UPDATE: Microsoft announced the Surface 2 today (Sept 23) and took me by surprise. I really thought it would happen later but, I’m happy it happened now. See our post about it here: https://www.lovemysurface.net/surface-2-launches-today/
Last Saturday, I posted an article outlining some of the rumors surrounding the upcoming Surface 2 and Surface 2 Pro. Of course, that prompted this question: Should I wait to buy a Surface now or wait for the Surface 2 model?
I’ve heard this question about 30 times just this past week from people who are starting to consider getting on the Surface bandwagon. It’s a real concern. No one wants to buy a product just before the new version comes out and who can blame them?
My advise is to….. Wait. Doesn’t matter if you’re considering getting a Surface Pro or Surface RT. Just wait.
So, why should I wait to buy a Surface?
That’s a good question (and thank you for the opportunity to expound on the topic). In general, I advise procrastinating on technology purchases as long as possible because 99% of the time prices have no where to go but down AND capability to go up. That is certainly the case here.
Surface Pro: For the Surface Pro 2, I’m sure that the capabilities of the new model will be worth the wait. The new Intel Haswell core processor rumored for Surface Pro 2 should go a long way toward solving some of the battery life issues the 1st generation Surface Pro has suffered, while providing at least the same level of computing power. Here’s a nice rundown of the new CPU from Extremetech.com.
Add in the Power Cover as announced by Neowin earlier this month which will effectively add a second battery, and I imagine you might be able to get more than 8 hours of use out of a Surface Pro 2.
Surface RT: For the next generation of the Surface RT, the potential for a mini version (Rumor 3) and likely addition of LTE support (Rumor 4) in some ways are very attractive. Add in that it will almost certainly continue to come with a built-in copy of Microsoft Office and the possibility of a lower price-point and you’ve got a winner.
So, what could go wrong if I wait?
The two biggest risks are that the release of the next generation Surface tablets will be delayed and not appear for some time. It’s certainly possible.Tech launches are finicky affairs and stranger things have happened.
On the plus side, if the waiting gets to be too much, you can always just go ahead and buy a Surface Pro or Surface RT at any time. Windows 8.1 will still probably come out in October regardless of whether or not the hardware makes it. In addition, the Power Cover we talked about above should work with the 1st gen Surface Pro as well as the Surface pro 2. So, there could be a little extra battery life for you if you buy early.
Also, even if the Surface 2 line flops (unlikely) it will almost certainly drive the cost of the 1st generation models down even lower.
You just can’t lose by waiting.
Hope you found this helpful. Let me know if you’ve got any feedback.
Tim
