【Series Archives】

Beware of group-think. It can Series Archiveslead to bad choices and circular logic. The wisdom of the crowd might help you solve a difficult puzzle, but it won't necessarily lead to better choices or products.

For EVE, the puzzle was how to build the Surface Pro-style 2-in-1 computer of their dreams, while undercutting Microsoft on price.

EVE's team of just 8 employees tapped into a community of 1,000 developers around the world and a larger EVE community of over 6,000 members to decide each specification. The result is a solidly-built, attractive, and generally performant computer that packs impressive power and battery life into an extraordinarily affordable package.

The EVE V starts at the same base price as the Microsoft Surface Pro: $799 for a Core m3 system, but EVE throws in the keyboard and pen, a $228 value. The system I tested was running an 8th-generation Core i7 processor with 16 GB of RAM and a half terabyte hard drive. The list price is $1,599. A similarly configured Surface Pro starts at $2,199, and that's without the Type Cover Keyboard and Surface Pen.

And if price were your only consideration, the EVE V would be an all-out winner. It's not.

Something’s different

The EVE V laptop has all the earmarks of a Surface Pro. The thin HD display, fully adjustable kickstand, detachable keyboard and Bluetooth stylus. It runs Windows 10. There is a plethora of ports: two USB-C ports (two more than the Surface Pro has), two USB-3 ports (one more than the Surface Pro) and, like the Surface, a micro-SD card slot for storage expansion.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The display is slightly smaller than the Surface Pro’s, with more unsightly black bezel around the edge, but it’s also higher resolution (2880x1920). There are also HD-capable cameras on the front and back.

While the Eve V lacks the front-facing infrared camera to enable Windows Hello facial recognition and authentication, it does have a finger print reader hidden on the right edge of the screen that doubles as a power button. It sits right above the volume rocker button.

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It all sounds good, but thanks to the the brilliant crowd, the Eve V features several bizarre design decisions that ultimately hobbled this otherwise decent machine.

As soon as I picked up the machine, I was shocked by its heft. The tablet alone weighs over 2 pounds. That’s at least a quarter heavier than the Surface Pro. Even the keyboard is considerably heavier than its Type Cover counterpart. In total, it all makes the Eve V a noticeably heavier system than you might expect with an ultra-portable 2-in-1. The extra weight also messed with the “lapability” of the system. I worked with the EVE V on my lap for a couple of hours and noticed how the edge of the kickstand was digging uncomfortably into my legs.

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There is good reason for all this weight. In its wisdom, the EVE V hive-mind decided it was willing to add a couple of millimeters here and there (in the display andkeyboard) to accommodate more battery.

Before you applaud this foresight, let me make it clear that you are not getting an extra day of battery life. All that extra weight equates to, maybe, a few hours (I got almost 12 hours of battery life with full screen brightness).

My preference is for ultra portable manufacturers to achieve battery savings though efficient components and smart programming. If I wanted a heavier system with a lot more battery life, but some of the Surface DNA, I’d switch to the Surface Book 2 (13 or 15-inch). It’s a heavy beast, but at least I have tons of battery life and discrete graphics.

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The keyboard is more evidence of the sometimes-confounding group-think nature of this device.

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Generally, I like the keyboard. It has decent travel, and though the keystroke feel is a bit mushy, the keys are well spaced. It even has customizable backlighting, I can switch between seven different color options. However, I quickly noticed that the “V” key is an inverted rectangle and “Backspace” says, “Oops!”

Seriously.

I’m all for being cheeky, but don’t mess with my keys unless you don’t expect people to be doing real work on this system.

The touchpad is small, but effective. Despite the thicker keyboard, it doesn’t travel as far as the trackpad on my Surface Pro Type Cover.

My last complaint about the keyboard is that it does not ably flip around to the back of the display for easy conversion into a handheld tablet without detaching from the screen. That’s just not how these things are supposed to work.

Boot me up

While I miss the ability to unlock my PC with my face, the EVE V’s fingerprint sensor is a decent substitute. It’s a little hard to find by feel, but the more I used the computer, the more I got used to putting my finger in the right spot on the side of the computer.

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Overall, though, the fingerprint reader/power button and long volume control button right below it feels a little unfinished. In fact, I’m not a big fan of most of the materials used here. I admit. Microsoft’s frequent use of magnesium has spoiled me. The EVE V metal chassis doesn’t feel great and, oddly, is a fingerprint magnet.

Aside from these many nits, the EVE V is a decent Windows 10 System.

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It handled all tasks I threw at it and I was especially impressed with the responsiveness of the pen and screen interactions. The tip of the thin, black stylus glides across the screen. Unfortunately, there’s a little more lag between drawing on the screen and the digital ink dropping down on the page. From what I can tell, EVE V is not matching the Surface Pro’s 20 millisecond latency.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

When I was done drawing, I placed the pen on the right edge of the screen where somewhat weak magnets struggled to hold it in place. Lacking the flat edge of the Surface Pen, the EVE V’s pen appears designed to be lost.

Why buy it

If you want approximate Surface Pro functionality, a bunch of useful ports and can live with the tradeoff of weight, polish and smart feature choices, it’s hard to find a better value that this. I have long said that it’s time for Microsoft to offer a decent Surface Pro, Type Cover and Surface Pen bundle deal, to which they have responded with resounding silence. The EVE V shows us what’s possible at a much more affordable price.

I fully expect EVE V version 2 to improve in all the areas it lags, especially if they stop listening to the crowd. I also expect, by then, a response from Microsoft.

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EVE V Computer

The Good

• Excellent value

• Effective fingerprint reader

• Gorgeous screen

The Bad

• Materials could be better

• Keyboard substitutions not welcome

• Too thick and heavy

The Bottom Line

EVE's V Computer is a good start on the affordable Surface Pro-style computer, but the crowd-influenced design and features are not winning.

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