quesitons about old Surfaces

ochhanz

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Hi,

Do the Surface 3 and Surface Pro 1 still get updates for Windows 10? I noticed the Surface 3 has an atom proc and read somewhile ago that update support for atom procs will stop except security updates iirc.

Thinking about buying an used Surface 3 4gb 64 gb from a shop, it is 180 euro including taxes, there is also Surface Pro 1 with a similar price. Not sure what would be a better secondary device or if it would be smarter to wait for a good sale on the Surface Go.
 

TechFreak1

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Between those two options, I would say:
1) What do you really intend to use the Surfaces for?

2) Is battery life a crucial point?

As although the Surface Pro 1 would be more capable it would have the longest wear and tear on the battery due to it being released a very long time ago. So it may not hold that much charge for you use case, thus bringing us back to the first two questions.
 

ochhanz

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Between those two options, I would say:
1) What do you really intend to use the Surfaces for?

2) Is battery life a crucial point?

As although the Surface Pro 1 would be more capable it would have the longest wear and tear on the battery due to it being released a very long time ago. So it may not hold that much charge for you use case, thus bringing us back to the first two questions.
, Hi thanks for replying. My usage would be mostly using it as a tablet for browsing and playing some older / indie games (e.g. Shadowrun). How long are the cords of both chargers? My pluses and mins for both:

Surface 3:
+ is newer
+ 3:2 screen ratio
+ lighter
+ atom proc is energy efficient and good for an atom proc
+ 40 euro cheaper but...
- keyboard not included
- atom proc is still slow I guess
- micro usb for charging, a bit worried it will give troubles / age/wear faster than a dedicated charging port
+/- 64 gb ssd

Surface Pro 1:
+ faster proc
+ faster igpu? (is the intel hd graphics 4000 faster than the Surface 3 Atom's igpu?)
+ 128 gb ssd so I can place more games on instead of on the microSd card (games will load a bit faster).
+ keyboard included but...
- 40 euro more expensive
- seems a bit heavy
- probably bad battery life? Though I could improve battery life by underclocking the cpu when its on battery in Edit Power Plan.
- case has some scratches according to the shop page.

I think in the end it boils down for me which of the 2 would survive it at least another 2 years.
 

TechFreak1

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Hmm, I had a quick look for the Surface 3 Cover - on Amazon.co.uk the prices range from £60 to £89.99 from third party sellers. Whereas on ebay it goes from £30 (damaged) to £130.

So I would say have a look and see how cheaply can you get the cover in case you need to use it.

If I recall correctly the Surface pro 1 had Intel Core i5-3317U (best check just incase) you could have a look at the benchmarks against the x7-Z8700 Atom CPU in the Surface 3.

That would answer your igpu question.

Right now, with a 40 euro difference the Surface Pro 1 would be a no brainer from these two options. However, there are other factors in play such as - is there any visible cosmetic damage on either of these Surfaces?

No other visible faults?

Also I don't suppose the shop offers a return period?
 

ochhanz

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Hmm, I had a quick look for the Surface 3 Cover - on Amazon.co.uk the prices range from £60 to £89.99 from third party sellers. Whereas on ebay it goes from £30 (damaged) to £130.

So I would say have a look and see how cheaply can you get the cover in case you need to use it.

If I recall correctly the Surface pro 1 had Intel Core i5-3317U (best check just incase) you could have a look at the benchmarks against the x7-Z8700 Atom CPU in the Surface 3.

That would answer your igpu question.

Right now, with a 40 euro difference the Surface Pro 1 would be a no brainer from these two options. However, there are other factors in play such as - is there any visible cosmetic damage on either of these Surfaces?

No other visible faults?

Also I don't suppose the shop offers a return period?
, thank you, this definitely helps me making the right decisions :) . I can return both if they are not good (so I can/will double check everything, run benchmarks, stress the battery, sounds etc).
I found another deal for the Pro 1 for 150 euro that is refurbished, probably without keyboard but also with a specified 1 month warranty. I am leaning towards the 150 euro deal now.
 

TechFreak1

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, thank you, this definitely helps me making the right decisions :) . I can return both if they are not good (so I can/will double check everything, run benchmarks, stress the battery, sounds etc).
I found another deal for the Pro 1 for 150 euro that is refurbished, probably without keyboard but also with a specified 1 month warranty. I am leaning towards the 150 euro deal now.

You're welcome :).

That's good to hear that you can return the Surfaces if need be; I asked as many shops don't offer such a policy...:grincry:

Haha I see, use what works best for you for your budget as it's your hard earned money after all :wink:.
 

ochhanz

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You're welcome :).

That's good to hear that you can return the Surfaces if need be; I asked as many shops don't offer such a policy...:grincry:

Haha I see, use what works best for you for your budget as it's your hard earned money after all :wink:.
, the only thing what is stopping me currently is that I suspect it has Windows 8 installed on it (they say W8P COA), which I guess I cannot update to Windows 8.1 or 10 anymore. Not a big problem since I could always just buy an oem key and install that on it.
 

TechFreak1

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, the only thing what is stopping me currently is that I suspect it has Windows 8 installed on it (they say W8P COA), which I guess I cannot update to Windows 8.1 or 10 anymore. Not a big problem since I could always just buy an oem key and install that on it.

Also apparently, if you make a bootable usb to install windows 10 in it - make sure you format the usb to Fat32 and not ntfs - according to this reddit thread.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/co..._medium=Search&utm_name=Bing&utm_content=PSR1
 

Ryujingt3

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I use a Surface Pro 2 with a Power Cover. It runs Windows 10 just fine and gets the latest updates (I just installed the latest Windows 10 update last night). So either of the Surface models you choose should be fine.
 

ochhanz

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I use a Surface Pro 2 with a Power Cover. It runs Windows 10 just fine and gets the latest updates (I just installed the latest Windows 10 update last night). So either of the Surface models you choose should be fine.
, the Surface Pro 1 arrived today and it came already with win10 installed. :) Cleaned Windows, installed some updates (only one big update remaining), both speakers and battery still seem to be in good condition (battery report 38 wh of 42). I like it so far, a bit heavy for a tablet but it feels premium and sturdy. I downclocked the cpu in power plan when on battery for better battery luife. :) Thinking about buying a touch cover for protection (saw one for 25 bucks).
 
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Ryujingt3

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, the Surface Pro 1 arrived today and it came already with win10 installed. :) Cleaned Windows, installed some updates (only one big update remaining), both speakers and battery still seem to be in good condition (battery report 38 wh of 42). I like it so far, a bit heavy for a tablet but it feels premium and sturdy. I downclocked the cpu in power plan when on battery for better battery luife. :) Thinking about buying a touch cover for protection (saw one for 25 bucks).

That's great! I hope you are happy with your purchase. You may want to try and get a Power Cover instead, it works on SP1 and SP2, eBay would be your best bet.

It's basically a type cover, minus backlit keys, with a second battery inside. Windows then charges each battery and uses them independently. You get around 8 hours battery life in all using a Power Cover.

https://newatlas.com/surface-power-cover-review/31332/
 

ochhanz

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That's great! I hope you are happy with your purchase. You may want to try and get a Power Cover instead, it works on SP1 and SP2, eBay would be your best bet.

It's basically a type cover, minus backlit keys, with a second battery inside. Windows then charges each battery and uses them independently. You get around 8 hours battery life in all using a Power Cover.

https://newatlas.com/surface-power-cover-review/31332/
, yeah I am pleasantly surprised by the build quality, in this regard having a kickstand is also nice cause it makes the whole back more sturdy.
I have been thinking about the power cover but I want something light. I am still deciding between the touch cover (first gen I think) and type cover (2nd gen). Both almost similar priced at 25-30 euro. I think I will like the lighter weight of touch cover but type cover probably types a bit nicer. The type cover looks a bit pinkish, or perhaps it is more red in real life (would prefer red to pink :) ). I will probably only use the keyboard sometimes when playing games or such (don't know if ghosting is an issue with either one).
Also not sure which one would better protect the screen. What do you think?
 

Ryujingt3

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, yeah I am pleasantly surprised by the build quality, in this regard having a kickstand is also nice cause it makes the whole back more sturdy.
I have been thinking about the power cover but I want something light. I am still deciding between the touch cover (first gen I think) and type cover (2nd gen). Both almost similar priced at 25-30 euro. I think I will like the lighter weight of touch cover but type cover probably types a bit nicer. The type cover looks a bit pinkish, or perhaps it is more red in real life (would prefer red to pink :) ). I will probably only use the keyboard sometimes when playing games or such (don't know if ghosting is an issue with either one).
Also not sure which one would better protect the screen. What do you think?

I used a touch cover for my Surface RT. It was good, but typing took some getting used to. I ended up preferring the type cover because it gives a far better typing experience overall.
 

ochhanz

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I used a touch cover for my Surface RT. It was good, but typing took some getting used to. I ended up preferring the type cover because it gives a far better typing experience overall.
, received the typecover today (2nd one), what a brilliant piece of hardware and seems to be in new state. :)
I love the clicky sounds from the keyboard, the strong magnets, spacious keys, how it auto-sleeps to save battery and even the touchpad while small is quite responsive. I like it better than the Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140 keyboard/touchpad. I find the form factor better too; first time I tried a Surface on the couch and am now surprised about how much flak the Surface line received by reviewers on this.

What I am still figuring out is why I cannot toggle off the rotation lock when the keyboard is attached (not a big problem since I can just detach the keyboard when I want to use the tablet in portrait mode, but flipping it over is faster :p ).
 

Ryujingt3

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, received the typecover today (2nd one), what a brilliant piece of hardware and seems to be in new state. :)
I love the clicky sounds from the keyboard, the strong magnets, spacious keys, how it auto-sleeps to save battery and even the touchpad while small is quite responsive. I like it better than the Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140 keyboard/touchpad. I find the form factor better too; first time I tried a Surface on the couch and am now surprised about how much flak the Surface line received by reviewers on this.

What I am still figuring out is why I cannot toggle off the rotation lock when the keyboard is attached (not a big problem since I can just detach the keyboard when I want to use the tablet in portrait mode, but flipping it over is faster :p ).

It's great that you are enjoying your type cover. I haven't actually tried with a Surface on my lap, I have to say. As for your rotation lock issue. It is greyed out for me too (keyboard also attached), but try this:

https://itgroove.net/mmman/2017/02/08/surface-pro-4-rotation-lock-in-windows-10-disable-autorotate/
 

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