When it launched back in 2012, Microsoft’s (MSFT) Surface was little more than a reference design for the company’s Windows 8 operating system. Unfortunately, Windows 8 was a disaster. But the Surface hardware proved to be a diamond in the rough thanks to its simple, 2-in-1 laptop-tablet design.

Which brings us to the new Surface Pro. The follow-up to Microsoft’s excellent Surface Pro 4, the new Surface Pro — there’s no number designation for this one — builds on the successes of its predecessor with improved performance, a new, more flexible kickstand and an upgraded stylus. And while you’ll now have to shell out an extra $100 to get the whole package, it’s still worth the price of admission.

View photos Microsoft’s Surface Pro is a winner, but its pen will cost you. More

Haven’t we met before?

I’d be both impressed and a bit concerned if you could tell the difference between the Surface Pro 4 and new Surface Pro at a glance. That’s because the new Pro’s design hews so closely to its predecessor that any changes are incredibly subtle at best.

View photos The Surface Pro and the Surface Pro 4. More

Microsoft points to the system’s newly curved edges and the lack of fan vents — on the Intel Core m3 and i5-powered versions only — as some of the 2-in-1’s most distinct changes.

At this point, I wish Microsoft would revamp the design a bit. Still, the fact that the company managed to pack a Core i5 processor into a device without a fan to keep it cool is seriously impressive. I, however, have the Core i7-powered model, which does have a fan and vent. But it’s not like it sounds like a jet engine or anything.

View photos The Surface Pro is certainly handsome. More

The biggest physical change to the Pro is its new kickstand. Now you can lean the Surface all the way back 165 degrees until it’s essentially flat on its back. Microsoft says this is to help make it easier for people who want to write on the Surface using their Surface Pen or use the Surface Dial accessory.

One of the best features of the Surface is its display. That’s been the case for the past few generations of Surface devices, and it’s no different this time around. The Pro’s 12.3-inch screen is beautiful, especially when using Microsoft apps like Office, Edge or others.

View photos The Surface Pro’s kickstand is a yoga master. More

A slick stylus for a price

This time around, the Surface team improved the device’s display to work better with the new Surface Pen stylus. According to Microsoft, the Pen is more sensitive than its predecessor and suffers from less latency. The company says it cut down the response time for the Pen to 21 milliseconds. Microsoft also added a tilt feature to the Pen so you can create wide strokes with the stylus when you tilt it.

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