 Ever since Microsoft's launch of the Surface almost four years ago, companies have been trying to make a tablet that can also work as a laptop or productivity device. Microsoft is four generations in on its attempt, and Apple is now in the game with the iPad Pro. But one of the best executions on this idea is coming from an unlikely place. It's Samsung's Galaxy Tab Pro S. Size up the Tab Pro S against the Surface Pro 4 or the iPad Pro and you find a lot of similarities. 12-inch screen? Check. Thin and light design? Check. Detachable keyboard? Check. Big battery? Check. But what really sets the Tab Pro S apart is how all these parts are put together. For starters, the $899 price includes a sleek keyboard case, which isn't included with the Surface or iPad Pro. That keyboard case is better than both Microsoft's and Apple's. It feels a bit cheap and flimsy, but it's surprisingly easy to type on. And while the trackpad is small, it's smooth and easy to scroll with. Fold it all up and it's thinner and more felt than the iPad Pro or the Microsoft Surface. What makes it really better than the Surface, though, is that when you use it on a desk or an airplane seat tray, it doesn't take up nearly as much space. There's a flat bottom so I can easily type on it when it's on my lap. And it doesn't have such a short typing area that it feels like the tablet's going to tip over like the iPad Pro does. The Tab Pro S does other things well, too. It has a display that's really bright and vibrant. It's a giant Super AMOLED panel, just like what Samsung uses on its phones. And it has a 2 to 3 aspect ratio that's ideal for browsing the web or working in Word or Excel. Samsung quotes a really long 10 and a half hour battery life based on looping video. But in my experience with real world usage, using Chrome with 10 to 12 tabs open, multitasking between apps, etc., I got closer to 6 hours of battery life. That's enough to get from New York to California, but it's not quite as long as an iPad can muster. Performance on the Tab Pro S is pretty good. It never gets sluggish or bogged down when you're doing basic tasks. You can't really game on it and it's not ideal for heavy photo or video editing, but for web browsing and using apps it works fine. The biggest limitation with it is that it only has 4GB of RAM. Often time Chrome tabs would have to reload after just a few minutes away, which is really annoying when I'm trying to multitask. And like any other Windows 10 tablet, the Tab Pro S really isn't that great when you disconnect it from the keyboard case. Its size is too unwieldy for casual reading, and while there are lots of great productivity apps for Windows 10, there aren't nearly as many for casual entertainment. So what the Tab Pro S is, is a great travel computer for someone who has the luxury of having a more powerful machine at their desk. Unless you're a really light user, it's not an ideal primary computer. It's got a single USB-C port, 4GB of RAM, and it's a fairly small size. It's pretty limiting. Windows 10 just needs a bit more oomph to spread its wings. So if you're looking for a travel computer that can pretty much go anywhere and get almost anything you need done, the Galaxy Tab Pro S is worth a serious look.
 Ever since Microsoft's launch of the Surface almost four years ago, companies have been
 trying to make a tablet that can also work as a laptop or productivity device.
 Microsoft is four generations in on its attempt, and Apple is now in the game with the iPad
 Pro.
 But one of the best executions on this idea is coming from an unlikely place.
 It's Samsung's Galaxy Tab Pro S.
 Size up the Tab Pro S against the Surface Pro 4 or the iPad Pro and you find a lot of
 similarities.
 12-inch screen?
 Check.
 Thin and light design?
 Check.
 Detachable keyboard?
 Check.
 Big battery?
 Check.
 But what really sets the Tab Pro S apart is how all these parts are put together.
 For starters, the $899 price includes a sleek keyboard case, which isn't included with
 the Surface or iPad Pro.
 That keyboard case is better than both Microsoft's and Apple's.
 It feels a bit cheap and flimsy, but it's surprisingly easy to type on.
 And while the trackpad is small, it's smooth and easy to scroll with.
 Fold it all up and it's thinner and more felt than the iPad Pro or the Microsoft Surface.
 What makes it really better than the Surface, though, is that when you use it on a desk
 or an airplane seat tray, it doesn't take up nearly as much space.
 There's a flat bottom so I can easily type on it when it's on my lap.
 And it doesn't have such a short typing area that it feels like the tablet's going
 to tip over like the iPad Pro does.
 The Tab Pro S does other things well, too.
 It has a display that's really bright and vibrant.
 It's a giant Super AMOLED panel, just like what Samsung uses on its phones.
 And it has a 2 to 3 aspect ratio that's ideal for browsing the web or working in Word
 or Excel.
 Samsung quotes a really long 10 and a half hour battery life based on looping video.
 But in my experience with real world usage, using Chrome with 10 to 12 tabs open, multitasking
 between apps, etc., I got closer to 6 hours of battery life.
 That's enough to get from New York to California, but it's not quite as long as an iPad can
 muster.
 Performance on the Tab Pro S is pretty good.
 It never gets sluggish or bogged down when you're doing basic tasks.
 You can't really game on it and it's not ideal for heavy photo or video editing, but
 for web browsing and using apps it works fine.
 The biggest limitation with it is that it only has 4GB of RAM.
 Often time Chrome tabs would have to reload after just a few minutes away, which is really
 annoying when I'm trying to multitask.
 And like any other Windows 10 tablet, the Tab Pro S really isn't that great when you
 disconnect it from the keyboard case.
 Its size is too unwieldy for casual reading, and while there are lots of great productivity
 apps for Windows 10, there aren't nearly as many for casual entertainment.
 So what the Tab Pro S is, is a great travel computer for someone who has the luxury of
 having a more powerful machine at their desk.
 Unless you're a really light user, it's not an ideal primary computer.
 It's got a single USB-C port, 4GB of RAM, and it's a fairly small size.
 It's pretty limiting.
 Windows 10 just needs a bit more oomph to spread its wings.
 So if you're looking for a travel computer that can pretty much go anywhere and get almost
 anything you need done, the Galaxy Tab Pro S is worth a serious look.