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Microsoft Surface 3
79
Engadget Review
Microsoft's Surface 3 is the purest distillation of its hybrid tablet/laptop concept yet. It packs in a healthy amount of functionality for its $499 price, though be ready to pay another $130 for its keyboard.
Pros
- The lightest Surface yet
- Extremely versatile as both a tablet and laptop
- Runs all Windows software
- Stylus support is a nice bonus
Cons
- Keyboard is another $130
- Entry model has only 2GB RAM
- Not powerful enough for anything beyond basic computing
View All Critic & User Reviews
Microsoft Surface 3
- Critic Reviews (8)
- User Reviews (6)
- 79AVERAGE CRITIC SCORE8 ReviewsWired70Review: Microsoft Surface 3A cheaper Surface is a welcome thing, and if you’re looking for a single device that is useful every single second of the day, the Surface 3 is it. It’s an excellent execution of the Surface vision.Engadget80Surface 3 review: Finally, a cheap Surface you'd actually wantMicrosoft's Surface 3 is the purest distillation of its hybrid tablet/laptop concept yet. It packs in a healthy amount of functionality for its $499 price, though be ready to pay another $130 for its keyboard.CNET80Microsoft Surface 3 review: Trickle-down computingThe budget-priced Surface 3 is a solid tablet that finally runs the real version of Windows, but it would be a much better value if the must-have keyboard cover was included.Ars Technica80Surface 3 review: Smaller, slower, cheaper… bettThe Surface 3 is a very neat, versatile little machine. A lot of people will be able to make it work well for them. It works as a tablet. It works in most ways as a laptop. ... This is simultaneously a great digital notepad and a fine Office workhorse.Mashable80Microsoft Surface 3 is an attractive lightweightThe Surface 3 is a decent low-cost option for a touchscreen convertible, just don't over-tax it.The Verge70Microsoft Surface 3 reviewIt’s not the "tablet that can replace your laptop" so much as it’s a tablet that wants to be a laptop, and maybe it’s just time Microsoft made a Surface laptop. That’s really what the Surface wants to be.CNN90Surface 3: A tiny PC that gets the job doneThere is nothing else available on the market with the Surface 3's combination of price, design quality and size. If you must have all three, then the Surface 3 is for you.The Next Web80Review: The Surface 3 is the first Surface I can rIf you don’t need the extra performance, the Surface 3 makes Microsoft’s vision of a “tablet that can replace your laptop” actually ring true.
- 90AVERAGE USER SCORE6 Reviewsrydad90October 12, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I have been waiting for an LTE enabled, Atom based Windows tablet with a real digitizer since the form factor was announced. I bought mine through AT&T and have been quite pleased over the past week. I primarily wanted a portable, note taking device that could be used for light email and calendar use. Basically, I use a tablet as the digital replacement for a paper organizer.The design feels substantial and sturdy. The screen is solid and looks good. It's not UHD or anything, but for my purposes, the display works great.My only real problem has been battery life. I find myself topping off in the afternoon to make sure I am going to make it to the end of the day. On days when I don't do this, I still make it, but I am running on fumes. I would like to know that I can leave in the morning and not have to worry about charging all day. However, the fact that it charges using a standard USB cable makes it easy to plug in most places.Overall, a winner.Engadget Reader90June 23, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I use my Surface 3 both at home and at work and it is a fantastic device. Its portable enough to go anywhere yet still able to perform as a basic home laptop. The only issue I have is that it takes a long time to charge (and doesn't charge unless you have a VERY powerful charger). Despite this the battery life is fine. I plug into the included charger at work at that lasts long enough for moving around the office occasionally and then home in the evening. I hope that the success and growth o this product results in more developers embracing the Windows App Store (which is currently terrible). Overall a great machine if your looking for a fairly basic (I don't do video editing etc) but reliable machine for home and as a secondary device in the office.Engadget Reader90May 22, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!This is a great Surface, especially coming from the original RT. When pushing it you'll still get the occasional lag with responsiveness, but nothing that closing a few Chrome tabs doesn't fix. Overall I love it and have been finding myself reaching for it far more often than I reach for my iPad.Engadget Reader90May 11, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Honestly, this is an excellent device. Sure, it may not be the fastest thing on the market, but then again, what it does, it does quite well. If there was one demographic I'd strongly recommend this product to, I'd say it'd probably be students. I happen to be a student myself, and using this device to do word processing--power-points, essays, publisher, etc.-- (and the basic media stuff as well) is great. The only negatives I can think off are the added price of the keyboard (which, for some reason, is not included in the package) and the slow charging-time (it really is kind of slow). However, it's portability, nice screen, and decent performance more than makes up for it. Overall, I can't stress this enough: really nice device, and good on Microsoft for getting it right with attempt number 3!Engadget Reader90May 6, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90April 30, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I really like the Surface, it's every bit as useful as my Surface Pro 2 & 3 have been and much better than the RT model. It's taken over for my iPad as my tablet of choice around the house and to take to meetings. OneNote rocks.Only real beef is the second or so lag when you push the power button until you see the Surface logo to let you know it's starting up.It's light and durable and a real keyboard that tears off is perfect for a tablet that is frequently used like a laptop. The onscreen keyboard is fine for web use but the full keyboard is a must for writing emails or documents.
Key Specs
FORM FACTOR
Tablet
OPERATING SYSTEM
Windows
SCREEN SIZE
10.822
STORAGE TYPE
Internal, Memory card
CAMERA (INTEGRATED)
Yes
MAXIMUM BATTERY LIFE
Up to 1020
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