It has been nearly four years since Microsoft launched the Surface, a tablet aimed at persuading mobile professionals to ditch their laptops.
After tinkering with the formula for a few years, the Surface Pro 4, which launched in the UAE in December, is a genuine laptop killer, albeit one that comes at a steep price.
At its heart, the Surface Pro 4 is a solidly built, magnesium-bodied tablet with a 12.3-inch display slightly larger than its 2014 predecessor. The display’s resolution, however, has received a significant upgrade, with a pixel density that exceeds rivals such as Apple’s Macbook Air and (albeit narrowly) the new iPad Pro.
But the Surface’s main selling point against its competitors remains its Type Cover keyboard, offering a typing experience as good as any laptop, while remaining very light. Not only is there plenty of give in the backlit keys, the cover also sports a trackpad, absent from Apple’s iPad Pro keyboard covers.
Such a keyboard, coupled with Windows 10 (an immense improvement over the clunky Windows 8), makes working on the Pro 4 feel like you’re working on an actual laptop, as opposed to a tablet that is barely able to do the job.
A few words of caution before you ditch your laptop for good, though. Like its predecessors, the Surface’s battery life remains average, at best, far behind that of the Macbook Air.
What’s more, the Surface does not come cheap, starting at Dh3,395 and rising to Dh8,395 for a fully souped-up version, making it a more expensive proposition than a high-end laptop.
And that’s before paying Dh520 for the Type Cover, with the optional docking station an extra Dh810 respectively.
And while working on the Surface is fine on a table or desk, typing on the keyboard on your lap is, as with all such two-in-one tablets, a precarious business, better suited to a, well, laptop.
But if you’re a mobile professional embedded in the Windows ecosystem with cash to spend, the Surface Pro 4 is the best laptop replacement going, and offers a serious alternative to the Macbook Air.
q&a beyond the surface
John Everington reveals more details about the new Microsoft Surface Pro 4:
So has Microsoft succeeded in persuading consumers to ditch their laptops?
Indeed it has. Windows Tablets, driven by Surface devices, are the fastest-growing segment of the tablet market, according to industry analysts Strategy Analytics. Shipments grew by 59 per cent during 2015, even as the overall market for tablets declines. But perhaps the greatest sign of the Surface’s success is its impact on Apple, which in September launched its competitor the iPad Pro, which its chief executive, Tim Cook, claims has replaced his laptop.
I like my Macbook Air because it’s light. How does the Surface compare?
Pretty favourably. The tablet itself weighs about 786 grams, with an extra 310g from the Type Cover. Combined that’s just 1.1kg, about the same as the 11-inch Macbook Air but more than 250g lighter than the 13-inch versions.
And how does the Pro 4 compare to the iPad Pro?
The Surface Pro 4 wins out if you’re looking for a work device, given the Type Cover’s superior keyboard and its trackpad. The iPad Pro is the better device for media consumption, which, to be fair, isn’t really the Surface Pro 4’s main selling point. Despite falling a little short on pixel density (264ppi versus the Surface’s 267) the iPad Pro has a larger screen (with a movie-friendly 4:3 aspect ratio), better battery life and, crucially, far superior speaker sound.
jeverington@thenational.ae
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP
Men’s:
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Nick Matthew (ENG)
Women's:
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
Take Me Apart
Kelela
(Warp)
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
T20 World Cup Qualifier
October 18 – November 2
Opening fixtures
Friday, October 18
ICC Academy: 10am, Scotland v Singapore, 2.10pm, Netherlands v Kenya
Zayed Cricket Stadium: 2.10pm, Hong Kong v Ireland, 7.30pm, Oman v UAE
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Darius D’Silva, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Junaid Siddique, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Waheed Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Zahoor Khan
Players out: Mohammed Naveed, Shaiman Anwar, Qadeer Ahmed
Players in: Junaid Siddique, Darius D’Silva, Waheed Ahmed
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UFC Fight Night 2
1am – Early prelims
2am – Prelims
4am-7am – Main card
7:30am-9am – press cons
How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
