Image: Eve

Niche Finnish hardware brand Eve thinks its forthcoming Eve V can outshine the gold standard in Windows 10 hardware, Microsoft's popular Surface Pro 4.

For now, the Intel-backed Eve V is just a prototype with on-paper specs that have been honed down over months of asking fans what they want in Windows 10 hardware. The company has now finalized those specs and held them up against Microsoft's Surface Pro 4.

Since Microsoft hasn't updated the Surface Pro since Intel released its seventh-generation Core processors, Eve boasts that its hardware will outshine Microsoft on this front, while matching the Surface Pro 4 memory, configurable with either 8GB or 16GB RAM.

The Eve V will also feature up to 512GB SSD storage, two full-sized USB ports, one USB-C port, and a Thunderbolt 3 USB-C port.

It not only matches the Surface Pro 4's 12.3 inch LCD screen size and resolution, but packs a battery with 20 percent more capacity. As Eve recently revealed, its Windows 10 2-in-1 will also have a fingerprint reader and GPS, neither of which is offered by the Surface Pro 4.

Eve has also opted for four speakers over the Surface Pro 4's dual setup, and will include noise-canceling microphones. It eschewed the Surface Pro's 8MP and 5MP cameras, for a 5MP and 2MP setup. After all, who takes photos with a tablet?

Based on community feedback, Eve also settled on a wireless backlit keyboard with a touchpad by Synaptics. Eve claims its hardware will have a continuous typing battery life of 15 hours.

The one catch is that the Eve V will only available to 500 backers during its Indiegogo campaign, which starts later this month.

Arriving at the final design through surveys posed a number of challenges for Eve. For example, most fans said they are unhappy with the battery life of their current device. But while they are willing to accept a heavier device if the battery life is better, they also want a slimmer device.

Eve's makers contend that by looking at their own preferences for battery life and mobility, they came up with an attractive compromise.

"In our hearts we knew the answer to the age-old 'how long?' question for us was: 10 to 12 hours of continuous use. Extending the thickness a little bit gave us also the possibility to factor in the USB A ports. To achieve the high-performance requirements, we designed Eve V's interiors to hide in a high-capacity battery, totaling 48 lithium-ion powered Watt hours. That's over 20 percent more capacity than Surface Pro 4 or MacBook 12. And roughly the same as the new MacBook Pro," they write.

Microsoft's power-management problems in the Surface Pro 4 have proved a major source of angst for users and Eve claims it has focused on that too, with "custom algorithms, enabling smart power management".

Fans are also sensitive to the quality of the keyboard, with 89 percent urging Eve to spend more on a sturdy one, and go for a high-quality trackpad.

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