Can a Surface 3 replace my Asus Notebook?

baseballbert

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I've got an Asus Transformer laptop (i5, 8gb and 1TB) that I really like. The only thing I don't is that it's big (15.6" screen).

I run mostly office, Evernote, surf and website editing in Wix. Does the surface 3 have enough horsepower to be my full time laptop? What the adjustment period getting used to the size of the type cover?

I love the big screen but I'd like something more portable. I recently got an Asus Vivotab Note 8 (64gn with 64gb MicroSD on board) which I like quite a bit. Unfortunately it doesn't do Windows 10 justice at that size.

I'm thinking the Surface 3 would be the perfect middle ground. Any feedback given is greatly appreciated!
 

Steve Adams

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I have a 64gb/4gb surface 3 and do everything you do on it. Typecover is actually quite nice. You will take some time to get used to it but I find its awesome now. Plus, get the dock and create websites using a 23-27" monitor.
 

xandros9

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I think it'll do fine, outside of the smaller display. The Pro 4 M3 or Pro 3 i3 is also an idea if you want something larger and with a bit more oomph. But you'll have that laptop around just in case you need to do some heavy lifting. (note storage constraints)
 

Steve Adams

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Like any other computer. They are full computer systems in a very awesome package. As long as you keep up on updates and keep your storage in check, it will not slow down over time etc unlike other platforms "tablets". The surface line, leaves everything else in the dust as far as I am concerned.
 

xandros9

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So how do the Surface tablets hold up over their life span with OS updates from a speed/performance standpoint?

like any Windows PC it's best if they're kept virus free and treated reasonably well and whatnot.

it'll be fine, I'd be more concerned with repairability, which isn't great with Surfaces.
 

Telstar1948

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If you get an S3, get Complete Care through MS (you have to buy it through MS to get Complete Care at the same time, or you have to take your S3 that you bought from someone else, to a MS Store for them to examine it - if they're satisfied you can buy Complete Care from them at that time). Otherwise, you can get a good "complete care" program through Square Trade. If you buy your S3 from Best Buy you can get their Geek Squad care program, but I think Square Trade's or MS Complete Care is a little less expensive with better coverage. I say this about complete care-style coverage so you don't have to be concerned about repairs: they'll just exchange a defective device.

As far as the S3 goes, it's a great device. For what the OP's stated use is, it sounds like the S3 will more than handle the load. If you get the dock then you can set it up as a complete desktop setup if you like.
 

Steve Adams

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The surface line is awesome. mine is getting a little upgrade in the new year of a 27" LG monitor so I can have the surface, my xbox, and have both run through my desktop speakers via the headphone jack on the monitor itself!
 

Brian282

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I love my surface 3 but with the current price of the pro3. I would splurge the i3 4gb 128 SSD. Its a bit more expensive but the plusses outweigh the negatives.
1. The hard drive is a higher quality device.
2. It comes with a stylus 50.00
3. Its compatible with the surface 4 keyboard with glass trackpad
4. The i3 will be a better workhorse.

I also second buying the warranty through Microsoft. They have impeccable customer service. There is a fifty dollar deductible involved but the peripherals don't seem to count. I left my stylus in my front pants pocket and snapped the end off. They took my ID number and mailed me a new one.
 
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Telstar1948

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Yes and no...the i3 SP3 is larger, heavier and has the internal fan, but, yes, it does offer the pen with it and SSD rather than eMMC, and it will accommodate the SP4 type cover if you want to upgrade. Of course, the i3 will generally outperform the Atom in the S3; however, not by much. I actually priced the i3 SP3 against the S3 at Best Buy. I paid less for the S3 with type cover and new pen than what it would have cost for the i3 SP3 with type cover and original pen. So, to upgrade the i3 SP3 with the newer type cover and newer pen would cost even more.

Of course, all of these considerations just depend on what your needs and desires are. When I looked at the S3/i3 SP3, I liked the lower price, the smaller and lighter footprint of the S3, and the fan-less aspect of the S3. I knew the S3 would do everything I needed to do in my office and for personal use, as would the i3 SP3, but the S3 gave me these things with less expense and even more mobile form than the i3 setup. My use case is probably different than some in that I wanted a mobile device that would do all the S3 could, and that would be my backup device for my desktop if my desktop were to go down. The desktop provides heavy lifting capability (gaming), but the S3 will literally do everything else of an office/personal nature that I want or need...including substituting as my desktop when/if that happens. That way I lose zero days at my office if I have to replace a desktop.
 

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