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Microsoft announces the Surface Pro 3

Arthur

By Arthur
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abillybob

abillybob

Posted
Posted
So did anyone get one? I have... I shouldn't have played with them at ISTE...

 

I had a Surface Pro 1, they're good but not good enough to justify the price imho and I can't see why the Surface Pro 3 will be any different the laptop you could buy for £600+ is far superior in specs to the Surface Pro 3 I'd have the laptop.

localzuk

localzuk

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Posted (edited)
I had a Surface Pro 1, they're good but not good enough to justify the price imho and I can't see why the Surface Pro 3 will be any different the laptop you could buy for £600+ is far superior in specs to the Surface Pro 3 I'd have the laptop.

 

Find me a laptop that matches the spec of the Surface Pro 3 - including high resolution touchscreen and SSD, for the same price or less...

Edited by localzuk
sted

sted

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as above ive got a pro 1 and its ok but in hindsight something like an xps11 would of probably been a better choice. The 3 has daft specs in not allowing a 128gb sdd with the i3 if that was an option i might consider it but the cost of any of them with 128gb is silly as you need to move up to an i5 and add over £200 to the cost of it just to get a decent amount of storage. Im sure the cost of the ssd is minimal so imo ms missed a trick there as with a full windows install 64gb just isnt enough ive all but filled the 128 on my surface pro and that without really trying and no films or other huge files just syncing my docs/pics etc
zag

zag

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Find me a laptop that matches the spec of the Surface Pro 3 - including high resolution touchscreen and SSD, for the same price or less...

 

Nobody wants a touchscreen on a laptop. Its just totally pointless.

sted

sted

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Nobody wants a touchscreen on a laptop. Its just totally pointless.

 

actually after using someone at works i disagree ok i use the mouse most of the time but it is handy for certain things

localzuk

localzuk

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Cool. They've obviously dropped in price since I last looked a few months back. Glad they've come down!

 

Also, yes, some people do want touchscreens on laptops. I have a friend who does illustrations, and a touchscreen makes their life a lot easier - especially with a stylus like on the Surface Pro series.

pcstru

pcstru

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I have an Surface Pro 2 in the 8/256GB spec. I love it. I do plug a mouse in when I'm at home working on the kitchen table, otherwise I find the touch screen much better than typical laptop touch pad - even the spacious ones on the Macbook Pro. I'm tempted by the larger screen on the SP3 but I won't be able to justify an upgrade for a few years. They are expensive but compared to what? There is very little out there to compete with it.
gshaw

gshaw

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SP3 still way too expensive imo, once you add the keyboard on even the cheapest model is £750. Go to an i5 and it's nearly £1k. I'm holding out for the Lenovo Miix 3 which looks promising...

 

http://www.ilovetablette.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/lenovo-Miix-3-windows-8.jpg

Edited by gshaw
Norphy

Norphy

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What bugs me about the SP3 (and the Surface range in general if I'm honest) is the kickstand. It's great if you want to use it on a desk. If you want to use it on your lap though, as the name "Laptop" suggests, then I don't think it's so hot. It just takes up too much room and I can't see that thin metal edge sticking into your thigh or knee being all that comfortable.

 

I'm not saying that they should do away with the kickstand but a keyboard dock similar to the ones that Dell and Asus sell would be a welcome accessory.

Arthur

Arthur

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What bugs me about the SP3 (and the Surface range in general if I'm honest) is the kickstand. It's great if you want to use it on a desk. If you want to use it on your lap though, as the name "Laptop" suggests, then I don't think it's so hot.

Couldn't you have the tablet laying flat on your legs? i.e. without the kickstand open.

 

I'm holding out for the Lenovo Miix 3 which looks promising...

If it's anything like the Miix 2, it will have an Atom processor which is nowhere near as fast as a Core i3/5/7 in the SP3.

Norphy

Norphy

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Couldn't you have the tablet laying flat on your legs? i.e. without the kickstand open.

 

Then that'd take up even more room and it wouldn't exactly be ergonomic as you'd have to be stooped over it to be able to see the screen.

 

I'm talking about using the thing with the keyboard cover, apologies if that wasn't clear.

pcstru

pcstru

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Posted
I'm talking about using the thing with the keyboard cover, apologies if that wasn't clear.

It's not great for that but then I don't find laptops very good in that situation either. With the SP2 I discard the keyboard and use the on-screen keyboard if I need one (so basically using it as a tablet) . Not that I find myself trying to use on my lap very often.

abillybob

abillybob

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@Norphy I think everything you're stating is pretty much a problem with most tablet type devices. The iPad for example has this issue but even more so because they don't give you a choice of any kickstand unless you buy one additionally, it's nicer to have it built into the device imo.

 

To be fair my Surface Pro 1 never had any problems when it was on my lap, I never thought it was uncomfortable but granted it wasn't as comfortable as a laptop, though this might have had something to do with the fact the kickstand only had one way it could stand up the device, the surface pro 3 has apparently sorted that.

Norphy

Norphy

Posted
Posted
@Norphy I think everything you're stating is pretty much a problem with most tablet type devices. The iPad for example has this issue but even more so because they don't give you a choice of any kickstand unless you buy one additionally, it's nicer to have it built into the device imo.

 

Granted but Microsoft are marketing it as a tablet that can replace your laptop. In terms of hardware, they're right but I'm not convinced about the form factor for the reasons I specified. It seems to me that they're trying to reinvent a form factor which has worked perfectly well for the last 20 years but not doing an especially good job of it.

 

Apple and the other tablet vendors don't market their tablets as such, they market them as handhelds and that's it. Google and Apple don't manufacture keyboard docks for their tablets last I checked.

 

To be fair my Surface Pro 1 never had any problems when it was on my lap, I never thought it was uncomfortable but granted it wasn't as comfortable as a laptop, though this might have had something to do with the fact the kickstand only had one way it could stand up the device, the surface pro 3 has apparently sorted that.

 

It's not just a question of comfort though. I have a Windows Dell tablet (A Venue Pro 11) with a keyboard dock sitting on my desk. When it's docked, it's just like a normal laptop. The keyboard dock is about eight inches long at a rough guess. It will only use eight inches of the length of my legs. I can put the thing close to my knees or higher up my thighs depending on how I'm feeling that day. I can adjust the angle of the screen without it taking up more space. Plus someone with shorter legs than me can use the thing without too much issue. With the Surface Pro 3, the amount of space taken up is the length of the keyboard plus the amount of space between the bottom of the kickstand and the bottom edge of the screen. If you want have the thing completely reclined, you'd better be a six footer otherwise it ain't gonna fit on your legs! In addition, I don't know if the new type cover has been made to feel more sturdy but the touch cover for the original surface is quite flimsy and doesn't feel very nice to type on when you're not using it on a desk.

 

Anyway, this is why I don't especially want one. Which is a shame because it otherwise seems like a fabulous device.

abillybob

abillybob

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I see where you're coming from and to be quite frank these small issues are why I wouldn't buy one. Well not for that price anyway.

When you're spending £600+ on a product you expect it to be top notch and the design to be perfect, now don't get me wrong I'm not insinuating that they haven't used quality material and components because they have, in fact it was the nicest tablet I have ever held but little design flaws like what you have pointed out are what stops me buying this rather than a laptop.

 

It's nice they have improved it vastly with the better kickstand, nicer screen (obviously to compete with the new MBP Range Retina Displays), more choice on processor specs and all that jazz but the few things I looks for when buying a laptop which the surface doesn't have are:

- Design to be different but flawless, I like a laptop to make a slight statement (sad I know but that's how I like em')

- Upgradability, I must be able to in a year or so easily be able to replace HDD/SSD, RAM Size etc....

- It must be very light, I like minimal look that looks classy, thin and very light for better portability, I think the Surface is a bit too heavy for me and the back gets hot

- Durability, it must be able to withstand a few knocks and dents and be ok, the screen looks like the Surfaces weakest point here where as a laptop folds down and has it's screen protected when in a bag this certainly does not

- Last of all Brand, it has to be a well known brand that I trust and have dealt with before, this is Microsoft's first attempt at designing hardware now luckily I took the plunge for the Surface 1 and I must say the Support from Microsoft I found was actually better then Apple infamous support. But it's a lot of money to ask for a product when you have never approached a hardware market before, let's put it this way if the OnePlus One phone was the same price as lets say the Galaxy S5 nobody would be bothered about it and I think this is Microsofts biggest flaw because people don't want to take the risk with what is a new hardware company especially when there previous Xbox 360 Hardware had countless amounts of faults with the red ring of fire problem.

 

But that's just my opinion :)

Arthur

Arthur

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Upgradability, I must be able to in a year or so easily be able to replace HDD/SSD, RAM Size etc....

No one buys tablets with the intention of upgrading them later.

 

Also, don't you have a retina MacBook Pro that has a non-upgradable SSD and RAM? :p

 

It must be very light ... I think the Surface is a bit too heavy for me

The SP3 is lighter than the 11" MacBook Air which people generally consider very light (800g vs 1.08 kg). :confused:

 

the screen looks like the Surfaces weakest point here where as a laptop folds down and has its screen protected when in a bag this certainly does not

The type cover protects the screen (just like covers and cases do on other tablets). You can also buy sleeves that fit the device.

 

this is Microsoft's first attempt at designing

Microsoft have been designing and making hardware for 30 years.

 

www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/30-years-of-hardware

 

it's a lot of money to ask for a product when you have never approached a hardware market before

There have already been three major revisions of the Surface Pro over the course of the last two years. Most of the problems have already been worked out. :)

  • Thanks 1
pcstru

pcstru

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Posted
@Arthur - spot on. I just don't see anything that can match the SP2/3 in terms of performance (i5/7, 4-8GB RAM), flexibility (ultrabook/tablet, good battery life) and portability (it's heavy for a *tablet* but it's small rucksack/bag fodder compared to most laptops) and that's why it can command the price. But as always, you pays your money, you takes your choice.
gshaw

gshaw

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@Arthur yes probably an Atom on the Miix 3 but I guess this is where my interpretation of a Windows tablet and Microsoft's don't match up.

 

I use a first gen RT in work and in terms of size and portability it's great, however the lack of any desktop programs restricts it to OneNote and Outlook really. The Pro and Pro2 were too heavy so no good, at original RRP like the Surface 3 way too expensive as well.

 

For anything more important I go to a ThinkPad T430s where the keyboard, screen size and expandability are more important and the Surface 3 still wouldn't replace that so personally I see it as a bit of an expensive luxury rather than a killer product, the search for the perfect companion device goes on...

  • 4 weeks later...
Arthur

Arthur

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Schools in the US, Canada and UK to get discount on the Surface Pro 3

 

uQis8j7UxFt4.png

 

The table above shows the approximate savings that schools and colleges will make if they purchase the Surface Pro 3. While there are more than those three models available, it is highly unlikely that a school would splash out on the more expensive i7 models.

 

The only problem here is that the units must be purchased through Microsoft’s Authorized Device Resellers (see here for Canada and here for the UK) and in minimum quantities of five units. We assume you could get three of the i3 and 3 of the i5 and still qualify for discount, but it’s not clear.

zag

zag

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I've had a couple of Microsoft surfaces cross my desk as BYOD devices recently and can't believe how terrible they are.

 

No wonder they are fire sailing them again for education..

Arthur

Arthur

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I've had a couple of Microsoft surfaces cross my desk

Which ones? Surface RT, Surface 2 or Surface Pro 1, 2 or 3? :confused:

 

What don't you like about them?

Edited by Arthur

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