"I STOPPED CARRYING my iPad because the Surface is lighter and more capable". That's what two of my students told me this month and it's the primary reason I've shed a faithful piece of technology.
Windows 8.1 on the Surface Pro 2 has suggested workflow shortcuts I did not expect to discover. [1] Several of these time-saving maneuvers help me get jobs done faster. The biggest collaborative help surfaced when I discovered I could map our campus OneDrive for Business folders to the Surface's C Drive and then drag and drop items from my personal OneDrive account into the company account.
Surface Pro is a full-powered business PC and a tablet. I can use its cover as a keyboard when I'm trying to set new records while typing or just carry the Surface around like a folio when I'm at a meeting with students to review creative work. For a business, have one device means less to buy, deploy, manage and secure. That's the conclusion reached by local government agencies working alongside our Tipperary campus to boost employment options for graduates.
Government IT agencies like how all firmware and drivers can be reimagined to create their own corporate images. Microsoft has a page that details every Windows Update and every firmware update. This hits home with me because my four-year-old laptop no longer accepts automatic Windows Updates. My standard laptop falls outside of Microsoft's three-year extended warranty called Microsoft Complete for Business. I tend to use my laptops until they crack, spark or melt. I get five years from a standard Windows laptop or desktop, saving a wad of cash when compared to people changing every two years.
I hope Santa brings me a Docking Station and a standalone monitor because that would help me claim back a frequently vacant desk in the lobby where I work. [2] I won't be relinquishing my quirky standing desk location anytime soon.
[Bernie Goldbach works as senior pilot creative multimedia lecturer at the Limerick Institute of Technology.]
1. I learn tips and tricks from the Surface Blog.
2. If you feel generous, you could select an accessory for me just in time for Christmas.
