• Welcome to TechPowerUp Forums, Guest! Please check out our forum guidelines for info related to our community.

Surface 2, Surface Pro 2 and New Accessories Available for Purchase

btarunr

Editor & Senior Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 9, 2007
Messages
47,244 (7.54/day)
Location
Hyderabad, India
System Name RBMK-1000
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
Motherboard ASUS ROG Strix B450-E Gaming
Cooling DeepCool Gammax L240 V2
Memory 2x 8GB G.Skill Sniper X
Video Card(s) Palit GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER GameRock
Storage Western Digital Black NVMe 512GB
Display(s) BenQ 1440p 60 Hz 27-inch
Case Corsair Carbide 100R
Audio Device(s) ASUS SupremeFX S1220A
Power Supply Cooler Master MWE Gold 650W
Mouse ASUS ROG Strix Impact
Keyboard Gamdias Hermes E2
Software Windows 11 Pro
Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday announced that its newest Surface models - Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 - as well as an expanded portfolio of new Surface accessories are now available for purchase at Microsoft retail stores, select third-party retailers, and authorized commercial resellers in 21 initial markets, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. The new Surface products will be available in China in early November.

Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 are the most productive tablets on the planet, and they each benefit from significant updates, including improvements to processing power and battery life, display and camera resolution, and the kickstand - now featuring a second, wider angle so it's more comfortable to use Surface on your lap or at your desk. Enhancements in Windows 8.1 RT and Windows 8.1 Pro make Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 even more powerful and customizable. Knowledgeable staff are on hand at all Microsoft retail store locations to answer questions and help with Surface setup, so customers have a great out-of-box experience and walk out the door with a product that is personalized for them.

Each new Surface comes with built-in value
To help people get the most out of Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2, customers who purchase either device will receive free Skype calling to landlines in more than 60 countries for one year, unlimited Skype Wi-Fi on their Surface 2 or Surface Pro 2 at more than 2 million hotspots worldwide for one year, and 200 GB of free SkyDrive storage for two years.

Surface 2
Surface 2 is the most productive tablet for personal use. It offers all the entertainment and gaming capabilities you expect from a tablet, along with the ability to get work done. Surface 2 is powered by an NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor, making apps run faster and smoother and increasing battery life to up to 10 hours for video playback. The 10.6-inch ClearType Full HD display now renders 1080p video for enjoying shows and movies, and its full-size USB port has been upgraded to USB 3.0 for up to four times faster file transfers. Camera resolution has also increased, with a 3.5-megapixel front camera and 5-megapixel rear camera, both capable of capturing 1080p video and featuring improved low-light performance, making face-to-face conversations with your favorite people crisp and clear. Even with these and other upgrades, Surface 2 is slightly thinner and lighter than its predecessor.

Surface 2 ships with Windows 8.1 RT, bringing improvements in key areas, such as personalization, search, multitasking, built-in apps, the Windows Store experience and cloud connectivity. The new Xbox Music allows you to stream millions of songs for free, and an updated Video app and great games from the Windows Store such as "Halo: Spartan Assault" will help ensure you never run out of ways to play. When it's time to get serious, Surface 2 is preloaded with Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 RT and Outlook 2013 RT; simply click in a Touch or Type Cover and get to work.

Surface 2 is available in 32GB and 64GB configurations2 and starts at $449.

Surface Pro 2
Surface Pro 2 is the successor to Surface Pro and, like its predecessor, is a true laptop replacement, capable of running virtually all your Windows software, including the full Microsoft Office suite3 and apps from the Windows Store. Surface Pro 2 offers the portability and simplicity of a tablet when you want it and the power and flexibility of a laptop when you need it. It is powered by a fourth-generation Intel Core i5 processor that, combined with other improvements, delivers increased performance and up to 75 percent longer battery life than Surface Pro.

Starting at $899, Surface Pro 2 is offered in 64GB and 128GB configurations with 4 GB of RAM and in 256GB and 512GB configurations with 8 GB of RAM.2 Full specs are available here.

New accessories
Microsoft also released seven new accessories that will make Surface even more flexible, more portable and more productive:
  • Touch Cover 2. Thinner and lighter than the original Touch Cover and measuring just 2.75 millimeters thin, Touch Cover 2 features backlit keys for even better readability. Touch Cover 2 is more rigid, registers keystrokes with greater accuracy and features updated sensors that support a variety of gestures across the keyboard. Touch Cover 2 is available Tuesday for an estimated retail price of $119.99.
  • Type Cover 2. Type Cover 2 features the same superthin, lightweight design of the original Type Cover, but it's now backlit and available in Cyan, Magenta, Purple and Black. It's also more rigid, providing a better lap-typing experience, and it was designed to be noticeably quieter when striking the keys. Type Cover 2 is available Tuesday for an estimated retail price of $129.99.
  • Power Cover. Power Cover delivers the same great typing experience you get with Type Cover but adds up to 50 percent additional battery life to your Surface 2, Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2 to help you make it through that late-night meeting or an international day of travel. Power Cover will have an estimated retail price of $199.99 and has a projected release date of early 2014.
  • Docking Station for Surface Pro. The Docking Station for Surface Pro lets you quickly connect Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2 to desktop PC peripherals in a single step, taking you from laptop to desktop in an instant. While Surface Pro or Surface Pro 2 is docked, it can connect with up to two 4K external monitors, Ethernet, speakers and power supply. PC peripherals connect via its one USB 3.0 port and three USB 2.0 ports. The Docking Station for Surface Pro will have an estimated retail price of $199.99 and has a projected release date of early 2014.
  • Wireless Adapter for Typing Covers. The Wireless Adapter for Typing Covers connects magnetically to any Touch or Type Cover, letting you type from anywhere in the room using Bluetooth technology, so it is even easier to connect Surface to a TV or monitor4 and type from another location, such as the couch. Wireless Adapter for Typing Covers is available Tuesday for an estimated retail price of $59.99.
  • Car Charger with USB. Car Charger plugs into most cars' power or lighter ports and charges Surface without the need for an additional adapter. It also features a USB port to allow simultaneous charging of a phone or other device. Car Charger will have an estimated retail price of $49.99 and has a projected release date of early 2014.
  • Arc Touch Mouse Surface Edition. This special-edition Arc Touch Mouse has been updated to match the look of Surface. Like other Arc Touch mice, it is designed for comfort and flattens for portability. It connects via Bluetooth 3.0, freeing Surface's USB port for use by other devices. Arc Touch Mouse Surface Edition is available in the U.S. and Canada Tuesday for an estimated retail price of $69.99. Distribution in additional markets is projected to begin in the coming months.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site
 
Joined
Nov 29, 2004
Messages
588 (0.08/day)
System Name Blue Beast 2.0
Processor AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT
Motherboard Gigabyte X570 AORUS MASTER
Cooling EK EK-AIO 360 D-RGB
Memory G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16
Video Card(s) EVGA RTX 3090 Ultra Gaming Hybrid
Storage Seagate FireCuda 520 500GB NVME, Western Digital SN750 1TB NVME, Western Digital SN850 1TB NVME
Display(s) AOC AG271QG, Dell UltraSharp U2414H
Case Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic - Black
Audio Device(s) Asus Xonar DGX PCI-E 5.1
Power Supply Corsair HX850i
Mouse Logitech G502 HERO
Keyboard Corsair Strafe MK.2 Cherry MX Silent
Software Windows 10 Pro 64bit
My Surface 2 and Type Cover 2 should be here tomorrow, can't wait!
 

Wile E

Power User
Joined
Oct 1, 2006
Messages
24,318 (3.66/day)
System Name The ClusterF**k
Processor 980X @ 4Ghz
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5 BIOS F12
Cooling MCR-320, DDC-1 pump w/Bitspower res top (1/2" fittings), Koolance CPU-360
Memory 3x2GB Mushkin Redlines 1600Mhz 6-8-6-24 1T
Video Card(s) Evga GTX 580
Storage Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB, 2xSeagate 320GB RAID0; 2xSeagate 3TB; 2xSamsung 2TB; Samsung 1.5TB
Display(s) HP LP2475w 24" 1920x1200 IPS
Case Technofront Bench Station
Audio Device(s) Auzentech X-Fi Forte into Onkyo SR606 and Polk TSi200's + RM6750
Power Supply ENERMAX Galaxy EVO EGX1250EWT 1250W
Software Win7 Ultimate N x64, OSX 10.8.4
4th generation Intel Core i5 Processor isn't telling me much. Even at the link and the purchase page it doesn't say anymore than that. Unacceptable MS. Unacceptable.
 

Wile E

Power User
Joined
Oct 1, 2006
Messages
24,318 (3.66/day)
System Name The ClusterF**k
Processor 980X @ 4Ghz
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5 BIOS F12
Cooling MCR-320, DDC-1 pump w/Bitspower res top (1/2" fittings), Koolance CPU-360
Memory 3x2GB Mushkin Redlines 1600Mhz 6-8-6-24 1T
Video Card(s) Evga GTX 580
Storage Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB, 2xSeagate 320GB RAID0; 2xSeagate 3TB; 2xSamsung 2TB; Samsung 1.5TB
Display(s) HP LP2475w 24" 1920x1200 IPS
Case Technofront Bench Station
Audio Device(s) Auzentech X-Fi Forte into Onkyo SR606 and Polk TSi200's + RM6750
Power Supply ENERMAX Galaxy EVO EGX1250EWT 1250W
Software Win7 Ultimate N x64, OSX 10.8.4
Had to dig up a review to find the cpu. It's a Core i5-4200U. 1.6Ghz Dual core + HT, 2.6Ghz boost.
 
Joined
Feb 18, 2010
Messages
1,850 (0.34/day)
System Name Eldritch
Processor AMD Ryzen 5 5800X3D
Motherboard ASUS TUF X570 Pro Wifi
Cooling Satan's butthole after going to Taco Bell
Memory 64 GB G.Skill TridentZ
Video Card(s) Vega 56
Storage 6*8TB Western Digital Blues in RAID 6, 2*512 GB Samsung 960 Pros
Display(s) Acer CB281HK
Case Phanteks Enthoo Pro PH-ES614P_BK
Audio Device(s) ASUS Xonar DX
Power Supply EVGA Supernova 750 G2
Mouse Razer Viper 8K
Software Debian Bullseye
You just gotta believe.
 
Joined
Mar 7, 2011
Messages
4,564 (0.91/day)
anandtech has published reviews of both the tablets in question. check their website for a detailed review. As usual MS decides not to release surface in India. :banghead:
 
Joined
Apr 19, 2012
Messages
12,062 (2.62/day)
Location
Gypsyland, UK
System Name HP Omen 17
Processor i7 7700HQ
Memory 16GB 2400Mhz DDR4
Video Card(s) GTX 1060
Storage Samsung SM961 256GB + HGST 1TB
Display(s) 1080p IPS G-SYNC 75Hz
Audio Device(s) Bang & Olufsen
Power Supply 230W
Mouse Roccat Kone XTD+
Software Win 10 Pro
Have fun not selling any Surface Pro 2's MS. You clearly didn't learn last time, people arent willing to drop that kind of cash on a tablet regardless of specs.
 
Joined
May 24, 2007
Messages
5,430 (0.85/day)
Location
Tennessee
System Name AM5
Processor AMD Ryzen R9 7950X
Motherboard Asrock X670E Taichi
Cooling EK AIO Basic 360
Memory Corsair Vengeance DDR5 5600 64 Gb - XMP1 Profile
Video Card(s) AMD Reference 7900 XTX 24 Gb
Storage Crucial Gen 5 1 TB, Samsung Gen 4 980 1 TB / Samsung 8TB SSD
Display(s) Samsung 34" 240hz 4K
Case Fractal Define R7
Power Supply Seasonic PRIME PX-1300, 1300W 80+ Platinum, Full Modular
I'm waiting until next generation for a broadwell update. You get a little bit more battery life and get almost the same performance. Really not worth the upgrade.
 

Frick

Fishfaced Nincompoop
Joined
Feb 27, 2006
Messages
19,589 (2.86/day)
Location
Piteå
System Name White DJ in Detroit
Processor Ryzen 5 5600
Motherboard Asrock B450M-HDV
Cooling Be Quiet! Pure Rock 2
Memory 2 x 16GB Kingston Fury 3400mhz
Video Card(s) XFX 6950XT Speedster MERC 319
Storage Kingston A400 240GB | WD Black SN750 2TB |WD Blue 1TB x 2 | Toshiba P300 2TB | Seagate Expansion 8TB
Display(s) Samsung U32J590U 4K + BenQ GL2450HT 1080p
Case Fractal Design Define R4
Audio Device(s) Plantronics 5220, Nektar SE61 keyboard
Power Supply Corsair RM850x v3
Mouse Logitech G602
Keyboard Cherry MX Board 1.0 TKL Brown
Software Windows 10 Pro
Benchmark Scores Rimworld 4K ready!
Have fun not selling any Surface Pro 2's MS. You clearly didn't learn last time, people arent willing to drop that kind of cash on a tablet regardless of specs.

Anand called the last generation the best ultrabook on the market. Which is an interesting point. I don't see these as tablets. It's a laptop, without the top (or bottom). Tablets are big smartphones, this is a small PC.
 
Joined
May 24, 2007
Messages
5,430 (0.85/day)
Location
Tennessee
System Name AM5
Processor AMD Ryzen R9 7950X
Motherboard Asrock X670E Taichi
Cooling EK AIO Basic 360
Memory Corsair Vengeance DDR5 5600 64 Gb - XMP1 Profile
Video Card(s) AMD Reference 7900 XTX 24 Gb
Storage Crucial Gen 5 1 TB, Samsung Gen 4 980 1 TB / Samsung 8TB SSD
Display(s) Samsung 34" 240hz 4K
Case Fractal Define R7
Power Supply Seasonic PRIME PX-1300, 1300W 80+ Platinum, Full Modular
Anand called the last generation the best ultrabook on the market. Which is an interesting point. I don't see these as tablets. It's a laptop, without the top (or bottom). Tablets are big smartphones, this is a small PC.

When Surface Pro first launched, it wasn’t just a good device, it was arguably the best Ultrabook on the market. Surface Pro 2 launches into a much more competitive marketplace. I don’t know if I can make the same statement about it vs. Ultrabooks today. That’s not a bad thing as it is still a very different type of device, but it does make for a more difficult buying decision.

Hmmm... I would rather have an ultra book vs. a Surface Pro 2. An ultra book actually has a certain job, a job which can't really be done as well on a Surface Pro 2. A tablet also has a job, which can't really be done as well on a Surface Pro 2. It's a compromise between the two... It isn't fulfilling one role the best as other devices do that are designed to fill that role. You are left with a $900 compromise.
 

Frick

Fishfaced Nincompoop
Joined
Feb 27, 2006
Messages
19,589 (2.86/day)
Location
Piteå
System Name White DJ in Detroit
Processor Ryzen 5 5600
Motherboard Asrock B450M-HDV
Cooling Be Quiet! Pure Rock 2
Memory 2 x 16GB Kingston Fury 3400mhz
Video Card(s) XFX 6950XT Speedster MERC 319
Storage Kingston A400 240GB | WD Black SN750 2TB |WD Blue 1TB x 2 | Toshiba P300 2TB | Seagate Expansion 8TB
Display(s) Samsung U32J590U 4K + BenQ GL2450HT 1080p
Case Fractal Design Define R4
Audio Device(s) Plantronics 5220, Nektar SE61 keyboard
Power Supply Corsair RM850x v3
Mouse Logitech G602
Keyboard Cherry MX Board 1.0 TKL Brown
Software Windows 10 Pro
Benchmark Scores Rimworld 4K ready!
Hmmm... I would rather have an ultra book vs. a Surface Pro 2. An ultra book actually has a certain job, a job which can't really be done as well on a Surface Pro 2. A tablet also has a job, which can't really be done as well on a Surface Pro 2. It's a compromise between the two... It isn't fulfilling one role the best as other devices do that are designed to fill that role. You are left with a $900 compromise.

I'd rather have a new netbook (if we're being realistic). If we aren't, I'd have this.
 
Joined
Nov 29, 2004
Messages
588 (0.08/day)
System Name Blue Beast 2.0
Processor AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT
Motherboard Gigabyte X570 AORUS MASTER
Cooling EK EK-AIO 360 D-RGB
Memory G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16
Video Card(s) EVGA RTX 3090 Ultra Gaming Hybrid
Storage Seagate FireCuda 520 500GB NVME, Western Digital SN750 1TB NVME, Western Digital SN850 1TB NVME
Display(s) AOC AG271QG, Dell UltraSharp U2414H
Case Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic - Black
Audio Device(s) Asus Xonar DGX PCI-E 5.1
Power Supply Corsair HX850i
Mouse Logitech G502 HERO
Keyboard Corsair Strafe MK.2 Cherry MX Silent
Software Windows 10 Pro 64bit
Hmmm... I would rather have an ultra book vs. a Surface Pro 2. An ultra book actually has a certain job, a job which can't really be done as well on a Surface Pro 2. A tablet also has a job, which can't really be done as well on a Surface Pro 2. It's a compromise between the two... It isn't fulfilling one role the best as other devices do that are designed to fill that role. You are left with a $900 compromise.

What exactly doesn't the Surface Pro 2 do well? It's portable, has a physical keyboard which acts as a cover, 1080p touch screen, and active pen support. Obviously people prefer different form factors (hence having competition) but I keep seeing comments like yours and I'm wondering what exactly it fails at besides being "different".
 
Joined
Nov 17, 2011
Messages
298 (0.06/day)
System Name Game Raver
Processor Core i7-770K
Motherboard ASRock Z170A-X1
Cooling Coolermaster AIO
Memory 16gb
Video Card(s) GTX 1060
Storage 1TB Crucial SSD. 4TB Seagate HDD
Display(s) AOC 1080p 144Hz
Case NZXT Phantom 410 /w/ Silverstone FN121P-BL fans
Audio Device(s) ASUS Essence STX
Power Supply Corsair AX760
Hopefully, there will be more acceptance with this tablet.

Windows 8 was just a rush job which made it suck for awhile but after some time with updates its a pretty good operating system.
 
Joined
Nov 29, 2004
Messages
588 (0.08/day)
System Name Blue Beast 2.0
Processor AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT
Motherboard Gigabyte X570 AORUS MASTER
Cooling EK EK-AIO 360 D-RGB
Memory G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16
Video Card(s) EVGA RTX 3090 Ultra Gaming Hybrid
Storage Seagate FireCuda 520 500GB NVME, Western Digital SN750 1TB NVME, Western Digital SN850 1TB NVME
Display(s) AOC AG271QG, Dell UltraSharp U2414H
Case Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic - Black
Audio Device(s) Asus Xonar DGX PCI-E 5.1
Power Supply Corsair HX850i
Mouse Logitech G502 HERO
Keyboard Corsair Strafe MK.2 Cherry MX Silent
Software Windows 10 Pro 64bit
Got my Surface 2 and Type Cover 2 today.



 

Wile E

Power User
Joined
Oct 1, 2006
Messages
24,318 (3.66/day)
System Name The ClusterF**k
Processor 980X @ 4Ghz
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5 BIOS F12
Cooling MCR-320, DDC-1 pump w/Bitspower res top (1/2" fittings), Koolance CPU-360
Memory 3x2GB Mushkin Redlines 1600Mhz 6-8-6-24 1T
Video Card(s) Evga GTX 580
Storage Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB, 2xSeagate 320GB RAID0; 2xSeagate 3TB; 2xSamsung 2TB; Samsung 1.5TB
Display(s) HP LP2475w 24" 1920x1200 IPS
Case Technofront Bench Station
Audio Device(s) Auzentech X-Fi Forte into Onkyo SR606 and Polk TSi200's + RM6750
Power Supply ENERMAX Galaxy EVO EGX1250EWT 1250W
Software Win7 Ultimate N x64, OSX 10.8.4
I really want a Surface Pro 2, personally. I love the 2 birds 1 stone approach that it offers. I just can't afford it, unfortunately.
 
Joined
Feb 18, 2010
Messages
1,850 (0.34/day)
System Name Eldritch
Processor AMD Ryzen 5 5800X3D
Motherboard ASUS TUF X570 Pro Wifi
Cooling Satan's butthole after going to Taco Bell
Memory 64 GB G.Skill TridentZ
Video Card(s) Vega 56
Storage 6*8TB Western Digital Blues in RAID 6, 2*512 GB Samsung 960 Pros
Display(s) Acer CB281HK
Case Phanteks Enthoo Pro PH-ES614P_BK
Audio Device(s) ASUS Xonar DX
Power Supply EVGA Supernova 750 G2
Mouse Razer Viper 8K
Software Debian Bullseye
What exactly doesn't the Surface Pro 2 do well? It's portable, has a physical keyboard which acts as a cover, 1080p touch screen, and active pen support. Obviously people prefer different form factors (hence having competition) but I keep seeing comments like yours and I'm wondering what exactly it fails at besides being "different".

It's either a really crappy laptop or a really expensive tablet with a wide selection of programs that either nobody wants to use or can be gotten on a cheaper tablet or better laptop - not to mention that the keyboard is essentially a $120 one of these with no actual USB cable.
 

Wile E

Power User
Joined
Oct 1, 2006
Messages
24,318 (3.66/day)
System Name The ClusterF**k
Processor 980X @ 4Ghz
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5 BIOS F12
Cooling MCR-320, DDC-1 pump w/Bitspower res top (1/2" fittings), Koolance CPU-360
Memory 3x2GB Mushkin Redlines 1600Mhz 6-8-6-24 1T
Video Card(s) Evga GTX 580
Storage Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB, 2xSeagate 320GB RAID0; 2xSeagate 3TB; 2xSamsung 2TB; Samsung 1.5TB
Display(s) HP LP2475w 24" 1920x1200 IPS
Case Technofront Bench Station
Audio Device(s) Auzentech X-Fi Forte into Onkyo SR606 and Polk TSi200's + RM6750
Power Supply ENERMAX Galaxy EVO EGX1250EWT 1250W
Software Win7 Ultimate N x64, OSX 10.8.4
I'm waiting until next generation for a broadwell update. You get a little bit more battery life and get almost the same performance. Really not worth the upgrade.

It was Surface RT that wasn't selling. Surface Pro did fine for it's price segment.
 

Frick

Fishfaced Nincompoop
Joined
Feb 27, 2006
Messages
19,589 (2.86/day)
Location
Piteå
System Name White DJ in Detroit
Processor Ryzen 5 5600
Motherboard Asrock B450M-HDV
Cooling Be Quiet! Pure Rock 2
Memory 2 x 16GB Kingston Fury 3400mhz
Video Card(s) XFX 6950XT Speedster MERC 319
Storage Kingston A400 240GB | WD Black SN750 2TB |WD Blue 1TB x 2 | Toshiba P300 2TB | Seagate Expansion 8TB
Display(s) Samsung U32J590U 4K + BenQ GL2450HT 1080p
Case Fractal Design Define R4
Audio Device(s) Plantronics 5220, Nektar SE61 keyboard
Power Supply Corsair RM850x v3
Mouse Logitech G602
Keyboard Cherry MX Board 1.0 TKL Brown
Software Windows 10 Pro
Benchmark Scores Rimworld 4K ready!
It's either a really crappy laptop or a really expensive tablet with a wide selection of programs that either nobody wants to use or can be gotten on a cheaper tablet or better laptop - not to mention that the keyboard is essentially a $120 one of these with no actual USB cable.

I don't even know where to start. :wtf:
 
Top