This weekend, I decided to purchase a Surface 3 to give it a try. I had no intention of keeping the device, but I needed to have a "real world" test to determine if it is for me or not. I'm tired of having multiple machines (ipad and a Macbook) so the Surface is an intriguing option for me. None of the retailers in my area had the 128/4GB model, so I settled with the base model 64/2GB. Here is a recap of my 48 hours with a Surface 3....
This is a very well made machine. I've been using Apple products exclusively for years. The "old" Microsoft I knew was...... well, not so great. There was a little bit of a learning curve for me to get used to Windows 8 as this was my first time using it. My primary duties are the typical web browsing and email. I do on occasion need to use Adobe Illustrator and PhotoShop. I was surprised to see that both were able to be installed and ran ok on the Surface. The base Surface isn't going to set the world on fire in terms of performance, but it was good to know that the "upgraded" Surface 3 will be able to handle these applications even better with double the RAM.
The screen is beautiful, very crisp and clear. The touch screen is superb as well. The keyboard attaches/detaches from the Surface amazingly well. Its tough to describe, its easy to put on/take off but at the same time, you can tell it is attached very securely.
The keyboard and track pad perform very well.
As for the cons....
I found it a little cumbersome to hold as a tablet. Anything larger would be a deal breaker for me since I use it as a tablet 85% of the time. I definitely would not be comfortable holding the Pro model as a tablet since it is larger than the "regular" Surface.
The battery takes a long time to charge and the charging cord is pretty short. On a typical days use for me, I would drain the battery down to 40%. Charging this thing every night would take a little getting used to, but I recognize I'm getting more of a machine that just a tablet (iPad).
The camera's responsiveness is not very good.
All in all, I will definitely be giving a lot of thought if I want to purchase the upgraded Surface 3 to use as my daily driver and replace my iPad and Macbook.
This is a very well made machine. I've been using Apple products exclusively for years. The "old" Microsoft I knew was...... well, not so great. There was a little bit of a learning curve for me to get used to Windows 8 as this was my first time using it. My primary duties are the typical web browsing and email. I do on occasion need to use Adobe Illustrator and PhotoShop. I was surprised to see that both were able to be installed and ran ok on the Surface. The base Surface isn't going to set the world on fire in terms of performance, but it was good to know that the "upgraded" Surface 3 will be able to handle these applications even better with double the RAM.
The screen is beautiful, very crisp and clear. The touch screen is superb as well. The keyboard attaches/detaches from the Surface amazingly well. Its tough to describe, its easy to put on/take off but at the same time, you can tell it is attached very securely.
The keyboard and track pad perform very well.
As for the cons....
I found it a little cumbersome to hold as a tablet. Anything larger would be a deal breaker for me since I use it as a tablet 85% of the time. I definitely would not be comfortable holding the Pro model as a tablet since it is larger than the "regular" Surface.
The battery takes a long time to charge and the charging cord is pretty short. On a typical days use for me, I would drain the battery down to 40%. Charging this thing every night would take a little getting used to, but I recognize I'm getting more of a machine that just a tablet (iPad).
The camera's responsiveness is not very good.
All in all, I will definitely be giving a lot of thought if I want to purchase the upgraded Surface 3 to use as my daily driver and replace my iPad and Macbook.
I've read about the slow charging, but that type of thing wouldn't bother me too much considering I'm used to having to charge my Lumia 820 twice a day. I'd like a follow up if you decide to buy the upgraded model.
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