The Microsoft Surface has been a massive success. Although it might not have the biggest sales volumes, it defined the desktop-tablet computer product category and put the company on the map as a maker of premium hardware. But, at the same time, Apple's iPad has remained the leader in the 9-inch tablet space. That's set to change with a smaller, low cost Surface expected later this year.

Tax time isn't far away, so if you've been holding out for a deal on one of the latest Surface Pro laptops, here's a nice little bargain.

Microsoft held a big Surface event in Shanghai overnight. While the event was basically impossible to watch in America, with a broken liveblog and zero English livestreams, savvy viewers (and those fluent in Chinese) might have caught the big news: There's a new Surface Pro. It's been more than sixteen months since Microsoft's landmark tablet-laptop hybrid saw an update.

In the intervening time, Microsoft has seen a lot of competitors attempt to encroach on the 2-1 device space While some of those clones have been aesthetically delightful, few have approached the slick combination of design and quality the Surface Pro delivers. So a refresh is welcomed, and this year's refresh could fix some of the tablet laptop's biggest problems, even if the name is stupid.