Microsoft Surface Pro 7 i5 (8GB RAM, 128GB, Platinum)

Gives me all the functionality and feel of a “proper” keyboard attached laptop, while also giving me much more portability than your traditional one piece laptop.I am always traveling in between school, work, meetings with clients so it’s so great to be able to pick up and go with ease.And the tablet function of this 2 in 1 makes taking quick notes effortless when compared to pulling out a traditional laptop, finding some place to set it down, and then finally typing it out on the keyboard.If you do plan on purchasing this device, I highly recommend buying the pen as well to get the very most out of this device and make it even more versatile.I use it pretty heavily and often so I might not have the most accurate battery life when it comes to your average ... MoreGives me all the functionality and feel of a “proper” keyboard attached laptop, while also giving me much more portability than your traditional one piece laptop.I am always traveling in between school, work, meetings with clients so it’s so great to be able to pick up and go with ease.And the tablet function of this 2 in 1 makes taking quick notes effortless when compared to pulling out a traditional laptop, finding some place to set it down, and then finally typing it out on the keyboard.If you do plan on purchasing this device, I highly recommend buying the pen as well to get the very most out of this device and make it even more versatile.I use it pretty heavily and often so I might not have the most accurate battery life when it comes to your average consumer, however, the laptop fully charged does last me from the morning up until about 7pm until I have to charge it again so I don’t have any complaints there, especially since charging this device is so simple. No big and bulky charger, just a sleek charger which is plenty long and magnetically attaches to the device.The screen quality is great. It is a gloss screen so in direct sunlight you will get some glare and you will see some marks from your fingers or the pen because, after all, it is a touchscreen tablet as well.

I bought the SP7 256GB i5 8GB RAM just before Christmas 2020 and it has been an overall great experience. I’ve previously had a Surface Pro 2017 which I had limited seat time with because it was stolen after a car break-in not long after I bought it. I’ve also previously had a Surface 3 and Surface Go for years of which both have been excellent devices.The Bad:-Expensive in all configurations at their listed prices-Surface keyboard is expensive and bounces a bit when typing fast. The fake suede covering feels good to the touch but doesn’t seem like it would last long after years of continuous use, especially at the edges. (My Surface Go keyboard started fraying at the edges about a year and a half of daily use, shortly before I accidentally dropped it and I ... MoreI bought the SP7 256GB i5 8GB RAM just before Christmas 2020 and it has been an overall great experience. I’ve previously had a Surface Pro 2017 which I had limited seat time with because it was stolen after a car break-in not long after I bought it. I’ve also previously had a Surface 3 and Surface Go for years of which both have been excellent devices.The Bad:-Expensive in all configurations at their listed prices-Surface keyboard is expensive and bounces a bit when typing fast. The fake suede covering feels good to the touch but doesn’t seem like it would last long after years of continuous use, especially at the edges. (My Surface Go keyboard started fraying at the edges about a year and a half of daily use, shortly before I accidentally dropped it and I believe both are made from the same material.)-It should be obvious but RAM and hard drive are not user replaceable and, even at 256GB, with any bit of productivity software, you go through that disk space very quickly. Especially with Windows 10’s perpetual updates. Which you can’t turn off.-Can generate a bit of heat when streaming videos.-Windows credentials are incredibly finicky and I’ve been kicked off the Windows App Store because Windows couldn’t validate my login. This may seem trivial but mostly all of the free apps (as well as paid) have to go through the App Store.-Clunky form factor if held in the hand and used as a tablet. This thing is heavy and you’ll never mistake this for an iPad.The Good:-Full-blown Windows machine and computer. I’ve gotten the iPad 2 back when Steve Jobs was still alive and to this day my iPad experience has been unrivaled. But I was tired of having to route everything through iTunes just to get it to my iPad. And, unlike the very-limited Surface Go, you can run full-blown apps like Photoshop CC or Visual Studio 2019 with no issues. (I tried using Photoshop CC on my Surface Go but I only was able to run it after clearing out all my downloaded files and run absolutely nothing else in the background. Still it was a harrowing experience.)-The display isn’t 4K but it’s gorgeous and renders great! Yes, it isn’t 120 Hz refresh rate (like the new SP8) but scrolling is decent and, unless you work with graphics, you wouldn’t miss it. I use Acrobat DC to scale and draw links at 200%+ resolution and the scaling and renders are great! You can probably say this about any mid- to high-end device but it’s worth mentioning.-Battery life is decent but you have to be careful that, if you get on an airplane or are going to be out all day and without a power source, you’re going to want to make sure the device is fully turned off and not just in “Sleep” mode. I’ve had more than a handful of times where Windows decided to update itself without an Internet connection and left my tablet on and steaming in a backpack and a drained battery.-This doesn’t have the lightness of the Surface Go, unfortunately, but this is by far the very best in terms of form factor for full on laptops. You can put this in a sack pack and not really notice. I will say this about my dearly departed Surface Go (I dropped it on my driveway face down): I actually used it in my hands while on my treadmill for 2 straight hours without fatigue. That’s something you can’t do or say about any other ultra portable full Windows device.Microsoft has been slow to update the Surface line so there was some fear that the SP line might be axed as a whole. Very thankful that the SP8 came out, which means that you can probably get a good deal on the SP7! The SP7 was a bit overpriced to begin with but if you can save a few hundred dollars off the list price, this tablet becomes an excellent value! Same with the SP8. Wait till Black Friday or possibly next Spring when deals pop up intermittently and without warning.Verdict:If I had to do it again, I probably would’ve gotten at least the 512GB. 1TB was just too much money for the hardware. This tablet is best used on a desk as using it on your lap is plain awkward. If I had to choose something else, it would be the Dell XPS 13 line, QHD or possibly 4K display. When you price it with accessories the comparable Surface Pro is actually more expensive than the comparable XPS 13. And the XPS can be used as a traditional laptop with exceptional build quality. Overall, I highly recommend the SP7, even more so if you can get it on sale.

I think the Microsoft Surface series has gotten a lot of criticism over the years. Microsoft didn't know how to launch this series. But now, they're getting close to cornering both the Windows tablet and laptop markets. Below are a few things you need to know before buying this.It should be obvious but consumer electronics, especially laptops, are going fast. If you're considering buying this (I hate to say this) but I'd suggest buying it now rather than saving up your money. It's your money but at the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if this is completely gone in a couple of months. I also wouldn't suggest buying through aftermarket, scalper prices.When you buy this you're only getting the screen with a charging brick. That's it. No keyboard, no pen, no SD ... MoreI think the Microsoft Surface series has gotten a lot of criticism over the years. Microsoft didn't know how to launch this series. But now, they're getting close to cornering both the Windows tablet and laptop markets. Below are a few things you need to know before buying this.It should be obvious but consumer electronics, especially laptops, are going fast. If you're considering buying this (I hate to say this) but I'd suggest buying it now rather than saving up your money. It's your money but at the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if this is completely gone in a couple of months. I also wouldn't suggest buying through aftermarket, scalper prices.When you buy this you're only getting the screen with a charging brick. That's it. No keyboard, no pen, no SD card, nothing else. This is one of many criticisms the Surface series launched with years ago. Unfortunately, Microsoft isn't lowering their prices and including what I would consider necessary accessories you're forced to spend extra money on.In saying that, buy the Surface keyboard, an SD card to expand the storage, and, if you think you need it, the surface pen. I would say, get the keyboard first and wait on the other items. SD Card Storage thankfully is inexpensive these days so that shouldn't be an issue. I'd also get an adapter of some kind to expand the I/O. You can find third-party I/O expansion adapters, specifically for this device, that will give you wired ethernet, HDMI out, extra SD card slots, and extra USB-C and USB-A slots. I haven't stress tested the battery but a large, external battery probably wouldn't hurt either.Overall, I wanted a laptop/tablet combo that could handle all the Microsoft-based software I'm throwing at it - below $1,000. It has full Windows 10 and, besides high-ending gaming, basically does what all my other Windows PCs do. Sure, I'm excited for more powerful, lighter, and thinner future versions; but Microsoft should really make these cheaper and include the keyboard and pen.