Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


Microsoft Makes Surface Pro Tablet Faster and More Capable

Microsoft is updating its Windows tablet lineup with the launch of the Surface Pro 4, a faster version of the Surface Pro with a larger display and upgraded stylus.

The Surface Pro 4, designed specifically for Windows 10, will come equipped with an Intel Core M3, i5 or i7 chip and up to 16 GB RAM and 1 TB of storage. It sports a 12.3-inch (diagonal) "PixelSense" display with a pixel density of 267 PPI and 5 million total pixels.

The device also offers 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity using the new stylus, which now comes with an eraser and attaches to the device magnetically.

According to Microsoft, the new model is 30 percent faster than its predecessor, the Surface Pro 3.

Other features include:

  • Thinner design (8.4 mm);
  • Up to nine hours of battery;
  • USB 3.0 port;
  • MicroSD port;
  • 802.11ac WiFi (compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n) and Bluetooth 4.0;
  • 5 megapixel front camera and 8 megapixel rear camera with 1080p HD recording; and
  • An upgraded available Type Cover that's thinner and offers a fingerprint reader, along with a trackpad that's 40 percent larger and supports five-point multitouch.

Microsoft also introduced the Surface Book, a 13.5-inch laptop with a PixelSense display featuring 6 million total pixels, accelerated graphics (Nvidia GeForce GPU), lighted keyboard and detachable and reversible display. The Surface Book also includes a stylus and offers a Core i5 or i7 processor and up to 16 GB RAM and 1 TB storage.

The Surface Pro 4 starts at $899. Preorders are available now; units are expected to be available Oct. 26. Surface Book starts at $1,499.

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


Featured

  • stylized illustration of people conversing on headsets

    AI and Our Next Conversations in Higher Education

    Ryan Lufkin, the vice president of global strategy for Instructure, examines how the focus on AI in education will move from experimentation to accountability.

  • AI word on microchip and colorful light spread

    Microsoft Unveils Maia 200 Inference Chip to Cut AI Serving Costs

    Microsoft recently introduced Maia 200, a custom-built accelerator aimed at lowering the cost of running artificial intelligence workloads at cloud scale, as major providers look to curb soaring inference expenses and lessen dependence on Nvidia graphics processors.

  • large group of college students sitting on an academic quad

    Student Readiness: Learning to Learn

    Melissa Loble, Instructure's chief academic officer, recommends a focus on 'readiness' as a broader concept as we try to understand how to build meaningful education experiences that can form a bridge from the university to the workplace. Here, we ask Loble what readiness is and how to offer students the ability to 'learn to learn'.

  • Blue metallic mesh fabric folds

    Microsoft Acquires Osmos for Agentic AI Data Engineering

    In a strategic move to reduce time-consuming manual data preparation, Microsoft has acquired Seattle-based startup Osmos, specializing in agentic AI for data engineering.