My Surface Pro 6

My Surface Pro 6

The first computer that I’ve owned was a P4 based desktop that was gifted to me by my grandmother. It had a ‘huge’ 40GB disk space and 128mb of RAM; we had to buy a separate computer table and allocate a corner in the house for the computer.  Over the years, I have been using several laptops provided by my company. Though the laptops were convenient, the bulkiness factor was always there. It was necessary to separately carry a brick (the charger), a mouse, plus a notebook for taking notes. I could not avoid all of this in the office as personal devices were not allowed. But when I joined the ePGP program, it was irritating to lug everything around.

The solution came to me in the form of the Surface Pro, 2-in-1 from the Microsoft stable. I have been a fan of the Surface since the time it was released in 2012. I used to watch reviews and unboxing videos of every edition since then. It was a special moment for me when I got to unbox my own Surface.

My cousin, who works in Microsoft got me my Surface when he returned from the US from an official trip. The version that I got is Surface Pro 6, and it has the following specifications

·       Intel 8^th Generation i5 Processor

·       8GB RAM

·       Microsoft Surface Type cover

·       Surface Pen

·       128 GB Disk Space with an extra 128 GB through the SD Card

I got all of these for 70,000/- rupees which is a pretty good deal (almost 25% cheaper than Indian e-commerce sites and electronics stores)

Surface On my cluttered Desk!!

I have been using the Surface for the past five months, and my experiences are listed below

Pros

·       It is very light in weight around 1kg including the type cover and the pen

·       One doesn’t fell the requirement of a laptop after using a Surface

·       You don’t need to use a separate mouse unless you are working on specific applications

·       The surface pen has eliminated my requirement of a notebook.

·       The charging adapter has a USB port, through which I can charge my phone too.

·       The kickstand is lovely as it accommodates reading, writing and typing in many angles

·       I could read and highlight documents anywhere

·       It is a good conversation starter!!

·       Kids love colouring with the pen.

Cons

·       The touch sometimes misbehaves if touched with grubby fingers

·       Thought the pen attaches itself magnetically with the surface, I always have the fear that it will fall off, this is especially true at airport security checks.

·       I keep reaching out to the screen on my office laptop ☹ (If it can be considered a con!!)

Overall it is an excellent investment for someone who needs a lightweight device and does not compromise on quality and performance. Microsoft has recently released Surface pro 7 with 10th generation Intel processors and the USB C port, However i feel Surface pro 6 is still value for money as of now. You can check it on Amazon India using the following link.

“V Srinivasa Iyer is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.in.”

Being Vegetarian

Being Vegetarian

I have been a Lacto-vegetarian for most part of my life as we are Tamil Brahmins who by practice do not include egg or meat in their diet. The only instants when I became a lacto-ova Vegetarian was when for a brief period I was advised egg by doctors for extra nutrition or when I unintentionally had a cake or a pastry made with eggs. Folks in my family get queasy when they smell non-vegetarian food or are sitting next to someone who is eating one. Over the years, I have got accustomed to the sights and smells of non-vegetarian food being eaten next to me.

What irks me is the attitude of some people who discover that I am a vegetarian. They invariably come up with a cockeyed story of a Brahmin friend of theirs who gulps non-vegetarian food as if he/she was a crocodile in their last birth!! Whether all of them make up the story or they really have a friend like that is a big mystery. I really wonder whether these people say this just because they are too dumb to come with a conversation starter or are biased towards vegetarians. I have also come across total jerks that derive a sadistic pleasure in trying to trick me into having non-vegetarian fare. There are even others who think we are cows that eat only leaves and grass!!! They find it difficult to comprehend that there are many tasty and innovative dishes that are available.

On the other hand, I have come across very good friends, colleagues and strangers who go to great lengths in trying to accommodate my vegetarian palette.

I am curious to know if it’s only me or there are others who also have had similar experiences. I would love hear your experiences about being a vegetarian. Do write to me in the comments section below.