Hard decision... But I think I am passing on the Pro3

[jaimeastin]

Well, I really wanted the surface pro 3... For mobile computing, I have/had Dell XPS13, Surface 2, and a Dell Venue Pro 8... Although I could have purchased the surface pro 3, I wanted to sell the items I had that it would replace which was the XPS 13 and the Surface 2. I sold the Surface 2, but I have not sold the XPS13 yet...

While I have waited to sell the XPS 13, I have had time to think. Although I loved my surface 2, the dell venue 8 replaced it for size alone... Now that it is the only tablet, I did install a few desktop apps which has been kinda cool. The XPS 13, is fantastic... but I hardly ever use it as I am usually home with my desktop or at the office. I do have a few trips coming up for business and pleasure, and I wanted the have the Surface Pro 3 for that time.

Thinking things over, the Surface pro 3 would be great for the higher resolution, the pen (which I am still coming up with ideas for use), and the reduced weight... But, would I still want a laptop that is light and ridged like my XPS13, and similarly spec'd?! I have the pen for the Venue Pro 8, but it is wonky and I don't use it much...

I really wanted to get the Surface Pro 3 I guess mainly because it is new, I have not missed a surface launch since they were released, and yes to be that guy with one... But would it just sit around like my XPS does? Or like my Surface 2 was starting do after I bought the Venue? I want to support the surface, but I believe like the windows phone, I just have no need to get every device when I have want I need... and even then too much!

Admittedly, I have G.A.S... Gear acquisition syndrome. One day it is computer/electronics, next it is camera, fishing, kayaking, biking, gaming, automobile, guitar/music equipment... I spend too much money on stuff that I really don't need but got to have... Yes, I do use the items, but not nearly enough...

Damn it! I feel bad about this decision, and still I have not counted it out cause if someone wants the laptop, I will probably still sell it and buy the surface pro 3... But will I just be feeding the monster (me)? If it get it... it will be just a matter of time before I am selling it for the next big thing...

 

[WillysJeepMan]

G.A.S., love it! I too am afflicted by that.

I appreciate your honesty and thoughts. I have drawn the same conclusion for similar reasons. I also think that the SP3 was "rushed" and that there will be a more refined version (either a mid-stream update or SP4).

 

[Great deal]

Reason im passing is that Broadwell is not too far away, with each iteration the SP gets better and better, bring on the SP4!!!

 

[FCone]

I bought a SP and replaced my iPad and notebook. Used it daily for work. I skipped the SP2 thinking all it realm gave you was another angle I was living fine without and two hours of battery life. I eventually bought the power cover giving me 6+ hours of use.

I really went back and forth on the SP3 for a while. Eventually I just decided that the screen size was enough of a reason to upgrade. The extra vertical is just amazing.

 

[jedge]

Considering it averages ~$1400, it's definitely in the "if you're not sure you need it... you don't" category.

Personally i'd been nursing a usable but declining HP 2710p with Vista tablet/laptop. I'd already replaced the hd (that was not fun) and battery once. Reloaded the OS and it was still very slow.
Right when i made the decision to upgrade, Microsoft announced the Surface Pro Mini event (whatever happened to that?) and a rumored SP3. Sure enough the SP3 was announced and i pre-ordered immediately. I continued to research the Yoga, and SP2, and some super-nice Acer laptop/tablets, and even spent time on the demo Macbook Air. But OneNote is the killer app for me and on that basis all of them paled in comparison to the SP3.
No regrets here.

 

[jaimeastin]

I bought a SP and replaced my iPad and notebook. Used it daily for work. I skipped the SP2 thinking all it realm gave you was another angle I was living fine without and two hours of battery life. I eventually bought the power cover giving me 6+ hours of use.

I really went back and forth on the SP3 for a while. Eventually I just decided that the screen size was enough of a reason to upgrade. The extra vertical is just amazing.

Yeah, I replaced my ipad2 with the surface rt, that was stolen so I bought another... Then sold it for the surface 2. I bought the XPS13 a little before the surface rt launch. If I did not have it, I would not hesitate to get the surface pro 3. I belive it is fantastic and as much as it is nice, I just cannot justify having it incomparison with the xps and money savings... if I sell the xps, I will et the pro3... Otherwise, I will just be content.

I bet you are having a ball wit the pro3 too! The screen size, resolution, pen.. Hmmm wait, a taller screen is better to program on... Another point taken

 

[Byrese]

Just thought id post here. Spoke to manager at Microsoft store today. He said that the deal for MacBook Air credit to SP3 also applies to MacBook pro. Great!

 

[jaimeastin]

No reason to regret ether But I have a laptop less than 3 lbs, ssd, core i5 , 4GB RAM... Yeah, sandy bridge and a 720p resolution , but more than good... It is a first gen xps13 aluminum/carbon fiber. I doubt I would regret getting a surface pro 3 after the xps too... but while I have the xps, they would cannibalize each other...

I am personally not a jack of all trades person... I have multiple tablets and computer, but all for a specific purpose... in this case, there is no specific purpose and it is one or the other. If I do sell the XPS, I will get the Pro3 the same day, no hesitation, lol. Ahem... its on the marketplace

 

[badMojo69]

I too have GAS!

I never used my SP2 as a computer and I never ever used the pen so I sold it.
I have a 12.2 inch android tablet now and it's doing what I need it to do...read comics!

I still have the OG S RT and the kids use it for surfing and typing school papers.

 

[LazyEvul]

If I were in a position to wait, I'd have passed as well and waited for the Pro 4/Pro 3 refresh. Broadwell should do wonders for this form factor, as the thermal constraints are really limiting with Haswell. But I need a school computer for September, and the Pro 3 fit the bill best - it can act as a laptop, tablet, notebook, and even as an occasional desktop replacement.

I admit though, I suffer from GAS as well. It's why I had to pre-order my SP3, rather than do the sensible thing and wait for early adopter bugs to be discovered and quashed. I won't even be using the device too much until school kicks off, but I had to have it.

 

[jaimeastin]

If I were in a position to wait, I'd have passed as well and waited for the Pro 4/Pro 3 refresh. Broadwell should do wonders for this form factor, as the thermal constraints are really limiting with Haswell. But I need a school computer for September, and the Pro 3 fit the bill best - it can act as a laptop, tablet, notebook, and even as an occasional desktop replacement.

I admit though, I suffer from GAS as well. It's why I had to pre-order my SP3, rather than do the sensible thing and wait for early adopter bugs to be discovered and quashed. I won't even be using the device too much until school kicks off, but I had to have it.

Yeah... I'm always on pins and needles waiting for those brown boxes yet when they get here, the item is torn open and then sits there... But I had to have it...

 

[badMojo69]

Well that didn't last long. I just sent my Galaxy Tab 12.2 back. It kept crashing with some stupid android error every time I'd pull down on the notification window. I did three factory restores and didn't download any apps other than my comic book app and still the crashes would come back.

I'm back to my OG Surface RT until I figure out what to do next.

Last thing. It is very hard to live with a android tablet once you get use to the speed of the SP for web browsing.

 

[Poirots Progeny]

OP I too have GAS. It's really rather bad. Especially after a few beers...

I totally understand where you're coming from. If you have devices that fill the role the SP3 becomes superfluous.

I'm a tech junky and just received my SP3. This is a device that sits alongside a self built gaming tower (I only occasionally - like once a month or something - play skyrim on steam), an sp2, sp, macbook pro 15 with retina and an iPad air. And a kindle paperwhite.

Those are just my devices. The wife has more (my other devices .

Imagine the look on my wife's face when the sp3 arrived. :/

Using the device I understand it's a great travelling device but giving up all the usb connections of a full laptop, the keyboard... I'm a writer and the things I need are an excellent screen and keyboard, battery life, light weight and after that some grunt. The sp3 has all that. So does my laptop.

From what I've seen, when I handled the xps13, it's a great device and you'd probably get more use out of it, in my opinion... If you're a student or move about a lot sure the sp3 is great. But by its very nature it is compromised also.

Buy what you need.

Now if I can just get that blinking sp3 off the wife. She's on the sofa drafting a painting of a plate of macaroons (using adobe cs6)... I think I just bought her her Christmas present lol

 

[badr0b0t]

Surface is TOO HEAVY. Got one before but returned it the next day. I got an ASUS Transformer T-100 instead that comes with a keyboard dock. I'm happy with my decision.

 

[jaimeastin]

Well that didn't last long. I just sent my Galaxy Tab 12.2 back. It kept crashing with some stupid android error every time I'd pull down on the notification window. I did three factory restores and didn't download any apps other than my comic book app and still the crashes would come back.

I'm back to my OG Surface RT until I figure out what to do next.

Last thing. It is very hard to live with a android tablet once you get use to the speed of the SP for web browsing.

So true.... Sold my nexus 7 within a month of owning it... It was terrible in comparison to the surface 2... I got it coe the apps that everyone said I needed... Well, did not worm out... Tho Gs crashing all the time... Some apps not compatible... I got a google android... Not an android, you would think they new how to make their product shine...

The surface and the dell venue line have really gotten high marks with me... My old iPad2 was nice when I got it on launch day, but the surface rt beat it out...

 

[jaimeastin]

OP I too have GAS. It's really rather bad. Especially after a few beers...

I totally understand where you're coming from. If you have devices that fill the role the SP3 becomes superfluous.

I'm a tech junky and just received my SP3. This is a device that sits alongside a self built gaming tower (I only occasionally - like once a month or something - play skyrim on steam), an sp2, sp, macbook pro 15 with retina and an iPad air. And a kindle paperwhite.

Those are just my devices. The wife has more (my other devices .

Imagine the look on my wife's face when the sp3 arrived. :/

Using the device I understand it's a great travelling device but giving up all the usb connections of a full laptop, the keyboard... I'm a writer and the things I need are an excellent screen and keyboard, battery life, light weight and after that some grunt. The sp3 has all that. So does my laptop.

From what I've seen, when I handled the xps13, it's a great device and you'd probably get more use out of it, in my opinion... If you're a student or move about a lot sure the sp3 is great. But by its very nature it is compromised also.

Buy what you need.

Now if I can just get that blinking sp3 off the wife. She's on the sofa drafting a painting of a plate of macaroons (using adobe cs6)... I think I just bought her her Christmas present lol

Lol! GAS usually nets a :/... Then a ... Then a

People benefit from it. Really nice to see people use what we allow to sit around.

 

[onysi]

I have gas. Lol. But I'd been cutting up my cc lately.

 

[jaimeastin]

I also have a Dell Venue Pro 8 and Surface pro 3 is a better choice for me.

Yeah. The surface pro 3 beats a dell venue pro in all but size. I do t use the dvp8 for work, regularly... It is more the surface 3 vs my xps13 rather than putting it against the tablet.

I see the surface pro 3 as a computer more than a tablet. Both tablets would coexist. Since all of this, I have used my xps13 more. Now that I am on vacation, the rigidity of a laptop has been welcomed when sitting and working in various positions... Now, I so have my Logitech flat lap tablet "thingy" and I would use the sp3 on it... Half the reason why I bought it... Still thinking of buying the SP3...

 

[ziggy3055#CB]

LOL G.A.S., I have that as well. Though I will say that this has been one of the better GAS-related purchases. Not to give in to temptation but based on my experience, I'd say pick one up and you won't regret it. I have a Surface Pro 3 and Dell Venue 8 Pro, I use the Surface for day to day tasks and it does a great job at them. The Venue I now use mostly for watching Netflix and movies, due to the smaller size. Both are great devices.

 

[badMojo69]

Yeah. The surface pro 3 beats a dell venue pro in all but size. I do t use the dvp8 for work, regularly... It is more the surface 3 vs my xps13 rather than putting it against the tablet.

I see the surface pro 3 as a computer more than a tablet. Both tablets would coexist. Since all of this, I have used my xps13 more. Now that I am on vacation, the rigidity of a laptop has been welcomed when sitting and working in various positions... Now, I so have my Logitech flat lap tablet "thingy" and I would use the sp3 on it... Half the reason why I bought it... Still thinking of buying the SP3...

Trust your gut and hold off for a few months. Its the same thing I keep telling myself and its working.