Cutting Edge Is Great – but Sometimes Not Easy

I got a Microsoft Surface Pro 4 last week – the plan being to replace my main computer and my tablet. It’s a great machine – essentially a tablet that works like a laptop. Its noticeably faster than the desktop it replaces. Using it as a tablet takes some getting used to – because it seems weird to have a tablet that is a full featured computer. For example, I have apps on my Android tablet that my first inclination is to get for the Surface – but then I realize that the app isn’t needed when you are using a computer.

The high resolution display makes things like Flipboard content, magazines and video look better than I’ve ever seen on a tablet or laptop.

The biggest headache has been getting the document management software we use at HP to work. It just isn’t designed to scale properly on a high resolution display, and took a lot of work by our IT department to make it useable. Unfortunately specialty software like that often lags behind current tech and operating systems.

Comments

  1. Hi David

    I had the identical problem with trying to get Lotus Notes to run on a Surface 3. Finally got something close to usable by messing around with screen and font scaling, but that went all to heck when I tried to get it to work on an external monitor. Unfortunately some older apps don’t render nicely on super-high res monitors.
    Did you get the docking station? And if so, how are your finding it handles switching screens and resolutions when you plug it in?
    Also – how are you finding the keyboard – found the keyboards on the first and third Surfaces to be a bit flimsy and didn’t like the keys (weak springs and limited travel).
    Really wanted to make the Surface work… but now considering Surface Book…
    Dan

  2. We got the imanage software to work by setting the external monitor as the main monitor, and by some creative tweaking of various settings. We had a similar problem – we thought we had it sorted out a couple of times only to hook it to the external monitor that messed it up. All other software seems to work fine, though – its something within the software that isn’t designed to scale properly on high res monitors.

    Did get the docking station. The only thing that is weird is that booting up is finicky. Sometimes it doesn’t want to when the external monitor is attached, and sometimes it displays oversized icons on the monitor. We are still playing with it to figure out what it likes.

    The keyboard is fine. Better than the SP3 version.