with Microsoft at all.
Who's reordering? The deal isn't looking so good anymore given that the keyboard Meh gives you isn't even the ideal one and it doesn't come with the pen or upgraded processor... I'm very on the fence now. I need a mobile computing device that can edit video, but I also want the most bang for the buck.
Personally, the space doesn't matter so much to me, I care more about the RAM and CPU—and that I can keep using all the SP1 accessories I already own.
If you look at the benchmarks, the processor isn't that different—especially when you look at the 4th gen in the SP2/3 vs. the 6th gen in the SP4/Book.
If you plan to work with 4K video, this isn't the machine for you at all, 512GB SSD or not. The 8GB RAM will hold you back, even if you add more storage. Go for at minimum 16GB RAM.
If you only plan to work in standard HD, though, this may work... but 512GB probably isn't enough storage for you and you'd probably need an external drive, anyway.
@actionjbone Well, using an external drive is fine by me. I would be doing 1080p at most. But my main concerns are that 1.6 GHz is low clock and I'm not sure how good this thing would be at streaming or gaming, which are the other things that aren't as necessary, but are very fun, that I'd like to do with this, and that I have to wonder if the 400 bucks would get me something much more impressive in the form of a touch screen laptop or convertible touch screen laptop.
@Dizavid All depends on your expectations, really.
There's roughly a 10–13% synthetic benchmark difference between the 4200U and the 4300U, so probably closer to 5–8% real-world difference.
On the other hand, there's more like a 25–45% synthetic benchmark difference between a 4th gen i5 and a 6th gen i5, depending on the exact specs. So we're talking about a much more significant performance difference once you jump between generations.
If you can find a better-specced laptop for just $400, great. Grab it, and I'm sure you'll be happy with it. But most laptops in that price range won't get you both a 250+GB SSD or 8GB RAM. And for video editing, you'll need more RAM and more fast disk space than you'll need raw CPU power.
Also, for what it's worth, on YouTube I saw someone playing Titanfall on a SP2.
@Dizavid I've been helping a friend shop for a gaming laptop, coincidentally. He originally asked me what he could get for under $500. For modern games, I was looking for similar features - 250+ SSD, 8GB RAM. Even a little over $500, I was having a hard time finding an option with a good SSD, let alone the discrete graphics he'd need.
So if you can find a better deal, great. This isn't the computer for everyone. But keep in mind you can get compatible styli on eBay for $10, deals on keyboards for $30-40, and other second-hand accessories for cheap since this is old hardware.
Personally, I jumped on this because it's a solid upgrade for my mobile design workstation, I already own all the accessories, and I already had a buyer in mind for my SP1. Your situation won't be the same.
@actionjbone@Dizavid seeing conversations like these are what make me love our forums. Thanks for lending your two cents to the conversation, I have no doubt that it's helped others that were on the fence as well.
@lazgreg Search eBay for "stylus x61" - the ThinkPad X61 uses a Wacom digitizer. Black stick pens with red or gray erasers and nibs. $9-10 to order from an Asian seller, $12-15 for a U.S. seller.
I ordered a used genuine IBM stylus (should be delivered Thursday or Friday), and I already own a Surface Pen that came with my SP1. (The SP1 and SP2 use the same Wacom digitizer.) I'll write up a quick comparison when it gets here.
I'll throw in some more info, in case anyone's curious:
The SP1/2 digitizer is actually an older-model Wacom Cintiq digitizer (based on my research), and it's compatible with several older-generation Wacom Grip Pens.
Any Wacom stylus whose part number starts with "UP" should be compatible. Here's a handy reference, look for the light blue labels (top of the chart): https://tinyurl.com/np9bc98
Most of these old Wacom styli are $70+ on eBay or Amazon, but unless you're a designer, artist, or enthusiast, you probably won't really gain much from spending the money. Most folks will be happy with the X61 stick pen.
@actionjbone Yo, man, thanks for this tip. It's actually $14 if you want to get it in a timely manner, but it looks really cool and comes with replacement "leads" in case the first one gets damaged! Nice! So I went ahead and ordered this one.
@Dizavid X61 showed up earlier, here's a comparison photo.
The X61 stylus (on the left) is a little shorter than the Surface Pen (on the right), has a shorter clip, and has a button slightly higher up the stick.
They both work the same, and both use standard Wacom nibs.
The X61's side button has a soft click, and the Surface Pen's side button makes a satisfying "click" sound/feel.
Holding each in your hand, the biggest difference is that the X61 is rubberized, and the Surface Pen is smooth plastic. This is demonstrated by the huge amount of white cat fluff that clung to the X61 after just a few minutes inside my house.
(The site seems to be having trouble with an image on Dropbox, will try something else later.)
Also, that looks like an awesome network+USB3 hub! Didn't know Anker made that. If I didn't already have a dock and a different Anker USB3 hub, I'd totally buy one of those.
Anker makes solid stuff. Nearly all the third-party accessories I own are either Anker or Monoprice.
@actionjbone I do indeed have it, but that brings another question to mind. How do I use the boosted setting? Does it kick in automatically when needed, or is there something I have to manually activate when I want it?
Okay, ordered one more little thing, and now I should be completely set!
Hell yeah.
As for the keyboard, well, if I don't like the one it comes with, I can just plug in a USB keyboard. My guess is that the problem with the one it's going to come with is probably that it won't work too well off of hard surfaces, yeah? If so, I'll just use a USB keyboard when I'm using it while lying down.
@animmalcol It allows you to connect your Surface to any HDMI device. So you can watch shows from your Surface onto your TV, or play games on your Surface and use a capture card to stream it. I'm sure I'll have a lot of fun with it.
So, finally, does shipping through Mediocre not have tracking? Because I ordered yesterday, and it should definitely have been sent out by now. They said they were sending out daily.
@Dizavid I can confirm they are shipping. Sounds like we need to confirm the tracking automation is enabled there. @mehcus should have more info tomorrow.
@actionjbone DAMN IT, I DO NOT WANT ANOTHER BLENDER BOTTLE INCIDENT!!* I need this Surface to save me from the crushing depression of either waking up every day with nothing to do or just not waking up at all until 4PM! I MUST implement my coffee shop pro plan ASAP!
*By the way, only ONE of the blender bottles came with a wisk. They showed two per bottle in the picture. I believe this is a mistake. One of three problems with Meh products that I need to get fixed once I'm out from under this avalanche of problems I'm having.
@Dizavid Looks like yours should be headed out today. We'll shoot you an email with your tracking number once that happens. If you haven't seen it by end of day, tag me and I'll go yell at people.
Sending this from my new Surface Pro, typed on the LOVELY red keyboard. Indeed, it's not amazing. It's like a cell phone keyboard but without autocorrect or slide typing, and that is... pretty bad. However, the Surface itself is good. I enjoy it. I've got all my programs installed, and I'm finding that so far everything has run well. Got a pen question, though.
How can I make it so that the pen will serve the same way as my fingers do in terms of scrolling? I want to be able to swipe up to scroll down and so forth.
@Dizavid That's... a good question. I've never tried doing that, personally.
First, I'd say download the Surface app from Microsoft. It has some pen settings. I haven't checked that out yet, myself, but it's a good place to start.
Also, I replied to you above, but check your CPU - mine's a 4300U.
@RussFallis check your email, there apparently was some weirdness about specs and you would have had to re-confirm if you wanted it... if you have no email from them about it do the support link in the ? meh-nu at the top.
I'm looking at my Slowpoke picture, and I can't ignore just how dull it looks on the Surface screen. How do I make the screen not dull? On a monitor, I'd just turn up the brightness and contrast, probably, but I have no idea what to do on this.
Specs
Condition: Refurbished
Warranty: 90 Day ServiceReg
Estimated Delivery: 5/17 - 5/19
Shipping: $5 or free with VMP
What’s in the Box?
1x Surface Pro 2 (Refurbished)
1x Surface Pro Keyboard (New)
1x Charging cable
Pictures
Black keyboard
Red keyboard
Everything included with red
Everything included with black
Back of red
Back of black
Hands for scale
Vroooom
Price Comparison
$899.99 (refurbished) at Amazon
Find a relevant price comparison? Please share it in a comment in this thread
Warranty
90 days
No need
@Stallion
Puts you in the 99.14%
Fascinated by the fact that 30% visit Meh.com from a phone and 6% from a tablet. So 64% from a computer? That makes clicking here sound like a conscious decision, a destination, a planned event, and not something one does cuz he's got 5 minutes to kill.
Wondering if there's a correlation between this tablet selling out and only 6% using a tablet to come here?
@MehnofLaMehncha the surface pro wouldn't register as a tablet since it runs real windows... so part of the 64% could very well be using a tablet...
gd
On the "surface" does not compute --well actually it does -- it's meh computer not your computer !
Brilliant tablet/laptop, do recommend. Though if you have the cash, I'd go for the 3 or higher, just due to the nicer screen.
However this keyboard is the shitty one, get the mechanical one. Also the trackpad is absolute garbage, get a bluetooth mouse.
@Nexar I second all of this. I have the original Pro and have the clicky key version of the keyboard and a Bluetooth mouse (with a mini USB one for travel).
@Nexar the pro 4 is baller. The 3 has same lame screen as this ond.
@ThoR294 four is probably the best bet consodering thurrott couldn't recommend the pro book because of the many issues. I bet he'd recommend it if it were cheaper though.
At $399, I can wholeheartedly recommend this but it'd be nice to know about the battery and especially the charger situation.
My friend had trouble with charger. It was under warranty though.
@kus yeah i think the surface has come a long way currently. Android tablets are lacking right now and the pro4 is a powerhouse. Pen is super responsive and screen is amazing.
@Nexar I'd really agree. I picked up the 3 (not pro) recently and am really pleased even with the Atom processor. The older ones were much thicker and clunkier than the 3+ range.
Too cheap for me.
I'd consider it… if I weren't so fond of Apple's better interface. (And please, spare me any fanboy snarks
)
@haydesigner nice fanboy snark
@haydesigner what about the "i hate all things apple and don't get why people are such label whores for fairly crappy overpriced items" snark
@haydesigner WinDOZE time, amirite?!?
< /dumb> No seriously, both are fine.
@haydesigner Hackintosh?
@haydesigner I too want a place where I don't get Episode V: The Internet Snarks Back. But alas, that place doesn't exist so, here the snark comes: which part of Mac's interface do you like best, the part where you can't customize anything or the part where you fit in really well at expensive coffee shops?
@FredWallace18 As far as snarks go, that one is top notch.
@haydesigner "better" = what you're familiar with. Personally, I find many aspects of UI on my iPad, like the dozen different ways to close a modal window, frustratingly inconsistent. But, to each his own.
@FredWallace18 (For iOS, which is arguably more on-topic, not Mac) I like the consistency, continuity and actual ease of use. But since you mentioned it, the inability to customize shit I don't need to is actually a bonus for several reasons. Chiefly (but just for instance):
1) I don't waste time twiddling with settings that I usually end up reverting back to their original state anyway.
2) I don't accumulate the overhead of all of those often-memory-hogging customization apps and widgets that fairly reliably offer me little to nothing in terms of UI in return for their hit on performance.
3) I'm not constantly looking for some way to make a broken interface tolerable, because the interface works to begin with.
4) I don't chase rabbit trails to dead ends looking for that sweet spot I'm never going to find, because despite the plethora of options offered up to fix what's fundamentally wrong with Windows, none of them actually does.
5) I don't have to deal with--on that rare occasion that I find a software patch that fixes part of my user experience--the fact that that beautiful customization make me more frustrated that I still have to struggle with the same deficiency in most of the rest of the operating system.
Sure there are times that I wish I could tweak one little thing. I can't name one off the top of my head. Usually I adapt, it's worth it, and I'm not obsessed with it.
And, again, now that you mention it, yes, I'm willing to pay a little more for something that works and isn't frustrating. On a personal level, my time and freedom from frustration are worth at least a few hundred bucks. And I've got functionality out of the box with iOS I would have had to pay extra for on Windows anyway.
Let's not forget that Windows, with every new version, feels the need to move things around and fairly fundamentally change both the user interface and the api, which is not just a tacit admission that their system is fucked, but, speaking of fucked, typically fucks up both my personal connection to the OS and the third-party software I'd grow fond of.
I've used Windows professionally for over twenty years and counting. It's okay. And a lot of the software I rely on is only written for that platform. I get plenty of "opportunity" for customization and to assist others in dealing with its "superior flexibility." On my own time, I'll skip that "fun."
But, again, I've been so happy with my experience of iOS, I've spec'ed iPads for work. And they're exceptionally effective. You know what's great about that as a technology professional? The time I spend hand-holding and troubleshooting is maybe 10% of what it would be on a comparable Windows platform. Regular users get iPads. Most of them are quite happy without the capacity (and need) for customization that apparently makes you cream.
I'm fine with folks using whatever operating system they want, especially when they don't come whining to me on a regular basis about what isn't working or what they don't get. Truly, there are benefits to all of them. In addition to Windows and iOS, I've used (and enjoyed) at least a dozen forms of UNIX. I have a little experience with Android. As far as I can tell there's room for all of it. But thanks for reminding me of some of the reasons I love Apple.
@joelmw You're welcome?
@FredWallace18
@joelmw
I now use android far more than win. Because it's in my pocket.
I have an ios 6s device also and use it a fair amount. Like it well enuf, but if If were my only pocket device, i can promise i would use mostly win, not ios, at home.
Have a debian box, but i didn't do the setup, and it's not my toy or my work machine.
Never owned a mac.
Have a recent nice ipad and a recent nice android tablet. Both sit there unused. Android 4 me. I spoze it's what you are accustomed to or are willing to master.
@f00l I've never owned a Mac either. I tried to talk the wife into it when we bought her laptop, but she was put off by the unfamiliarity.
My attitude towards Windows is influenced not only by the bulk of my career in IT, but the fact that I--for a short and unpleasant time--was saddled with a Win-based phone and I have a good friend with a Windows phone. I don't mean to be a hater, but Microsoft just has a way of producing the flakiest, least stable, inconsistent OSes, IMO. A get by fine on the job and, hey, I think variety is good for the ecosystem, so I'm happy that others are taking their chances on Windows mobile so I don't have to.
Ironically, what I've seen of the Surface has impressed me enough that I'd like to try it out. I've got a lot of Wintel hardware in the house (most of it unused) and I recognize that I'll probably always want something around that runs Windows.
I'll also admit that I don't have a ton of experience with Android. I won't blame them for the Kindle, which I know is somewhat proprietary and restricted and (maybe therefore) crap in terms of general-purpose functionality. @christinewas, who convinced me that we should go with iOS for our first smart phones when I was leaning toward Android, has since switched to Android. And that's fair. I just prefer to settle in and still find the iPhones to be excellent devices with potential still worth exploring.
I definitely agree that to each his own, and while I am a lover of standards, I do think that it's a good thing to have more options, including OS.
sp4 would be nice, sp3 mehbe, sp2? meh, no thx.
I'd buy one of these. I may even talk to the wife about it. We're not necessarily in need of a tablet/laptop and we probably don't have that cash just sitting around, but seems like a good deal to me.
@joelmw I made the mistake of asking the wife. No surface for me.
@medz I hope you learned your lesson.
@medz So..do you blame yourself or is there a special goat's goat?
@medz it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission
@medz
Headbutt her a few times. Sing goaty to her. After that, when you buy one, she prob wont object.
@joelmw My wife has evolved to learn my Meh.com tendencies. At precisely 11pm I heard a resounding "NO" from the bedroom.
@DaveInSoCal @Satchmo @medz I will occasionally make quiet purchases below $20, in part because the wife is trying tying to grow a sense of entitlement and self-autonomy in me (honest to God; it's a long story) and has more than once scolded me for feeling like I need to ask (though on the other hand, she does kind of hate the accumulation of meh shit). But I'm all for as much transparency as I can get--and I'm a talker (go figure)--and we can't just afford to drop $400 without checking the account and doing some math. I casually pointed out what a good deal it would be if we had the money were in the market for a tablet/laptop. "Neither," she said, a little too hastily.
It's all cool. I kind of hate her current, big, clunky laptop, but we aren't in need and have other things to spend money on. Besides, I have my iPads and really don't get into Windows much away from work. I'd probably make more use of one of those Chromebooks.
What are the kids doing on Windows these days?
@MehnofLaMehncha --window watching I guess
@MehnofLaMehncha Mostly por- I mean social media. Yeah, social media!
@MehnofLaMehncha being forced onto windows 10
@thismyusername
http://www.loopinsight.com/2016/04/28/weather-forecast-interrupted-by-windows-10-upgrade-prompt/
@cpierce same thing.
@thismyusername Windows 10 isn't bad. But the newish Edge browser sucks. It crashes constantly. It's missing even basic functionality.
@MehnofLaMehncha ransomeware.
@RedOak to be fair no one is suppose to use the built in browser. I mean you don't waste your time with the built in browser on any platform really.
@upbeatanime if you're on battery, you probably should suffer through safari on Mac. When you're connected to power, I agree (:
"Internet Exolorer: the No 1 browser for downloading other browsers. "
@MehnofLaMehncha I just use the CD's that AOL keeps mailing me.
@MehnofLaMehncha but IE has one leg up on Edge - at least it doesn't crash every few minutes.
@RedOak I've never had Edge crash, but the lack of extensions has kept me from using it on my desktop, only use it on tablet. Hoping the extensions currently in testing will work well, since that's really the only functionality that's truly missing now.
@thedefect I wanted to like Edge since Microsoft swore (yah, I know) they got it right with Edge. No excuses since they are the OS developer. Should have an inside "edge".
But with only 6-8 tabs open it regularly crashes. Those tabs also regularly get forgotten by it. And look at the feedback in their own site - it crashes for a lot for a lot of folks.
It is missing several little things like tab-pinning and restore.
On the plus side it is clean looking.
BTW, I used it on a fresh, direct from the local Microsoft Store (means no crapware) Dell laptop.
@RedOak Sure. Not discounting your claim or anyone else's, if you say it crashes, I'm sure it does. I've just never encountered it myself. Of IE, Chrome, and Firefox, Edge is the most stable of the four browsers I personally use on various devices at present (although I only use IE for very limited purposes at work and very, very, very rarely). I only use it on a Surface, not on any other device presently, so there's the possibility it's optimized more for such devices and that is improving my experience.
I'm more inclined to give them a pass until it's been around a bit longer, but if they don't do well with the extensions, I'll probably have to write off the browser. I was a bit nervous when I heard they were taking Chrome's approach to extensions, since I regularly have more problems with Chrome extensions than Firefox (and find Adblocking extensions less reliable on Chrome).
So aside from the not so great screen, keyboard and trackpad it is a good deal?? Talk about damning with faint praise...
@radi0j0hn The screen is great on these. The keyboard it comes with is fine, I wouldn't do any serious word processing with it but it is great for light usage, and it doubles as a great screen protector when closed. The keyboard is super light and super thin, you don't even notice it attached.
I do recommend getting the mechanical keyboard option if you are going to be typing a lot, or a Bluetooth/usb one.
I don't want to pay for it, but it's totally cool if you want to send me one for my birthday.
@DaveInSoCal What Dave said. My birthday was on Saturday. Don't think we didn't notice that you didn't send us anything, Meh.
@mikey Personally I have been stewing for months over the fact that MEH "forgot" my birthday. Misery loves company!
@DaveInSoCal I think they should send me one just because. Where's the romance gone, meh?
Not sure if I want....darn how do I break this surface tension???
Irkternal Server Error
@thismyusername this is the revenge of the Apple fans, isn't it
@thismyusername wow... it's not a YUGE sale... but it's pretty good price for this...
must be running the main page on one of these
Great job meh buyers!
Dammit, come back so I can give you my money!
@Zelucifer back
No pen? It's only the only reason to get a Surface.
I have the original surface 1 Pro. I love it and almost traded it in for a to just because it was a little bit more but it was also a lot more expensive so I've been making do with my wife for many years since the first year they came out. I'm really thinking about this if the website comes back up
@Cerridwyn I'm in the same boat. I just caved, because I'm really feeling the strain from the 4 gigs of RAM lately. Hard to multitask in Creative Cloud without 8.
@Cerridwyn
You'be been making do with your wife since the first years wives came out? You two do go back a few years, don't you?
Trying to figure out if i should be impressed by you or by her? Hmmm.
@f00l gotta love voice rec when i'm half asleep
@actionjbone I have 16 gigs to run CS6. I highly recommend it. RAM is quite cheap, even to put in a laptop.
I was on the fence about getting this, but thanks to the error I'll go to bed
I was hoping to buy one but the service error ruined it for me. Snark.
@connorbush Did you say surface error?
@mc darn my speech to text.
@connorbush Big problem, vote it up at thebiggestproblemintheuniverse.com!
I want it, but the server keeps 500ing on me
@JunoZXV Ha! Nevermind. After a lot of refreshing I managed to nab it about half an hour from the original complaint. Yes I got the bright red keyboard, but I'm planning on hunting down the Music Pad that was designed for this model so... Meh.
amusing-uneven-termite
YAY!!!! The Server is down!!!! Now I won't buy one!!!
IIRC, this one has the i5-4200U processor. Around 3200 PassMark benchmark score. The Surface 4 has a i5-6300U which scores a PassMark benchmark of about 4300.
Eeeeeh... This is one of those things I would totally buy if I had the money, but I envision not using it as much as I would need to warrant the purchase. It's right in-between my 15" laptop and my 5" phone. But I still want it :(
I'd love to buy one. I started a new job so I can actually afford to buy this.
At the end of the month.
:sigh:
Before someone asks, yes I have a credit card, no I can't afford to use it to buy this, and saying do it anyway won't make me any more able to afford it.
@paulgraham do it anyway.
@paulgraham you can afford it! I believe in you!
@paulgraham from what you say, I can see you've been here before.
What's the deal with the warranty? Clicking on the link gives no information about ServiceReg, or what's covered.
@Zelucifer Yeah, I found that puzzling.
admiring your self control. Kudos.
Don't Do IT Anyway!
As a professional mechanic, I am always looking for a new way to kill time instead of working on your car.
The Surface Pro
2 allows me to browse the intertubes for hours while padding your bill... and I can use it to lookup solutions to the symptoms I told you I could fix!!!!
I bought 4 of these as spares because I really love the ProPen
and clearly these come with them... of course I got VMP... you should too.
@cshillaber That VMP sure is a great value!
@mehbee
@cshillaber
@cshillaber is a great value!
I wouldn't turn one down, but I sure wouldn't intentionally buy one with the ugly red keyboard
@MsELizardBeth I, uh, totally just bought one with the red keyboard.
uptight-very-spring
@Dizavid congrats on your purchase.
I'm slightly hard of hearing. Does anyone know how loud this is?
@nayrreirg that red is pretty loud.
Well, it's not one of the Toshibas meh loves
Can I please forego the Surface and just get THAT AMAZING MEH MUSCLE CAR BEING DRIVEN BY IRK???
I'll stick with my 10" Encore 2 that I got for $109 refurbished. Windoze 10 too, just not a great processor but it's OK for tablet type stuff.
Just a heads up, this model has the original SLOWER I5-4200U @1.6GHz to 1.9 GHz NOT the upgraded I5-4300U @1.9 GHz to 2.5Ghz - http://www.pcworld.com/article/2083644/microsoft-quietly-upgrades-the-surface-pro-2s-processor.html
@brainsuey ...FUCK, SO THAT'S WHY IT WOUND UP ON MEH.
Oh well, it's still a strong machine at a great value... L
@Dizavid Great value until you realize the included keyboard is crap and you have to shell out another 75 bucks for the mechanical. Good luck with your new portable heater! ¯_(ツ)_/¯
@brainsuey Should I cancel?
@brainsuey OH GOD NO YOUR ARM D:
@brainsuey There is a maybe remote chance some refurbs could have the i5-4300. From what I've read the upgrade was so silent it was difficult to determine what you were even going to get when buying it new. I will expect the 4200, maybe be pleasantly surprised?
If I didn't have to stay up late refreshing the screen to see it, I TOTALLY would have bought one. AWESOME deal at 11PM central - but after wondering WTF is going on with the site, this is completely underwhelming. MEH!
If this came with the pen I'd buy it, but the lack of that plus the weird seeming warranty kinda turned me off it...
Same thing?
Microsoft Surface Pro 2 64GB 10.6" Tablet with Dual-Core Processor and Windows 8.1 (Refurbished)
http://gr.pn/1TxGfZ9
@connorbush Nope. Lower Spec. 4GB RAM, 64GB storage.
@connorbush the meh one has 8GB ram vs 4GB on the groupon, the meh has 512GB storage space vs 64GB on the groupon (assuming listed specs are valid).
@connorbush also no keyboard, which is another $75 or so
WELL NOW IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE ALL GANGING UP AND YELLING AT YOU SO I ADDED CAPS LOCK
@Lotsofgoats cry cry
So I was at Starbucks today, thinking, Man, I need something to do during the day this summer. Hey! There are always hotties in these coffee shops! I could totally do video editing and maybe some hotties would be interested in it and subscribe to my channel! Free advertising and productivity!
But I had no device for it, and I figured I'd wait for it on Meh.
And then Meh came to my rescue that very night.
Red so that I won't lose it, ever! Red is also cool.
Nice change. Too bad I already have a Pro with "Battery Cover", and an RT -- which I use more -- and doesn't have the warm back-side issues of the Pro's. My buddy's 3 also gets warm on the back-side.
For those considering it because it has a stylus, I RMA'd my Pro after demonstrating to Microsoft how the pen deflects strangely around the perimeter. The RMA unit they sent back did the same thing. I'd wait for the Pro 3 with the bluetooth stylus.
@zahgrim Electronics getting warm isn't necessarily an issue. My Surface Pro 1 can run warm sometimes, but it's still within normal operating parameters. Or were there documented issues about damage due to heat?
@zahgrim what's that about your buddy's backside?
Okay, lets cut to the chase. How long before the hideous red ones come back at a discounted price? I'm saying 23 days.
those red keyboards can't be that ug-OH GOD D:
@JustKen @Lotsofgoats But you can't misplace the red one!
@Dizavid because you know it's in the dumpster where you left it
@Dizavid No matter how hard you try. Ever. ;)
Didn't these originally include a pen?
@ruouttaurmind Yes indeed it did!
@icerc How odd. You get the keyboard, and not the specialty stylus...what?
$25 to replace the pen that SHOULD be included
, $100 to replace the crappy keyboard with the proper Pro clicky keyboard 
I was on the fence, but not feeling the value after having to dole another $125-$150 to properly equip it.
How fast will this ship in the US? Leaving the country in two weeks, so would like it by then.
@the_inevitable Estimated Delivery: 5/17 - 5/19
For $394, I will sell you a chromebook with a better processor, no bloatware, faster wifi and I will even teach you how to dual boot Linux, so that you get that "whole OS" experience. Want a tablet, buy Apple or Android. Want a laptop, stay away from this, as the processor is garbage and the wifi is slow (this won't pick up 5Ghz). I know what your thinking, 8GB of RAM and Big SSD, it must be Christmas Harry! But even Lloyd knows those are to compensate for bugs in Windows 8, the slow processor, lame apps...dammit meh, love you. But this deal is for suckers.
Meh, will you ever sell Raspberry Pi 3 kits (I mean starter kits Meh, not just the board - this way you can make a little $)? Kids and (adults) need them. Great item to donate to schools.
Other posters want to chime in on the musings of @AccusingEwe? I definitely want to be absolutely certain about this purchase, although if I end up disliking the thing, I can surely sell it for more than I'm fixing to pay for it.
@AccusingEwe I'm with you on the Chromebook. I have the Meh special $160 Toshiba, but would prefer a bit more speed. What model do you recommend?
@AccusingEwe
It actually does pick up 5ghz, I should know since I have the same exact model as is on sale.
@AccusingEwe I have to agree. Stick with Apple or Android, Windows mobile anything is a steaming pile of regret.
@Dizavid Look below at @Bandrik. Main advantages of the Surface are its pen and being able to use desktop programs, often more powerful than their tablet counterparts. If it's just for consuming: videos and games, skip it. It's a pretty powerful machines for 400 though. @AccusingEwe And there won't be bloatware, it's from Microsoft, not Dell, Toshiba, etc etc. Dual booting Chromebook is "fun", but when you need to do shit, barebones Linux with poor software and driver support is a headache. "Oops sorry you need this dependency. Nope, that version doesn't work. Oh you got it? Now you'll need this dependency." My Surface Pro 1 is not an angel either. It'll not shutdown/power off sometimes or the wifi doesn't work unless you power cycle it.
@quimming I'd love to have one just for the pen...
@JohnGames Because the Wireless protocol is 802.11n, I am almost certain you need to update the driver. I tested one of these and it didn't pick up 5Ghz. If you are picking up both bands, let others here know if it worked that way out of the box. Or did you need to update?
@sourhead When you refer to speed, are you referring to the ability to open multiple programs quickly or up/down internet speed?
@AccusingEwe When I bought mine I didn't have a 5ghz wifi network so not sure, I ran through all the updates including an optional one for networking when I first got it. When I bought a new router it detected and connected to it fine. Works with 2.4 and the 5 ghz.
So, I am going to assume you are correct in it needing an update first.
@Felicianomiko This is a Surface Pro, so not a mobile /crippled OS like Surface RT or whatever the hell they put on a Widows phoene.
@kus the pen feature is awesome. i take notes and annotate pdfs all the time. i'm not an artist and don't draw though. i mentioned somewhere else that you can pick up a Lenovo Thinkpad X61 tablet stylus for $10 on ebay and it comes with an eraser end.
@AccusingEwe I guess I'm talking about responsiveness to the open page. Ultimately I'm wondering if there is an upgrade between the Toshiba and a Chromebook Pixel.
@quimming I agree barebones Linux isn't for everyone, but I put Ubuntu on all of mine, so I have the same tools as any Windows user. Yes, there is a learning curve. I want to like this machine but I have 4 Windows machines: a low end i3, an i5 w/ 6GB RAM and 512GB SSD, top of the line i7 w/ 16GB RAM (gaming PC but use it for Bloomberg), and Dell R620 (server for data collection, running Linux). I also had one of these. ALL of them have what I believe to be OS problems, no matter how we try and correct them. We open a small combination of programs, but the CPU and RAM struggle on ALL of the machines. I end up opening my old Macs or Chromebooks, bc they are so much faster. And I think everyone knows why- the OS itself is bloated.
@sourhead I have 3 of the Toshiba Chromebooks and one ACER. I often open 15+ tabs while using Google docs and RDC w/o any degradation to responsiveness. Sounds like a problem with your machine. Toshiba warranty service was very responsive last time I had a problem w/ the screen on a Meh purchased Chromebook. I don't think you need something faster, but I did see the Pixel on sale for $399 the other day. I was on the same hunt as you....I gave up and bought another Mac which I upgraded.
@AccusingEwe What chromebook would you recommend for the same price? I bought the Toshiba one 2nd to last time it went around and set it up for my parents. But it was to slow for my liking and didn't have enough SSD space to really mess around with linux.
Does the Pixel get this cheap? I like the the high resolution on the Toshiba, one of the only upsides of it. I just want something light to install linux on and have some fun with while watching TV and the like.
@aknapp I haven't found a better screen than the Toshiba (Pixel aside). ACER was solid but didn't like the matte screen.
Why not boot full Linux from a USB? You will have plenty of room - I would pick up a 64gb or 128gb USB 3.0 (they do run hot after a little while though).
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2873561/google-just-made-it-easier-to-run-linux-on-your-chromebook.html
Frankly, for Linux, I'm having more fun with Raspberry Pi 3 using the 314GB Western Digital Drive Pi Drive. There is a trick to use your laptop monitor with your Pi.
@AccusingEwe To be honest, it sounds like you're having an issue with the software package that you're using. If it's something you're using on MacOS and Linux, but the issue is Windows, maybe the software was written for unix and the port over or compiling didn't work properly. Software engineers/computer programmers aren't perfect. (We just bought a 16-core machine with the promise that a piece of software will parallelize. Sure, one part of the program does, but another doesn't.) You're saying that a Chromebook (likely a Celeron processor) is outperforming an i3, i5, and i7?
I also don't think you're using the term "bloatware" properly. Bloatware is all the crap from a manufacturer. i.e. Lenovo's version of backup software. Dell's own version of, I don't know, a volume controller. All of the additional stuff running, even though barebones Windows has all of that. It's analogous to Samsung having its own Messenger App, App Store, or Photo viewer, even though those are already included in stock Android. A computer from Microsoft will not have "bloatware".
I'm not really trying to be antagonizing, I just don't want people to think this computer is lesser than a Chromebook. There are great things a ChromeOS can do, but writing with a pen or using applications outside of a word processor, spreadsheet, and slides is not one of them.
@aknapp You can also look into Neverware if you have something lying around. Turn any computer, old or new, into a "Chromebook". You could potentially have better video processing and CPU than any Chromebook out there. Benefits of ChromeOS security and speed, with even better specs.
@AccusingEwe Maybe i will have to pick up another Toshiba 2 if they come around again for 160$ and boot linux off of a usb. Just want something portable and post on forums and stuff from the couch.
@Dizavid I'd check the review on anandtech for an unbiased view ( http://www.anandtech.com/show/7440/microsoft-surface-pro-2-review ). Then perhaps the Surface Pro 3 review to see what they see as improvements a year later.
I don't see "bugs in Windows 8, the slow processor, lame apps" as valid criticisms as Microsoft will bludgeon you over the head to update to Win 10, the processor is the same as what was in a MacBook Air 2013, and you can run any Windows app, right?
The Red and the Black
By Stendhal
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_9?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the+red+and+the+black&sprefix=The+red+a%2Cstripbooks%2C323&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Athe+red+and+the+black
Can this be upgraded to Windows 10?
@Dankk
Yes.
@f00l Thanks. I've never been a tablet guy, but over the past couple years I've been pining for a Surface Pro cause I love the idea of a desktop PC crammed into tablet form. I know this is an older model, but the new ones are SOOOO expensive. So here we go. ample-unwary-cloth
@Dankk I practically have an absolute NEED to be able to use Sony Vegas on the go or in bed, so I think this will be very good for me.
I wait for one with a pen, that's kind of the the whole point with these things.
@Jetlag They didn't say it DOESN'T have a pen. We might be pleasantly surprised.
@Jetlag get a pen from ebay, look for Thinkpad X61 tablet stylus. $10 shipped. And you can use the other end as an eraser
@quimming Awesome! Have you found that to be the best value?
Model number : 7EX-00001 is 256GB .. is it 512 model right?
(I ORDERED 2HOURS AGO)
I recognize this as a good deal but the 50 bucks in my bank account doesn't care.
@Twiminy Dropped mine to $30 and nearly maxed my credit card's fairly low limit.
Totes worth.
PROTIP: "Why should I buy this?"
The Surface Pro's are a (un?)holy marriage between tablets and laptops. If android or iPad apps don't cut it and you need full Windows apps and want a tablet formfactor, this is for you.
ATTENTION ARTISTS: The other reason to buy this? If you get the Surface Pro 2 pen, it is pressure sensitive. That means if coupled with Photoshop and other drawing apps, the harder you push the darker and/or bigger the stroke becomes (similar to the iPad Pro and Wacom tablets - in fact I believe this uses actual Wacom tech). For Wacom fans, it's basically a poor man's all-in-one Cintiq and works pretty good.
If these 2 reasons aren't appealing, this probably isn't for you. But otherwise, it's pretty neat.
Disclaimer: I bought a used Surface Pro 3. It's pretty rad.
For $400 it better run something better than Windows.
To hide scratches, since they are refurbished, it appears they added a sticker to the back. The original Surface Pro 2 doesn't have that strange texture on the back.
@JohnGames I bought a refurb SP2 recently elsewhere and it came with a textured sticker applied to the back, like you said. I was afraid it was to hide scratches, but on mine at least there were none (I removed the sticker). That said, mine NOW has plenty of scratches, so maybe I should've left the sticker on. It just looked terrible with it on. I'm sure there are some refurbs with scratches it is hiding.
Anything is better than my 2009 Vaio I got while in college so yeah, I jumped on this one.
I've had a Surface RT 1 for a couple years now and use it regularly as a consumption device. I've been looking to upgrade to a Pro 2 (because I can't justify the cost of a 3 or 4 just for a couple desktop applications). I've kept my eye on eBay for a 64Gb or 128Gb model (my RT is 64Gb, so want at least that) but they always run $350+ and I was hoping to find one for $250-300. But $400 for twice the RAM and storage clinched this deal for me.
(Also, a while back I purchased the battery keyboard not realizing it wouldn't work with an RT1 device. So I have that going for me, which is nice.)
@mitzoe we picked up a Surface RT cheap when Microsoft realized the market wasn't going to pay $500(?). Got a special edition new with the keyboard/cover for $170 from Microcenter.
While it sucks that neutered-Windows RT is deadended (a lot of folks will say yay) we were really surprised at how bullet proof the hardware was. Magnesium case, a nice built in kickstand, mag-connector charge cable, decent battery life.
And it included virtually full desktop function Microsoft Office, free. So we use it as a nicely compact backup "laptop", kids throw it in the pack to use at school, device. No regrets.
Point relative to this Surface 2 Pro - if you've held a Surface, they are nice solid hardware - no plastic. And this Surface Pro is a full function Windows (not Windows RT) laptop in a tablet form.
If you don't like it as a "tablet", think of it as a really slim, easy to tote, compact laptop.
@mitzoe This was exactly my path. I bought a Surface RT for super cheap because I wanted something portable when I was studying for the Bar that could basically run websites, videos, etc. It has limited functionality, but it is lightweight and doesn't take up much space. I use it mostly for reading comic books now, and upgraded to the SP2 a couple months back. Also invested in the battery keyboard. Just a note: The SP2 is noticeably thicker and heavier than the RT, and with the battery keyboard it can get a little heavy. Still really nice, though.
If I had the cash, I would jump on this. I've got a pro 3 at work, and love it.
I have an original SURFACE PRO & PRO 3 and will say that this is a very good deal. The jump in battery life of SURFACE PRO 2 vs the original was huge (which was the only thing holding back the PRO). Suffice to say that this is plenty of power (an Intel i5) for the average user and a humongous amount of storage for this form factor (especially for SURFACE).
The hardware is rock solid....while it is not upgradeable really, the screen is beautiful. and the unit is sturdy & compact. I personally like the build & quality of the Pro & Pro 2 vs the 3 & 4....I still use my original Pro to this day.
My wife upgraded to the surface pro 3 and our daughter now has her old surface pro 2. The only problem is the fan on the pro 2 sounds like something is being ground to death inside. Everything still works as it should if you can ignore that horrible sound, but I can't, so I am looking at today's deal trying to justify replacing a working computer with the exact same, albeit quieter, computer.
Believe it or not, it was my wife that made me pull the trigger on this deal. Apparently she hates the sound even more than I do. Now watch this refurbished unit have the exact same problem.
@Lister I've been around a few PCs like this. What's bad is that moment when the fan goes blissfully silent. The first time it happened, I didn't connect the dots . . . until a few hours later when the motherboard had burned up.
What is the deal with battery failure on these things? Since it apparently costs $450 to replace the battery out of warranty (read: have MS replace your device with a refurbished device), it would be nice to know how long to expect the thing to last. Is anybody still using this device since launch? $400 is steep to lease a computer for 2 years with no cost-effective option to repair.
@mlegower The battery on ours is still working fine.
@mlegower My Surface Pro 1 still has good battery life (for a Pro 1), even when disconnected from the battery keyboard. No reason to think the Pro 2 would have any trouble.
I have been using an RT for a "vacation" computer to keep up with e-mail and other light weight needs. Started looking at a Surface 3, but when I saw this deal I jumped on it... more computing power than the base Surface 3 and it will run all my apps! Great Deal...
Step one: purchase Surface laptop.
Step two: look up how to connect multiple monitors to the Surface laptop.
Step three: quickly cancel purchase.
When all of your work requires two monitors, and the small sleek laptop tablet you're looking at requires a $150 clunky adapter, things aren't so cheap and sleek anymore.
@melonscoop While true, nothing remains sleek while attached to a second monitor. The price issue is a legitimate concern, and I was hoping the adapters and bases would come down.
@melonscoop I'm sure there is either a DP-> dual HDMI adapter or simply use DP plus USB-to-HDMI (DisplayLink) adapter that will get you to two monitors for a lot cheaper than $150
@Neo42 @melonscoop
https://www.google.com/search?q=surface+pro+2+hdmi
They have cheap as balls adapters for this sort of thing.
I Really wish the actual CPU was listed... Intel Core i5 (Dual core) isn't as useful as it once was now that there are up to 6-7 generations of Intel Core i5 processors... It's almost as common and descriptive as Centrino or Pentium now...
@sohmageek wikipedia says: Surface Pro 2 was shipped with the fourth generation Haswell Intel Core i5-4200U (1.6 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost up to 2.6 GHz). In December 2013, Microsoft updated the CPU to a 1.9 GHz dual Core i5-4300U.
@Potatoboy Right... But it didn't say in the writeup... and at midnight when the site was down... and I was debating... wait up and maybe buy... or hit meh and just sleep.... having that on the product info page would have been awesome (probably would have made my debate in my head faster... to a no, as I don't need that old of a laptop... but hey I've wanted a surface pro for a bit now... just not that much.)
Darn, I had just talked myself into buying this.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE SELLOUT MEH! Now you all can go home with pay. Post haste! oh remember to queue up the speaker docks for tomorrow before you turn the lights out on your way home!
@sohmageek Not bad indeed - 424 unit sell out. It likely didn't hurt that this deal made cnet.com. (Look at the traffic bars on the front page.) Also noticed that rather than hoping it would hit dealnews.com's radar naturally, Meh sponsored it over there.
There was recently a manufacturer's recall for all Surface Pro 2 power cords. (Not the brick, just the cord between the brick and the wall.) Will these refurb units ship with the new cords, or will we need to contact Microsoft for replacement cords once we get our Surfaces?
@actionjbone Look at the first FAQ on this page: http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/support/warranty-service-and-recovery/powercord
Basically, it looks like all Surface Pros sold before March 15th, 2015 are affected by the recall. If you look at the diagram they provided, you'll see that the newer power cords have a stress reducer on the end, whereas the older power cords do not.
Once you receive your Surface Pro 2 from meh, I would check to see if the cord has the stress reducer. If it does not, then I'm guessing that means it's an old one and it should be replaced.
Edit: I just realized this totally doesn't answer your question about whether or not these actually ship with the outdated cords. Sorry about that. But there is some advice for how to recognize the cord immediately once you actually get your surface.
@Dankk Thanks for the reply, and for realizing you weren't answering my question, haha. I'm upgrading from a Surface Pro 1 and I've been through the replacement with one device already, and also know what both cords look like.
If the meh.com staff do figure out either way, might be useful to send a message to all buyers - since lots of folks may not even know about the recall, and may not register their devices with Microsoft at all.
Will this run ChromeOS?
@jmendenhall Light research indicates some users have been able to run CloudReady on Surface Pro tablets, but the built-in Wi-Fi was wonky.
Bigger question is why would you want to? ("Because I can" is an acceptable answer.)
Who's reordering? The deal isn't looking so good anymore given that the keyboard Meh gives you isn't even the ideal one and it doesn't come with the pen or upgraded processor... I'm very on the fence now. I need a mobile computing device that can edit video, but I also want the most bang for the buck.
@Dizavid I've already reordered.
Personally, the space doesn't matter so much to me, I care more about the RAM and CPU—and that I can keep using all the SP1 accessories I already own.
If you look at the benchmarks, the processor isn't that different—especially when you look at the 4th gen in the SP2/3 vs. the 6th gen in the SP4/Book.
If you plan to work with 4K video, this isn't the machine for you at all, 512GB SSD or not. The 8GB RAM will hold you back, even if you add more storage. Go for at minimum 16GB RAM.
If you only plan to work in standard HD, though, this may work... but 512GB probably isn't enough storage for you and you'd probably need an external drive, anyway.
@actionjbone Well, using an external drive is fine by me. I would be doing 1080p at most. But my main concerns are that 1.6 GHz is low clock and I'm not sure how good this thing would be at streaming or gaming, which are the other things that aren't as necessary, but are very fun, that I'd like to do with this, and that I have to wonder if the 400 bucks would get me something much more impressive in the form of a touch screen laptop or convertible touch screen laptop.
@Dizavid All depends on your expectations, really.
There's roughly a 10–13% synthetic benchmark difference between the 4200U and the 4300U, so probably closer to 5–8% real-world difference.
On the other hand, there's more like a 25–45% synthetic benchmark difference between a 4th gen i5 and a 6th gen i5, depending on the exact specs. So we're talking about a much more significant performance difference once you jump between generations.
If you can find a better-specced laptop for just $400, great. Grab it, and I'm sure you'll be happy with it. But most laptops in that price range won't get you both a 250+GB SSD or 8GB RAM. And for video editing, you'll need more RAM and more fast disk space than you'll need raw CPU power.
Also, for what it's worth, on YouTube I saw someone playing Titanfall on a SP2.
@actionjbone That's pretty darn impressive. I dunno, have you looked at what's out there for this kind of thing?
@Dizavid I've been helping a friend shop for a gaming laptop, coincidentally. He originally asked me what he could get for under $500. For modern games, I was looking for similar features - 250+ SSD, 8GB RAM. Even a little over $500, I was having a hard time finding an option with a good SSD, let alone the discrete graphics he'd need.
So if you can find a better deal, great. This isn't the computer for everyone. But keep in mind you can get compatible styli on eBay for $10, deals on keyboards for $30-40, and other second-hand accessories for cheap since this is old hardware.
Personally, I jumped on this because it's a solid upgrade for my mobile design workstation, I already own all the accessories, and I already had a buyer in mind for my SP1. Your situation won't be the same.
@actionjbone @Dizavid seeing conversations like these are what make me love our forums. Thanks for lending your two cents to the conversation, I have no doubt that it's helped others that were on the fence as well.
@actionjbone Whats the name of the compatible stylus?
@lazgreg Search eBay for "stylus x61" - the ThinkPad X61 uses a Wacom digitizer. Black stick pens with red or gray erasers and nibs. $9-10 to order from an Asian seller, $12-15 for a U.S. seller.
I ordered a used genuine IBM stylus (should be delivered Thursday or Friday), and I already own a Surface Pen that came with my SP1. (The SP1 and SP2 use the same Wacom digitizer.) I'll write up a quick comparison when it gets here.
I'll throw in some more info, in case anyone's curious:
The SP1/2 digitizer is actually an older-model Wacom Cintiq digitizer (based on my research), and it's compatible with several older-generation Wacom Grip Pens.
Any Wacom stylus whose part number starts with "UP" should be compatible. Here's a handy reference, look for the light blue labels (top of the chart): https://tinyurl.com/np9bc98
Most of these old Wacom styli are $70+ on eBay or Amazon, but unless you're a designer, artist, or enthusiast, you probably won't really gain much from spending the money. Most folks will be happy with the X61 stick pen.
@actionjbone Yo, man, thanks for this tip. It's actually $14 if you want to get it in a timely manner, but it looks really cool and comes with replacement "leads" in case the first one gets damaged! Nice! So I went ahead and ordered this one.
@Dizavid X61 showed up earlier, here's a comparison photo.
The X61 stylus (on the left) is a little shorter than the Surface Pen (on the right), has a shorter clip, and has a button slightly higher up the stick.
They both work the same, and both use standard Wacom nibs.
The X61's side button has a soft click, and the Surface Pen's side button makes a satisfying "click" sound/feel.
Holding each in your hand, the biggest difference is that the X61 is rubberized, and the Surface Pen is smooth plastic. This is demonstrated by the huge amount of white cat fluff that clung to the X61 after just a few minutes inside my house.
(The site seems to be having trouble with an image on Dropbox, will try something else later.)
@Dizavid can't seem to edit the post anymore, here's that photo: https://postimg.org/image/fej2f9v29/
@actionjbone Wow man thanks! You seem to know some things. I was wondering if you had any recommendations on an ethernet cable that works for the surface? like one of these http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014ZOJX7W?redirect=true&pldnSite=1
Problem with this is that they say that it doesn't work for the latest windows
@lazgreg Hey, thanks! Just glad to help.
According to Anker's website, it does support Windows 10, the Amazon page title is probably just out of date: https://www.anker.com/products/A7522012
Also, that looks like an awesome network+USB3 hub! Didn't know Anker made that. If I didn't already have a dock and a different Anker USB3 hub, I'd totally buy one of those.
Anker makes solid stuff. Nearly all the third-party accessories I own are either Anker or Monoprice.
@Dizavid Got mine today, and it's like-new and included the 4300U.
No guarantees, but at least some of them do have the newer CPU. Good luck with yours!
@actionjbone I do indeed have it, but that brings another question to mind. How do I use the boosted setting? Does it kick in automatically when needed, or is there something I have to manually activate when I want it?
@Dizavid http://bfy.tw/5qMQ
Just reordered, and I like my new order code a lot better. It's perfect.
@Dizavid Well... it's thicker than the 3/4... and it's red...
@actionjbone
Already have one, i7 version. Never much loved it - annoying form factor. Now i might have to try to like it again.
Okay, ordered one more little thing, and now I should be completely set!
Hell yeah.
As for the keyboard, well, if I don't like the one it comes with, I can just plug in a USB keyboard. My guess is that the problem with the one it's going to come with is probably that it won't work too well off of hard surfaces, yeah? If so, I'll just use a USB keyboard when I'm using it while lying down.
@Dizavid What does this cable do?
@animmalcol It allows you to connect your Surface to any HDMI device. So you can watch shows from your Surface onto your TV, or play games on your Surface and use a capture card to stream it. I'm sure I'll have a lot of fun with it.
@Dizavid Oh for some reason i thought it already had the port. Thanks man
@animmalcol No problem.
I own one of those Touch Covers for my SP1, and my biggest problem with it is actually finger fatigue.
Because you tap a hard object rather than keys that return physical feedback, my fingers all felt like I was banging them into a table.
A USB or Bluetooth keyboard is perfect, though. I have one o' them newfangled ultra-thin wireless Lenovo keyboards that I use when my SP1 is docked, and I love it. I use one of these when mobile: http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-5VX-00001-Surface-Power-Keyboard/dp/B00IZMKM94
So, finally, does shipping through Mediocre not have tracking? Because I ordered yesterday, and it should definitely have been sent out by now. They said they were sending out daily.
@Dizavid I can confirm they are shipping. Sounds like we need to confirm the tracking automation is enabled there. @mehcus should have more info tomorrow.
@Dizavid They are shipping daily, but they are not shipping the same day the order is placed. Mine went out today, even though I reordered Tuesday.
i.e., some go out every day, not necessarily yours.
@actionjbone DAMN IT, I DO NOT WANT ANOTHER BLENDER BOTTLE INCIDENT!!* I need this Surface to save me from the crushing depression of either waking up every day with nothing to do or just not waking up at all until 4PM! I MUST implement my coffee shop pro plan ASAP!
*By the way, only ONE of the blender bottles came with a wisk. They showed two per bottle in the picture. I believe this is a mistake. One of three problems with Meh products that I need to get fixed once I'm out from under this avalanche of problems I'm having.
@Dizavid Shhhhhh...
Breathe... in, slowly... yes, that's right... out... take your time... then in...
@Dizavid Looks like yours should be headed out today. We'll shoot you an email with your tracking number once that happens. If you haven't seen it by end of day, tag me and I'll go yell at people.
@MEHcus This is you:
My accessories came in today. The ThinkPad pen feels pretty good. The actual machine comes in tomorrow! I'm SO SUPER STOKED!!
My new order confirmation has versed in it. Ummmmm, you guys know I'm driving myself home, right?
Sending this from my new Surface Pro, typed on the LOVELY red keyboard. Indeed, it's not amazing. It's like a cell phone keyboard but without autocorrect or slide typing, and that is... pretty bad. However, the Surface itself is good. I enjoy it. I've got all my programs installed, and I'm finding that so far everything has run well. Got a pen question, though.
How can I make it so that the pen will serve the same way as my fingers do in terms of scrolling? I want to be able to swipe up to scroll down and so forth.
@Dizavid That's... a good question. I've never tried doing that, personally.
First, I'd say download the Surface app from Microsoft. It has some pen settings. I haven't checked that out yet, myself, but it's a good place to start.
Also, I replied to you above, but check your CPU - mine's a 4300U.
@actionjbone I totally have the 4300U! Sweet!
@Dizavid with USB, splitters are only good in power situations... if you want data to work your gonna need a hub of some sort.
example device:
http://www.amazon.com/Anker-4-Port-Portable-Aluminum-2-Foot/dp/B00O0KISQE
For my pro I have a USB 3 hub with built in ethernet adapter for when I can't wifi...
the one I ended up with is this one:
http://www.amazon.com/iClever-Converter-Ultrabooks-Compatible-Chromebook/dp/B00KRTVOUE
Got it back when they had is on special for like $12
I purchased one of these in Red, but it's not showing in my purchases
Microsoft Surface Pro 2 HD 8G 512GB (Refurbished) with Keyboard
mediocrebot said Mon, May 9th 2016 at 12:00am eastern
10
@RussFallis check your email, there apparently was some weirdness about specs and you would have had to re-confirm if you wanted it... if you have no email from them about it do the support link in the ? meh-nu at the top.
@RussFallis REDBRO!!
@RussFallis Check your orders over at mediocre.com/orders
I'm looking at my Slowpoke picture, and I can't ignore just how dull it looks on the Surface screen. How do I make the screen not dull? On a monitor, I'd just turn up the brightness and contrast, probably, but I have no idea what to do on this.
그저께 받았는데 액정불량, 그리고 좌측 상단에 터치가 계속되는 오동작이 있네요 .ㅜㅠ
@galmaegi ^^
@secret5028 https://meh.com/support 으로 문의주셨으니 곧 답변이 갈거에요!
@Thumperchick
