Get to the gym. It weighs less than my Surface Pro and it's not heavy to me at all.
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Surface Pro 3 (5/20/14)
- Thread starter Geronimo
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Get to the gym. It weighs less than my Surface Pro and it's not heavy to me at all.
Adidas4275
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the video quality and photos the verge has is impressive. They might have the best looking content around
wonderfield
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What's the lightest tablet you've used, and in how many scenarios have you used it (sitting, lying down, standing, etc.)?
The difference is significant. Every gram counts, as I've discovered.
Bobalias_LeShay
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I'll just pop in and point out that the iPad weighed 1.5 pounds at one time.
Obviously lighter is better, but the only place I see the SP3 being "too heavy" is trying to one hand it above your head while lying on your back, which isn't really doable with my iPad either. Need a Nexus 7 or Kindle for that sort of arrangement.
Obviously lighter is better, but the only place I see the SP3 being "too heavy" is trying to one hand it above your head while lying on your back, which isn't really doable with my iPad either. Need a Nexus 7 or Kindle for that sort of arrangement.
Holding anything bigger than a Nexus 7 above your head while lying on your back is awkward. iPad Mini requires overly stretched gorilla hand and full size iPads require two hands just to hold so you need a third hand to navigate. The best experience in that scenario is using the Note II and Note 3 which have obsoleted two-handed tablets for me along with having the benefits of light creativity and productivity with the pen. For anything more serious the Surface Pro 3 is the perfect extension to the Note.
As hinted by Bobalias all iPads prior to the Air were about the weight of the Surface Pro 3. The Air is lighter and thinner but at the expense of a cheaper aluminum build that's prone to bending compared to the premium build magnesium Surface Pro 3 that was demonstrated being dropped on stage at chest level without issue.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5838685?start=0&tstart=0
This comment sums up how the thinner and lighter iPad Air is nullified by having to use a heavier and sturdier case.
Cost wise the consumption $799 iPad Air 128GB makes no sense compared to $999 Surface Pro 3 i5/4GB/128GB that's superior for consumption, creativity and productivity.
As hinted by Bobalias all iPads prior to the Air were about the weight of the Surface Pro 3. The Air is lighter and thinner but at the expense of a cheaper aluminum build that's prone to bending compared to the premium build magnesium Surface Pro 3 that was demonstrated being dropped on stage at chest level without issue.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5838685?start=0&tstart=0
This comment sums up how the thinner and lighter iPad Air is nullified by having to use a heavier and sturdier case.
Cost wise the consumption $799 iPad Air 128GB makes no sense compared to $999 Surface Pro 3 i5/4GB/128GB that's superior for consumption, creativity and productivity.
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Wow, I could actually see myself owning this Suface Pro model.
The massive lack of connectivity is a minus in my book, but finally a "laptop" without 16:9 screen, and the base model is less than $1k.
Does the Windows license comes as a sticker, or is it "burned" into the device?
The massive lack of connectivity is a minus in my book, but finally a "laptop" without 16:9 screen, and the base model is less than $1k.
Does the Windows license comes as a sticker, or is it "burned" into the device?
Is there an even more anti-Windows company around? All their content comes down to: 'apple is still better for no reason'. (whilst other reviewers tell the complete opposite)
And a lot of people complained about them being too heavy as well.
It isn't just weight but larger size that makes it unwieldy as a tablet. If you want lay down on the couch and read a book. A huge 12" tablet is going to be a lot more hassle to deal with.
In most cases where you aren't using it on a desk, the larger size is more hassle. If you are going to use it on a desk anyway, something like a Lenovo Yoga makes more sense, since it has a much better keyboard for actual laptop usage.
Ultimately Surface is a niche product.
heatlesssun
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I imagine that any expensive 12" tablet would be niche in comparison to a cheap 7" to 8" tablet. I'd say that devices like the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 and or even a 12"+ iPad would be even more niche than the SP3 because while the SP3 may not be the best at being a laptop, it's certainly more able as a laptop than any iOS or Android device.
From my (admittedly limited) experience using the Surface Pro 3, the current architecture is alright. However, Microsoft really needs more than "alright" if this is going to replace some mobile OS tablets -- I think it'll shine when Intel's Broadwell hits and there are improvements to both battery life and graphics performance. Hopefully, Microsoft doesn't take a year to make that happen.
Seems like such a long time to wait, with Intel stating that they would have Broadwell in machines by holiday 2014 at the earliest... Makes me wonder if this refresh was a little premature, as you get those angry over the 6mo between cycles and then the others waiting on a more suitable processor for the device.
I may be misreading your intent on this post, but in terms of graphics performance - doesn't this outperform other mobile OS tablets already?
Battery-wise seems pretty darn good when you take into consideration on the variables - which I think is what makes this challenging to compare to anything. Longer runtime is always better of course.
I agree that Broadwell would have been nice at launch - but the fact of the matter, nothing has it yet due to Intel delays, no?
In general, it's interesting the timing - SP3 comes 6 months after SP2. SP3 w/I7 (and I think I3) variants don't ship until AUGUST. Basically 3 months after "launch." Put into perspective, that's half (obviously) of a 6 month release cycle so it almost seems completely logical to see broadwell intro'd around the end of October. Perhaps not really a SP4, but similar to how MS intro'd a 4300U in Jan - 3 months after SP2 release.
Now if the SP3s being shipped in July/August somehow come with Broadwell, that would be great (but extremely doubtful).
I really want a SP3 but will wait to try it in hand to see if I like the new form factor... and if I do, I may just wait until a broadwell is confirmed - end of Oct/early Nov is my guess.
Wow, you resurrected the same excuse that people gave back when Ultrabooks hit the scene. Just because you can tolerate a given weight doesn't mean you want to. Shouldn't we strive for lighter designs when it matters? It does for an object that's supposed to spend a lot of time in your hands. There's a huge difference between the Pro 3's 1.7 pounds and, say, the 1-pound iPad Air or Xperia Tablet Z2 -- the mobile OS tablets you can easily hold with one hand for extended periods, the Surface Pro 3 you ideally cradle (and you may not want to carry it for more than several minutes). And yes, I've held them to compare.
Besides, the Pro 3 may be an indication of what Microsoft will bring to smaller, lighter Surface tablets that are better-suited to the task. A Surface 3 with a 3:2 10-inch display and (hopefully) Bay Trail or its sequel would potentially be quite sweet.
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To clarify: it's more that it sounds like the graphics aren't entirely well-matched, and will choke more than you'd expect. There's a good reason why some "Retina" laptops use Iris or Iris Pro if they're relying on integrated graphics, after all.
As for Broadwell: yeah, this is out of Microsoft's hands. It's just interesting that the company launched the Pro 3 in May with CPU architecture that's now most of the way through its lifecycle. My hunch is that Microsoft expects Broadwell in November (about 6 months after the Pro 3 unveiling) and will either upgrade the Pro 3 or release a Pro 4 to keep up.
Makes sense and I agree. I really hoped SP3 would be immediately available at the unveiling.
It seems crazy that, for instance, someone wanting an I7 could literally have a new model available just 3 months after having it in hand - again, assuming they have a broadwell refresh 6months after the unveiling.
MS has always had a 4 or 5 month lag time on releasing a new surface pro from after intel released, for instance the original i5-4200U used in the SP2 was released in june '13, while the SP2 wasn't released until October. So since broadwell got pushed back a few times a Q4 broadwell release would mean a late Q1/early Q2 Surface release which would have been 15-16 months between refreshes. So either way they'll piss people off by either releasing too soon, or too late for a refresh, and since the SP3 changed form factor to larger size, more proper aspect ratio, and thinner and lighter, none of which required broadwell to pull off, better to release early and implement the changes to the mistakes in this iteration into the broadwell release.
Of course.
When the Note Pro 12.2" was announced, I said it didn't make much sense and if you want something that big, get a Windows Convertible. Likewise I don't see any point for 12"+ iPad.
I don't see a 12" tablet making much sense as a tablet, with any OS.
A convertible with excellent laptop ergos/keyboard (not the Surface KB) and some desk-tablet capabilities makes more sense to me at 12"+ sizes (I think the Yoga does this better).
heatlesssun
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For an inking and drawing device a screen this size can be very useful and that new N-trig pen is has been getting very high praise from the early reviews. If one has no use for digital ink then the SP3 probably isn't the best device for that person. But if one does, then the SP3 looks compelling from what I've read thus far. And sure that's niche but that's a niche that is willing to pay the price of an SP3 if it can deliver the goods.
the surface pro 1 that I had to reinstall windows on lets just say it doesn't use a traditional approach to windows. It feels more like a phone or tablet ROM instead of a laptop where you can go into a BIOS and change settings and do stuff.
also to add to this I own an ipad mini and in bad I sure wish it had a kickstand or something because when you hold something with one hand doing that pinching a corner my arm gets fatigued trying to hold and read on that for more than about 15 minutes. Laptops work better in this situation but maybe the kickstand on these will fix this issue? weight is massive when you are relaxing . My hands are small enough that the ipad mini feels weird to read and "palm" the device.
At the end of the day this device is out of my price range. I primarily want a high res screen and ultraportable.
At the end of the day this device is out of my price range. I primarily want a high res screen and ultraportable.
Here's the Reddit AMA for reference.
http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/26m9cu/we_are_panos_panay_and_the_surface_team_at/
http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/26m9cu/we_are_panos_panay_and_the_surface_team_at/
Seems to be an implication that the power connector is also a Thunderbolt port. Why would they not just come out and say it though?
I'm not sure but it would be huge if they ended up offering an eGPU using it.
It reminds me a lot of the first generation retina display "New Ipad". Definitely brought some display hardware to the table, but turned out to be somewhat underpowered in terms of graphics.
What color Type Cover is everyone going with? Red is starting to grow on me but I read that the light color ones like cyan easily gets dirty and is not easy to clean. Black, what I ordered, is practical but boring compared to blue (Best Buy exclusive) or purple. May end up doing an exchange at retail store after I see in person.
wonderfield
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I have a purple Type Cover 2 (and a blue Touch Cover), but only because I thought it looked tits with the original charcoal Surface Pro. With the new color, I have no idea what I'd buy.
Maybe purple again.
Maybe purple again.
Purple today, purple tomorrow, purple every day!
Was also tracking the Thinkpad 10 but it doesn't look competitive on price and specs with Surface Pro 3. Have also outgrown 10" after owning a few.
http://forum.tabletpcreview.com/lenovo-ibm/61970-lenovo-thinkpad-10-tablet-11.html#post387484
In other news, charging issue was discovered with Surface Pro 3 but supposedly will be fixed via software before release.
http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/tablets/microsoft-will-fix-surface-pro-3-s-charging-problem-before-launch-1250769
http://forum.tabletpcreview.com/lenovo-ibm/61970-lenovo-thinkpad-10-tablet-11.html#post387484
In other news, charging issue was discovered with Surface Pro 3 but supposedly will be fixed via software before release.
http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/tablets/microsoft-will-fix-surface-pro-3-s-charging-problem-before-launch-1250769
Nice peek under the cover to show the layout and cooling system. Have to say I'm very impressed with the clean layout for a software company.
http://venturebeat.com/2014/05/29/surface-pro-3-microsoft-finally-makes-a-killer-tablet-and-it-can-replace-your-laptop-review/
http://venturebeat.com/2014/05/29/surface-pro-3-microsoft-finally-makes-a-killer-tablet-and-it-can-replace-your-laptop-review/
limitedaccess
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Seeing actual test data on the cooling system is important. Keep in mind with the SP1/2 chassis it was originally designed for a 17W Ivybridge ULV but later switched to a 15W Haswell ULV (which also has much better power management). How does the new SP3 cooling system actually perform? Noise level? Sustained performance (not just burst)?
Regarding the (hypothetical) transition to Broadwell keep in mind this will depend on how Intel actually sets its product tiers. Sandybridge->Ivybridge ULVs kept the same TDP, so one cannot assume that Broadwell ULV will have a lower TDP.
Note that the i3 option in the SP3 is a 11.5W ULX part already. Would be interesting to compare how that fares with the i5/i7.
Regarding the (hypothetical) transition to Broadwell keep in mind this will depend on how Intel actually sets its product tiers. Sandybridge->Ivybridge ULVs kept the same TDP, so one cannot assume that Broadwell ULV will have a lower TDP.
Note that the i3 option in the SP3 is a 11.5W ULX part already. Would be interesting to compare how that fares with the i5/i7.
Bobalias_LeShay
Limp Gawd
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I don't think it's fair to call Microsoft a software company at this point. They make quite a lot of hardware.
Surface Pro 3 commercial. Short, to the point and effective.
http://youtu.be/CTo5DfBtWkY
Microsoft retail stores should be getting demos in tomorrow 6/6/2014 if you want a closer look.
http://youtu.be/CTo5DfBtWkY
Microsoft retail stores should be getting demos in tomorrow 6/6/2014 if you want a closer look.
heatless.... I knew I'd find you in this thread.
you still holding out for the i7 version? I really want HD graphics 5000 as it should offer a substantial bump in graphical performance:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7072/intel-hd-5000-vs-hd-4000-vs-hd-4400
Don't know if I can hold off on the urge to get ahold of the i5 asap though..... wish they could bring all models to the table at the same time.
heatless.... I knew I'd find you in this thread.
you still holding out for the i7 version? I really want HD graphics 5000 as it should offer a substantial bump in graphical performance:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7072/intel-hd-5000-vs-hd-4000-vs-hd-4400
Don't know if I can hold off on the urge to get ahold of the i5 asap though..... wish they could bring all models to the table at the same time.
If you have a good machine and no immediate need, I would wait on the i7. HD5000 seems like a must if you are going to do anything fairly serious on it.