Laptops, Tablets

Surface Pro 6 (Mid 2018)

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Intro:
Back in 2013 and 2014, I used the Surface Pro 2 and Surface Pro 3 for a couple of months. Regrettably, due to weight, battery life, and thermal throttling, I sold them. Now I’m ready to try out Microsoft’s latest version, the Surface Pro 6.
Is the gold standard for tablet hybrids worth your money?

Configuration Options:
As an average Joe, who doesn’t like breaking the bank, I typically review the base model, the absolute cheapest model you can purchase that also has 8 GB of RAM. That said, though, as I was going to purchase the Surface, Microsoft’s website stated that the i7 is meant for gaming, so I upgraded. I also upgraded the RAM to 16GB and the storage to 512GB. These options increased the price from $900 to $1900. These prices do NOT include the keyboard and pen. My wife was not happy.

  • Display: 12.3-inch (2736×1824) PixelSense display, with 10-point touch
  • Processor: 8th Gen Quad-Core 1.6GHz Core i5 (8250U) or 1.9GHz i7 (8650U)
  • Graphics: Intel HD 620
  • Memory: 8-16GB DDR3 RAM
  • Storage: 128GB-1TB NVMe PCIe SSD
  • Processor: USB 3.0 Type-A, Surface Connect, miniDisplayPort, microSDXC card reader, 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Wireless: 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1
  • Cameras: 5MP/1080p (front) with Windows Hello; 8MP rear
  • Battery: 45Wh
  • Dimensions: 11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33 inches
  • Weight: 2.36 lbs (with type cover)
  • Colors: Platinum, black

My Price: $1899 for tablet, $159.99 for the keyboard (which is absolutely necessary!), $99 for the Surface Pen, and $34.99 for the Surface Mouse. Total: $2160 before tax.
Stick around to find out if I think these upgrades are worth it.

Ports:
The Surface Pro 6 has the same external design and port options as the Surface Pro 3, Surface Pro 4, and Surface Pro 5. I don’t think Microsoft wants to support Thunderbolt 3. As a result, there are no USB-C or thunderbolt 3 ports on the Surface Pro 6, even though the Surface Go and Surface Book do at least have USB-C.

  • The Surface Pro 6 includes:
    • USB 3 port with speeds up to 5 Gbps
    • Surface Connector
    • MiniDisplayPort
    • microSD card slot
    • 3.5mm headphone jack

It is a shame that I have to talk about the headphone jack like it is a plus.
No idea what the Surface Connector speed is, but Microsoft’s Surface Connect to USB-C adapter doesn’t include thunderbolt 3 speeds. Therefore, there isn’t an option right now for external GPUs. Let me know if you know what it’s speed is.

Sound:

  • Stereo speakers
  • Dual microphones
  • 3.5mm headphone jack

Display:
The 2736×1824 display has the same resolution as the 2017 model, but it is a little brighter. I should add that higher resolution displays work a lot better in Windows now. Back in 2014, the Surface Pro 3 did not scale Windows X86 apps very well. For example, Steam was a nightmare to use, especially when trying to use the Surface as a tablet. On the Surface Pro 7, to my pleasure, Steam scales perfectly. Using the Surfaces touch interface is much easier now when text is appropriately sized. The display supports Microsoft’s Surface Dial as well, but I didn’t test this.

Size and Weight:
The 11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33 inch dimensions and 2.36 lb weight allow the Surface pro to easily fit inside a bag with minimal strain on your back. Remember, all the weight is in the screen. A laptop with a 12.3 inch display is great for using on a desk as long as you are only using the touchscreen every now and then. A tablet with a 12.3 inch display is “ok” for using on a desk as your arms will fatigue trying to reach all parts of the screen. The surface is a nightmare when trying to consume media in bed. The only thing that worked was locking it in landscape and placing it on its side. It is too heavy to hold while I lie on my back.

Lapability:
How is it’s “lapability?” The keyboard does stay attached to the Surface while in my lap to an extent. The kickstand will become uncomfortable after long periods of use. These are the same issues I had with the Surface Pro 3. Some things Microsoft fixed, though, are battery life and thermal throttling.

Battery Life:
Battery life averaged eight hours rather than Microsoft’s advertised 13.5 hours. This is way better than the Surface Pro 3’s six hours (and advertised nine). Still, the battery will last you through the entire day of work and school.

Processor:
The Surface Pro 6 includes Intel’s 8th Gen Quad-Core Core i5 or i7 processors. All previous models were only Dual-Core. As a result, there is a significant boost in Multi-Core performance.

  • Microsoft’s descriptions for these processors:
    • Intel Core i5: Perfect for photographs, videos, reports, and presentations. Compatible with Surface Dial (off-screen interactions). Choose from two memory and storage configurations
    • Intel Core i7: The Intel Core i7 option includes Intel UHD graphics, making your photo, video, and 3D applications run faster. It also gives you the ability to play more PC games. Compatible with Surface Dial.
  • Geekbench 4.2.3 Benchmarks:
    • Single-Core Score: 4429
    • Multi-Core Score: 13833
    • OpenCL Score: 36842

I didn’t get any thermal throttling. For the Surface Pro 3, 10 Chrome tabs would start the fans. This doesn’t happen on the Surface Pro 6. It does get warm when charging, though, which could hurt your performance.

Upgradeability:
Nothing is upgradeable. Get what you need when you need it.

RAM:
As I said before, in my opinion, do not buy a computer today with anything less than 8GB of RAM. Luckily, the base model ships with 8GB or RAM for $900. Regrettably, if you upgrade the RAM to 16GB, Microsoft forces you to also upgrade the processor and storage to the Core i7 and 512GB increasing the $900 price to $1900. I know you are getting more performance with the Core i7 and more storage is also useful, but it would be nice to have the option to upgrade the RAM without having to upgrade the Processor and Storage as well.

Gaming:
Microsoft states that the Surface Pro 6’s Intel Core i7 option gives “you the ability to play more PC games.” Let’s find out.

  • TombRaider Benchmarks at 720p Low Settings
    • Min FPS: 48.0
    • Max FPS: 102.0
    • Average FPS: 79.7

As a result, older games run very well. X360 and PS3 generation games run well on medium settings, and the latest generation of games can play at low settings very well. GeForce NOW Cloud Gaming and Steam In-home streaming are great alternatives if you really want to game.

Type Cover:
The Type Covers weren’t updated this year. Therefore, you can purchase the older Type Cover on Amazon or the Signature Type Cover on Amazon or Microsoft. These type covers are interchangeable. The Type Cover and Signature Type Cover are exactly the same mechanically. The only difference is the Alcantara or suede fabric on the Signature version. The Signature Keyboard used to cost an extra $30, but Amazon has both keyboards similarly priced now. Why did I choose the Type Cover over the Signature Type Cover? My wife likes red and not Burgundy. Key travel is 1.0mm, almost double the key travel in the current gen Macbook Pros. As a result, typing on this keyboard is very comfortable. That said, you will find it difficult to type quietly when the cover is slanted. You might bother your classmates or coworkers. There exists no fingerprint sensor on this version, though. The keys are backlit with the ability to adjust key brightness. Figuring out how to adjust screen brightness was a chore. It’s not marked like the keyboard brightness. I thought I had a malfunctioning keyboard, but no. FN+DEL and FN+Backspace adjust the screen brightness.

Precision trackpad:
This trackpad has some of the best tracking on Windows. That said, it is a little small for my tastes. Does it pass my finger-roll test? Kind of. It senses the movement, but it’s not as sensitive as an Apple Trackpad.

Surface Pen:
The Surface Pen was not upgraded this year. With 4,096 levels of pressure, it is more sensitive than the previous pen. That is why I got the 2017 burgundy pen. My wife likes it. She says it’s fun to draw and doodle with. As far as using the pen for note taking, she and I both don’t recommend it. For us, we are fast typists; I also found out that I am faster at using swipe gestures to type on the on-screen keyboard than I am writing with the stylus. Both of our notes were barely legible as well.

Surface Pro 2017 vs Surface Pro 6 2018:
The Surface Pro (2017) and the Surface Pro 6 (2018) are physically identical from a chassis standpoint. The major differences are internal. The new 8th Gen Quad-Core processors give a substantial improvement in Multi-Core performance over last year’s Dual-Core Processors. Last year’s Intel Core i7-7660U scored 4568 Since-Core and 9209 Multi-Core Improvements. Equivalent single-core scores. 50% improvement multi-core performance! Last year’s Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 scored OpenCL of 31278. This years UHD 620 scored OpenCL of 36842. This is an 18% Improvement. The other difference: It comes in black.

Conclusion:
Should you get the Surface Pro 6? If you like large 2-in-1’s, then this is the gold standard. It’s battery life, performance, keyboard, and trackpad are all great, but it’s ports selection, lapability, and upgradeability are things you should consider before purchase.

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Laptops

Macbook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2018) – Worth $1799?

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Intro:
Apple just released the 2018 Macbook Pro 13 and 15 inch variants. I decided to give the base 13-inch model, the 2.3 GHz Core i5 version with 8 GB of RAM a try. Is it worth $1800?

Configuration Options:
As an average Joe, who doesn’t want to break the bank, I am reviewing the base model, the absolute cheapest model you can purchase. The problem is that this base model right now includes the touchbar and causes the price to jump to $1799. This configuration comes with four Thunderbolt 3 ports, a 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5, 8 GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3 RAM, integrated Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655. I’m glad that the base model comes with 8GB of RAM, but in 2018, I think 8GB is the lowest amount of RAM that is acceptable for an average computer. Apple’s own regular Macbook ships with 8GB as the minimum amount of RAM. Shouldn’t the Pro version ship with a minimum of 16 GB? For this base model, you’ll still be paying $1800 before tax:
https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/macbook-pro/13-inch-space-gray-256gb-2.3ghz-quad-core#
If you upgrade to 512 GB of SSD storage, you’ll be paying $200 extra. I don’t recommend this. Although much slower, I’d recommend just getting a 2TB external drive on amazon for only $65:
https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Portable-External-Drive
Other options include a 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 for $300 more and a 16GB of RAM version for $200 more.

Keyboard:
If you’ve seen my Macbook Air 2015 review, you know I love the 2015 and 2017 Macbook Air keyboards. The travel on those keys are near perfect. For the 2018 Macbook pro, the keys are way too shallow for my preference. Apple will hope that we consumers will get used to the keys, but it’s been three years, and people are still complaining about the shallow keys. This keyboard includes Apple’s 3rd generation butterfly mechanism. Apple says these keys are quieter that previous butterfly keys, but they are still louder than the keys on my Macbook Air. The key travel on this Macbook Pro is only 0.8mm of travel, where they Macbook air has a much more comfortable 1.4mm of travel. Apple, if you’re listening, I am more than happy to increase the thickness of my laptop by 0.6mm to improve the keyboard ergonomics. Also, there have been many reports that these newer butterfly keys break often and stop working when a piece of dust gets lodged under the key. Apple doesn’t claim to fix this problem with the 3rd generation scissor keys, so only time will tell if the problem continues to happen. Finally, the keys are backlit with the ability to adjust the brightness. They also include an ambient light sensor.

Glass trackpad:
This trackpad is just as nice as all Apple’s trackpads. It is no better or no worse than the 2015 Macbook Air. Apple has nailed the simulated click; you can’t feel a difference in the physical click except that you can click anywhere on the trackpad now just as easily as you can click the bottom. It is way better than any Windows or Chrome OS computer. The glass feels very nice under my fingers. It does have force touch, but even in 2018, this feels like a gimmick.

Touchbar:
The touchbar is more of a gimmicky nuisance than a functional tool. Rather than my muscle memory telling me exactly where certain key functions are, the functions keep changing, I have to break my workflow, look down, and press the touchbar. The best part about the touchbar is the TouchID fingerprint sensor, but I’m still trying to get used to it. Apple forced me to separate my login and mac password from my Apple ID password; therefore, my mac still asks me for a password sometimes and a fingerprint other times.

Ports:
The 2018 13-inch Macbook Pro comes with four Thunderbolt 3 ports, all of which are full speed (40 Gb/s); previous versions throttled two of the ports’ speed. Other than the Thunderbolt 3 ports, the only other port is the 3.5mm headphone jack. That’s it! No USB type A ports, no SD Card slot. Please comment! Are these ports something YOU would want in your laptop? Or would you like to pay Apple $50 for an adapter? In my experience, as a pro user, for my Pro laptop, I want a computer that has the ports to do Pro things without me having to buy adapters. I tool that isn’t capable of doing certain things without an adapter feels less like a tool to me.

Sound:
This laptop includes typical laptop speakers. There is no distortion at high volumes. They are stereo speakers.

Size and Weight:
The screen is 13.3 inches diagonally. The screen uses Apples 16:10 aspect ratio, which in truth, is great for scrolling through webpages as you can see more from the top to the bottom. As far as weight, I can hold this laptop with one hand with no problems. The 3.02 Lb and 0.59″ thick laptop easily fits inside a bag. It is just a hair heavier than the macbook air. All this said, the size of the laptop is large enough to multitask, but small and light enough to be very portable.

Display:
The screen inside the macbook is a gorgeous 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology. The resolution is 2560×1600 or 227 pixels per inch.

Battery Life:
The laptop includes a built-in 58.0 watt-hour lithium-polymer battery. Apple claims 10 hours of battery life. Realistically, I see closer to 8 hours, which is good, but the Macbook Air 2015 still beats it! Also, when I close the lid, the laptop goes to sleep and the sleep low power mode will last for weeks.

Upgradeability
Nothing is upgradeable in this laptop. This doesn’t seem very “pro” to me.

Processor:
The 2.3 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5-8259U processor turbo boosts up to 3.8 GHz. The processor comes with 128MB of eDRAM. You have the opportunity to upgrade to a 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i7-8559U that can turbo boost up to 4.5 GHz. This upgrade will cost you $300 and is not recommended. No thermal throttling in the 13-inch Core-i5.

  • Geekbench 4.2.3 Benchmarks:
    • Single-Core Score: 4553
    • Multi-Core Score: 16817
    • OpenCL Score: 133606

RAM:
At $1800, the macbook pro ships with 8GB of 2133MHz LPDDR3 RAM. You can pay Apple an additional $200 to upgrade to 16GB of RAM. As I said before, 8GB is the bare minimum of RAM I recommend in 2018. It doesn’t seem very Pro-like for an $1800 Pro Laptop to ship with the bare minimum.

Gaming:
The Macbook Pro is NOT meant for gaming. That said though, let’s run some benchmarks and do it anyways. The integrated Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 runs TombRaider just fine.

  • TombRaider Benchmarks at 720p Low Settings:
    • Min FPS: 21.2
    • Max FPS: 89.9
    • Average FPS: 62.3

Take these results with a grain of salt though. There was some serious stutter, which caused the min FPS to drop considerably. I think it is a software issue, as this stutter did not exist on the Macbook Air.The fans do kick in during gaming. They aren’t loud, but they are present. GeForce NOW Cloud Gaming for Mac and Steam In-home streaming are great alternatives if you really want to game on this Macbook.

Macbook Air (13-inch Mid-2017) VS Macbook Pro (13-inch Mid-2018):
The bump in performance between the 2015/2017 Macbook Air and the 2018 Macbook Pro is significant, but is it worth the cost?

As you can see, it is twice as valuable to get the Macbook Air 2015 or 2017 than it is to get the 2018 Macbook Pro.
I like the Mac ecosystem, because I think sending text messages and calling people from my laptop is a very useful tool. That said, though, paying a very high premium for performance is not worth it for me. For the average Joe, I recommend sticking with the 2017 Macbook Air. Maybe Apple will release the 2018 13-inch Macbook Pro without Touchbar soon. That should be a significantly better value.

Macbook Pro (13-inch Mid-2017) VS Macbook Pro (13-inch Mid-2018):
The bump in performance between the 2017 Macbook Pro and the 2018 Macbook Pro is also significant. Is it worth the cost this time?

It is still a 47% better deal to get the 2017 Macbook Pro over the 2018 Macbook Pro. Again, a 2018 Macbook Pro without touchbar would be a much better value.

Mac OS:
If you’ve stayed this long, you might be wondering if I am a Mac fanboy. Mac OS is Mac OS. It has it’s positives and its negatives. It works well on apple hardware and is one of the reasons why this laptop has such great battery life. On the other hand, gaming in Mac OS is a challenge. We can review the operating system in more depth in a different review, but I see computers and operating systems as tools. I use everything.

Conclusion:
For me, the 2018 13-inch Macbook Pro’s performance boost is not worth the additional cost. Apple makes some great laptops. I recommend getting a previous generation Macbook Air or Macbook Pro. To me, if you don’t need the fastest performer that runs Mac OS, these have a better value.

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