Microsoft Surface Pro

The Microsoft Surface Pro is a x86 tablet. Optionally are a cover with keyboard and a digitizer/stylus. The good thing about the surface is that is as handy and mobile as a tablet but has the performance (cpu, ram, ssd) and software of a x86 notebook. And you get FullHD display resolution on 27 cm.

operating systems

The cpu is amd64 and the UEFI is also 64 bit. This way only amd64 based software seems to boot.

operating system	Version / File	Installer booting?
debian	debian-9.0.0-amd64-netinst.iso	true
devuan	devuan_jessie_1.0.0_amd64_NETINST.iso	false
FreeBSD	FreeBSD-11.0-RELEASE-amd64-mini-memstick.img	true
gentoo	install-amd64-minimal-20170629.iso	false
gentoo	livedvd-amd64-multilib-20160704.iso	true
gnewsense	gnewsense-live-4.0-amd64-gnome.iso	false
guixSD	guixsd-usb-install-0.13.0.x86_64-linux.xz	true
OpenWrt	lede-17.01.2-x86-64-combined-squashfs.img	false
NetBSD	7.1 amd64 install.img	false
OpenBSD	6.1 amd64 install.fs	true
ReactOS	0.4.5 i386	false

Hardware problems

• The WiFi chip is connected via USB.
• There is only one USB2.0 connector.
• There is no Ethernet connector.
• To use use the keyboard you are forced to sit on a table. It's hard to put it on your belly like you would do with a notebook.

Tricks

UEFI

Hold volume up button while pressing the power button.

The UEFI provides only two options. En-/Disabling trusted platform module and En-/Disable SecureBoot.

USB Boot

Hold volume down button while pressing the power button.

Bookmarks / Advertisments

• Surface at Wikipedia
• Microsoft update history tells that the last update was in February 2016