Surface Pro New Features for Business
Microsoft unveiled the Surface Pro in Shanghai. We were quick to ask for a list of the Surface Pro new features for business users. Low and behold, there are quite a few new features that will be of use, and many of which our clients have been requesting. The product is expected to be out in June of this year, 2017. Here are the highlights we think you’ll appreciate.
LTE Support
Finally, there will be a Surface Pro that has built-in cellular data service support. Instead of having to tether to a cell phone plan (don’t tell me you’re using free WiFi) you can use the built-in LTE service for fast connectivity.
Having the built-in LTE support will save your cell phone battery, allow on-demand connectivity, and faster than most WiFi speeds. Only certain Surface Pro models will support LTE so be sure to ask your IT partner for the correct model.
Quieter and Better Battery Life
Numbers haven’t been provided for how much more silent the Surface Pro will be. However, any reduction in fan noise will be greatly appreciated. Until these high powered devices can go fanless, we have to be happy with a gradual reduction in noise when using processor-intensive applications. When using the Surface as a tablet in a presentation, nobody wants fans kicking in and pulling focus from the topic at hand.
Microsoft also claims an average battery life of 13.5 hours with active use. I would expect this will vary primarily based on use (LTE, CAD software, movie watching, etc.) but being able to go a full day or two with no need to charge is welcome. Microsoft had claimed the Surface Pro 4 would get 9 hours of video playback, but it fell far short of that.
Better Pen Sensitivity
If you frequently draft notes in OneNote, are a graphic designer, or use the pen for CAD, you’ll appreciate the pen upgrade. The in-box pen will have four times the sensitivity of the last Surface pen. It will also support tilting gestures (think brushes) when drawing/painting.
Many business users won’t notice the changes, but it’s clear there will be some solid use cases. In a coming update to Microsoft Office, there will also be support for the new stylus for quick edits and revisions to documents. It will be interesting to see how well that works.
The new Surface Pro (5) will cost anywhere from $799 to $2,500 based on the model you need. Unfortunately, that doesn’t include the keyboard either. However, it's clear that Microsoft has targetted the Surface Pro for business users.
If your company is looking to roll out Surface devices and needs help with the project, reach out to us at Blue Collar Computing. We specialize in deploying and managing IT infrastructure for small businesses and non-profits all across Chicago.