Inside, the Pro 4 has gotten the usual processor spec bump, including sixth-generation Intel Core chips. The base model, which is priced at $899, has a Core M chip (similar to, but newer than the one in Apple’s MacBook) and 4GB of RAM, while more expensive versions can be specced out with Core i5 or Core i7 processors and up to 16GB of RAM. The unit I’ve been testing is priced at $1,299 and has a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. If you really want something that can work as a laptop replacement, you’re probably going to want to pony up for at least this model.

I haven’t had any performance issues when using the Pro 4 in my daily work, which consists of a lot of web browsing, Twitter, Slack, and email, with the occasional photo editing. Windows 10 is swift and snappy, and there hasn’t been a point where I’ve really felt like I’ve maxed out the machine’s limits. (To be fair, I’ve used the Surface Pro 3 quite a bit, and I haven’t noticed a big a performance difference between the two in real-world use.)

Performance and battery life are similar to the Pro 3

Battery life in normal use has been on par with the Pro 3 as well, lasting me about 5 hours or so between charges. The Pro 4 went for 6 hours and 37 minutes in our rundown test, which is about an hour less than the Pro 3 managed. Neither is what I’ve come to expect from a premium laptop, and the Pro 4 still lags in this area. I still adore the Pro 4’s tiny little charging brick, which also gives me a USB port to charge my always-thirsty smartphone.

Windows 10, which is now available for every Surface save for the ill-fated and oft-forgotten Surface RT, works well on the Pro 4, though it still feels like a work in progress. Since Windows 10 launched earlier this summer, Microsoft has been fixing a lot of bugs and issues, but there are still a number that crop up in my daily workflow. For example, the standard Mail and Calendar apps continue to have trouble syncing with my Google Apps account, and the Microsoft Store often crashes. These are rather specific bugs, and I wouldn’t consider either of them show stoppers, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t note them. I’d still rather have Windows 10, bugs and all, than Windows 8.1.

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