I've been using Surface devices as a primary computers since the Surface RT launched back in 2012. Going back to something more 'traditional' simply isn't an option anymore.

Before I joined Windows Central, I worked as an I.T. coordinator for an umbrella organization, providing tech support and deployment to various types of businesses. I've been through a ton of computing hardware during my time there, on the budget side, to the mid-range, all the way up to high-end. I keep coming back to Surface. The benefits of Surface, for me, extend beyond their versatility. Microsoft created Surface to give OEMs a bit of direction in an age where Apple laptops are considered the pinnacle of premium. It took a long time to get to this point, but in 2016, I think that Surface finally represents how the best Windows hardware experiences should feel. Surface RT

The ill-fated Surface RT failed to light the world on fire, but in my book, it offered the promise of a future where Windows would be truly device agnostic. And now, it feels very much like we're nearly there. Best VPN providers 2020: Learn about ExpressVPN, NordVPN & more The Surface RT ran an ARM-based version of Windows 8, making it virtually impossible to run traditional, Win32 .exe programs. My old gaming PC had died on me and at least in the interim, all I needed was a browser, some apps and perhaps word processing, having moved my gaming to Xbox. Windows 8 was controversial for its touch-based leanings, but on a device like the Surface RT, it was damn near-perfect. Even Apple is attempting to emulate some of RT's most intuitive aspects in their suspiciously familiar iPad Pro.

The Surface RT was lightweight and had decent battery life, solid build quality, and incredible value. My company was purchasing them from Microsoft at £99 ($142) through an educational discount. They even included the intriguing, but cumbersome fabric-based touch cover – which lacked physical keys. It's pretty standard now, but we ran one of the first schools in my town that were able to turn any classroom into a computer suite, utilizing a portable cabinet of Surface RTs. Ironically, that school now uses Chromebooks for the same purpose. Microsoft stopped offering the cheap first-generation Surface RT, and the RT-based Surface 2 was far more expensive than an equivalent Chromebooks. Still, students and faculty lamented the Windows RT, finding it to be more familiar – even in its unpopular Windows 8 incarnation. The Surface RT struggled with its identity as an "iPad with a keyboard", lacking quality apps. Microsoft paid for it with a near billion-dollar write-down of unsold Surface RT inventory. Even though the Surface RT failed to ignite the brand, one of my previous company's subsidiary bosses still runs his entire business from one, using an external display and Office 365. It still works as new. Perhaps more companies would have picked up Surface RT were it not for some of its confusing and ill-advised marketing…

Windows on ARM processors lives on as Windows 10 Mobile, delivering unique experiences like Continuum on devices up to nine inches. Hardware like the upcoming HP Elite X3 phone, with its Continuum dock, would likely be an incredible Surface RT replacement for my former colleague. It remains to be seen whether businesses will be deterred by the price, however. As much as I liked my RT, I had decided it was time to buy something to replace my desktop PC. Thankfully, Microsoft had just released the Surface Pro 2. Surface Pro 2

All Surface Pro devices run the full version of Windows on Intel processors, which is a fact I still find myself explaining to people. I skipped the first Surface Pro, sticking it out with the Surface RT. When the Pro 2 was announced I found myself unable to resist as it improved heavily on the Pro 1's notoriously poor battery life. The Surface Pro 2 was chunky, far more than the RT, and far more than you'd want from a tablet experience. Overall, the Pro 2 was still tidier than many laptops of similar specs. I rarely used the Pro 2 in tablet mode in a recreational setting, but found the form factor, coupled with the pen inputs and OneNote, really enhanced my workflow productivity. I was now able to follow teachers around one of the school's I provided support to, writing out their I.T. problems into OneNote while standing, rather than trying to remember every detail, every serial number, etcetera. Of course, it was entirely possible to do this with my Lumia 920 as well, but being able to take photographs of faulty hardware and annotate them felt a little more natural on the larger tablet screen. Windows Phone 8 didn't even have Word Flow swipe typing back then either.

It was around this time I began producing content as a blogger. Thanks to the Surface Pro 2 running full Windows, I was able to design and build a site using Adobe Suite, something that proved difficult on the Windows 8 Store-bound RT. The Pro 2 was even capable of running older games fairly competently, such as World of Warcraft and The Witcher 1, making it a decent gaming travel companion (or procrastination tool while at work, ahem). I found myself eagerly working around the Pro 2's problems, simply because its versatility and uniqueness was just so fun. As great as the Pro 2 was, it was still a little too clunky. The "tablet that can replace your laptop" tagline didn't hold up. Using the tablet on the sofa or in bed wasn't a particularly pleasant experience due to its weight, and the flat type cover and kickstand made it hard to use in your lap. These issues were compounded by the Windows 8.1 app store. At the time, Windows Phone had a much better app experience for leisurely computing. Even if I was desk-bound, I found myself eagerly working around the Pro 2's problems, simply because its versatility and uniqueness was just so fun. It was an excellent device for productivity, albeit inelegant. It was fast, intuitive with touch, and I found myself using the pen inputs far more often than expected. I'm not much of an artist, but it inspired me to try and learn. The Surface Pro line laid bare Microsoft's ambitions for an adaptable Windows, with apps capable of conforming to multiple types of displays simply by examining the screen dimensions and available input methods. I expected Windows 10 on a Surface Pro 3 to nail the proposition of power and mobility, but after a year of heavy use, I think it slightly missed the mark. Surface Pro 3

I traded up my Pro 2 with an Intel Core i5 processor to a Surface Pro 3 packing a Core i7, and initially, I was thoroughly blown away. The Surface Pro 3 tablet portion was thinner and lighter, making it far more usable away from the desk. The kickstand ditched the fixed positions of its predecessors and was now omni-positional — never faltering after a year of pretty serious abuse. My favorite addition was the new screen size. The Pro 2 featured a 10.6-inch display, which was not particularly comfortable on the eyes. The Pro 3 bumped it all the way up to 12.1 inches, with a higher resolution for good measure. On the face of it, the Surface Pro 3 made a compelling argument for the 2-in-1, and saw the brand begin to hit some serious traction. More and more apps were utilizing some of Windows' and Windows Phone's unique features as well, such as cloud-based authentication and settings migration, making the ecosystem experience even better. After the initial buzz had worn off, it became apparent that the Surface Pro 3 still wasn't capable of fully replacing a similarly-priced laptop for tasks that utilize the full capacity of its hardware. Many Surface Pro 3 owners are likely aware of the system's dreaded throttling, which sees the CPU pull back the speed to prevent overheating. Even basic tasks like browsing the web often induced processor throttling on my Pro 3. While the problem got better over time with updates, overheating seemed to be a physical consequence of squeezing so much powerful hardware into such a small device. Is #XboxOne game streaming at the breakfast table rude? A photo posted by Jez (@jezcorden) on Apr 28, 2016 at 1:54am PDT I tried to circumvent this issue by using an external fan; it helped to a degree, particularly when attempting to game or use Adobe Premier for video editing, but it was quite clear that I'd pushed the Pro 3 to its limits. Still, I have to praise the Pro 3. I used it all day, every day, from the point of purchase until the day I got my Surface Book. It didn't crash on me once, never blue screened, and it survived some serious blows in the course of my worldly travels. If it weren't for the processor overheating issues, I'd probably still be using it today. I had the choice of upgrading to a Surface Pro 4, with its superior cooling, or something even more powerful. As I was using my Surface Pro 3 more and more intensively, I eventually decided to upgrade to something with a dedicated GPU. Surface Book