Microsoft is hosting a media event in New York tomorrow, ostensibly to unveil new models of its Surface tablet line. Most of the speculation suggests Microsoft will announce some sort of “Surface Mini,” but a larger “Surface XL”—or something to that effect—would be much more useful.
I speak from experience. Most of the time, I’m working from the comfort of my home office and the Surface 2 is locked in its docking station, connected to a 29-inch ultrawide monitor, full keyboard, and wireless touchpad. In that scenario, the Surface Pro 2 functions as a PC, and the fact that it’s a tablet is largely irrelevant.
The Surface Pro 2 is good, but when working on the road a slightly larger Surface model might come in handy.
Sometimes, however, I travel, and when I do I take the Surface Pro 2 along, and it acts as a sort of hybrid Ultrabook thanks to the Type keyboard cover. But when you have to rely solely on the 10.6-inch Surface display, my productivity suffers a bit.
A larger Surface would be an alternative that might improve Microsoft’s ability to position the device as a Windows PC that lets you get real work done on the go as well.
I’m thinking a 13-inch “Surface XL.” Once you go over 13-inches, you start to lose the portability benefits of a tablet, but the extra couple of inches of diagonal viewing space on the display would make it easier to be productive.
Another benefit is that a slightly wider Surface Pro would also have a slightly wider keyboard cover. The keyboard covers for the Surface Pro are adequate, but a little cramped compared to the full keyboard I use when I’m in my home office. Adding an inch or two of width and spacing the keys out a little would let people type more efficiently with fewer typos.
The smaller Surface seems like a sure thing, but hopefully, that isn’t the only thing Microsoft has up its sleeve for tomorrow. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the super-sized Surface.
What about you—would you be more likely to buya smaller Surface tablet or a larger one?