The Surface Pro 4

Earlier this year, I received my third Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (SP4) in less than three years. While that must not sound very good, let me tell you about it in a bit.

I bought the SP4 to replace an older laptop, a 2012 Dell Inspiron 14R SE 7420, which tended to overheat and shutdown seemingly at random even after having its motherboard replaced. Once, I lost a whole day's worth of work when the computer suddenly shut down. I was still working on my PhD then, so it was really frustrating. Though I was already saving all my work files in the cloud, somehow, perhaps due to the unreliable Wi-Fi connection at the part of the building I was working, even the synced files were corrupted.

So, in January 2016, I ordered an SP4 from Microsoft's official store on Lazada. It was a mid-range model with an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, and 256GB SSD with a Surface Pen bundled. Completing the package, I also bought a blue Type Cover and a Microsoft Arc Touch mouse. I have to have a mouse.

The best thing about the SP4 is the size, which is marginally smaller than an A4 paper. Having used to carrying full-size laptops around, the SP4 feels virtually weightless. I am very happy with the performance too. Though not particular to the SP4, having a solid-state drive instead of a traditional spinning hard drive makes a huge difference in speed, especially at startup and shutdown. I also love the display, which feels large despite its 12.3-inch size.

However, I have not got used to using the Surface Pen. Perhaps it is because I always have a mouse and the Arc Touch is wonderful. I also find the Surface Pen laggy. Part of the appeal of the SP4 is the 2-in-1 format: detach the Type Cover and you have a powerful tablet that runs full desktop applications. However, the SP4 is too big for a tablet and not comfortable to hold for an extended period. As far as tablets go, the iPad's dimensions are hard to beat. So I use the SP4 primarily as a notebook, for which a mouse is much more convenient to use than a stylus. I only found out that the Surface Pen has run out of juice when I dug it out recently to create a digital signature.

Back to the SP4, mine was affected by the flickering screen problem Microsoft never solved. For a long time, I didn't even know that it was a problem. I actually thought that it was my eyes after staring at the screen too long. Along the way, the SP4 also developed problems with its battery and power supply. The battery of my SP4 could hardly last two hours and shut down over the weekend would leave the battery complete drained on Monday morning. Unfortunately, the warranty had lapsed by the time I figured out that my SP4 had a defective battery.

The battery problem became much worse when the charger failed. Specifically, the power cable broke where it connected to the charger. It was one of those times I wished that I had the skills to split the thing open and repair it myself. Quite clearly, it was a design flaw. Instead of buying an expensive original replacement from Microsoft, I found a cheaper and better third-party replacement online.

This was around the time Microsoft announced a worldwide replacement programme for devices affected by the flickering screen. I could not believe it. I called them up, confirmed that my SP4 qualified for replacement, and received a 'new' refurbished machine within ten days. But that was not the end of the story. The replacement machine would not recognise my Type Cover so I had to have it replaced a second time.

That was how I ended up with my third SP4 in three years. In spite of everything, I am happy with the machine. My third SP4 is exactly like the first, minus the flickering screen and poor battery. I have also added more accessories: an Ethernet adaptor, a Surface Dock for use at home, and a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adaptor. And when the time comes to eventually replace the SP4, I will definitely consider another Surface.

Aphorism | Demesne

APHORISM

NOUN
A pithy observation which contains a general truth.
A concise statement of a scientific principle, typically by a classical author.

Origin
Early 16th century: from French aphorisme or late Latin aphorismus, from Greek aphorismos ‘definition’, from aphorizein ‘define’.

Oxford Dictionaries

DEMESNE
/dɪˈmeɪn/, /dɪˈmiːn/

NOUN
historical
A piece of land attached to a manor and retained by the owner for their own use.
The lands of an estate.
(archaic) A region or domain.

law
[mass noun] Possession of real property in one's own right.

Origin
Middle English: from Old French demeine (later Anglo-Norman French demesne) ‘belonging to a lord’, from Latin dominicus, from dominus ‘lord, master’. Compare with domain.

Oxford Dictionaries

Two words from Cory Doctorow's latest novel, Walkaway. I have came across 'aphorism' many times before, but its meaning just never stuck with me. 'Demesne', however, was new.

Leitmotif

/ˈlʌɪtməʊˌtiːf/
(also leitmotiv)

NOUN
A recurrent theme throughout a musical or literary composition, associated with a particular person, idea, or situation.
‘there are two leitmotifs in his score marking the heroine and her Fairy Godmother’

Origin
Late 19th century: from German Leitmotiv, from leit- ‘leading’ (from leiten ‘to lead’) + Motiv ‘motive’.

Oxford Dictionaries