I’m impatiently waiting for the Surface Pro 4 to arrive. While Microsoft Corp. has not made any official announcements, the rumour mill is consolidating around an October launch.
I practice information technology and intellectual property law, and am somewhat of a tech geek. My practice is close to paperless. I tend to be the early adopter at our firm for new tech and the test bed for our IT department.
My current office setup is fairly typical – tower, dual monitors, webcam, and a Wacom tablet for document markup. Plus an Android smartphone and tablet. And of course the typical office desk phone.
I’ve never been a fan of laptops, as the screen imposes a barrier between the user and others. I’ve used a tablet as my portable device of choice for some time now, as they are perceived more like using a pad of paper in a meeting.
I’m familiar with the Surface Pro 3, but am holding out for the 4 because I want to have the latest and most powerful version available given how I plan to use it. And given that it is apparently arriving soon, I’d be disappointed if the 4 comes out in a couple of months if I got the current model now.
The Surface Pro line is the best of two worlds. It’s powerful enough to be a workhorse everyday computer. Yet it’s small enough to put into tablet mode, ditch the keyboard, and use outside the office. With Windows 10 it becomes a tablet that can create as well as consume. I’m hoping it will allow me to get rid of the last nagging bits of paper that so far I’m having a difficult time eliminating.
By using a Surface Pro 4 along with one oversized monitor, a USB headset and a softphone, I can replace about 11 discrete devices and a rats’ nest of wires. While I’m at it, I’m getting a standup desk to complete the office modernization project.
In future posts, I’ll talk about how the transition works, including before and after pics.