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Microsoft Surface Pro 3
79
Engadget Review
The Surface Pro 3 is Microsoft's biggest and best tablet yet, but it needs a better keyboard to truly replace your laptop.
Pros
- Remarkably thin and light for a machine with laptop guts
- Easier to use as a standalone tablet
- Fast performance
- Gorgeous, high-res display
- Keyboard can be propped up at a more comfortable angle
Cons
- Flimsy keyboard is inferior to what you'd get on a proper laptop; worse, it doesn't even come in the box
- Not that comfortable to use in the lap
- Middling battery life
Microsoft
Surface
Engadget
79
Critics
36 reviews76
AVERAGE CRITIC SCORE
Users
63 reviews84
AVERAGE USER SCORE
View All Critic & User Reviews
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
- Critic Reviews (14)
- User Reviews (63)
- 76AVERAGE CRITIC SCORE14 ReviewsComputerworld70Surface Pro 3 deep-dive review: Has Microsoft finaSo will this be the tablet-laptop combo that convinces you to use Windows 8 if you're not already committed to it? No. But this machine shows that a tablet-laptop combo is not as much of a Rube Goldberg mashup as you might have imagined. It even makes sense.Gizmodo80Surface Pro 3 Review: The Greatest Laptop-Tablet HThe Surface Pro 3 is now a passable laptop, which is fantastic. But the added benefit of a full Windows tablet is still pretty niche.The Wall Street Journal80Microsoft Surface Pro 3: A Tablet That DesperatelyOn its third attempt, Microsoft has leapt forward in bringing the tablet and laptop together—and bringing the laptop into the future. But the Pro 3 also suffers from the Surface curse: You still make considerable compromises for getting everything in one package.PC World80Microsoft Surface Pro 3 review: A legitimate workMicrosoft's Surface lineup just keeps getting better and better, with an improved screen for desktop use and an upgraded Type Cover for the road.Ars Technica80Surface Pro 3 review: Is the third time the charm?Surface Pro 3 is the closest Microsoft has come yet to producing a laptop-killing tablet. But the laptop will live on to fight another day. This time around, the third iteration isn't the one that gets it right.Engadget80Surface Pro 3 review: Has Microsoft finally made aThe Surface Pro 3 is Microsoft's biggest and best tablet yet, but it needs a better keyboard to truly replace your laptop.Wired70Surface TensionIt’s a machine that makes a ton of sense for business deployments, road warriors, casual photo editors, and artists. With the Surface Pro 3, you’re paying not just for the individual components, but for the sheer thin-and-lightness of it all.CNET80The best Surface yet is more than a tablet, less tWhile the new Surface Pro 3 is Microsoft's best PC to date, it's more successful as a tablet than a laptop replacement.PC Mag70Microsoft Surface Pro 3With its 12-inch, high-resolution display, full-friction kickstand, and Surface Pen, Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 tablet aims to be the only mobile PC you need. But will you ditch your laptop? We're not so sure.Laptop Magazine60Microsoft Surface Pro 3 ReviewThe Microsoft Surface Pro 3 tablet has a larger and sharper screen, more versatile kickstand and better pen integration, but it's a pricey laptop replacement.ZDNetNot RatedSurface Pro 3: thinner, lighter, more flexibleIf you liked the earlier iterations of the Surface Pro you'll no doubt love the changes in this, the third edition. If you were put off by the Type Cover or the heft of earlier versions, the improvements here make it well worth a fresh look.CNETNot RatedSurface Pro 3: 12-inch 3:2 screen, starts at $799,The Surface Pro 3 still doesn't feel quite as thin and ethereal as, for example, the iPad Air, but its slightly thinner body, coupled with the larger screen, give it a more upscale feel than the Pro and Pro 2, both of which we criticized for a certain boxiness.GigaOMNot RatedSurface Pro 3 hands on: Better laptop, yes; betterOverall, I like what I see here initially. Surface Pro 3 already looks like a much better laptop. Time will tell in tablet mode because a 12-inch slate can become unwieldy after a while; at least in portrait mode. The kickstand will help for content consumption times, of course.AnandTechNot RatedMicrosoft Surface Pro 3: Hands On, Display & PerfoDespite featuring a thinner chassis, I measured performance improvements over both previous Surface Pros. I'll have more data in the final review but here I'm seeing a 3 - 20% increase in performance over the Surface Pro 2.PC WorldNot RatedSurface Pro 3 hands-on: thin, light, lovelyBy moving from a 10.6-inch form factor with the Surface Pro 2 to a 12-inch screen with the Surface Pro 3, Microsoft’s tablet feels more like a PC than ever. Really, the only thing differentiating it from a traditional notebook are the strength of the hinge and the weight distribution.Ars TechnicaNot RatedHands-on: Using Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 as a lThe build quality is as good as we've come to expect from the Surface lineup. The aluminum chassis is nice-looking and solid-feeling, and the hinge was perfectly stable as long as I kept my lap level.TechCrunchNot RatedMicrosoft Surfaces The Surface Pro 3, We Go HandsThis is very, very thin. It’s a solid machine, to be sure, and I’m excited to try it as a daily carry.EngadgetNot RatedHands-on with Microsoft's Surface Pro 3In addition to being the biggest, highest-res Surface, it also brings new pen tech, a new kickstand, and a new keyboard, to boot. Also, it's surprisingly thin and light, considering this thing is big and powerful enough to replace a full-fledged Ultrabook.GizmodoNot RatedSurface Pro 3 Hands On: A Laptop Replacement ThatOf the many things that are new about the Surface Pro 3, the screen size feels the least remarkable. Yeah, it's bigger, but not in a way that's immediately ... noticeable. That's a good thing; the screen sort of fades away into the background right away without assaulting you with its largeness.MashableNot RatedHands On With the Surface Pro 3The kickstand hinge is impressive. The minimum angle is something like 30 degrees (otherwise the tablet would tip over), but you can go way beyond that, up to 150 degrees. The level of resistance is just right.Pocket-LintNot RatedMicrosoft Surface Pro 3 vs Microsoft Surface Pro 2The Surface Pro 3 certainly takes it up a step in the Surface line and while the storage and RAM options remain the same, a lot has improved with the successor to the Surface Pro 2.SlashGearNot RatedSurface Pro 3 hands-onIt's certainly lighter in the hand than you might first expect when you pick it up, with the 9.1mm-thick metal chassis and 12-inch display turning out to be fairly comfortable to hold, even single-handed. That 800g would probably add up over a few hours of use, however.The Verge80Microsoft Surface Pro 3 reviewIf you believe that Windows 8.1 hasn’t taken off because the hardware hasn’t been good enough, the Surface Pro 3 removes that argument from the table. It’s simply hard to identify areas where it can get radically better.Penny Arcade70Surface Pro 3It’s so close to being perfect that the problems it has feel especially maddening. If it just performed a little better! If they just hadn’t put that button right there! Grrrr.Yahoo90Smart, Versatile Surface Pro 3 Can Do It All — MIf you own or carry around both a tablet and a laptop, then the Surface is calling out your name. There’s nothing like it.TechRadarNot RatedHome Reviews PC & Mac Tablets Hands on: MicrosoftThe driving idea behind the Surface Pro 3 is putting the full weight of Microsoft's software and hardware chops behind a single device. And features like this Surface Pen and OneNote instill confidence that the company is doing good by that vision.TabletPCReviewNot RatedMicrosoft Surface Pro 3 Hands-On PreviewTaking all of the refinements in, and the Surface Pro 3 is certainly an impressive piece of hardware that leaves the team at TabletPCReview feeling good about its chances against... well... the thin-and-light notebook market.GizmagNot RatedMicrosoft's Surface Pro 3: 12-in screen, thinner bMicrosoft also redesigned its Surface Pen with a weightier, more premium feel. The biggest news on the pen front, though, is its "one-click" note-taking capabilities: click the end of the pen and OneNote pops open on the Surface. Double-click the pen to take a screenshot.Windows CentralNot RatedHands-on with the Surface Pro 3 from Microsoft, anWe're really, really liking the Surface Pro 3. Microsoft has addressed some of the major qualms users have had with the Surface over the past few years. Battery life is up to nine hours, performance has increased, weight is down and viewing angles have increased.VentureBeatNot RatedHands-on with Surface Pro 3: Microsoft’s hybridThanks to its larger screen, using the Surface Pro 3 to browse the web and use Windows 8 apps felt far more comfortable than past Surface models. I always felt cramped by the 10.6-inch screens in the previous Surface.IGNNot RatedHands-on with the Microsoft Surface Pro 3Overall, I'm not convinced the Surface Pro 3 is revolutionary enough to completely replace my laptop, but it's a well-designed device that delivers improvements on its predecessors and some new features that might boost your productivity compared to a standard tablet.The VergeNot RatedMicrosoft goes big with the 12-inch Surface Pro 3Unsurprisingly, Windows 8.1 runs quickly and smoothly on the Pro 3, and the touchscreen had no issues tracking our swipes and inputs. The new Type Cover keyboard cover features a new touchpad that's tremendously better than earlier models, as well as backlit keys.HotHardware80Microsoft Surface Pro 3 ReviewWe, however, think Windows 8.1 is ideal on a device of this type and think the Surface Pro 3 is a compelling, worthwhile update to the Surface line-up.The Next WebNot RatedSurface Pro 3 first impressions: Third time’s alIt’s clear Microsoft made loads of improvements to the Surface Pro 3, though it is, at first glance, still a far cry from the Macbook Air. We liked the processing speed of Windows 8.1 and the improved trackpad is nice, but it’s still a bit too tiny to comfortably perform gesture controls.Geek.comNot RatedMicrosoft Surface Pro 3 hands-on: Everything you wAs far as first impressions go, Microsoft has done an amazing job updating a confusing concept and turning it into a compelling product.NeowinNot RatedHands On: Microsoft Surface Pro 3With an Intel Core i7 under the hood, the tablet flies through the apps and any quick test we were able to put the device through. We also couldn't feel any air being pushed out through the vents, nor could we hear the fan.
- 84AVERAGE USER SCORE63 ReviewsMNot RatedJanuary 18, 2019Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!MS Surface Pro. Piece of crap. AVOID AVOID AVOIDMS cust serv the worst anywhereFactory reset is the only thing MS tech support does (can do yourself) so they are worthless. Factory reset has been done many many times on this and never fixes issues. Piece of crap. Have spent several hundred dollars trying to salvage this tablet to no avail. Piece of crap. DO NOT BELIEVE TV ADVERTISING. MS LIES....I would give a negative 100 on this score bar if I could.Engadget Reader50November 14, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!As a laptop the Surface Pro 3 is awkward and uncomfortable to use on the sofa.As a tablet the Windows platform has very few tablet friendly apps (compared to iOS and Android).The Surface Pro 3 does have trouble resuming from sleep mode (compared to Macbook). Very occasionally it loses it's connection to the keyboard which requires a reboot.Unfortunately my Surface Pro 3 completely stopped working recently. I understand that these things do happen even in premium laptops, however I was surprised that it was written off as being uneconomical to repair!Engadget Reader20October 8, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!concept is sound. The reality is bloody awful. Particularly since the installation of Windows 10 it has become a nightmare to use, it's a real struggle to connect to very strong Wi-Fi signals actually finding your way around the computer is dreadful and as for nonsense of having to fill in a password every time you close the cover. don't touch it with a barge pole.Engadget Reader80August 25, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I used the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 for about two months when my Macbook Pro had to go in for repairs(my own fault). My roommate was kind enough to lend it to me as I'm a Digital Illustrator and needed to keep working. I initially thought the Surface was a fantastic combination between laptop and drawing tablet... Not so. It's somewhere between a laptop and ipad style tablet(fairly useless except to check mail and Facebook).Firstly, and most frustratingly, the pressure sensitivity is miniscule. I had to press incredibly hard to get the opacity of brushes in Photoshop to opaque. There was an annoying amount of latency between the pen pressing and what shows up on the screen, not as much as some, but enough that I noticed. It's cool that you are drawing right on the screen, but the pen feel isn't great. Low end drawing tablets tend to have 1,024 degrees of pressure sensitivity, high end having double that and more, and this little thing has 256. I am annoyed that they market it as a 'graphic designers dream', sure if they don't need pressure sensitivity maybe. I ended up having to plug my Wacom drawing tablet into it to use.Secondly, the poor thing overheated terribly when I used Photoshop and an internet browser at the same time. It got very hot and the tiny fan would go like mad. One time when I was using Skype to talk to a client while working in Photoshop the Surface froze and went black(I presume from overheating) and wouldn't restart for about twenty minutes. It's just not meant for using big programs I think. My roommate said the specs say it should work fine, but in practice it really did not like to work harder than browsing the internet and chatting on Skype.I must say that it has the nicest screen I've seen on a Windows PC, especially for a laptop/tablet. The beautifully bright colours and crisp clear display are fairly comparable to my Retina display laptop. Normally the only Windows screens I think look decent are worth an arm and a leg(one of the main reasons I use apple computers).As a personal computer I am sure the Surface is great. It looks and feels well made. I'm a bit skeptical that the keyboard will last a long time, and it gets annoying pretty quickly. The keyboard and track pad are tiny! I frequently got wrist aches after using it for a long time. The digital app-keyboard is annoying, kept popping up when I didn't want it and beeping at me. Another thing to note is that I kept getting neck aches after working on it for extended hours drawing. The stand isn't very good and combined with the fact I had to press so hard to get opaque lines (yes, I turned up the sensitivity) I couldn't stand it up while drawing. I ended up holding it in my lap like a sketchbook while working, which led to a stiff neck later. Also, when standing up on the table, my wrists would hurt after a while from the angle. Not very ergonomic for me at least.Overall I would say if you are planning to browse the internet, Skype, email, store and edit photos, etc then it is a great little tablet! If you are looking to do graphic design or illustration, go buy a drawing tablet and a laptop separately!Engadget Reader10August 12, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!An awful product that should be avoided. You'll be sorry. - EngadgetEngadget Reader60August 10, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A forgettable product. It isn't bad, exactly, but also doesn't do anything particularly well. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90July 10, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I love my Surface :-)I have used it for 9 months now. I use it extensively as a tablet, laptop and desktop replacement. It has travelled with me to Taiwan for 3 weeks and survived without incident in my backpack. It really surprised my how usable it is as a tablet. Obviously, it is a bit large and heavy as a tablet, so usually I lay it down on the table, or let the bottom rest on my legs (mostly in portrait mode).As a laptop I use it for reading / annotating / notes (OneNote) / mails / demonstrations / etc. and for occasional development and database work (Visual Studio / SQL Server). As a desktop I use the docking station with an external monitor and use it extensively for development, office applications, mailing, reading, etc.The type cover took some time to get used to, but after that it's great. I really like the position where it is magnetically 'snapped' to the display bezel, although typing makes more noise then.I have been using Windows 10 Technical Preview for some time now. Since the latest builds it works very nice and battery life is great.Engadget Reader60May 31, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The idea of the SP3 was great.But was let down by the poor make. The magnet glued on to the flipstand easily comes out after normal usage (SP3 uses A LOT OF GLUE to stick the parts together, which isn't very strong).As it was under warranty, I went to Microsoft for assistance. They were polite and fast in their response, but wanted me to pay $500 just to glue back the magnet.Talk about money-minded Microsoft :(Engadget Reader90May 28, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80May 5, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!So the surface pro 3 is a great product. Definitely worth the money that I paid for it. With that being said, I was able to get this item with about a $250 discount from $1299 with BestBuy price matching Microsoft. I put that towards a type cover along with Microsoft's accidental coverage and everything came to about $1300 - $1400 including tax.I have been through 3 macbooks within the last 5 years and 2 failed due to "accidental" reasons, although only one was a true accident and other was one of Murphy's Laws in action.Anyways, with the price, I thought i'd try out the surface pro 3 and this review is written after Microsoft's 2015 Build conference with no surface pro 4 announcement :(Speed - Speed is good. The one I purchased was the 8 gig 256 SSD, i5. In my opinion, $1299 is a little high for this setup. ESPECIALLY WITHOUT A KEYBOARD. I will say that it does start up quick and touch responsiveness is quick with both fingers and pen. The keyboard is another playing field. - I was also able to use Intel XTU to undervolt the GPU and gained a little bit of performance and battery life while keeping the device a little cooler. I'm still messing with it a little bit more though.Features - It comes with a USB 3, Mini Displyport, charging port, and MicroSD Slot. NO Pen holder. Also, check out the specs list to get more details. The screen is great!Design and Form Factor - As a tablet the design and form factor is good. The kick stand is helpful, and everything seems to be in the right place. Although the charger could use some help. I believe that eventually it the charger will become frayed near the charging cable because it tends to bend no matter which direction it is in. Again, No pen holder haha.Battery Life - anywhere from 6-8 hours for me. I use it mainly for surfing the web, movies, email, and school related work... lots of papers. But I also have a few things that will run the battery down like rainmaker and other apps that are running in the background, bluetooth is always on and connected to 2 or 3 devices, higher screen brightness, etc. Display - Lovely! Durability - I have purchased a case for it because I care more about it lasting than what it looks like. I wish there were more case options but I went with a UAG case from amazon. I have 2 boys, so we will see how long this thing lasts.Expandability - Sure! Not like a ton of expandability, but some. The sad thing is the MicroSD slot. Although it is placed inconspicuously behind the kickstand, right now it is only limited to an expensive 128 gb cards. There are 200 gig cards out for pre order though. (Check BHphotovideo)Noise - Yes it does make noise from the fan, but after undervolting, it is quieter. Also, it makes noise if I tap my pen on the screen. Portability - Definitely thin, but not macbook thin. Which i dont really care about portability over usability, Software - windows 8.1 - I don't like it. I don't like it one bit. But I'm open to change. I won't talk about software because it's something that is always changing.Type Cover Pro - POOOOOOR! What can I say, If Microsoft is going to make the keyboard an accessory, it sure feels like an accessory. It's thin, sure, but it just doesn't feel right or feel good. It feels flimsy and the touch is not that great. Mine came with a pen holder that has a sticker on the back, which does not stick to the fabric part of the keyboard so I have to stick it to the tablet. Anyways, my thing is, if you are going to brand it as a laptop killer, either include the keyboard, or make a nicer keyboard. For example, belkin has their new QODE keyboard line, which looks amazing, a little over priced, but nicely designed. - this keyboard for being $129 is an overpriced accessory. I would be willing to pay $79 for the keyboard and would think that, that would be a fair price to offer, but at $129, I feel like I was taken advantage of. I wish other companies can come out with better keyboards for this device. OVERALL - Overall, a rating of 8/10 is fair. The surface pro 3 is a great tablet replacement, but definitely a mediocre laptop replacement. Or Best tablet i've owned and worst laptop i've owned. I'm sure their is a lot more I can say, but this is my quick review of it for the general public.I would definitely recommend it as a tablet replacement, but cannot recommend it if they want a true laptop experience. I would say right now, go with a macbook or if you want the touch feature, go with a yoga pro 3 possibly. Check out Engadget's video review of the surface pro 3 below.Engadget Reader90April 3, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100March 14, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Replacement For Pen and Paper. Replacing Laptop, Desktop, and Tablet is a Bonus.Download the full version of OneNote free at OneNote.com. The included version is stripped down and gets crashy. The full version of OneNote and the pen are the reason to buy this.Start organizing on OneNote before you buy. I digitized my entire office that way.Use your own bluetooth keyboard, or a docking station with three monitors if you want. This is why it works as a desktop replacement. Powerful! (I mostly use the onscreen keyboard.)Like Android? Download the BlueStacks app and use Android apps on the surface.On a budget? Surface 2 price has dropped and people love it. Or, wait until this price drops as next product is released.Bottom line: I recommend this to everyone. I haven't written on paper since September. All past paper was scanned and is in OneNote. I emptied my office. My desktop is unplugged on the floor. And, I can access all my info instantly and anywhere with OneNote, which with the pen is this device's breakthrough. More Setup details and usage advice? I wrote it up here: http://www.engadget.com/discuss/surface-pro-3-is-for-replacing-paper-and-pen-replacing-computers-and-tablets-is-a-bonus-2c0o/Engadget Reader80February 27, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I realized after a few months of use, that I really just preferred the feel of a solid laptop, so I sold my Surface and bought a thin laptop (Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga 12).Engadget Reader90February 24, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!While the new Surface Pro 3 is Microsoft's best PC to date, it's more successful as a tablet than a laptop replacement. GOT RID OF MY ANDROID SAMSUNG GALAXY WHICH WAS COOL...BUT DID NOT FUNCTION WELL WHEN NEEDING TO DO MICROSOFT STUFF...LIKE 99 PERCENT OF THE TIME. Def...better than any Apple tablet and or pro book whatever, compatible to just do your work from work and work from home...easy...peezy. Does the Surface Pro 3 really do something so different than its predecessors that it will replace the sea of glowing MacBook Airs seen in the audience during Microsoft's NYC launch event? YES...it does the job and well....if you have a laptop, and a tablet android...or Apple...throw those to the curb....sale them...and use the dough to buy the Surface Pro 3. You will not regret it...use mine as a tablet all the time...and will whip the keyboard around and knock out some real work at the THAI HOUSE in an hour or two...!Putting on-paper specs aside, it's already become my go-to THAI HOUSE or LUNCH companion over the past few days, and I'd feel confident taking it on a plane ride or day full of on-the-go meetings. But I'm not quite ready to trade in my laptop just yet....still keep the OLD STEADY WORK HORSE and YOUR DESK TOP TOUCH SCREEN FROM ACER OR HP....on HAND. Just get rid of the APPLE AND OR ANDROID TABLET. GREAT REPLACEMENT FOR THOSE ITEMS....NO NEED FOR THEM ANYMORE!Engadget Reader90February 23, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100January 29, 2015Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!My SP3 is simply the most useful device I have ever owned. It's now the only device in my life other than my phone. I highly recommend getting the docking station (or in my case 2). Living a dongle free life is one of my keys to happiness! Additionally, I'm at an age where large screen sizes are beginning to matter more, so the ability for me to drive 3 screens off of the same device that serves as my tablet is huge.Engadget Reader100December 15, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I jumped on the Surface early, had an Original Surface Pro for years, pretty much used it for everything... sort of. It was just a little small: The screen was a touch too small for my comfort, and the keyboard was as well. Plus it was clunky (compared to the 3), coming in almost at an inch thick, it was a seriously heavy tablet. But I loved the idea, and I demonstrated to myself that I could use it in any situation: work, home etc. But I kept using my 15" MacBook Pro as my primary computer. And believe me, I have a huge dislike for Apple (long story, used to be huge fan, burned, never going back) so really it came down to the simple productivity it provided.Then a two months ago I was encouraged to get the Surface 3 by my CEO, less because he felt I needed it, more because he thought a new 'toy' would be good. So I got the i5 256, and I have not looked back. My setup is simple, and I have it twice (once at home, once at work):Dynadock: This allows one USB 3 cable to connect second monitor, external keyboard and mouse, additional storage, etc. I have a drive connected that automatically backs up the sp3 when it is plugged in, simply using MS software in Win 8. XCSD Card: I got the 64 GB one, but I am finding that I store less locally than I used to. With the 256 on board and the additional 64 GB, I am nowhere near full and I have my music, movies and some choice games. The fact that it is under the kickstand means you can set it and forget it. Never pops out by accident. Second Monitor: I have a couple of Samsung 24" monitors, one at home and one at work. With the DisplayLink driver you can expand the desktop to whatever screen you like. I occasionally run into issues with Metro Apps stranded on a non-touch screen (get a touch second screen if you can, they are not that expensive). Keyboard and Mouse: I have the Apple chicklet full wired keyboard in white. I hate that it is apple and that it is white, but its a pretty good keyboard. I have the Level 10 Thermaltake Mouse, which is crazy overkill but I like how it looks. With this, I plug in the power and one cable and I have my work setup and home setup mirrored, I just carry the SP3. The pen: Yeah, the pen is not as good as the old one, at least on the surface pro (original). But it is still plenty good and I have hundreds of pages of notes and sketches in One Note. All other pen programs are really for playing. The Windows Ecosystem: I understand that there are not as many apps as in iOS or Android, but that has never bothered me because all of the 'apps' that I want end in .exe. That is what I do not understand every time somebody complains about the lack of apps: Just install the normal application or bookmark and use whatever it is in a browser. For me, this is a work computer, and that is what I do on it 90% of the time. What I do: I am the President of a web development firm. I need people to take me seriously as it relates to my technology, and I need to be efficient. I waited until after the August Wifi fix because I could not stand the idea of dropping signal every hour. That has never happened to my SP3, so I guess it was worth the wait. I do a ton of email, I am in Office all day, I use my browser to excess (four different browsers for testing as well as segmenting my work), occasionally my screen will see code, but rarely these days. I do a lot of video conferencing, Skype, Go To Meeting and other presentations. I am constantly connecting my SP3 to the multitude of client and partner projectors, networks etc, and never had any issues. I use my phone as a hotspot (part of my plan) so I am always connected to the internet and I can be almost as productive in a park as I am at home or at my desk. The second screen really goes a long way.Conclusion: I did a lot of research and read a lot of reviews, including the very negative, so that I had a realistic grasp of what this thing is meant to be for. That is what I use it for. In that regard, it is incredible. Good looking, lightweight, powerful, full desktop, amazing kickstand, great battery life, beautiful screen. Would I like to play Titan Fall on it? Sure. But I have no doubt that the Surface Pro 10 will crush it. But for now, my MacBook is a cold storage machine, gathering dust on the edge of my desk.Engadget Reader100December 12, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I'm not a gadget freak nor am I up to date with the newest technologies. The first tablet I ever held in my hands was an iPad Air for instance. First touchscreen mobile - late 2011. I use my PC for video editing and photo editing but also heavily use Outlook and Excel. This is what I needed from a tablet but at the same time, I wanted it to be a hub for various other devices I use like a GoPro, still camera, external drives etc. The Surface appeared to be perfect device on paper so I chose it and went for the i5/128GB version.I had high expectations based on reviews but the Surface exceeded all of them. The screen aspect ratio works very well, the image is incredibly sharp and has good colours. The high resolution means you can easily use programs which require a lot of screen space though the type and buttons become rather small. This is not a problem when you're close to the screen though. The device is fairly heavy for something this slim but it has a great solid feel to it, kind of like the Nokia E51 had back in the days. Using Windows with a touchscreen is a bit fiddly so I use the pen instead which works very well. Apparently the Surface 2 had a better pen but I can't fault the SP3 one. The lack of a stylus holder is annoying though. It's obvious there's no room to fit it inside the device but the magnet clip isn't strong enough and it will become detached in a bag. Performance is exceptional for something this small. My desktop is a Q9550 Core 2 Quad and it's only slightly quicker compressing h.264 video than the i5 Surface 3. Obviously, the desktop will outperform the tablet with CUDA enabled. The Surface is great for multitasking, will happily run a few thirsty apps at the same time. Programs load very quickly. I have so far only tried one game on it - Mass Effect 3. The FPS @ lowest graphics settings and 1280 resolution is adequate and the graphics are still pretty good, much better than I was expecting. Obviously this is not a gaming device but if you really want to, you can probably run a fair amount of games with graphics settings which won't make the game look bad.The USB port is a handy extra but if you want to get a hub, note that connecting too many devices will disable the port as the device is incapable of meeting the power demands of a few devices at once. I seem to recall that an external drive + GoPro was too much.The only thing I can fault in this device is the kickstand. It's sturdy, the hinges are solid but it just doesn't work on a soft surface like a blanket or belly. I like to browse Wikipedia before falling asleep or watch a film. With a laptop, I would place it on my belly and point the screen down. Obviously this cannot be done with the Surface - it can only face up and the more vertical it is, the more unstable it is too. It's probably worth noting I did not have such problems with the Air + cover which was much more stable on a soft surface than the SP3 is. This is probably down to the larger contact area meaning less pressure for the stand to sink in.Finally, I got this as a laptop alternative so primarily, I use the normal desktop interface. But I've also been learning to use it as a tablet (still in the process of doing that) and it works very well as one especially in portrait mode. The screen is large enough to display as much information in terms of width as many tablets in landscape mode. I would however prefer if this device could be locked in tablet mode so apps do not open desktop programs for viewing. For instance, when using the Facebook app and clicking on a link, Google Chrome opens which is a bit fiddly if you're not using the pen or a mouse. Overall, I'd give this device an "exceptional". However, like I mentioned in the beginning I am not a gadget freak so this device could seem more amazing to me than someone who is used to using tablets.Engadget Reader90November 17, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I have the i7 256gb, I run full version Photoshop and Lightroom doing illustrations and photo editing. I was apprehensive about the purchase but the 8gb ram is more than enough for what i have done thus far. it may struggle a little with HUGE video editing jobs or big 3D files, I'm yet to try out 3D Max or Maya.. But I hear out works quite nicely for z-brush. My main reason for trying this out was because I wanted to have a Cintiq like setup for drawing away from my desk, initially Photoshop didn't seem ideal because without a keyboard the icons are tiny because of the large screen res. I ended up playing around with "Toolbar Creator" which let me create a side panel of floating buttons for all the keyboard shortcuts I need. It works almost perfectly. Highly recommend it if you want to use yours with out a keyboard for Photoshop. Battery is great, I can get about 5-6 hours of Photoshop work out of mine. The type cover is great. I use a Wacom Intuos during my day job every day, so I can easily compare the stylus response, it's definitely more laggy than a Wacom, but it's acceptable, I don't do a lot of super fast brush strokes but if that is your drawing style you might want to try it it out before you buy. The compromises are small for all the advantages, with a little setup you can do full Photoshop work without a keyboard away from your desk, the size, minimal weight, engineering are brilliant, I highly recommend it.For people considering buying one, a handy tip / warning that you should check before walk out of the store with one. These machines are engineered very precisely, I bought two, one for my wife and one for me, my wife's was perfect, but my one had a flaw, the Kick stand at the back, when closed, had a bulge in it for no apparent reason, normally when it closes it's shuts perfectly leaving a nice even clean seam in the middle of the back panel, that's how my wife's one is, mine had a bulge in it and when the Kick stand was shut the seam didn't line up properly leaving a small gaping gap in the back. I took mine back to exchange it and the store obliged, but we had to open 3 new units before we found a perfect one, the other ones all had varying degrees of the same problem, the store clerk started to question weather or not what I was asking for existed, then we inspected the floor model and it was perfect. It's only an aesthetic thing, but if you're paying top dollar you should get what you expect. It's a QC issue Microsoft needs to address. Be aware. :) Inspect the physical unit before coughing up the cash.Cat90October 23, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!When the original Surface Pro was announced I knew that I will be one day owning one, but it wasn't until the Surface Pro 3 that I was completely sold to jump in. The display size, thinness, light weight and most importantly performance are only few reasons why I can't love my Surface Pro 3 enough!When you hold it you feel like you're carrying a jewel. The precision and fine details are just incredible. I take it with me everywhere and it always rolls heads when it is sitting on the table with the amazing hinge is out.The performance was steady and more than what I expected. I got the i5 with 4GB of RAM and was a little worried it would be slow, but it went perfectly well with me especially when I'm at video and photography shoots. (My job)I can't advice enough for people to buy it or at least try it. Its price is a little high but you get what you pay for, and always think of it as a long term investment.Engadget Reader90October 12, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90October 7, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80October 2, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I can see why the keyboard is not included, because at times I use it like a tablet and the keyboard does get in the way and may not be absolutely necessary. However, one of my biggest dislike is that the back casing does get very hot (and I mean VERY) as soon as Surface Pro 3 is made to do a bit of hard work. I think Microsoft is using the alloy casing as a heat-sink which is understandable but it does get too hot (also cools quickly). The overall package is good, the pen would be nice if it can be slotted inside the tablet.Engadget Reader90September 21, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Amazing!!!!Don't wait up, get it NOWWWW!Engadget Reader90September 19, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - Engadgetasteenbuck90September 17, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I pre-ordered the 256GB/i5 Surface Pro from Best Buy, and got it on launch day. From the beginning, I've loved this device. As mentioned above, the display, performance and build quality are all great. The device feels solid, while not being overly heavy. It is (obviously) heavier than my 8in Galaxy Tab 2+, but I have no problem holding it up to read on Kindle, or the news app on my 20 minute train ride to work.The KickstandThe infinite-position kickstand is terrific, and allows you to use it almost anywhere. I've used it on a variety of trains (commuter and metro rail), as well as in cars, on the couch, etc, with and without the keyboard attached. You can comfortably lay it almost flat in your lap by putting the kickstand all the way down to play a game or read the news, or you can attach the keyboard and kickstand at a shallower angle for a laptop experience. It's very easy to get it comfortable on your lap, and it's surprisingly stable.PerformanceThe Core i5 has been able to tackle everything I've thrown at it without stuttering. Apps run quickly, transitions are silky smooth. The couple games I do play run without issues, and Netflix streaming goes without trouble. There have been situations where it can get hot after marathoning Orange is the New Black, but nothing too bad. I can even run Visual Studio 2013; try that on your average tablet!The StylusI'll be honest, I'm mixed on the stylus. It is cool to be able to take notes in One Note, or to occasionally sketch in Bamboo Paper, or to draw on the screen during a screen share. However, I haven't really ever seen a digital stylus that was accurate or comfortable enough to use to actually take long form notes with, same hee. Weight-wise it feels like a real pen, but it feels like a nondescript metal tube - which it is - more work could have gone into making it more comfortable. My two biggest gripes with it though are why does it have to have two different batteries, and why after spending close to $2,000 on this super tablet is the stylus attached to the keyboard cover with essentially a piece of tape with a loop that the stylus barely even fits in? That said, the tip provides a comfortable level or resistance to make actually writing on the screen comfortable, and fairly accurate.The BadThere is something up with the WiFi adapter. Microsoft has already released a couple of updates aiming to fix it, but they haven't gotten it yet. The first issue I have is that the WiFi adapter stops working extremely frequently when the tablet sleeps. Wake the tablet up out of standby, and you have no internet until you restart. The second is that it seems to want to hold on to the last connected network. As an example, while I'm commuting, I turn on internet sharing on my Lumia Icon. However at home, I turn the Icon's sharing off to use home WiFi; on the Surface I have to go in and tell it to connect to my home network, even though 'connect automatically' is checked, and the Icon's network is no longer available.The desktop mode is sometimes tricky to use without the typecover or a mouse. Many of the interaction patterns seem incongruent (and I'm sure it's up to the app developers, but it still feels weird). As an example in the Spotify app, there are multiple panels to scroll to see more content; in the right-side panel, you can swipe anywhere in the panel to scroll it. However in the left side panel, you have to actually swipe up and down on the scrollbar. Also, the task bar on bottom is difficult to use on the touchscreen with the typecover attached. The app icons are just a tiny bit too small that my fingers can't easily fit to long-press and close. The issue is avoidable by using the trackpad, but this thing has a great 12in touchscreen. I'm hoping Windows 9 will fix some of these issues, plus developers updating their apps.The Bottom LineIn spite of the few issues, I still love this tablet. I use it every day, whether it's reading on the train, listening to music at work, surfing the web at home, etc. It also has the guts so that I can fire up Visual Studio or Photoshop and do actual work on it. Windows 8 has grown on me much more after using it on a touchscreen rather than a keyboard and mouse as was my original method of exposure. The device has a premium look, feel and performance, justifying (I think) it's premium price.Engadget Reader90September 11, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90September 2, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90August 23, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I see that other users are complaining about SP3 having glitches. Although I am suffering from the same glitches like scaling issues and wifi disconnection as others, those glitches are not big problems for me because when I purchased a Retina MBP two years ago when it first came out, it had way more critical software glitches than SP3 has now. It took Apple and app developers months to fix those critical glitches.I love SP3's keyboard and kickstand. However I hope Zagg will create a keyboard folio for SP3 sometime soon. I will ditch the default keyboard and purchase one from Zagg.Engadget Reader100August 22, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90August 5, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I love this tablet! It has a great form factor with the right level of performance (for my needs - have the i5, 8GB memory, 256 GB storage model).Engadget Reader100August 3, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader100August 3, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I owned i5/8Gb RAM/256Gb SSD model for about a month till August 1st when I swapped it in MS Store for i7/8Gb RAM/256Gb SSD. I never owned Surface (nor Pro) tablets before, and never used Windows 8, but it took me about 15 minutes to fall in love with it! I love how my i7 CPU sits almost idle during displaying 1080p video over WiFi from my NAS - I checked IntelPowerGadget and it shows CPU sitting at minimum frequency of 0.8 GHz all the time with temperature around 45°C (here's screenshot: http://1drv.ms/1p2XhTO ), which guarantees good battery life (getting about 8 hrs of watching Netflix/Youtube and some videos from my NAS). I even got a feeling that it lasts longer than i5 model (can't confirm it with objective numbers though, so waiting for somebody to test it out). I sometimes watch videos on my home cinema setup by streaming it from Surface Pro 3 via Miracast and it works with no issues whatsoever.Overall this device is definitely a highlight of the year - a combination of amazingly color-accurate screen, powerful internals, great battery life, and all of that packaged in very thin and light case that is still strong enough to withstand some physical abuse. This is not a device for everybody (keyboard requires getting used to, plus it's expensive), but those who do need something like that would certainly be satisfied).Engadget Reader100August 1, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90July 31, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I am a grad student and this device fits my needs. I can attend my two classes which last a total of 5 to 6 hours and not worry about battery life for the day. It is really easy to take notes on it and the adjustable stand makes putting the device at a comfortable angle easy. The keyboard is good for what it is, I am not typing long documents on it. I had a Surface Pro 2 before a got the SP3 and I have no regrets trading up. The device is very light and I have not had any major issue using it.Engadget Reader90July 31, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100July 30, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I'm an ipad and ipad mimi owner. But my main computer is a Windows PC. This is the first product from Microsoft that can and will completely replace my ipads. The SP3 is light weight, well built with a beautiful form factor, and powerful enough for me to actually work on. The super accurate writing pen, high quality connections of keyboard, power cord, etc. make the hardware a joy to handle. I have had no problems with the keyboard. I enjoy using it for what it is, extremely light weight and portable with a low profile. It is such a relief to finally have seamless integration with my main Windows PC from a device that is truly portable. Also, the battery life is fantastic. Unless Apple really improves their game, these devices will soon dominate the market. I can't praise my Surface Pro 3 enough. They FINALLY got it right.Engadget Reader100July 26, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!It's almost perfect. So thin and light. It's the only device I use now outside my TV computer. I'm studying Network admin so having such a small pc I can easily make a virtual lab with Hyper-V and test configuration in it.Everybody knows about all the obvious plus for the SP3. Let's talk about the things I dislike:First, I owned a SP1 before. The screen ratio was good for me since I can use 2 VMs side by side or 1 VM that does a job while I surf on the other side of the screen. Not a big deal. I also prefer the 4:3 aspect ratio for surfing the web and all other things.Second, the keyboard. It's much improved but still feel like cardboard. I wish there was a Pro version which could be heavier but more solid. When it's in it's new lapability position, it's noisy when you type on it. The keys are still a bit small but I'm getting use to it. Third, Even with the july 16th update, I still have WiFi problems. I no longer see the Limited thing but 80% of the time it comes back from sleep I have to turn WiFi off and on to get connectivity. Hope that Microsoft will fix that problem. It's really annoying.Engadget Reader90July 25, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100July 25, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90July 25, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!It's great as a tablet and laptop for me. I work in IT and even the pen has come in handy for diagrams. I'm a fan. Expandability w/ MicroSD slot is nice. My only gripe is that the keyboard costs extra. But the keyboard is a big improvement. I have no complaints as far as the typing experience is concerned. The power connector is a big upgrade.Engadget Reader90July 25, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90July 25, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90July 24, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!This was the first non-Apple computer I have purchased in 10 years and it is quite nice. The screen is amazing and the type cover keyboard is better than expected. I don't know know the trackpad worked on the previous generation but this one is okay. It is nowhere close to a MacBook trackpad but it's plenty usable.Windows 8.1 is not too bad but, together with the high dpi screen, can be a little tiny and hard to read in desktop mode. Connecting to an external touch display works flawlessly. My needs are fairly basic and the SP3 is more than fast enough. While not included in the price, Office 365 is a perfect complement and the included TB of OneDrive storage is fantastic. My only real complaints are: 1) how can Microsoft have full control over the software and hardware and still have so much trouble getting the clock to stay accurate? and 2) the touchpad fails to connect sometimes. I'll have to disconnect and reconnect a couple of times or make sure I press the connection a little bit to get it to register. I don't see any real reason why this could not replace a laptop while offering the convenience of tablet usage when you need/want it. I haven't really used the pen and One Note very much but look forward to using it more in the future.Update: 11/3/14I've been using the Surface Pro 3 for a few months now and am still just as smitten. I use is almost exclusively as a laptop and, while not quite as stable as a traditional notebook on a lap, is perfectly usable with the bonus of being able to snap off the keyboard, lay the kickstand way back, and prop it up for some serious solitaire sessions. The type cover seems to connect better now than originally. Could be an update (?) or maybe that I press a little after it snaps together. I've recommended it to several friends, especially when the luxury of a laptop/ultrabook plus an iPad/tablet isn't realistic. With the added bonus of unlimited (!) OneDrive storage, I think this thing can succeed. I've not been brave enough yet to install Windows 10 yet but look forward to the actual release.Nubipigg90July 24, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader70July 24, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I needed to upgrade my own laptop and decided to go with SP3, but it simply wasn't enough to be a good productivity laptop, and for the price, I felt that there were better options out there.Engadget Reader40July 24, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Returners remorse:On opening day I eagerly went and bought the surface. I got the 8 GB ram with a student discount, the keyboard, the whole deal.5 days later I returned it. now i regret it but will I buy it again? NO!The Tablet:-The surface is undoubtedly the best device I've ever held. Its truly amazing. you feel you can do so much with it. but you can't. Win8 market is a joke. It has nothing. and whatever it has is horrible. I'm used to reading the Huffington post every morning. The app is very poorly designed and confusing because of the "metro style" design. I couldn't find anything and had to struggle to find things. so thats good bye to the App Store apps.-what about the pen? yes its the most awesome thing ever BUT! the app is as horrible as it is confusing. just not intuitive. I had to struggle to move a line. and I write film scripts and I have to draw a lot and it just ended up slowing me down.-The screen is stunning and the deceive is awesome to hold in portrait and landscape. I never heard any of the accretive noise people are going on and on about & the device does warm up slightly but just like an iPad would maybe even less. and i live in LA! (iTS ALWAYS SUNNY IN CALI.). however, the device is heavy. so unless you are involved in some sort of dare or you are a professional weight lifter you simply can't hold this thing up for 10 minuets. I gave up at 5. you can't really put it on your lap either. That was a painful, unstable, and slow experience. -as a device that markets itself for "productivity" the surface pro 3 certainly slow that productivity down.-The laptop:-I;ve been using a Mac for 9 years. and as much as i love how I never have to adjust my self to the machine and how it adjusts it self to me Ive never been a fan of how apple has control over it. you can feel the "big brother" every time you try to download something. also the lack of what they call "legacy programs" always been something that made me envy PC OWNER. But as they say the Mac just works. and it does. smooth, fast, and does what its supposed to do and never bite more than it can chew. Thats sadly not the surface.The keyboard is ok but you probably want buy a mouse because the trackpads placement is awkward for me. but once I got in i remembered why I had to abandon the entire Microsoft eco system. Windows sucks and Win8 is no difference. It just doesn't work. its not designer to work its designed to be cramped. it is truly the macdonalds of the technological industry. and here is why:-I was sold on the SP3 when I saw the adobe touch in the keynote. I use Final Cut and photoshop extensively on daily basis. and the dream of having them touch-on-the-go was fascinating. all came tumbling down after 5 minuets. I downloaded adobe and tried using touch. NOTHING. My fault. I must download the plug-in then. still nothing. just complicated and frustrating and after 2 days I got it to work. its flimsy, its bad, its irresponsive, its confusing, its Windows!Bottom-line:I finally returned my surface. the best device I ever owned and the worst system out there. I'm not stupid. I knew I didn't like windows but I was hoping it developed, or in the worst case scenario the new UI would hide its sucky-ness. Its simply not intuitive to use and it WILL slow your productivity down. Also when apple refused to make a "touch laptop" I was upset and wanted to punish them and completely migrate to windows. Sadly I ended up returning the surface and buying a Macbook & an iPad mini with this money. responsive devices. same old boring never changing UI. but intuitive and it GETS THE JOB DONE.iI like microsofts new direction and I hope they continue. but they need to "use" those devices and realize how obviously hard to use they are. and how unintuitive they are specially in relation to Apple.Engadget Reader90July 24, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Really a really great device. I havent touched my ipad or my mbp since I bought it and thats really saying alot. I have a few doubts about the longevity of the device though. I mean, the kickstand inspires confidence but when I look down the top edge its not straight it bows a bit and in fact I can bend it a heck of alot.Engadget Reader90July 24, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100July 24, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader100July 24, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90July 21, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Hardware is great but UX is inconsistent. Most of the apps are not designed for touch. I wish the taskbar was visible on start screen.Engadget Reader70July 21, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!overall i think this is a great product. random times i have trouble with the speed of the device wishing it was faster at downloading programs and apps. very portable and love the new design of the key board specifically the track pad, compared to the surface 2 the track pad senses your finger better and is slicker to slide across. Screen could be bigger and i havent been able to use the pen to its full potential due to the pen not working.Engadget Reader90July 19, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90July 16, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90July 5, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!the SP3 is incredibly underrated. for the power you get, it's the most portable product out there. it's not "like a PC", it IS a PC with full Windows 8.1 that weighs under 2 lbs. at home, i use it as a full desktop replacement. in class, i no longer carry paper. the stylus is responsive and accurate with no lag while writing my fast cursive. OneNote 2013 is an incredible program for compiling information and writing notes. i actually use it for everything, so i also ditched MS Office. I use my i5 256gb sp3 to take notes, word processing, photo editing, streaming vids, listening to music, gaming, and browsing the net. for these activities, it has performed flawlessly thus far. in terms of portability and features, it absolutely wrecks any ultrabook or hybrid due to its light weight, decent battery life, and of course stylus + touchscreen. the keyboard and trackpad are very responsive and comfortable, and feel sturdy to me (you may hear otherwise in the official reviews). the sp3 is fully functional (even productive) as a tablet + stylus combo, without the keyboard attachment. unless youre a hardcore gamer, you'll be able to use it as a full desktop replacement at home as well. i havent missed mine.the one major downside of its portability and thin form is heat management. even a modest amount of strain on the integrated graphics unit (i.e. gaming, 3d rendering, video editing) will generate a lot of heat, kicking the fan up and eventually throttling the processor. unless im gaming, i never hear the fan, but it's something to be aware of. tablets and ultrabooks this thin and light do not ventilate well. sp3 is no exception.some people have had problems relating to wonky wifi speeds. personally, i havent had any issues whatsoever. download speeds are as i remember them on my desktop PC, and i have my bluetooth speaker (UE Boom) connected all day. wifi strength is 5 bars and in the 16 days of nonstop use, ive yet to drop my connection or have any issues streaming vids. Further improvements: the latest firmware patch addressed WiFi and throttling issues. Power consumption is now more efficient but I haven't tested the new battery life yet. Many are reporting much improved (normal) WiFi speeds, and I can now comfortably run some newer games like dota2, age of wonders 3 and xcom on low/med for 3+ hours at 30-40fps without any problems. While the back of the surface still gets hot, i havent noticed any performance drops while gaming. i couldnt be any happier with my sp3 after the firmware update.Engadget Reader90July 2, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader60June 30, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I have pre-ordered an i5/128GB version Surface Pro 3 with hopes to have one device that can replace my tablet and laptop and can let me doodle/paint on the road but ended up sending it back. So please interpret my comments knowing where I'm coming from.First thing I noticed when I turned on the device was that the display had serious light leaks on the bottom and right edges. With colors on the screen it was not visible, but with anything dark on the screen (e.g. watching wide-format videos) it bothers like hell.The wireless adapter has some issues as well. In an hour or so after rebooting, it loses wireless connection with the wireless adapter nowhere to be seen. The only way to get it back is to reboot again. Device manager doesn't detect it if you do a scan for hardware changes, the network options doesn't allow you to add the wireless adapter back. Even if these remedies worked, it wouldn't make is less of a problem.Then I tried the mighty "pen." I must be somewhat spoiled by all the Wacom tablets I have owned; this pen fails to transmit the correct pen tip location. I have compared it with an attached Intuos and the difference became crystal clear. For some reason, N-trig does have a delay but not in the sense that there is a time difference between the physical pen location and the pointer on the screen. The location seems to improve as you keep the pen steady at a location. This is where it lost me. If you have a relatively fast drawing style, your small and fast strokes will be missed if not appear as shorter than the original. From time to time, you also experience large gaps between sampled points and get flat, linear regions within strokes. Probably because of the combined touch/pen sensing, the pen can act weirdly depending on where your hand is positioned. I couldn't figure out how but it affects it. After all, I couldn't care less if the screen was 0.1mm farther from the glass. Then the pressure curves. 256 levels are okay for the most part (peeps will argue that even color channels have only 256 values) but with other dynamics like 'pen size with pressure' 256 levels start falling short. MS is already talking about adjusting the pressure curves and it will result in losing pressure sampling resolution at different pressure ranges. With the insufficiently calibrated pressure curves right now, all you end up doing is to press harder and harder which pushes the glass down so much that you start seeing the ripples on the LCD. On top, you end up wearing out the pen tip so quickly. I'm not even gonna go into the WinTAB driver issues. The updated drives did very little for me.The kickstand is probably the most suitable solution if you want to keep every piece of hardware behind the screen and still want to make it stand stably. It couldn't get support from the lightweight keyboard after all. But if you want to use it on your lap, that very sharp edge of the stand is not the most comfortable thing to rest on your legs, especially while wearing shorts. Speaking of that, male users should be extra aware; the kickstand is probably the best form of hair removal technique known to men. If you want to adjust it to stand up right, and if you go just a little bit too far, it clamps on to whatever is on its way and pluck it out.The keyboard was the most satisfactory piece although it feels flimsy. When the big magnet is folded toward the tablet the keyboard gets too close to the display. Did you want to use the swipe-up gestures when keyboard was docked? Forget about it.All in all, physically very sturdy device but it has a lot of design quirks. Pen doesn't compare to Wacom in any way, kickstand is okay but can be painful on bare legs, screen has light leaking issues despite the excellent brightness and the beautiful colors, keyboard folding helps the stability but almost blocks the view and disables some swipe from edge gestures, wireless problems, etc. After all, when I wanted to use a tablet to read/watch sth, I find myself reaching my DellVenuePro8: comfortable, small, light, you can actually write with thumbs, and it does the job.I quickly gave up on the hope that I can have only one device. The form factor is everything for tablets and MS seems to forget that a lot. It is very light for a laptop but not light and small enough for a tablet. My work device and my leisure reading/websurfing device can still be separate for now.Engadget Reader90June 29, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100June 24, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90June 23, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90June 21, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Bought this on impulse, but I really really love it so far. Can't wait to see how it stands the test of time and whether it can really replace my laptop.Engadget Reader70June 21, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!With Microsoft's quest to have a tablet replace a laptop, they've churned out the Surface Pro 3. I purchased this device with the intent of using it in engineering classes as something I can carry around and work math on. First Impression - very thin, light, and sturdy feeling. Silver coating seems good, but the test of time will tell, as the titanuim black on the Surface Pro 2 came off after a while. Buttons are placed well, ports not in funky places or anything; it seems pretty good. Friction lock is a very nice addition to the surface. The Screen - high resolution and responsive. Both key in a laptop/tablet combo. The touch home button is a nice touch and responds to the pen (which I'll get to in a minute). Edge sensitivity for the pen is awesome. It writes right up to the edge without big problems. Pen - Last pen was horrible, and this pen is pretty awesome. Two button design is helpful, as one button is eraser and one is select/right click. The top button opens one note even when in sleep mode for quick note taking. Pretty fancy features. Cursor comes up about an inch to an inch and a half above the screen. Tracks the pen pretty well, no lagging when writing. Overall, a huge improvement on the other. NOTE: this runs on bluetooth as wellType Cover - This is probably the biggest thing that people have problems with, and they're not without reason. The cover is improved from the prior generation, with more comfortable typing, another fold and additional magnets to angle it when on a desk or lap, and a larger mousepad (a plus, but I usually just use the pen). It is not ideal for the lap. Period. This is simply because the joint between the keyboard and the tablet is flexible. That's it. If the joint was like the friction hinge, then it'd work perfect for lap use. Nonetheless, it is manageable in the lap, comfortable enough, but better on a desk. I'll leave it at manageable overall. Speed - the SSD is a big plus. Because of the thinness of the tablet and battery life needed, the SSD was needed. Runs smooth, start up time is as expected from an SSD. No problems here. Installed Software - This is nice because almost no 3rd party software is installed, unlike if it was made by Lenovo, HP, Dell, etc. One note comes standard, and is pretty chock full of features. Nice interface and overall, pretty good. Battery life - I haven't had too much time to play with it, but the 9 hours claimed by Microsoft won't hold up, as manufacturer use times (almost) never do. I played with it all afternoon on 50% and it went down to 20% over a period of about 3 hours or so. Not bad, but I'll bet it will fall just short of 9 hours.Expandability -Internally, it's so packed that it's not feasible to do it. Period. Externally however, you could just get a usb 3.0 hub and run whatever you want off of that. Also, the mini-SD card slot is helpful as well, as every little bit helps. Performance - I got the i5, 256gb, 8gb RAM version. It's pretty speedy for the package it comes in (about one of those cheap 70 page spiral notebooks, albeit a little heavier). Good response times, just look up some of the benchmark tests on google and that'll explain it in detail. Overall, it's up to par with a regular laptop. Overall, this is a step closer in the right direction, but not there by any means. Computers started being sold as unfinished so feedback could make them better. This is no different. Feedback will improve each subsequent generation. I'd suggest a friction lock on the keyboard to prop it up like a regular laptop. Not a bad buy at this point, I'd suggest it.
Key Specs
TYPE
Tablet
FORM FACTOR
Slate
SCREEN SIZE
1222
SCREEN RESOLUTION
Other
BUNDLED OS
Windows
CPU FAMILY
Core i3
SYSTEM RAM
41
MAXIMUM BATTERY LIFE
Up to 920
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