It was not that long ago that Microsoft dropped the price of the Windows RT based Surface tablet by $150. I was of the opinion that even at it lower price point people should avoid it. Well Microsoft has now dropped the prices on their by $100 apparently for the month of August. This I think is a really good deal and one that students heading back to school soon might want to consider getting…

Students in college pretty much are required to have a computer these days. With the advances in technology, almost any basic computer system will work for most students as they use them for writing up papers, doing research and communicating. I have generally recommended ultrathin systems like the Apple MacBook Air because they were highly portable which is important to someone that needs to carry it around between classes, the library and dorms. The tablet form factor of the Surface Pro offers a similar level of portability but also with the advantages of the touchscreen and built in stand.

The best part is that the Surface Pro with its full version of Windows 8 allows for a high level of flexibility as it can run just about any software program a student might need, something that the Surface RT lacked. This means students that might have software from a previous Windows computer can be carried over to the Surface Pro without having to purchase new versions. There is also a larger selection of academic software packages that can be found through school book stores which aren’t available for the Windows RT, Android or iOS based tablets.

The one major drawback that buyers should be aware with the Surface Pro though is the battery life. Students that have more than four or five hours of class a day that they need to use the computer in will need to have access to power plugs in order to keep it properly powered. If this is a concern, the might still be a better choice thanks to its almost twelve hours of running time for the 13-inch model.

One feature that I highly recommend anyone considering getting a Surface Pro for school is to get the Type Cover. The Touch Cover may be a bit slimmer but the keyboard is not as well suited for typing which many students will need to do frequently when writing up papers and assignments. The other option would be to purchase an external Bluetooth keyboard that can be synced up to the Surface Pro. That won’t be as portable as the Touch Cover but would likely be cheaper and provide option for a larger sized keyboard.

If you want some more details on the Surface Pro, you can always check out my shortly after it was released.