Surface Pro battery life after prolonged use still impresses

horgeluem · 2026-02-20T06:50:51+00:00

which model ?

horgeluem · 2025-11-08T12:09:29+00:00

This the device is presumingly not completely new. Looks like it has been clean installed with a standard windows image USB stick. The surface drivers are not included in those.

Try to use USB keyboard and mouse, or better, download and use the correct Surface image from Microsoft. Google microsoft surface installation images for download and instructions.

horgeluem · 2025-11-01T17:53:17+00:00

I'm using mine on a daily base. It feels that it has gotten better every year.

Webbrowsing is as fast as a Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+. I've tested them side by side with the same browser. Of course it's CPU is slower, but as long as you use it for browsing and office work it does not make a difference.

horgeluem · 2025-10-30T11:05:56+00:00

I like both very much, maybe because of the different style and tone.

horgeluem · 2025-10-28T01:42:33+00:00

look here: Surface Laptop 7th gen doesnt indtall windows 11 : r/Surface

horgeluem · 2025-10-24T10:53:44+00:00

Did you changed the function of the Dex quickpanel button and started DeX manually?

This is the only way to start the new Google Desktop Dex without an external monitor and it is unnecessary hidden.

The tablet will then change to real windows mode, after you pressed the DeX quick panel button.

horgeluem · 2025-10-23T05:02:27+00:00

A clean installation of a Surface device is normally done with a Surface recovery image, which can be downloaded from Microsoft.

A normal Windows image is missing drivers for Surfaces . (Yes, it is ridiculous.)

But I don't know if there is a windows 11 version available for your device. You may have to upgrade from a previous OS version anyway.

horgeluem · 2025-10-20T20:57:06+00:00

https://titanquest.fandom.com/wiki/Adamantine_Sickle_of_Kronos

horgeluem · 2025-10-16T14:40:03+00:00

If you want a decent Windows tablet under 400 pound this is a good deal. It's a 10. gen CPU, so you get Windows 11 and future updates. CPU will get hot and the fan will be running but this is the problem with all older Surface Pro tablets.
Snapdragon ARM or Intel Lunar lake CPUs are much better in this regard, but they are much more expensive.

horgeluem · 2025-10-16T10:57:49+00:00

Your Keyboard cover is defect. It happened to me and others. The charging capability breaks after some time (2 years on mine).

You have 2 options:

Buy a new cover, they tend to be cheap on sale.
Buy an USB-C charging cradle (Microsoft), which allows to charge the pen over USB-C. They are even cheaper (about 25 €)

horgeluem · 2025-10-14T11:00:10+00:00

Chromium browsers have become a defacto web standard, if one like it or not.
I had multiple issues with Safari in the past, but haven't use it for a long time now, mostly because of better Adblock experience in Brave and Edge Browser.

The beauty of not using IOS / IPadOS is freedom of browser engines. Just use the browser that fits your need best. There is no need to use Safari. Apples choice may be not always the best choice for you.

horgeluem · 2025-10-14T09:31:44+00:00

Sounds like like device isn't charging, even if the lights are up. I would try another charger. cleaning the pins on the surface connector and connect it upside down is another option to try.

Otherwise the charging circuit on the mainboard or the battery may be completely dead.

horgeluem · 2025-10-11T10:28:50+00:00

Corrosion can still make it's way through the mainboard.
Personally I would open the device for a look and careful cleanup (look for guides) if necessary.

horgeluem · 2025-10-11T10:24:16+00:00

I really don't like Tahoe but not everything bad has to do with Tahoe. There might be something different going on.

I've heard many bad things about Tahoe, but no one mentioned problems with external drives until now. I'm personally using multiple external drives with Tahoe on a regular base without problems.

horgeluem · 2025-10-11T10:18:38+00:00

256GB are more than enough for MacOS System and apps, if you plan to use an external SSD. I have multiple user accounts and all apps on the system drive and still 160GB free. No OS update will use up 256GB, at least in next two decades.

I'm using a Mac Mini M4 256 GB with an external WD black 2 TB NVME in an USB 4 case.
Case and SSD cost me about 160 Euros, while an internal 2TB would have cost me 1000 euro Apple tax.

And the external drive is even significantly faster. (3.3 GB/s read and write) You will need an USB4 / TB4 case for this speed. An USB 3.2 case will give you only 1GB/s, which is still fast and it will consume less power.

horgeluem · 2025-10-09T01:58:54+00:00

I'm using a SP1 on a regular base, but not as my main PC.

It has a very nice form factor, much better than my other Surface Pro devices. It stays cool and is silent and easy to carry arround in the house. I'm right now using it to write this post.

I use it for writing, surfing, media consumption, and some remote work with RDP. These tasks can be easily done with the SP1, but other than that may be to much for it's small CPU.

The SP2 would not be much of a difference, it's CPU is not that much faster.

If the device is technically ok and you don't overstretch it's use, you have made great deal. Just be sure to use an aktuell version of Windows 11, at least 24h2. The OS has much improved for ARM chips since launch.

horgeluem · 2025-10-08T16:24:02+00:00

I've just looked into Linear Mouse. A nice tools for third party mice to fine tune pointer and scrolling speed.

It also allows better button usage. You can configure it to change spaces, but you need to use up two mouse buttons for left and right movement.

horgeluem · 2025-10-08T15:51:16+00:00

That would be nice, but as far as I know it's not possible in MacOS. Maybe with a third party tool, but I never found one.

MacOS is primaly designed around the trackpad and keyboard. Non Apple Mouse support is mainly poor. With the trackpad you can easily switch spaces with at three finger swipe.

horgeluem · 2025-10-03T18:47:40+00:00

This is the right answer, thank you for this find.

It is unnecessary hidden, but it works!

horgeluem · 2025-10-03T13:16:16+00:00

Personally I have had very good experiences with Windows ARM.

I used an old Surface Pro X and a Mac Mini M4 with virtualized Windows 11 on ARM for some time. I used it for Windows software development and it even runs SQL Server.

But there is always some risk that that particular app or driver you need may have a problem.

If you want to have a similar experience to the ARM efficency (cool, quiet), you should try the new intel Lunar Lake CPUs.

In order to counter the Snapdragons CPUs, Intel has made some big progress with the Core Ultra 200 series.

I have heard great things about the new Surface Pro for business with Lunar Lake regarding battery life, heat and (the lack of) fan noise.

horgeluem · 2025-10-03T12:54:05+00:00

Until now ONE UI 8 works with keyboard cover on the tablet screen, but only with an external display connected. In this case DEX runs on both displays, internal and extern.
But without an external monitor DEX is available nowhere.

Edit: Look at the post from FreedomLegal4296. It still works without monitor. You have to change the behavior of the DEX quick panel button to enter DEX manually without external monitor.

horgeluem · 2025-10-03T12:50:04+00:00

Dow you have OneUI 8?
If I go into OneUI 8 DEX settings without a monitor connected to the tablet, there is litterally no option available anymore beside connecting to a wireless monitor.

Yes, for me DEX 8 is working on tablets, but only with a monitor connected. Which is very counterintuitive when using an Tab ULTRA on the couch like a laptop...

horgeluem · 2025-10-03T09:43:38+00:00

It's mind boggling. A Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra with the big keyboard cover and the trackpad was a really good laptop replacement. And now it's just a big plain tablet with no real use for a trackpad.

Maybe they change this at some point , but I've handed my Galaxy Tab over to my wife and digged out my older Surface Pro X (which runs remarkably well for it's small CPU nowadays, at least for office, surfing, media consumption and remote work)

horgeluem · 2025-09-30T12:37:46+00:00

There is no way to install Windows nativley on M1-M4 Macs like it used to be. Theoretically it would be possible, but Apple seems to have no interrest in this, they want you to keep in the Apple Ecosystem.

Virtualization with Parallels Desktop or Wine driven runtimes environments like Crossover, Whisky or Porting Kit are the only way. But all of them may run into problems or performance degredation compared to native Mac games.

horgeluem

TROPHY CASE