As an interior stylist and mum of three, Brooke Hearne leads a busy life. To see if she can save some time running her own business, she tested out the Microsoft Surface Pro 8.
“Every day is a bit different for me,” says small business owner Brooke. “I might be liaising with clients, filming a DIY project or planning some content for my social media.”
Here, she takes the device, which is said to combine the power of a laptop with the flexibility of a tablet, for a spin and gives us her verdict.
Taking the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Out of the Box
In the box, we’ve got the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 in platinum. Apart from that there’s some documentation, including the Quick Start guide, and the power source.
Checking out the unit itself, it has a handy kickstand and a 13-inch touchscreen. On one side of the tablet is a headphone jack and the volume control and, on the other, are two Thunderbolt 4 ports – basically an upgraded USB-C port – and a port for charging and connecting to an external monitor if you need to.
The Surface Pro 8 doesn’t come with a keyboard and pen, but I got the extra accessories – the Surface Pro Signature Keyboard with Slim Pen 2 – because I wanted to get as much out of it as possible.
The keyboard snaps easily to the tablet with some magnets. Plus, the keyboard is full size, so it takes no time to get used to, unlike some of the smaller tablet keyboards.
SEE ALSO: Tech to Buy Before End of Financial Year
Get Started With the Surface Pro 8
When you turn it on, the Surface Pro 8 has front-camera face recognition, so it logs on straight away. It has Windows 11 installed, so you have access to all the Microsoft 365 apps – Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams, OneDrive – that you’d normally have on a laptop. Of course, you do need a subscription to Microsoft 365 to make use of them, and you can get one of those at the Officeworks website or instore.
And if you go to the Microsoft Store, you can download any other apps you might need. I’ve got Disney+ on here because it’s always handy to be able to stream Encanto for the kids.
The Surface Pro 8 Is Packed With Features
One of the great features of the Surface Pro 8 is that it’s light – about the same weight as a bottle of water – and portable.
You can set it up anywhere, which is perfect for me because I don’t like to feel as though I’m stuck inside all day. The screen resolution is quite bright, so even if you’re somewhere that’s a bit glary you can still see what you’re doing.
It has a battery life of up to 16 hours, but I’ve found I can get about seven or eight hours of constant use, which means I don’t have to carry the charger around with me.
Perfect for a Small Business Owner
The best thing about the Surface Pro 8 is that it lets me tackle just about any aspect of my business. I can set up budgets and schedules, plan my social media and take meetings online. I can also keep notes about measurements and colour schemes at my fingertips, show clients proposed designs, take photos of receipts for expenses and load them straight to my accounting app, and take photos and videos for my social media!
I often have to jot things down when I’m doing a site tour or am somewhere else and it’s handy to be able to use the Surface Pro 8 like a tablet. The Slim Pen 2, which is stored and charged on the keyboard, allows me to draw up my designs, as well as write notes by hand, if I’m standing up.
SEE ALSO: 9 Skills to Make You More Tech Savvy
Looking for Impressive Cameras?
One thing that’s particularly helpful with the Surface Pro 8 is that it has a 5 megapixel front camera, which is perfect for online meetings and recording things for my social media. But there’s also a 10 megapixel rear camera with 4K video. For me, this is so handy because it allows me to film before-and-after projects that I can either use for my own records or edit for social media. Speaking of which, the device’s processor is powerful enough to run video editing tools.
The Surface Pro 8 Wrap-Up
When I’m finished for the day, I don’t have to worry about uploading all my photos from my phone to another computer. My notes and important documentation are saved on the Surface Pro 8, all in one place, which saves a huge amount of admin time.
Apart from that, the kids can watch cartoons or play Roblox on it while I’m getting dinner ready. My oldest, who is into watching YouTube videos, has already asked if he can borrow it on the weekend!
Overall, I think the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is a great alternative to a bulky desktop computer and it’s fantastic for being able to work from home or on the go.
What To Try
- Microsoft Surface Pro 8 13” Core i5/8GB/256GB Win11
- Microsoft Surface Pro Signature Keyboard + Slim Pen 2 Black
- Microsoft Office 365 Personal 2021 12 Month Card
- Microsoft Surface Slim Pen 2 Black
- Microsoft Surface Pro Keyboard Black
- Microsoft Surface Go 24W Power Supply
- Microsoft Surface Pro 65W Power Supply
