First Impressions on Microsoft Surface Pro 3.

[anon(5590893)]

I've got a SP2 and feel slightly cheated since SP3 is coming out so quickly after 2. Who ever was waiting now wins with this release, its a big improvement.

I feel the same.

 

[paritosh sahu]

the design and the engineering done inside the chassis is superb and never seen before...just want to know at what frequency the processor has been clocked at??because that will directly affect the battery life.

 

[WillysJeepMan]

Why do you feel cheated? What can the SP3 do that your SP2 cannot? Heck, I have a SP1 and I don't see any reason to upgrade. Ok it's thinner and lighter and has a new pen. Granted, the new stylus can turn on the device and load onenote. Otherwise, can't see why any existing owners would rush to get this.

Other than the long list of improvements I can't see why any existing owner... LOL

- Thinner
- Faster
- Better battery life
- Better screen technology
- Synergy between pen and tablet
- advanced cooling fan
- "better" aspect ratio
- Better type cover

I've never been a fan of the Surface Pro. Huge fan of RT/2. But the SP3 has me seriously thinking about getting one.

 

[chezm]

Why do you feel cheated? What can the SP3 do that your SP2 cannot? Heck, I have a SP1 and I don't see any reason to upgrade. Ok it's thinner and lighter and has a new pen. Granted, the new stylus can turn on the device and load onenote. Otherwise, can't see why any existing owners would rush to get this.

The thinner design, lighter weight and considering the processor is much faster at $900-$1000 than what i got for SP2 in Oct last year, seems like design a lot is a huge step up. I love my SP2 but i cant say im not jealous, these are the design changes most expected for SP2 but didnt come...and now 7 months later they are here.

 

[Alligator42]

Why are people thinking this is an overpriced tablet? It's a full computer in an incredibly small form factor! It's not a tablet. It just so happens that you can use it like a tablet to replace your existing device.

I'm finally upgrading from my Surface Pro 2. I can't wait!

 

[Xarok]

I just can't help but think for the same price why not just get a laptop

...Wh..What?

 

[Lance_WPCentral]

I wish MS had an offer where in I could exchange my Windows 8.1 DELL laptop for Surface Pro 3 and pay a little extra for it.

 

[drbanks]

Boy, speaking as a former iPad 3 owner (less than 6 months before 4th gen came out), I sure dodged the SP2 bullet.

Being a nearly day-1 owner of a Surface Pro Classic, my major digs are:

1) Heat
2) Battery life
3) Lack of storage (128GB isn't enough, and even with a 128GB SD card, I still have issues with things that need to go on the boot drive)
4) Its complete, utter, and fatal non-usability as a laptop, that is, use on an actual lap.

Right up until the announcement, I was looking at a high-end ultrabook. Now, I'm not so sure. If we can believe that they've actually addressed gripe #4, and 1-3 seem neatly taken care of, maybe I'm looking at an SP3. Probably the biggest i5 config.

But, when you're talking Surface Pro, you're not just talking Surface Pro. You're talking Surface Pro plus type cover plus (in my case) docking station. It starts to add up.

As for some previous assertion that the SSD "wears out faster" than a rotating HD: My own recent experience suggests otherwise. In fact, I won't buy a new system with a rotating boot drive, not because of the extra speed of the SSD (which is pretty nice), but because I'm really tired of having to replace/rebuild after the rotating drive craps out.

 

[rdubmu]

Why do you feel cheated? What can the SP3 do that your SP2 cannot? Heck, I have a SP1 and I don't see any reason to upgrade. Ok it's thinner and lighter and has a new pen. Granted, the new stylus can turn on the device and load onenote. Otherwise, can't see why any existing owners would rush to get this.

I agree, I haven't found a reason to upgrade either.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Xarok]

Personally I'm hoping this brings down the price of the Surface Pro 2 in the UK and I'll grab one of those!

 

[thundr51]

Other than the long list of improvements I can't see why any existing owner... LOL

- Thinner
- Faster
- Better battery life
- Better screen technology
- Synergy between pen and tablet
- advanced cooling fan
- "better" aspect ratio
- Better type cover

I've never been a fan of the Surface Pro. Huge fan of RT/2. But the SP3 has me seriously thinking about getting one.

These are mostly aesthetics and expected from any new device. With that said, you didn't really answer my initial question. What can the SP3 do that your SP2 cannot? Pen/Tablet synergy is a bit random as the fact that my SP1 has 1024 levels of pressure, but I'll admit turning on the device using the stylus and going straight to onenote is pretty cool..not something I'd need but cool. The main reason I got a SP was because of the stylus/Wacom functions, keyboard cover/tablet. My old dell could do neither of those things. Perhaps I should ask a different question. If you had a SP3, what functions could you do that you couldn't do with your SP2? For me I know that I'd use it the same way I use my SP, probably plug it in a lot less(lol), but my actual use wouldn't change, and I use it everyday.

 

[pyrosol08]

Where did you get the 9 hours browsing battery info?

they have marketing materials available on their site you can download that list a full range of specs/etc.

LINK: Microsoft introduces Surface Pro 3: the tablet that can replace your laptop

 

[drbanks]

What can the SP3 do that the SP1/2 don't do?

If the demo is to be believed, and that's always a pretty huge "If," using it in your lap would head the list. It heads the list of why I keep thinking I should replace my SP1 with an ultrabook.

I have two type covers for my SP1, and they're both the definition of flaky. The key presses themselves often aren't even registered unless it's on a hard-flat surface, and the track pad is an absolute disaster.

Coming from an SP1, the 2 and 3 also offer things I long for, namely longer battery life and configurations with more than 128GB. Given the choice between the two models, the 3 is the obvious choice. And if they really solve the "laptop" problem, that would strike the 2 completely off the list.

 

[nmercy]

Unfortunately only got to see part of the presentation, but the parts I did see (other than no Surface Mini), I liked.

I liked:
That they moved the start button to the side. It will be far more useful there.
The new kickstand could be very useful, I know the original to 2 was a huge improvement, and now it can go pretty much any angle.
The handwriting to text was pretty cool

I can kind of see why:
They went with the 3:2 ratio rather than 16:9, it would have increased the long side by a half an inch and might unbalanced it even more than the version 2 (still a little saddened though)

I don't like:
Still doesn't come with the keyboard and the Surface 2 type cover, while still able to work, wouldn't really fit very well on it.

The future:
Hopefully now RT/Phone can merge since Surface was the last RT stronghold
Mini gets released with RT, but the new RT/phone hybrid version
Surface/Surface 2 get updated to the RT/phone hybrid
Surface 3 is either Atom, i3, i5 upgradable without the pen, with the Atom version falling in price below current Surface 2 price, i3 at current Surface 2 price, and i5 falling in the price bracket below the Pro (all should come with keyboard but probably won't)
Surface 3 keeps current 10" form factor with upgraded display in terms of resolution

 

[thundr51]

What can the SP3 do that the SP1/2 don't do?

If the demo is to be believed, and that's always a pretty huge "If," using it in your lap would head the list. It heads the list of why I keep thinking I should replace my SP1 with an ultrabook.

Hadn't thought of this probably because when I had a laptop I didn't use it in my lap. I guess students and press do? Didn't look that sturdy during the stream, but would be nice to try.

 

[chezm]

Hands-on with the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 - IGN

Overall, I'm not convinced the Surface Pro 3 is revolutionary enough to completely replace my laptop, but it's a well-designed device that delivers improvements on its predecessors and some new features that might boost your productivity compared to a standard tablet.

Wow...and this sort of "Hands-On" from a huge website like IGN is how people can be misinformed about a device and its capabilities.

 

[jordanzhninja]

I'm only 16, Microsoft stop tempting me with your awesome products!
Seriously though, if they make the price of the lowest i5 variant reasonable in the UK (seen as how ?1 = something like $1.8), then I may consider working a lot in my 12 week summer holiday to try and get this. The problem is I wanted to get an Xbox One to play halo. :'(

Good thing I have an almost perfect condition Surface RT and a laptop that I could sell, but they would not be enough

 

[WillysJeepMan]

These are mostly aesthetics and expected from any new device. With that said, you didn't really answer my initial question. What can the SP3 do that your SP2 cannot? Pen/Tablet synergy is a bit random as the fact that my SP1 has 1024 levels of pressure, but I'll admit turning on the device using the stylus and going straight to onenote is pretty cool..not something I'd need but cool. The main reason I got a SP was because of the stylus/Wacom functions, keyboard cover/tablet. My old dell could do neither of those things. Perhaps I should ask a different question. If you had a SP3, what functions could you do that you couldn't do with your SP2? For me I know that I'd use it the same way I use my SP, probably plug it in a lot less(lol), but my actual use wouldn't change, and I use it everyday.

You apparently don't place any value on size, weight, screen technology, battery life... got it. That explains why you see don't see the difference between the SP3 and SP2... and probably the SP1 as well.

 

[Ankit Nawlakha]

I just can't help but think for the same price why not just get a laptop

It evens fulfills your need of having a laptop.
And Oh! Its a Tablet also!

 

[Ankit Nawlakha]

I'm only 16, Microsoft stop tempting me with your awesome products!
Seriously though, if they make the price of the lowest i5 variant reasonable in the UK (seen as how ?1 = something like $1.8), then I may consider working a lot in my 12 week summer holiday to try and get this. The problem is I wanted to get an Xbox One to play halo. :'(

Good thing I have an almost perfect condition Surface RT and a laptop that I could sell, but they would not be enough

Xbox One or Surface Pro 3..??
Tough Call!