NEW YORK -- Last year, Microsoft dazzled us with the Surface Pro 3. This year, the company announced its newest tablet/MacBook Air competitor, the Surface Pro 4.
Though it might have been overshadowed on Tuesday by the new Surface Book laptop, the Surface Pro 4 is thinner, lighter and faster than its predecessor. It also has more competition -- not just from the MacBook Air, but from the upcoming iPad Pro.
I had a few minutes to spend with the new Surface Pro 4, and here are some of my initial hands-on observations.
Bigger screen, yet it feels smaller
The Surface Pro 4 has a 12.3-inch display -- up from 12 inches last year. But even with the bigger screen, the device is still the same width.
It's also thinner and lighter than in the past. I wouldn't want to carry a keyboardless Surface Pro 4 around the same way I do an iPad Air -- but it's remarkably thin.
It's still thick enough for that full-sized USB 3.0 port and the Mini DisplayPort and SD card slot.
A better keyboard
I've never been a big fan of Microsoft's Type Cover keyboards. I get why they exist -- and the typing experience is serviceable -- but in my own usage, it's never felt as good as a dedicated keyboard.
The new Type Cover is an entirely new beast. The keys are spread out more, so the layout feels like a traditional chiclet-style keyboard on a MacBook Air or Ultrabook. The key travel is less than before, but it somehow felt better and more stable.
Additionally, Microsoft made the trackpad a lot nicer. It's now 40% bigger and made of glass. To me, a better trackpad is even more important than the better keyboard. Even with Windows 10, I don't really want to touch the screen all the time; sometimes I just want to do a gesture or point and click.
New pen
The Surface Pen was redesigned to be more ergonomic, and in my limited tests it felt great. Its tip was redesigned, too.
It now feels a lot more like a pen and less like a stylus. You can even swap out tips if you want for more control. There is also an "eraser" at the top of the pen, which works well.
I tested the pen by writing notes and doing some drawings, and although I didn't have a ton of time with it, it seemed to work great. Palm recognition was about the same as it was on the Surface Pro 3 -- which is to say solid, but not completely perfect. Again, I'll need more time to really give that a fair test.
I also love that the Surface Pen now attaches effortlessly and magnetically to the Surface Pro 4 -- no loop cases required.
Solid upgrade
Last year, the Surface Pro 3 was a revelation. It was proof that by targeting not the iPad, but instead the MacBook Air, Microsoft could create a great laptop that could also do double-duty as a tablet.
With the Surface Pro 4, that strategy is now being refined, with a slimmer, lighter body and faster specs.
Of course, a year later, Apple is about to release the iPad Pro, which is a different execution of the same kind of idea. And Microsoft unveiled the more high-end Surface Book.
What this means is that the Surface Pro 4 has a chance to finally achieve that kind of MacBook Air ubiquity for the Windows world. And that's a good thing.