Though to be honest, I don't know how long the average Ultrabook that gets 7 hours would last in such a test. It's a data point that needs more data for actual comparison.
Though to be honest, I don't know how long the average Ultrabook that gets 7 hours would last in such a test. It's a data point that needs more data for actual comparison.
destrekor
Lifer
- Nov 18, 2005
- 28,799
- 359
- 126
Excellent question; I've no idea.
Doubtful, and that's something I didn't even consider.
But truth be told, external storage like that should be mostly reserved for strictly transfer of data between devices or the storage vessel for all forms of documents/media.
It's only write cycles that degrade memory, not read cycles, correct? If so, even using it as the MP3, video, photo, pdf and doc file repository would still mean a low number of total writes and a good drive would be plenty fast enough for that (and yet it's enough to ensure one notices the improvement over external HDDs or SD cards).
And that helps leave a lot of room on the SSD (potentially, if you don't store many documents/media on it), which helps the longevity of that SSD. Especially since temporary files and the page file are on the SSD (which is great for performance, but that's a lot of write cycles). Which, as long as there is enough space left empty on the drive, TRIM will help ensure the writes are balanced and the drive keeps on going.
Such a setup would be fine if the OS was more conducive to that kind of use. Windows should automatically add any external device to it's library if it sees Documents, Music, Pictures, and Video folders in the root folder. Right now, it's a hack to get the microSD card seen by Metro apps without any extra hassle.
Red Storm
Lifer
- Oct 2, 2005
- 14,233
- 234
- 106
Well I'm looking at it from the tablet perspective. Say what you want but this thing is marketed as a tablet. That portability is shot if it can't last long without a plug.
destrekor
Lifer
- Nov 18, 2005
- 28,799
- 359
- 126
That's all preventing any kind of Sleep, isn't it?
If you have a touch/type cover and close it, would the device normally enter sleep mode, or simply turn the screen off?
If you even left it open under normal settings, under normal conditions, it will enter into some kind of sleep mode, yes?
Does it still keep active with notifications under sleep mode on the device? (I've heard that either this and the Surface RT, just the Surface RT, or even possibly just the WP8 phones do this).
Basically, if you use it normally, set it down and don't touch it for awhile, will the device retain a good charge? I know even sleep mode will drain the battery, but it'll take awhile compared to leaving half of the system actively sucking down power doing nothing.
1) Yes, I prevented any kind of sleep from happening. A type cover was connected, but untouched. I did occasionally (once or twice) run CPU-Z to confirm CPU clocks were at 800Mhz.
2) The device enters sleep mode if you close the touch/type cover after 2 seconds or so.
3) The device will enter sleep mode under normal conditions without activity depending on your power settings (whether power saver, balanced, or high performance). It will dim the screen first, then turn off the screen, then go to sleep. I think with power saver it's 1 min, 2 min, and 10 min respectively but you can change it to whatever you want.
4) I haven't yet tested the longevity of sleep mode. I'll add that to my list.
destrekor
Lifer
- Nov 18, 2005
- 28,799
- 359
- 126
did you notice the tear down steps?
It's mSATA, true, and if you can get to it, you can easily swap two mSATA drives.
It is all about actually getting to that point. You'll need some replacement super adhesive and a lot of patience, and a very careful hand.
Looking at the teardown more carefully, I don't even think I'd care to do all that after the warranty period. Definitely not before the warranty is up, and perhaps only after. I think I can make do with app installs just fine on 128GB - it's the other storage I'd want, especially due to the fact I'd want to install a VM or two.
But an external SSD through USB 3.0 would take care of that perfectly fine.
Just because it would be far more powerful than my current pathetic laptop, I'd have it, connected through DisplayPort and wi-fi, I'd set up VMs on a USB boot and run them on one of my monitors while I do some other related work (like on my server install on my desktop) with probably another VM or two and get sandbox crazy.
destrekor
Lifer
- Nov 18, 2005
- 28,799
- 359
- 126
Here are the results of my battery tests again so far:
1) min brightness, WiFi on, idle system - 8hrs 13 min
2) 50% brightness, WiFi on, idle system - 6hrs 13 min
3) 100% brightness, WiFi on, idle system - 4hrs 57 min
"Idle system" means the battery profile was set to power saver, critical battery was set to 3% before shutting off, screen saver was turned off, and the system was left sitting at the desktop.
Last thing is the torture test: 100% brightness, 100% CPU.
1) min brightness, WiFi on, idle system - 8hrs 13 min
2) 50% brightness, WiFi on, idle system - 6hrs 13 min
3) 100% brightness, WiFi on, idle system - 4hrs 57 min
"Idle system" means the battery profile was set to power saver, critical battery was set to 3% before shutting off, screen saver was turned off, and the system was left sitting at the desktop.
Last thing is the torture test: 100% brightness, 100% CPU.
Yeah, I'll need to grab my dSLR so the exposure can be fixed (otherwise the pictures are invalid).
lopri
Elite Member
- Jul 27, 2002
- 13,310
- 687
- 126
Saw a demo version at the Bestbuy. It looked nice. (won't elaborate my impression any further than that)
Bestbuy has changed a lot since I visited the place last time. They now have a whole section of phones and tablets up front. Apple stuff was mixed in there, too. (except iPhones)
Bestbuy has changed a lot since I visited the place last time. They now have a whole section of phones and tablets up front. Apple stuff was mixed in there, too. (except iPhones)
Meh, can you tell me the last time the launch of any device had fully satisfied demand? If you "sell out", it's bad because a company didnt make enough and if can walk up an buy one on launch day then obviously not enough people were interested. The media will make it a losing situation either way.
Drsignguy
Platinum Member
- Mar 24, 2002
- 2,264
- 0
- 76
And here is a link that mentions that "Rumor" http://www.pcworld.com/article/2027953/microsoft-surface-pro-tablets-with-128gb-arrive-saturday.html So we shall see.....
SketchMaster
Diamond Member
- Feb 23, 2005
- 3,100
- 149
- 116
I picked up a 64GB Surface Pro yesterday, and I've been comparing it to my Asus EP121 that I've used every day for work since I bought it almost two years ago. So far, I'm a bit disappointed...
Screen: The surface pro has a beautiful screen compared to the Asus, don't get me wrong, but going from a 12.1" to a 10.6" was a bit annoying. After using the Surface for a while I did notice that it was noticeably easier to select items on the screen with my finger than my Asus, so the Surface wins back some points for quality and usability.
Look and feel: The Surface feels solid.
...No really, what is this made of?! For being 2" smaller than my EP121 it feels like it weighs just as much. I wasn't thinking the Pro would feel like a feather, but I was hoping for it to take some of the strain off my arms while holding it for extended periods of time. And speaking of holding, it's not very enjoyable to use the device when the hard edges dig into my hands. The EP121 out of its leather case (which came standard) has some harsh edges itself, but the back of the device is rounded and textured to aid grip. The Pro doesn't cause pain but it just doesn't invoke the feeling of comfort, with all its edges poking at me and smoother surface making me worried it's going to slip from my hands it's bit of a bother to pick up and get comfortable.
Stylus: This is my biggest beef with the Pro, how they handled stylus storage. The stylus will "dock" in the power connector port via magnets, which seems like a good idea at first. Then you run into two major issues:
1. If you need to charge your device, there is no good place to store the stylus. I almost forgot my stylus this morning because I left it sitting next to the device while charging.
2. The stylus is in the way and easily knocked loose when picking up or while holding the device by its sides.
It's such a small thing, but such a huge issue for me! I shouldn't have to think about the stylus until I need it. I don't want to always worry about forgetting the stylus at home or knocking it loose while using the tablet. The EP121 had the space for an internal storage slot for the stylus, but it also had a spot on the case for you to store it or, in my situation, keep a 2nd stylus that was aftermarket and didn't fit in the slot. Either way, the guys at Asus had that figured out.
Hardware: The pro wins hands down. Everything inside the Pro is streets ahead of the EP121, though we are talking a system that came out in April 2011. The most improved thing is battery life since my EP121 could get three hours at best out of a charge, while the Pro looks like it could easily add another hour on that with better performance. Watching Netflix was much more enjoyable with better frame rates, faster startup/shutdown times, and most of my office apps are MUCH snappier.
Overall, the Pro is a good upgrade from the EP121 when looking at numbers on paper, but it feels like a step BACK when I actually use it in my day to day life. I may be able to fix some of my issues with an aftermarket case, but it's a bit disappointing to see the Surface Pro be outshined in areas by a two year old device.
Screen: The surface pro has a beautiful screen compared to the Asus, don't get me wrong, but going from a 12.1" to a 10.6" was a bit annoying. After using the Surface for a while I did notice that it was noticeably easier to select items on the screen with my finger than my Asus, so the Surface wins back some points for quality and usability.
Look and feel: The Surface feels solid.
...No really, what is this made of?! For being 2" smaller than my EP121 it feels like it weighs just as much. I wasn't thinking the Pro would feel like a feather, but I was hoping for it to take some of the strain off my arms while holding it for extended periods of time. And speaking of holding, it's not very enjoyable to use the device when the hard edges dig into my hands. The EP121 out of its leather case (which came standard) has some harsh edges itself, but the back of the device is rounded and textured to aid grip. The Pro doesn't cause pain but it just doesn't invoke the feeling of comfort, with all its edges poking at me and smoother surface making me worried it's going to slip from my hands it's bit of a bother to pick up and get comfortable.
Stylus: This is my biggest beef with the Pro, how they handled stylus storage. The stylus will "dock" in the power connector port via magnets, which seems like a good idea at first. Then you run into two major issues:
1. If you need to charge your device, there is no good place to store the stylus. I almost forgot my stylus this morning because I left it sitting next to the device while charging.
2. The stylus is in the way and easily knocked loose when picking up or while holding the device by its sides.
It's such a small thing, but such a huge issue for me! I shouldn't have to think about the stylus until I need it. I don't want to always worry about forgetting the stylus at home or knocking it loose while using the tablet. The EP121 had the space for an internal storage slot for the stylus, but it also had a spot on the case for you to store it or, in my situation, keep a 2nd stylus that was aftermarket and didn't fit in the slot. Either way, the guys at Asus had that figured out.
Hardware: The pro wins hands down. Everything inside the Pro is streets ahead of the EP121, though we are talking a system that came out in April 2011. The most improved thing is battery life since my EP121 could get three hours at best out of a charge, while the Pro looks like it could easily add another hour on that with better performance. Watching Netflix was much more enjoyable with better frame rates, faster startup/shutdown times, and most of my office apps are MUCH snappier.
Overall, the Pro is a good upgrade from the EP121 when looking at numbers on paper, but it feels like a step BACK when I actually use it in my day to day life. I may be able to fix some of my issues with an aftermarket case, but it's a bit disappointing to see the Surface Pro be outshined in areas by a two year old device.
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Drsignguy
Platinum Member
- Mar 24, 2002
- 2,264
- 0
- 76
Maybe a Leather cover might help with issue in the near future.........
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From the MS blog itself....
http://blog.surface.com/b/surface/a...?wt.mc_id=Microsoft Surface, FBPAGE, Outgoing
Bad news for Canada and the 128 version.
http://blog.surface.com/b/surface/a...?wt.mc_id=Microsoft Surface, FBPAGE, Outgoing
Bad news for Canada and the 128 version.
gorcorps
aka Brandon
- Jul 18, 2004
- 30,739
- 454
- 126
what a joke
Any small amount of traction the surface pro might have gotten is already dead.
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