Surface Pro (128GB)

by Microsoft

4/5

Remove

ThinkPad Helix

by Lenovo

4/5

$1,911.00

Remove

IdeaPad Yoga 11S

by Lenovo

3.5/5

$680.00

Remove

Inspiron 15z

by Dell

3/5

Remove
Pros
  • Ultrabook-caliber components.
  • Beautiful, 1920-by-1080 display.
  • Windows 8 grants full desktop application support.
  • Can operate as a touchscreen notebook or a Windows 8 tablet
  • Solid-state drive speeds up frequently performed operations
  • Dual-battery arrangement delivers up to 6.5 hours of battery life
  • Excellent all-around design and ergonomics
  • Vivid IPS display
  • Full version of Windows 8
  • Large and wide touchscreen
  • Good audio performance
  • HD (720p) webcam
  • Built-in rewritable DVD drive
Cons
  • Pen is a nice touch, but chintzy.
  • Display size and keyboard comfort will make you think twice.
  • Subpar audio
  • High-res screen can make small type difficult to read
  • Pricey considering its 11.6-inch display
  • Mediocre battery life
  • Meh performance
  • Bulkier than a standard tablet
  • Sluggish performance
  • Poor battery life
  • Heavy for an Ultrabook
At A Glance

Surface Pro is the best Windows tablet, but depending on your needs, it may not be the best Windows 8 hybrid for you.

Able to serve as a laptop or a Windows 8 touchscreen tablet, the ThinkPad Helix is pleasingly versatile—but it’s also very expensive.

A major improvement over the original ARM-powered Windows RT device, but still short of being the ultimate hybrid.

The Inspiron 15z might appeal to Windows 8 users in search of a touchscreen option that won't break the bank, but its mediocre performance and subpar battery life fail to impress.

Specs

Pricing

UPC Code 885370525571 887619336450 887263609818 884116106609

return to top

Processor

Processor type Intel Core i5-3317U Intel Core i5-3337U Intel Core i5-3339Y Intel i5-3317U
Processor speed 1700.0  MHz 1800.0  MHz 1500.0  MHz 1700.0  MHz
Number of Cores   2.0 2.0  

return to top

Requirements

Operating System Compatibility Microsoft Windows 8      

return to top

Memory

Memory size 4096.0  MB 4.0  MB 8.0  MB 6144.0  MB
Memory max 4096.0  GB     8.0  GB
Memory type   DDR3 DDR3 DDR3
Memory speed   1333.0  MHz 1600.0  MHz 1600.0  MHz

return to top

Display

Display size 10.6  inches 11.6  inches 11.6  inches 15.6  inches
Display type Touch Screen     Glossy LCD with LED Backlight
Touchscreen Multitouch Yes Yes Multitouch
Aspect ratio 16:9 16:9 16:9 16:9
Resolution 1920 x 1080  pixels   1366 x 768  pixels 1366 x 768  pixels

return to top

Graphics

Graphics Type Integrated Integrated Integrated Integrated
Primary Graphics Chipset Intel HD4000 Intel HD Graphics 4000 Intel HD Graphics 4000 Intel HD Graphics 4000

return to top

Storage

Drive 1 size 128.0  GB 128.0  GB 240.0  GB  
Drive 1 type Solid-State Drive Solid-State Drive Solid-State Drive  
Drive size 128.0  GB     500.0  GB
Drive type Solid-State Drive     Hard Disk Drive
Drives included       1.0
Hard Drive Speed       5400.0  RPM

return to top

Battery

Charging Interface Proprietary Connector      

return to top

Ports and Connections

Audio Output Yes      
Available Interfaces Line Out 1/8|Mini DisplayPort|USB 3.0 Thunderbolt|USB 2.0 HDMI|USB 3.0 HDMI|USB 3.0
Wireless connection 802.11b|802.11g|802.11n|Bluetooth 802.11b|802.11g|802.11n|Bluetooth 802.11b|802.11g|802.11n|Bluetooth 802.11n|Bluetooth

return to top

Power

Battery Type Lithium Ion Battery Lithium Polymer Battery Lithium Polymer Battery  

return to top

Dimensions

Width 10.81  inches 11.7  inches 11.6  inches 15.0  inches
Depth 0.53  inches 8.9  inches 8.1  inches 9.8  inches
Height 6.81  inches 0.7  inches 0.6  inches 0.9  inches
Weight 2.0  pounds 1.8  pounds 2.7  pounds 5.3  pounds
Weight with Accessories   3.6  pounds 3.5  pounds 6.0  pounds

return to top

Storage Media

SD card SDXC Memory Card     Yes
Memory stick       Memory Stick

return to top

Included Software

Operating System Microsoft Windows 8 Pro Microsoft Windows 8 Pro Microsoft Windows 8 Home Microsoft Windows 8

return to top

Other Features

Devices Built-In Microphone|Built-In Webcam Built-In Microphone|Built-In Webcam|Docking Station|Keyboard|Touchpad|Track Stick/Eraserhead Built-In Microphone|Built-In Webcam|Touchpad (Multitouch) Backlit Keyboard|Built-In Microphone|Built-In Webcam
Input devices Pen (Stylus)|Touch Screen|Touchpad (multitouch)     Touchpad (multitouch)

return to top

Optical Drive

Included Drives       DVD Drive

return to top

Sound

Speakers       Stereo

return to top

Performance

Overall Performance

Worldbench Score

265.0 285.0 243.0 59.0
Worldbench Version

8.1 8.1 8.1 8

return to top

Battery

Battery Life

(hh:mm)

 5:08 6:32 4:33 3:22

return to top

Start Up

Start Up

seconds (lower is better)

 9.2 14.6 10.3 15.7

return to top

Office Productivity

PCMark 7 Productivity Suite

score (higher is better)

 2287.0 2533.0 2064.0 2160.0

return to top

Web Browsing

Peacekeeper

score (higher is better)

 2073.0 2181.0 865.0 1972.0

return to top

Storage Performance

PCMark 7 Storage Test

score (higher is better)

 5145.0 5308.0 5241.0 4454.0
File Compression

seconds (lower is better)

 139.1 140.6 184.7 153.9

return to top

Content Creation

Image Editing

seconds (lower is better)

 604.4 258.3 348.1 642.8
Image Editing - GPU Accelerated

seconds (lower is better)

 337.8 168.4 482.0  
Video Encoding

seconds (lower is better)

 253.0 206.0 234.0 208.0
Audio Encoding

seconds (lower is better)

 300.7 288.4 401.5 305.7

return to top

Power Usage

Idle power usage

Watts

 9.2 18.2 8.2 9.4
Working power usage

Watt hours

   3.0 1.7 3.0

return to top

Gaming

3DMark 11, 1280x720 Performance

score (higher is better)

 547.0     642.0
3DMark 11, 1920x1080 Extreme

score (higher is better)

 179.0      
Civilization V, Leader Benchmark, Ultra Quality, 1920x1080

Frames per second (higher is better)

 11.8      
Civilization V, Leader Benchmark, High Quality, 1920x1080

Frames per second (higher is better)

 14.7      
Civilization V, Leader Benchmark, Low Quality, 1366x768

Frames per second (higher is better)

 690.9     632.1
Civilization V, Late Game View, Ultra Quality, 1920x1080

Frames per second (higher is better)

 5.5      
Civilization V, Late Game View, High Quality, 1920x1080

Frames per second (higher is better)

 5.9      
Civilization V, Late Game View, Low Quality, 1366x768

Frames per second (higher is better)

 7.6     11.3
Dirt Showdown, High Quality, 1920x1080

Frames per second (higher is better)

 17.6      
Dirt Showdown, Low Quality, 1366x768

Frames per second (higher is better)

 34.5     34.9
3DMark, Ice Storm

score (higher is better)

   26434.0 25522.0  
3DMark, Firestrike Extreme

score (higher is better)

   186.0 180.0  
3DMark, Cloud Gate

score (higher is better)

   2858.0 2722.0  
3DMark, Firestrike

score (higher is better)

   398.0 392.0  
Dirt Showdown, Low Quality, 1024x768

Frames per second (higher is better)

   15.4 30.1  
Crysis 3, Ultra Quality, 1024x768

Frames per second (higher is better)

   6.2 6.6  
Bioshock Infinite, Low Quality, 1024x768

Frames per second (higher is better)

   19.2 17.7  

return to top

Product Type

Subcategory

      All Purpose

return to top

TouchXPRT

Beautify Photo Album

Photos/sec (Higher is better)

       1.13
Beautify Photo Album

seconds (lower is better)

       44.37
Prepare Photos for Sharing

Collages/sec (Higher is better)

       0.42
Prepare Photos for Sharing

seconds (lower is better)

       16.79
Convert Videos for Sharing

X (higher is better)

       7.6
Convert Videos for Sharing

seconds (lower is better)

       11.24
Export Podcast to MP3

X (higher is better)

       89.9
Export Podcast to MP3

seconds (lower is better)

       19.92
Create Slideshow from Photos

Photos/sec (Higher is better)

       2.79
Create Slideshow from Photos

seconds (lower is better)

       17.94

return to top