Microsoft's 128GB Surface Pro will ship with just 83GB of usable space

Yeah, should be able to do it. Even then, a fresh copy and a download of drivers should be do-able. Hopefully.

I think this is expected. but then you can always delete the recovery partition, turn off hibernation and pagefile (if it isnt off) since it uses SSD. when I upgraded my 64GB zenbook ux21 to Windows 8 for 15 bucks, I see no use in all the options mentioned above. the windows 8 iso is easily available from MS if you bought it, and burning it into usb drive just take few minutes.

for the premium price of Surface Pro, I think a 32GB microSD should come free.

Forgive me if I'm wrong but doesn't Windows 8 shutdown by design using Hibernation? It has been my understanding that improvements on this feature has been what gives Windows 8 its faster boot times. Can Hibernation be disabled in Windows 8?

Edit:
OK - I was wrong. :/
How To Enable / Disable Windows 8 Hibernation And Sleep Mode

It seems like a nice peripheral device. But it's just too damn expensive.

Link doesn't work. But yeah, hibernation is enabled by default. Even when you disable it, it still uses hibernation to shut down, which can also be disabled.

'Computer toy' being the operative word. How could anybody be stupid enough to pay so much just to do tasks like presentations when a similarly priced ultra book can do exactly the same thing with the same portability convenience of a tablet and far greater storage capacity. Go figure.

I normally do a 'clean' barebones install of the OS on machines that I buy as it's often quicker than uninstalling excess junk. We've yet to see how much bloat there is on this new Surface Pro. I expect that a chunk of this is an Office Trial of the kind included with mainstream PCs and system restore partition - both mentioned above.

Enthusiasts and IT administrators can optimise that storage space for the target use. I'm quite confident that this machine won't be popular with the average user, anyway.

Well um, are you sure I can't change your mind with some video?

Sorry about that, I just couldn't resist! My impulse control is poor, you all know that.......

In our next segment, we're bringing in a world renowned psychologist from Harvard to discuss, "ROFLMAO", and its impact on the educational development of the computer buying public....

^-- I haven't yet seen a classic Windows ad, for getting work done. It's all hipster douchebags getting drunk, taking photos and uploading to a non-existent facebook app.

I would too ultimately, but the allure of having what is effectively an AIO (full) windows system with a decent digitizer is not something for me to scoff at, and most if not all convertible laptops are as expensive or more so. You can be sure I won't be a starting gate adopter however; there are too many unknowns for me at the moment.

Excellent I may yet take Microsoft's tablets seriously. I hope you don't work for Apple...

All Tech reviewers claims of Surface Pro reduced storage is matter of making a mountain out of a mole hill:

Because Microsoft has a handy little tool on the surface that allows you to move the recovery partition to a usb drive. During the process it will prompt if you want to delete the partition and recover the space. Worked great and took about 10 minutes!

Gary, I couldn't help notice your "Newcomer in Training" title. I just wanted to welcome you, and allow you to be privy on a little secret. That's exactly what online forums are for, "making mountains out of molehills".... So see, we're doing it right...!

Allow me to rework this a bit; "M$ is too trifling to ship the Surface with a stinking 10 dollar USB drive, with the recovery information already mounted". So, the proud new owner has to supply a thumb drive, and do it themselves. But it's not difficult, because M$ has condescended to supply the instructions".

In any event, the reason that this "molehill", became a "mountain" in the first place, is due to the fact that some putz is suing M$ because available space in these tablets doesn't match with the published capacity of the "drive".

And....here's the link to that debacle: http://www.techspot.com/community/t...t-over-surface-storage-capacity.187253/page-2

Have companies been sued before for not shipping 1TB drives, and not allowing the full use of RAm if you have an IGP? :S

Also, MS stopped handing out recovery media with Windows 7 OEM. Laptops/desktops purchased in a retail store require you to make your own recovery DVD. Yay, cost cutting..

Gosh, Windows 7 you say? I had to burn my own recovery discs when I bought my eMachines T-5026 in 2005....!

(IDK or remember about your lawsuit questions. The most recent one was stuck in my mind).