Yesterday I stopped by Microsoft Store in the Stanford Mall, primarily to check out Surface Pro. (As an aside, Microsoft Store sits next to the much smaller Apple Store, and is usually only partially filled. Apple store, on the other hand, is always crowded.) A lot has already been said about Surface Pro, and I am fairly intrigued with the concept and its execution. I used to work with Windows Tablet computers back in the dark ages, and loved the concept of having a fully functioning computer device with a touch/stylus input. However, that device was as finicky and unreliable as most Windows machines – and then some. In general I liked what I saw in Surface Pro, but not enough to consider going back to the Windows platform. I just wanted to make a couple of remarks that I have not seen mentioned in most coverage of this computer:

1. The kickstand. It’s a neat little way of propping up your tablet computer without a need for an external case/stand, but it has some serious limitations. First, it cannot be used to prop up the Surface while you are sitting down. This means that, even with an external keyboard, this tablet cannot be used as a “real” laptop. Furthermore, the kickstand has only one setting, which means that it cannot be used for typing while you are standing, or with the virtual keyboard. Both of these situations would require a much lower propping angle.

2. The screen aspect ratio. I realized how narrow this tablet looks in the portrait mode. It would be really weird reading documents and periodicals on such a narrow screen. This tablet was definitely made with the traditional landscape orientation in mind, which is also reflected in the positioning of the forward-facing camera.