Who is getting the new Surface 3?

[campbellc]

I would love some sort if trade in program for us Surface and Surface 2 owners. I will probably upgrade to the 3 but might wait until mid summer. Very excited about the Pen. That was the one feature I really wished my S2 had.

 

[Wbutchart1]

Ill be getting one hopefully next year once my ipad contract has expired. Not sure ill ill get the 2 or 4gb version, I don't do intensive things on it - normally email, word, bible research, and a few other things, I think the 2gb version can handle all that easy enough.

 

[TLRtheory]

I think I will be buying this.

I've had the SP3 since the day it launched and always wanted it to be smaller, lighter and MORE QUIET. The fans kick on during IE for God's sake... I also have a DV8P and Vivotab Note 8 and neither one of them even show signs of stress.

 

[James8561]

Will wait for when it comes with Win10 installed and some nice discount applied, like the $150 off for SP3

 

[John Steffes]

Still do not get the price...

Surface RT 64G $179 Clearance at Wallmart, USA
Surface 2 64G $249 Closeout at MicroCenter, USA
Surface Pro 2 512G $655.35 Closeout at MicroCenter, USA...
Surface Pro 3 i5 128G $899.99 Closeout at MicroCenter, USA

Just do not get the price Surface 3 128G $599?

No keyboard, No Pen, just tablet, charger and forgot the Personal Office 365 for 1 year as long as you activate within 6 months of activating windows and only until December... At least the Surface RT/2 came with a limited Office 2013 for as long as the device works...

 

[Ntropy99]

I have a two year old Samsung W8.1 Ativ tablet. It also has an Atom processor and the battery life is terrific. I use it more than my desktop or laptop and it is my business traveling companion. My Samsung has a mini-HDMI port so that I can use it with a projector for presentations. Will the S3 have the HDMI port? I don't see it in any of the specs.

 

[John Steffes]

It has Display Port not HDMI... you would need an adapter to connect to HDMI...

 

[cj-m]

Whatever!

The 4gb/128 is way cheaper than the i5 4gb/128 and both are light years better than my rickety little dell 10 latitude. I don't need the touch cover but am curious about the pen. so! End of June, i will have a look and see. More than likely I will get a S3 for myself.

 

[WillysJeepMan]

As a Surface and Surface 2 owner, this will be the first generation I skip. I am pretty disappointed in this as it will not have USB Type-C or a depth sensing camera for Windows Hello in Windows 10. I think this device suffers from poor timing and doesn't really have a place. It's a Windows 8.1 tablet, but with Windows 10 only a couple of months away, there is no appeal here. I like the physical device and the form factor, 10" is the best size for me. Just sad it is a device from the past, especially considering it isn't even releasing until May. Microsoft could and should have done better on this round.

IMO Microsoft has never handled the Surface line properly.

But, I think the timing and design of the Surface 3 were more of a pre-emptive, attention-getting move than as a part of a larger cohesive plan. The Surface 3 is generating a LOT of buzz... even among the Apple-faithful. People who weren't thinking of an SP3 are starting to look at the S3. This could set things up for an SP4 that is released later this year.

Then again, I'm probably giving Microsoft too much credit.

 

[big dooze]

That's because MS didn't want to get into the hardware business....the OEMs did such a poor job with their initial go to market devices that the Surface Pro was the the best candidate for a wintab. It's popularity was to great to ignore. I have used several Dell devices and they do not compete with the surface...the Venue 11 is a dog. The 8 pro is a nice device for the price tag, but had MS built the surface mini, it would have killed any momentum for sub-10 inch devices.

 

[MrWhiteman]

No, my 17" Lenovo laptop serves me well.

 

[TLRtheory]

Still do not get the price...

Surface RT 64G $179 Clearance at Wallmart, USA
Surface 2 64G $249 Closeout at MicroCenter, USA
Surface Pro 2 512G $655.35 Closeout at MicroCenter, USA...
Surface Pro 3 i5 128G $899.99 Closeout at MicroCenter, USA

Just do not get the price Surface 3 128G $599?

You do realize you're comparing the MSRP of a brand new device to clearance/closeout prices, right? ...and even bringing in yester-generation's ARM/Windows RT devices as if the Surface 3 should seriously be evaluated on the same level?

When we consider device prices of current, new items at their MSRP the comparison makes more sense. People traditionally pay the same $499 for an iPad that lacks a full operating system (and the 29 year legacy backing it's software library), lacks a real USB port, forces all video output to be done on the same port that charges it, comes with only a fourth of the storage, half the memory, and instead of actually getting Microsoft Office you get Apple's bootleg version of Office.

Yeah, a keyboard will tack on extra cost... but that doesn't just hold true for the Surface. The Belkin QODE keyboard (Buy the Belkin Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad Air - Free Shipping) I have on my iPad air costs $129.99 too, and while the argument could be made that we can get lower cost iPad keyboards, we can get lower cost BT keyboard for the Surface too.

 

[psudotechzealot]

Pass.

 

[John Steffes]

Ok maybe I should say it this way:

Surface Pro 3 4G/128 $799.99 (right now, there are always deals..., maybe not at the Microsoft Store, but retail stores)... Yes add the $129.99 keyboard which I have seen on sale for $79.99...

Surface 3 4G/128G $599.99 + $50 Pen, + $129.99 keyboard = $779.98...

Panos said he wanted to bring the Surface Pro 3 to the masses, make it cheaper...

I have the Surface RT 64G, love the device for what it is, and what it can do, but I would never pay more then $200 for it MSRP or on clearance/closeout... I do not understand the prices...

The Surface 3 should be $159.99 for the 2G/64G and $259.99 for the 4G/128G... Throw in the Pen/Full office 2013 (not just Office 365 Personal)...

Anyone in marketing/Sales will tell you take the number $599.99 and divide it by 4 that is about the cost of the device the rest is about making a profit... so $599.99/4 is ~$150 so add on a little for the profit and there is where I got my numbers from...

Some things are worth the full cost, but not Microsoft Products, when it will be good for two years, and pushed out the door (my Surface was $179 at Walmart in 2014, the device was released in 2012, the Surface 2 was released in 2013, and was on clearance/close out in 2015 for $249, they already have a track record of dumping the device every two years)...

So will I get the Surface 3, yeah, when it goes on clearance/close out in 2017 for under $250...

 

[alisaad619]

Ok maybe I should say it this way:

Surface Pro 3 4G/128 $799.99 (right now, there are always deals..., maybe not at the Microsoft Store, but retail stores)... Yes add the $129.99 keyboard which I have seen on sale for $79.99...

Surface 3 4G/128G $599.99 + $50 Pen, + $129.99 keyboard = $779.98...

Panos said he wanted to bring the Surface Pro 3 to the masses, make it cheaper...

I have the Surface RT 64G, love the device for what it is, and what it can do, but I would never pay more then $200 for it MSRP or on clearance/closeout... I do not understand the prices...

The Surface 3 should be $159.99 for the 2G/64G and $259.99 for the 4G/128G... Throw in the Pen/Full office 2013 (not just Office 365 Personal)...

Anyone in marketing/Sales will tell you take the number $599.99 and divide it by 4 that is about the cost of the device the rest is about making a profit... so $599.99/4 is ~$150 so add on a little for the profit and there is where I got my numbers from...

Some things are worth the full cost, but not Microsoft Products, when it will be good for two years, and pushed out the door (my Surface was $179 at Walmart in 2014, the device was released in 2012, the Surface 2 was released in 2013, and was on clearance/close out in 2015 for $249, they already have a track record of dumping the device every two years)...

So will I get the Surface 3, yeah, when it goes on clearance/close out in 2017 for under $250...

your math is flawed

Surface pro 3 4G/128G is 999$ (+ 129$ typecover = 1129$ )
Surface 3 4G/128G is 599$ (+129$ typecover + 50$ pen = 779$ )

it's a huge price gap

I'm too are a Surface RT owner , I will get the Surface3 late summer with student discount (I need it for college , I can't wait for clearance prices, even if I waited in 2016 I will see the Surface4 and want to get it , and if waited to 2017 I will want to get Surface5 not 3)

 

[John Steffes]

My math for current Surface Pro 3 Refurbished: $799.99 plus Open Boxed keyboard $103.96 = $903.95

Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Tablet - Refurbished PY2-00001 - Micro Center

They also have several Surface Pro 3 Type Covers Open Boxed for $103.96, but I have seen those go on sale from time to time to $79.99.

As I have stated there are always deals, they just had a $150 off last week...

Now factor the Surface 3, $779.98 against the better Surface Pro 3 above for only $123.97 more... I do not know about you but I would go the route of the Surface Pro 3...

The Price is to HIGH..,.

My math is not flawed... If you are looking for a Surface Pro 3, but can't afford the premium price tag, you look at refurbished/clearance/open boxed/close out's.. You are not looking to pay full retail... The Surface 3 is priced too high... But so was the Surface RT and Surface 2...

 

[WillysJeepMan]

You do realize you're comparing the MSRP of a brand new device to clearance/closeout prices, right? ...and even bringing in yester-generation's ARM/Windows RT devices as if the Surface 3 should seriously be evaluated on the same level?

When we consider device prices of current, new items at their MSRP the comparison makes more sense. People traditionally pay the same $499 for an iPad that lacks a full operating system (and the 29 year legacy backing it's software library), lacks a real USB port, forces all video output to be done on the same port that charges it, comes with only a fourth of the storage, half the memory, and instead of actually getting Microsoft Office you get Apple's bootleg version of Office.

Yeah, a keyboard will tack on extra cost... but that doesn't just hold true for the Surface. The Belkin QODE keyboard (Buy the Belkin Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad Air - Free Shipping) I have on my iPad air costs $129.99 too, and while the argument could be made that we can get lower cost iPad keyboards, we can get lower cost BT keyboard for the Surface too.

In general, I agree with what you wrote.

There are high quality keyboard cases for iPads that don't cost anywhere near the $130 of the Belkin. Logitech's Ultrathin keyboard cover can regularly be found for $20-40. There is no low-cost option for the Surface... no, standalone BT keyboards don't count.

Microsoft's continued insistence in always advertising the Surface with the optional added-cost keyboard will hurt them in sales. Not that the keyboard isn't worth the added cost (well, it really isn't) but the feeling of being fooled by the without-keyboard price. It's about managing customer expectation.



At the entry level, the Surface 3 for $499 is a compelling alternative to the iPad Air 2... simply as a tablet.

 

[TLRtheory]

There are high quality keyboard cases for iPads that don't cost anywhere near the $130 of the Belkin. Logitech's Ultrathin keyboard cover can regularly be found for $20-40. There is no low-cost option for the Surface... no, standalone BT keyboards don't count.

That's not correct, there are decently high-rated low cost keyboard options for Surface as well.
Amazon.com: SUPERNIGHT Bluetooth Touchpad Keyboard Portfolio Case for Microsoft Surface Pro 3 12" - DETACHABLE Bluetooth Keyboard Stand Case / Cover for Microsoft Surface Pro 3 12 inch Win8 Tablet , Black Color: Electronics
http://www.amazon.com/Poweradd-Wire...ag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUwpUvbUpU3047135

And though you said BT keyboards don't count, there wasn't much reason provided as to why.

 

[samir1374]

I will get one if I know it can handle tasks a simple developer would do like programming and connecting Visual Studio and SQL server or designing web pages. I own a Asus Vivobook S550CB as my main machine right now with a core i5 3337u dual-core processor and it's clocked at 1.8 GHz with turbo boost to 2.7 which is a bit better than Surface 3 but it's somewhat heavy too carry around at 2.7 Kg. What do you guys think? Can I rely on Surface 3 or should I stick with my current laptop knowing my budget doesn't allow me to have a pro version of Surface super-portable line? Thanks.

 

[alisaad619]

My math for current Surface Pro 3 Refurbished: $799.99 plus Open Boxed keyboard $103.96 = $903.95

Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Tablet - Refurbished PY2-00001 - Micro Center

They also have several Surface Pro 3 Type Covers Open Boxed for $103.96, but I have seen those go on sale from time to time to $79.99.

As I have stated there are always deals, they just had a $150 off last week...

Now factor the Surface 3, $779.98 against the better Surface Pro 3 above for only $123.97 more... I do not know about you but I would go the route of the Surface Pro 3...

The Price is to HIGH..,.

My math is not flawed... If you are looking for a Surface Pro 3, but can't afford the premium price tag, you look at refurbished/clearance/open boxed/close out's.. You are not looking to pay full retail... The Surface 3 is priced too high... But so was the Surface RT and Surface 2...

if you used the price of a deal on refurbished devices then your math is flawed .
when comparing it's always best to use MSRP .

deals are sometimes there and sometimes are not (for both Surface pro 3 or surface 3)