pro

Microsoft provided another update at the end of this week regarding the availability of its sold-out 128GB version of the Surface Pro.

A February 15 Surface Blog post said that those ordering through the Microsoft online store in the U.S. can place an order for the 128GB model and have it ship in two to three weeks.

The new post also provided updated information for those wanting to "reserve" the Intel-based PC/tablet hybrid Surface Pro devices. Up until now, Microsoft officials have declined comment when asked whether users would be able to pre-order Surface Pros.

Here'… Read more

The 128GB Surface Pro is a rare commodity at the moment. And stiff eBay asking prices reflect this.

In fact, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that some eBay vendors are hoarding the device, trying to cash in on the scarcity.

Though pretty common with hard-to-get Apple products, it's unusual to see this with a Windows product -- and it's Microsoft's first PC, to boot.

One seller, with a stack of at least 10 Pros, is asking $1,300 for the 128GB model. Other sellers are asking $1,399 and even $1,499. The regular … Read more

I know that there are many industry leaders who would dearly love to come into work, remove their cashmere coats, and dance on the boardroom table.

So few are afforded the opportunity -- or, quite frankly, have the courage or the moves.

Yet Microsoft's Surface Pro is such a liberating piece of machinery that you can cast your inhibitions into a distant closet and make like an inebriated spider.

That is one conclusion that might be reached from viewing Microsoft's new danceathon to launch this elusive product.

What might seem odd to some is that this ad is … Read more

Microsoft is now a hardware leader, according to the company's chief financial officer.

Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference today, CFO Peter Klein characterized Microsoft as a mentor of sorts for the rest of the PC industry.

"There are always things we can do like the Surface that's good for the ecosystem, good for customers," he said, responding to a question about vertical integration.

The "ecosystem" is essentially code for the PC industry, while "vertical integration" implies doing both the software and the hardware -- which Apple has been … Read more

When you install memory in most Mac systems, provided everything went well, the computer will simply boot with a new memory capacity. However, on the Mac Pro you might see a tool called Apple Memory Utility launch to indicate a new memory configuration has been detected.

This tool should show only once and state whether or not the installed memory is in the recommended slot configuration for optimal performance. In some cases, however, this tool may load every time you boot the system after upgrading. While it can be dismissed by pressing the OK button, having it load each time … Read more

LG, seemingly unable to keep a secret, today teased a 5.5-inch version of the Optimus G Pro.

Presumably arriving in late February at Mobile World Congress, the handset aims to take on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

A teaser image posted on an LG Facebook page provides an early glimpse of the larger, yet familiar design. Although the official details for the 5.5-inch handset are light, early rumors suggest that a quad-core 1.7GHz processor, 2GB RAM, and a 13-megapixel camera are in order. For all practical purposes, the new phone looks to be a larger take on … Read more

Apple today dropped the prices in its line of MacBook Pro laptops with Retina display while boosting processor speeds.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina now starts $1,499, or $200 less than before. The higher-capacity 256GB version costs $1,699, or $300 cheaper than the original price. The processor clock speed also gets boosted to 2.6 gigahertz from 2.5GHz.

The 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina gets a speed boost, with the lower-end version getting its clock speed bumped up to 2.4GHz from 2.3GHz, and the higher-end version getting bumped up to 2.7GHz quad-core processor … Read more

Don't try to repair Microsoft's Surface Pro tablet yourself.

That's the advice from the folks at iFixit, which rated the Surface Pro a mere 1 on a 10-point scale of repairability, with 10 being the easiest to repair.

The firm found that there are more than 90 screws in the device, and that there was a high risk of cutting a crucial wire just by opening the tablet, potentially destroying it. Likewise, the display assembly is also extremely difficult to remove and replace. There's also a lot of adhesive used in the tablet.

"Unless you … Read more

Microsoft's new Intel-powered tablet isn't being advertised as a gaming platform, but maybe it should.

The Surface Pro handles Diablo III and Portal 2 at near-maximum settings, according to a post by Jason Evangelho at Forbes.com.

Gamers "represent an important -- and arguably sizable -- potential demographic for Microsoft. As the company knows from its wildly successful Xbox platform," he wrote.

At the moment, Microsoft is marketing Surface as a business tool, with no mention of its gaming chops.

The closest it gets is ad copy about Intel's laptop-class Core i5 processor and the … Read more