I’ve written how sleep doesn’t work well when pack up my Surface Pro. In a short time, the device gets hot and the battery level drains.

Apparently the Surface Pro still is fairly busy during sleep. Inspired by what bears do during winter, I changed my power settings so, when I close the lid, the device hibernates rather than sleeps. Mission accomplished! With hibernation, no heat or battery drain, and the device still resumes quickly.

My relationship with my Surface Pro did not start well. I’ve now been using this device for about 2 weeks. So it’s time for an update.

My Surface Pro and I are getting along much better. Where this device shines is portability. I’m writing this tonight sitting in the back of my wife’s classroom (I’m her chauffeur for the evening and help in the lab portion of the class). When I left home, I just popped the device in my bag. When I arrived at the classroom, I was up and running within about a minute.

I have other portable devices, such as my iPad and even the Surface RT. However, I use several applications, in law and in programming, which require a Windows OS.  The Surface Pro enables me to run those apps at the varied places I’m at during the day without having to lug around a heavy laptop.

This praise is not to say I have no issues with the Surface Pro. Battery life is only a few hours, as expected. However, I’m rarely away from a power outlet for that long. Instead, my major issue is the inability to use sleep effectively. In sleep mode in my gadget bag, the Surface Pro heats up and suffers battery drain. I’m still working on solving this issue.

So the Surface Pro appears to be a keeper.

My first day of using the Surface Pro did not go well. I had to go to a meeting which involved many documents. Instead of bringing a lot of paper, I thought I could load the PDFs on to the Surface Pro’s microSD card and access the PDFs at the meeting. I also could write notes easily since the Surface Pro has an active digitizer.

After loading the PDFs the night before, I put the Surface Pro in sleep mode and stuffed it in the Incipio sleeve case which the Microsoft Store bundled as part of the sale.

I arrived at the meeting and realized I forgot the stylus. This is too easy to do since the Surface Pro lacks a silo for the stylus.

I then pulled the Surface Pro out of the sleeve case. Ouch! The Surface Pro was hotter than a toaster. It also wouldn’t turn on, probably because it was too hot.

After returning from the meeting, I was able to turn on the now cooled-down device. Almost all the battery power was gone.

That evening, teaching my introductory programming class, and trying to deal with network problems at the college, I noticed one of my students using a Surface RT. He was running Visual C++.  I asked how he was doing that since Visual C++ requires full-blown Windows. The answer is he was accessing another computer elsewhere (he works in a data center) using RDP.

I’m beginning to wonder about the Surface Pro. Maybe I will use the Surface RT for day trips. The RT is lighter than the Pro, has much better battery life, and doesn’t heat up like a small nuclear reactor. The RT handles well simple chores like email, Internet access and word processing. For those times I need to use apps requiring Windows, I could access my home computer using RDP or similar protocol. Maybe I will keep the RT, return the Pro or sell it on eBay, and wait for a computer with a larger screen (and a pen silo) like Lenovo’s Thinkpad Helix, which after reported shipping delays, now is reported to be shipping in early March.

I’m not giving up on the Surface Pro yet, but I’ve calendared the 30 day return deadline. To be continued.

February 9 – first day for availability of Microsoft’s Surface Pro. Woke up at 5 am on a Saturday and visited the Microsoft Online Store.  To my surprise, the 128 GB version already was out of stock. The 64 GB version still was available. However, 64 GB was not an option for me because of how much space Windows 8 requires. Besides, go big or go home.

I then checked out Microsoft’s retail partners for the Surface Pro, Best Buy and Staples. The 128 GB version not available online or in any local store.

After taking care of some unwelcome early morning chores (why else would I be up at 5 am on a Saturday), I decided to engage in some retail therapy and drive a few miles down the freeway to the Microsoft Store at the Glendale Galleria to try to score a 128 GB device. I was not optimistic, since I did not have a reservation for a device.

I arrived about 15 minutes before the 10 am opening time. Dishearteningly, there already were several long lines. Worse, since I  lacked a reservation, I was directed to the line that would be serviced last – assuming any units were still left. I was 5th in that line.

Long story short, after about a 90 minute wait, and meeting some nice people in the same line, I was able to purchase a 128 GB Surface Pro and some extras (sleeve case, wedge mouse, extra power adapter). Based on what I’m reading this weekend, I was lucky – assuming spending that much money is lucky.

I’ve been setting the Surface Pro up over the weekend as time permits. Learning curve has not been bad. I already had Windows 8 Pro on my Samsung Series 7 slate (which I may be selling on eBay). Additionally, I was used to the Surface Pro’s form factor because I previously purchased the Surface RT (which I will be selling on eBay).

I’ll be writing soon on my first thoughts on the Surface Pro.

Is the brilliant, quirky, flawed Surface Pro right for you? is an excellent read if you’re considering buying Microsoft’s Surface Pro, available in a few days (February 9). IMO, the relevant comparison is with other Windows 8 Ultrabooks. In that regard, I’m also pondering Lenovo’s Thinkpad Helix, which was supposed to be avaialble this month, but now has been pushed back to March or April (if then).

As almost always is the case, whether the Surface Pro is right for you depends on your usage. IMO, where the Surface Pro shines is portability. If during the day you’re bouncing from place to place, whether rooms within a building or (like me) different places in a city, the Surface Pro is an attractive choice. However, if you intend your laptop to do double duty as your main machine, you may want to look elsewhere.

Am I getting the Surface Pro? Do bears sleep in the woods?