Surface 3, Yoga Book, or something else?

[ozaz]

I'm in the market for a small (10-11" screen), light, Windows 2-in-1 to use a secondary PC. I want to have it in my bag all day to use for light computing tasks (MS office, reading + annotating pdfs, inking in OneNote, email and internet) when away from my main PC. Situations where it will get most use include commuting and travelling, and at meetings.

I'm considering both the Surface 3 and the Yoga Book.

What I think I favour about the Surface 3
- 3:2 display
- Inclusion of full size USB port

What I think I favour about the Yoga book
- Lighter than Surface 3 + Keyboard combo.
- Might be better for use on lap (stability) and whilst standing (lightness) ????

I'm not really put off by the virtual keyboard on the Yoga Book because for light computing I'm happy enough typing on an iPad on-screen keyboard.

Some things I'm uncertain about
- Is Surface 3 stable enough and with a small enough footprint (when the kickstand is out) for use on your lap?
- On the Yoga book, can an adopter be used to charge and use a usb peripheral at the same time?
- Do we have an idea yet of comparative battery life of the two devices (beyond manufacturer claims)?
- Is there another device in this 10-11" class that I should be considering?

I'd really appreciate any thoughts anyone has and answers to the questions I'm uncertain about. It would really help me make my choice.

 

[HeyCori]

The Yoga Book is still a week away from shipping in the US, so real world use is hard to judge aside from the handful of reviews that are out there. That side, a few things to note.

Regarding Windows Ink, a major difference between the S3 and YB is that the YB does not have an active digitizer on the screen. The digitzer is only on the pad. The YB uses Lenovo's AnyPen technology. Here's a video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1g2QM6Yjy0

I own the Yoga Tablet 2 which uses AnyPen and it does work really well. However, AnyPen does not support palm rejection like an actual digitizer. Basically, you can't write and rest your hand on the screen like you can with the S3. I lean more towards the Surface 3 if Ink is a major consideration. However, the ability to digitize handwritten notes can be extremely beneficial. If you lean more towards digitizing notes (or just note taking in general), then the Yoga Book might be a better option.

Regarding lapability, I would assume it's easier to use the YB's Halo keyboard on your lap than a Type Cover+kickstand. I used to own the Surface 2 and I didn't have a problem laying the S2 on my lap and typing on the screen. I could also use the kickstand and a small bluetooth keyboard on my lap. Granted, my bluetooth keyboard is like half the size of the Type Cover.

I'm not sure whether the YB can be charged and support USB peripherals at the same time.

As someone that doesn't really use Windows Ink, I pre-ordered the Yoga Book mostly because of the ability to digitize my notes. But who knows, maybe Microsoft will announce the Surface 4 on October 26 and that will blow the Yoga Book out the water. Though I don't want to get your hopes up. There has been no indication that MS will release a S4 this year.

 

[ozaz]

Thanks, that's very helpful. I didn't realise the YB didn't have a proper digitiser with palm rejection on the screen. That probably swings it to the S3 for me.