Buying A 'Refurbished' Surface Pro From eBay... Should You?

Recently I bought a very cheap $191 AUD ($120 USD) Microsoft Surface Pro 5 tablet / laptop off of eBay. Was it worth the money and is it still usable here in 2023? Let's find out :) #laptop #cheap #opera

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Nathan Sivewright
Parcel Collect 10045 46100
Shop 4 254 Curtis Road
Munno Para SA 5115

Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Specifications:
Intel Core i5 7300U Dual Core Processor
8GB 1867MHz Ram (Dual Channel)
256GB SSD (Not Removable)
Intel HD 620 Graphics
12.3" PixelSense 2736 x 1824 Display

[OverTallman]

Throwing $0.02 on the Surface Pro experience here:

I've been using my SP7 for three years and it's been one of my best computer purchases: light, versatile, built-in kickstand, nice 3:2 screen, decent performance. I took it wherever I go: my workplace, church, Starbucks, hotels while I was on trips. Turns heads whenever I take it out.

Don't really agree on typing on the Type Cover being poor, it's one of the better made detachable keyboards, I've gone through two of them and they're both solid. Perhaps the rubber domes in Nathan's have been worn?

The Type Cover is pretty rigid (considering its thickness) and its full size layout and tactile keys made the typing experience enjoyable, though the keys do need some force to press, kinda like Cherry MX Brown switches. It's not ThinkPad keyboard good but I'm happy to type documents with it.

Performance is great for a Windows tablet as it's got a quad core CPU and decent integrated graphics, many Windows tablets use Intel "small core" processors and are much slower. 8GB doesn't sound a lot but it's still fine for everyday tasks, just keep RAM usage on check and you won't have issue with it, I even have installed Bluestacks to run some Android apps and games and the speed is comparable to my Android tablet. I've also occasionally used an SP5 (same as Nathan's) from my previous job and it was fine for office work.

Storage space is on the low side as mine's the plebeian 8GB RAM + 128GB SSD model, but there's a microSD card behind the kickstand for storage expansion.

Battery life of SP7 is its weak point, around 4-6 hours of battery depending of use. It also runs quite warm when worked hard but it's not dangerously hot. SP5's battery life is quite a bit longer from my experience, not as warm as my SP7 too.

Now speaking of using Windows with a touchscreen, while Windows UI is indeed not as touch-friendly as Android or iOS (or even Windows Mobile) it can be improved with some tweaking. Touch actions are similar to Android and iOS (tap = left click, tap and hold = right click) though dragging is slightly different. Also you need to try and find which programs work well on touchscreens, modern MS software are usually good at that, some third party programs (especially older ones) are not.

Anyway, whenever you get a Surface tablet be sure to get the Type Cover for it as well. Touchscreen for touch friendly apps, keyboard and trackpad for legacy stuff.

And my few advices on keeping your Surface Pro mint: (also applicable to Go models)
1. Put on a screen protector otherwise the keys will leave marks on the screen or worse, damage the anti-glare coating. Highly recommend a matte one if you plan to frequently use it outside.
2. Get a protective case (even if it makes the device chunky), this not only protects the device but also prevents the Type Cover edges from fraying. My first keyboard has gone bad (ribbon cable connection went loose) after 2.5 years of use and frequent detaching/attaching, but the edges were still like new.
3. Transport it with a protective sleeve if possible but that's also true for normal laptops.

[rrwholloway]

As long as you get the 8gb ram and 256gb ssd one with a reasonable battery it's a very good buy. Don't expect any AAA gaming, but it's great for stuff from a few years ago. It's great for reading magazines using the Cover app and you have a full windows pc with you in a tiny package.

[CariHere]

I had gotten one of these new as a gift, unfortunately it only had 4gb of ram and became outdated by a few years later. It was a good device but it got very hot when you did anything even slightly intensive.

I actually did use it for some gaming, my classmates were very impressed that cs:go ran on it

[jasonbaker]

I used the surface pro with the i7 back in 2020 when I was in quality department at Snap-on Power Tools before I went back to machining. It worked great for what i was doing (mainly pulling blueprints/processes and running excel and outlook). I use an old 7th gen iPad at home.

[kizmaboi]

I bought a dell latitude 5290 2 in 1 (Pretty much a surface clone). Aside from a few dinks on the outside, it's actually pretty effective as a portable system.

[FuzeFyreGreenFerret]

I bought the surface pro 6 on eBay also for a pretty good deal. Honestly I don't regret it given how cheap it was

[thebasketballhistorian]

If you get a Surface Pen, it becomes a great drawing, photo retouching, and note taking device.

The keyboard you get used to after awhile and grow to appreciate how little strain it puts on the fingers. I've done massive typing sessions on that detachable keyboard.

[redditreads]

Hi Nathan, being that the SSD is non removable what was the remaining health on the drive

[jj_mccarron]

i bought a used surface pro 7+ on ebay a couple of months ago, has an i7 with 16gb of ram and i got it for under £500. the 7+ is the first one to have a replaceable ssd which i did straight away and its the most versatile and enjoyable device ive used in ages! if you're reading this comment and want a surface, go for that one!

[GrandPotatoe]

The weird Laptop/Tablet hybrid thing that couldn't really do either all that well.

[TheSpotify]

I'm a big fan of these Surface devices - portable for when you need it, but still reasonable performance.
The one I have is the even older Surface Pro 3, which has a 4th gen i5, 4GB RAM and 128GB storage only, and yes, they are a pain to take apart. I wouldn't even attempt to disassemble one of these - and the component that is most likely to fail, the battery, is firmly glued down and therefore not easy to replace.
If needed, I would happily purchase a newer model, such as a Surface Pro 5 or 6 (or maybe the 7). I'd also look for the i7 one (with the fan), as well as the 16GB (or 32GB if they made one) RAM version.

[rleproductions]

Super happy for you of how your channel has succeeded! As this being the last video here will be a bit sad, but im excited for the new videos to come in the new place!

[UntrainableWizard]

Great and helpful video. I've not even been looking into these for anything rough, I want one for Cloud gaming when I'm out-and-about, and discovered that they're cheaper (about £100 to £150) than the average 1080p 12+ " portable displays on Amazon, with the advantage of not needing to plug my phone into it, or a power supply. (They also seem quite light)
I hope the Surface I get wasn't expecting to do anything useful or productive in its cold mechanical life, because it's going to spend 99% of it's time in a bag, and streaming games... (EDIT: eh- and maybe reading some comics... I'll just download a Tablet interface front-end for Windows because Windows tablet mode is like Hell incarnate)

[rollingtroll]

Looking forward to the caravan videos.
Decent price for this relatively modern surface. I am not sure why I'd want a detachable screen (I sold my iPad as I have no idea what to do with it, really. Got a laptop, got a phone, what does the iPad add?) but for that price, it's actually still a pretty capable 'laptop'.

[metalgjohn]

There is a micro SD card port on the back for storage expansion. My mum owed a Surface for years and complained the internal storage was full having never noticed this hidden port. 😂

[Crypt]

That Eucalyptus oil really brings back memories!

[mememe]

That front camera looked suprisingly good!

[WillWatchAnything]

I bought an older Surface Pro 3 awhile ago and it’s usable for basic tasks but gets sluggish if you try to push it. Also despite it having a cooling fan it does tend to run pretty hot. Not a bad device portable device but my iPad is much better.

[AVsNetworks]

Felt the hard work in your eyes at the end for real, all the best mate !!! We'd love to continue watching your content 👍👍

[matthewgumabon]

I rocked an i7 Surface Pro 4 back around 2017. For a university student, these things were expensive, but I thought it was worth it just for the display. Everything looked beautiful on it, and the 3:2 aspect ratio and pen functionality made the device feel like an actual notebook and fit among books comfortably.