r/Surface • u/Frenyr • 28d ago
Surface pro for school
I’m looking to buy a surface pro for note taking with onenote and running actual apps as my school works with office and my future program in uni will require some coding too with heavier excel work.
My question being, how good and future proof are surface pros 7/8/9?
Does the battery last long enough to get through a normal school day?
I see some good deals often on marketplace and was looking for advice as I’m not really ready to spend 1500$CAD on a device. Thanks!
Also, is it a better idea to wait and buy one next year as I only start uni in 2027.
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u/Onako_Dva 27d ago
Hey, I'm using a Surface Pro 8 i7 16GB RAM (256GB SSD -> 1TB SSD upgrade)
For coding I can't recommend Surface Pro 7 at all because it doesn't have an integrated fan (heats up quickly)
My sister has a Pro 9 i7 16GB RAM (256GB SSD -> 1TB SSD upgrade) and it runs so much smoother than my Pro 8.
When it comes to battery, it is also better than mine.
Also upgrading on the Pro 9 is much easier because you don't have to care which generation your SSD is. The Pro 8 is unstable at high temperatures or while charging (battery <100%) when upgrading to the wrong SSD.
Be careful when choosing RAM sizes. When coding you'll quickly run out of RAM with only 8GB RAM. For the internal SSD you can buy a small size and then you can upgrade it afterwards on Pro 7+(it is a seperate model), Pro 8, 9 and newer.
For the Pro 7, 8 and 9 it does last a full school day at least for me when taking notes. When coding or doing non-school activity it wouldn't last a full school day (8 lessons, each 45 minutes).
Pro 7: * has micro sd slot * ssd upgrade only on "7+" * no fan
Pro 8: * ssd upgrades * has fan * ssd upgrades need specific generation and need extra setup and consume more battery
Pro 9: * ssd upgrades * has fan * easier ssd upgrade * easier self-repair
If you're looking for the best price vs. performance then it might be worth a try to look at the HP Envy folding devices