Surface Pro 3 for Development?

[vincentw56]

I just started a new job and need to get a development system. I am a Microsoft developer using VS 2013. I develop mostly websites, web services, SQL DBs, etc. So I was looking at the Surface Pro 3, but my big issue would be screen size. I use my laptops a lot from my lap or on the go. I would say a lot of my usage is a way from my desk. I can get a nice laptop with a large screen, but it would cost more.

So my biggest question for those who do development work on their Surface Pro 3, does it work well for you even though it doesn't have a big screen?

 

[crash1989]

The screen size is ok , but running multiple apps snapped can be a challenge. You could connect an extra monitor.

From what I've experienced .. running heavy apps makes the surface pro 3's fans whirr ... it gets hot too.

Recently a friend was working on a website and running Dreamweaver, Notepad++, IE11 and xampp ( I know .. :\) .. the device was on the brink.

The rest of the time my god it is a beauty and something to behold

 

[crash1989]

ohh I should also mention my ideal development machine would be Dell XPS15 at the moment ... (Also called Dell m3800 workstation). It is beautiful, premium and well .. you'd have to deal with Dell Customer care if it causes issues (the only negative)

 

[vincentw56]

ohh I should also mention my ideal development machine would be Dell XPS15 at the moment ... (Also called Dell m3800 workstation). It is beautiful, premium and well .. you'd have to deal with Dell Customer care if it causes issues (the only negative)

I was looking at the HP workstation laptops. I've used Elitebooks in the past and love them.

 

[stephen_az]

Performance wise it would probably be a reasonable choice. As it stands, I use some very resource intensive applications with the i5 version and it never gets particularly hot nor does it slow down. Yes, it will warm up under heavy load but not beyond what I expect. As far as the screen size goes, unfortunately you are the only one who can really answer that question for yourself.

With that said there are some other things you may want to consider. First, there are still lots of applications not optimized for ultra high resolution displays. If you using any, you could find yourself hitting the screen magnifier more than you might like. More importantly, Hyper-V in Visual Studio disables connected standby in SP3. Actually as far as I know it disables it in any device using connected standby. If you need Hyper-V enabled, it does render one of SP3's selling points less useful....

 

[vincentw56]

As far as the screen size goes, unfortunately you are the only one who can really answer that question for yourself.

I was just really wanting to see if anyone had any major problems with using the screen size for long periods. Right now, I have an older laptop from my previous company that has a 17" display which is nice. I have to give back this one soon.

 

[crash1989]

I was looking at the HP workstation laptops. I've used Elitebooks in the past and love them.

But they aren't as sleek or built with premium materials as the Dell from the images I see. Dell basically improved upon the previous xps' and have even a better device than Retina MBP. I've not used Elitebooks or HP laptops since my Pavilion DV4 days so can't comment a lot on them.

 

[mjrtoo]

But they aren't as sleek or built with premium materials as the Dell from the images I see. Dell basically improved upon the previous xps' and have even a better device than Retina MBP. I've not used Elitebooks or HP laptops since my Pavilion DV4 days so can't comment a lot on them.

I had an Elitebook for several years, great machine, well built. They are really heavy though, crap to carry around if you work on the road. I recently got my new XPS 15 and yes, all the MBP guys in my office are jealous . It's a great machine, easy to carry around, acceptable battery life even with the highest end processor in it. I might have chosen then precision series version if I were to do it again, but they are essentially the same machine.

The only issue is that a lot of programs don't scale, like PhotoShop, so the buttons are 'microscopic' when running in full resolution. I run in 1920x1080 and it looks great as well.