Items tagged with surface pro 4
Updated 12/16/2019 @ 11:04am The limited-time deal at Woot has now expired. Our original article continues below: Don't waste your time lamenting the fact that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are now in the rear view mirror. What had been a couple of one-off deal days has morphed into an entire holiday season of sales, which means bargains galore as we march into 2020 (like these blowout Bose deals). Case in point, you can snag a factory reconditioned Microsoft Surface Pro for only $299.99. Normally we look past a reconditioned product, save for when the price trends towards the exceptional side. This is one of those situations. Surface Pro tablets usually run several hundreds dollars higher than...
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Last month reports were making the rounds that Microsoft had started to issue replacements for Surface Pro 4 devices that had screen issues due to faulty firmware updates. Some Surface Pro 4 owners were able to get Microsoft to give them a warranty replacement, and others were unsuccessful in getting that done. Microsoft has now stepped up and acknowledged the Surface Pro 4 firmware issue and all affected users will be able to get a warranty replacement for defective devices. Microsoft has acknowledged the display issues that owners of these devices are seeing is a direct result of the July firmware update for the tablet. That firmware update caused driver issues that had to do with the Surface...
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Microsoft's Surface Pro line of devices have been increasing in popularity, as witnessed by the company's fifth-place showing in U.S. PC sales. However, problems for some Surface Pro 4 owners started creeping up after an update that was issued on July 26 which negatively impacted the touchscreen on the device. Many users flocked to Microsoft Answers to complain about problems with their devices after applying the update. On a Microsoft Answers thread dedicated to the problem, over 600 people are posting similar issues, and there are some responses from Microsoft in the mix. One of the posters in the thread,BryanH_[MSFT], wrote that Microsoft was officially investigating the touchscreen issue...
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Apple has seen some renewed interest in its iPad family of tablets over the past year. In 2017, the company launched a "new" 9.7-inch iPad priced at $329 and followed up this year by incorporating an A10 processor and support for the Apple Pencil. Microsoft has been watching carefully and is rumored to be launching its own low-cost Surface tablet to rival the iPad during the second half of 2018. According to a new report from Bloomberg, the entry-level Surface tablet will have a display the measures 10-inches across (compared to 12 inches for the Surface Pro) along with more curves in its design compared to the more squared-off look of the current Surface Pro. The report...
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Back in early February, we brought you a story about Surface Pro 4 owners that were encountering some rather distressing problems with their tablets. The displays on affected machines would flicker continuously for no apparent reason. A lengthy thread on Microsoft's official forum gathered comments from many users experiencing the problem and FlickerGate.com was established to shine a spotlight on the display failures. At the time, Microsoft said that it was "aware that some customers have experienced a screen flicker on Surface Pro 4 and are monitoring the situation closely” and that "customers impacted by this should contact Microsoft support.” Apparently, Microsoft...
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When Microsoft first announced the Surface Studio all-in-one desktop back in late October 2016, we were amazed by its sleek design and zero-gravity hinge. However, it was an accessory for the PC that especially caught our attention: the Surface Dial. The Surface Dial is a radial input device that can be placed directly on the display and sprouts out a menu that can be used to adjust colors and ink thickness (among other things) in supported apps. Microsoft has now announced that all of the Surface Dial goodness is being added to the Surface Pro 4 courtesy of a new firmware update. The support was initially due to arrive in early 2017, but encountered significant delays (as...
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Do you remember back when Consumer Reports pulled its recommendation of all Surface-branded laptops and convertibles over questions about reliability? Well, a brewing controversy surrounding the Surface Pro 4 convertible is adding more ammunition into the publications' rifle. Growing reports indicate that Surface Pro 4 owners are suffering with displays that continuously flicker for no reason. The problems are well documented on Microsoft's own support community for the Surface Pro 4, and seem to be related to thermal issues with the convertible. AbbasHaroon posted a thread on the subject way back on January 19th, 2017 and it is now 138 pages long. In fact, there is even a website that is dedicated...
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Microsoft has a public perception problem on its hands. The company’s Surface family of PCs has run afoul with Consumer Reports, which could be detrimental in its efforts to win over mainstream shoppers. In a survey of its readership, the publication found that Microsoft’s Surface line was “significantly less reliable than most other brands” and decided to drop recommendations for the products. We’ve already seen Microsoft’s public response to the damning Consumer Reports takedown, but veteran Microsoft watcher Paul Thurrott has some insight into internal discussions that have been brewing within the company for quite some time. For starters, Thurrott reports that initial problems surrounding...
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Microsoft recently announced a refresh to its Surface Pro 4 models with upgrades to Intel's latest generation processors (Kaby Lake). Part of the promise in upgrading to 7th generation Core CPUs is better batty life—Microsoft said its updated models offer up to 50 percent more run time than the previous generation with Skylake inside. To help meet that promise, Microsoft released new firmware for its Surface Pro 4. The newest firmware addresses battery life when the Surface Pro 4 goes into Sleep mode. This probably will not have a dramatic effect on things, though every little bit of additional run time that Microsoft can squeeze out of its popular 2-in-1 device is appreciated. Here is a look...
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It looks as though Hewlett-Packard has a new 2-in-1 convertible alternative waiting in the wings if you’ve been disappointed with the longish life-cycle of Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4. HP today announced the Elite x2 1012 G2, which appears to have many of the feature that Surface Pro 4 owners have been looking for in a replacement device. For starters, the MIL-SPEC tested Elite x2 1012 G2 is available with Kaby Lake Core i5 and Core i7 processors, which can be paired with up to 16GB of LPDDR3-1866 RAM. You can configure up to 512GB of storage via either a M.2 SATA or M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD (we should mention that the Surface Pro 4 tops out at 1TB). HP, however, doesn’t skimp out on the Gorilla Glass...
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The Microsoft Store is in the midst of a Spring Sale event in which many products are available at a discount, including the Surface Book, which now has a starting price of $1,299 instead of $1,499. If you prefer the Surface Pro 4 tablet to the Surface Book, there is not a discount available at the moment, though Microsoft is tossing in a free Surface Dock accessory worth $199 (streets for $137 at places like Walmart and Amazon). Using the included SurfaceConnect cable, the Surface Dock transforms the Surface Pro 4 into a desktop PC, or so that is the pitch from Microsoft. It certainly makes the Surface Pro 4 more flexible—the Surface Dock features four USB 3.0 ports, an audio output, a gigabit...
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Leading up to the launch of new MacBook Pros in October, it was pretty well understood that Apple’s Mac hardware lineup was a bit stagnant. Its MacBook Pros had been without any meaningful updates in over a year, while its Mac Pro professional desktop [still] has gone over three years without any updates. Couple that with the fact that the public and critical reception to the new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros (with and without the Touch Bar) have been overly critical, it stands to reason that some Mac users are looking for alternatives — even if it means leaving the relative comfort of macOS. One such company that has benefited is Microsoft, which says that its Surface lineup has seen a sales...
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Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4 is long due for an upgrade -- while the current convertible is still a potent beast, it was originally released back in October 2015. A new report, however, suggests that we may have to wait a few more months for the Surface Pro 5, which will reportedly debut in Spring 2017. When the Surface Pro 5 launches, it will sport Intel’s latest Kaby Lake processors, which is to be expected. The source for this information, The BitBag, says that the Surface Pro 5 will come paired with up to 16GB of RAM and a “massive” 512GB SSD. We question the excitement over the 512GB SSD, as the current generation Surface Pro 4 is already available with 512GB and 1TB SSDs, and up to 16GB of...
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Happy Halloween, folks! The annual day of handing out free candy to neighborhood youth dressed as ghosts and goblins (or more likely Harley Quinn and creepy clowns, according to this year's most frequently searched costumes on Google) means October has come to an end and that the holiday shopping season is right around the bend. If you want to get a head start on your holiday shopping, head over to the Microsoft Store and check out the Surface Pro 4—the entry level model is currently on sale.The asking price is now $749, a sweet discount over the system's regular selling price of $899. The guts of the thing consist of an Intel Core m3 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB solid state drive, a serviceable...
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Are you the owner of an older MacBook Air or MacBook Pro and aren’t impressed with what Apple has to offer with the latest 2016-edition 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pros? Well, Microsoft is definitely looking to get your business and it’s willing to throw quite a bit of cash your way to join the Surface family. Microsoft for a limited time is offering MacBook Air or MacBook Pro owners up to $650 off the purchase of a Surface Pro or Surface Book convertible if they trade-in their device. Microsoft is confident that Apple fans will appreciate the long battery life and added functionality that its Surface mobile devices have to offer. “97% of people that have a Surface Pro 4 or Surface Book use on-screen...
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Politicians are not the only ones mudslinging this season. Huawei’s Matebook and Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4 have teamed up to continue to try and humiliate the iPad Pro and its various shortcomings. In Huawei’s latest commercial, the iPad Pro is being pushed out of the cool kid’s table. The advertisement battle all started when Apple released its initial iPad Pro commercial. The iPad Pro ad is titled “What’s a computer?” and starts with “Just when you think you know what a computer is, you see a keyboard that can just get out of the way...and a screen you can touch and even write on.” The commercial ends with the statement, “Imagine what your computer to do, if it was an iPad Pro.” The implication...
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Shots fired, shots fired! Microsoft took aim at Apple in a new advertisement with a snarky jingle highlighting ways in which its Surface Pro 4 tablet is better than a MacBook, the latter of which is "less useful like a hat for your cat." It's the latest in a long line of Mac versus PC commercials where Apple and Microsoft trade barbs. This latest ad draws attention to the Surface Pro 4's detachable keyboard, included stylus, and touchscreen display, all things the MacBook family lacks. There's also a subtle shout out to Windows Hello, the biometric security system Microsoft built into Windows 10, and the fact that the Surface Pro 4 is "lighter than Air." Less savvy users might miss the intended...
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The rivalry between Microsoft and Apple have just been reinvigorated thanks to a rather humorous commercial from the former that pokes fun at the iPad Pro. Apple introduced the iPad Pro late last year to court professional users who need to do more than just play games and watch Netflix with their tablets. The fruit company also launched a new “Smart Keyboard” alongside the iPad Pro, which is aimed at increasing productivity. Despite the change in [tablet] direction for Apple, sales haven’t exactly rebounded for Apple. And to add insult to injury, Microsoft is openly mocking the iPad Pro following the release of this Apple commercial: Microsoft couldn’t resist poking holes in Apple’s argument...
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All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, right? High schoolers and especially college students often feel like their entire lives revolve around performing well in school and getting a leg up on the competition academically. So, it stands to reason that everyone needs a little bit of a breather from time to time to relieve some stress or to just simply “veg out” for a while. Thankfully, it looks as though Microsoft is trying to kill two birds with one stone by offering a new promotion for students that purchase a brand new Surface Pro 4 or Surface Book. Microsoft is taking a combined $300 off the purchase of the Surface Pro 4/Surface Book and an Xbox One gaming console. This essentially makes...
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Looking for a last minute gift idea for pop to celebrate Father's Day? Fear not, Microsoft has your back, assuming your dad's in need of a new PC and you have the budget to fulfill that request. If so, be advised that Microsoft has shaved up to $150 off its Surface Pro 4 family of 2-in-1 devices, and you get a free Surface Dock to boot! The Surface Dock itself is valued at $200, so you're looking at a savings of up to $350. Microsoft's pitch is that the Surface Dock turns the Surface Pro 4 into a desktop PC by adding an assortment of ports, including two mini DisplayPorts, a Gigabit Ethernet port, four USB 3.0 ports, and an audio port. It's an external brick measuring 5.12 x 2.36 x 1.18 inches...
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Thinking about financing a convertible? Microsoft has your back, though we're not about automobiles here, but 2-in-1 devices such as select Surface Pro models and the Surface Book. Through a new Surface Membership option, you can choose to pay off one or more qualifying Surface Pro and Surface Book convertibles in monthly payments rather than pony up for the full amount. "Join now to get the latest Surface devices, including the option to upgrade when available. Keep your business running smoothly in the office or out in the field with support and in-store training, 7 days per week. Plus, manage your budget more easily by choosing affordable monthly payments over costly, one-time purchases,"...
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When we think of Alcantara, the first thing to spring to mind is its use in high-end sports cars and supercars for headliners, steering wheels, seats and dashboard coverings. But Microsoft has a new use for the suede-like material, which is manufactured by Italian company Alcantara SpA, in its new Signature Type Cover for the popular Surface Pro 4 tablet. We must say, the Signature Type Cover definitely looks fantastic and if you’ve never felt Alcantara before, you’re in for a real treat as you rub your fingers across its grain. Alcantara is used not only on the back of the Signature Type Cover, but also along the palm rest and around the keys. The fine texture of Alcantara means that your palms...
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