Hello! I’m refeia, an illustrator.
I want a new notebook PC soon, so this time I will take a look at “Surface Pro 9”, the latest model in Microsoft Japan’s “Surface Pro” series.
If you think about it, the last time I reviewed the Surface Pro was in 2017… At that time, it was rare to find a compact device that had decent performance and a pressure pen, so I simply said, “I can draw pretty well, it’s amazing.” I was moved.
And as the years pass, the hurdles raised by the iPad Pro are gradually becoming commonplace, and the Surface Pro continues to evolve while maintaining its concept. If so, it’s about time that it’s not about “I can draw quite well”.
This time, I would like to borrow the Core i7 model of Surface Pro 9 released in November 2022 and take a closer look.
Microsoft Japan’s 13-inch 2in1PC “Surface Pro 9”.An optional keyboard and “Surface Slim Pen 2” are also available
Body design that achieves both luxury and familiarity
First, let’s take a look at the appearance and functions of the main unit. The main body with the familiar Surface kickstand on the back has a luxurious feel, but it has a good balance that gives it a moderate familiarity by not dropping the corners at key points or adding too much detail.
The interface has two USB Type-C terminals compatible with Thunderbolt 4 and one magnetic adsorption type charging terminal (Surface Connect). In addition to Surface Connect, you can also charge from the USB Type-C terminal, so even if you left the included charger at home, you can cover it with a USB Type-C compatible AC adapter.
Inside the kickstand is a cover that accesses the main SSD.The intake and exhaust ports, which tend to be a concern on the back, are also cleverly designed.
The included AC adapter is a Surface Connect for charging only, but it can also be charged via a separate USB Type-C port.
The separately sold keyboard and pen (Surface Slim Pen 2) also have a friendly design. The keyboard is magnetically adsorbed to the main unit to connect, and the pen is also magnetically adsorbed to the recess of the keyboard and charged wirelessly.
The keyboard is a wired connection, so you can’t place it freely when you want to concentrate on the illustration, and it’s easy to get in the way of your stomach or arm holding a pen. However, if the keyboard is removed, the pen cannot be charged. The pen’s battery lasts pretty well (up to 15 hours), so it’s not a big hindrance, but it’s a surprise trap.
For example, in such a combination, the pen cannot be charged without using the separately sold pen charger or reconnecting the dedicated keyboard.
The keyboard is made of alcantara material and feels good on the skin, so you won’t feel any discomfort on hot or cold days, but when you look at the store display, it may be dirty. Information on how to clean is officially provided, but it seems good to choose black if you care.
A smooth and detailed display that feels wider than it looks
Let’s take a look at the performance of the main unit. Start with the display.
The Surface Pro 9 uses a 13-inch display with a resolution of 2880 x 1920 pixels. Ordinary notebook PCs often have an aspect ratio of 16:9 or 16:10, but this unit is 3:2, so it is easy to use because there is plenty of vertical width. In addition, the pixel density (266ppi) is close to that of Retina displays such as the iPad Pro, and it is detailed and smooth enough to be used from a distance where you hold it in your hand. Balanced.
Although it is compact, it has a vertical width close to 15.6 inches, so it can be used comfortably.
In addition, it supports a refresh rate of 120Hz, although it is not the default. This time, I will try it at 60Hz, but I think 120Hz is also attractive because the comfort will be different if you use touch operations such as scrolling frequently.
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