Surface Pro 3 thread - Info, thoughts, opinions

[Red Storm]

So caved in and stopped in at Best Buy on my lunch break, movers coupon and .edu discount in hand. I was planning to get the i3 model since it works for me and I've already got a 64gb microSD card I can drop in there for added space.

Went to have the guy go back to the storage and get. They were gone. An 18 year old teenage girl and her Mom snagged the last one right in front of me. Doh.

Were you planning on using the mSD for just file storage or to install programs on as well? I've heard that you dramatically decrease the life of an SD card by using it like a normal hard drive (as in install full fledged applications on it).

 

[vi edit]

SD card would be for storing videos for the kids to watch on occasion. I'm heavily integrated into Skydrive/one drive for a lot of my document storage so that isn't a concern. And a huge majority of my applications I use for work are zero/low footprint apps since they are citrix or web based. Outside of an MS office install there's very little other stuff I really need.

 

[baydude]

For those w/ the i7 or i5 and have throttling issues, this video nicely explains it. Now I'm considering whether I should return the i7 if I can't fully benefit from the power increase.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I__UMfYWcI8&feature=youtu.be

 

[finbarqs]

i want the i7... but i may be stuck with an i5...

 

[zerogear]

While this thing is a step in the right direction. I think it was a mistake that they released it with Haswell (Kinda like when they released SP1 with Ivy Bridge). So maybe SP4 will be better....

 

[baydude]

While this thing is a step in the right direction. I think it was a mistake that they released it with Haswell (Kinda like when they released SP1 with Ivy Bridge). So maybe SP4 will be better....

What should they have released it with if it wasn't Haswell?

 

[EightySix Four]

What should they have released it with if it wasn't Haswell?

A lot of people think they should have waited until Broadwell.

 

[finbarqs]

broadwell faster than haswell?

 

[Roland00Address]

broadwell faster than haswell?

Theoretically better thermals and/or battery life. It will be faster if they kept the same tdp but a lot of people rather than not try to improve speed (with the exception of the graphics) but instead make it fanless, lighter, and/or go for more battery life

 

[kaerflog]

OK, I bought a surface 3 for my wife but damm I'm cheap and I don't want to spend $120+ for the type cover.
Do any of you guys ever bought a generic type cover and how was it ??
I've seen some on Amazon for $30-$40 with good reviews.

 

[Ravynmagi]

OK, I bought a surface 3 for my wife but damm I'm cheap and I don't want to spend $120+ for the type cover.
Do any of you guys ever bought a generic type cover and how was it ??
I've seen some on Amazon for $30-$40 with good reviews.

After what you probably just spend on the tablet, I'd just buy the $130 keyboard.

Those folio case/keyboard combos don't look appealing. You need to strap the SP3 into the folio case, you get a keyboard. But the tablet functionality is somewhat crippled, because now you have this bulky case and the keyboard can't just wrap around like the Type Cover does.

I know the Type Cover Pro is way overpriced. But you'll probably end up buying it eventually. Might as well get it now.

 

[cronos]

OK, I bought a surface 3 for my wife but damm I'm cheap and I don't want to spend $120+ for the type cover.
Do any of you guys ever bought a generic type cover and how was it ??
I've seen some on Amazon for $30-$40 with good reviews.

Do you *need* a type cover? On my tablets (I don't have the SP yet) I always use a generic cover (without keyboard) from Amazon and use a separate BT tablet keyboard (mine is motorola) for typing.

If I ended up getting a SP 3, I don't see any reason not to do the same thing. No, it's not super compact and pretty, but it's just another inch or so in my bag, I don't use the keyboard all the time anyway, and when I do I'm pretty sure it's going to have a much better feel than the soft touch cover keys.

 

[vbuggy]

I know the Type Cover Pro is way overpriced.

I don't see why everyone says this. Is it because it's a keyboard? It's the thinnest, lightest backlit keyboard + touchpad out there. If it had an Apple logo on it the tech press would be losing their minds, beating us over the head with its specs.

 

[finbarqs]

it's because surface pro 3 + keyboard = 1130. (going from 999)

MBA = 999 and includes the keyboard. People are mad about this, that it really isn't a comparison until you provide the same 'features'. Plus many people are not embracing SP3 to replace their MBA. It's just more conventional and easier to work with on a MBA. Plus it doesn't crash, and it "just works". Windows 8 + SP3 still has its sleuth of bugs.

 

[Ravynmagi]

I don't see why everyone says this. Is it because it's a keyboard? It's the thinnest, lightest backlit keyboard + touchpad out there. If it had an Apple logo on it the tech press would be losing their minds, beating us over the head with its specs.

Yeah, it is a keyboard and $130 is expensive. It's thin, but it's probably too thin in truth. And Microsoft didn't even use the extra space available to make the keys larger, it's the very same keyboard from the Surface Pro 2. All Microsoft did was fix the trackpad and add a second hinge.

I don't think an Apple logo on it would help. People complain more about Apple prices more than any other company.

 

[Unoid]

I'm gonna go into best buy tomorrow or the day after and grab an i5 128gb for &999-stu discount $150 - movers discount 10% = 7~$760

Has anyone done a benchmark of UHS MicroSD cards that do 90+MB/s?

 

[vbuggy]

it's because surface pro 3 + keyboard = 1130. (going from 999)

MBA = 999 and includes the keyboard.

But misses out quite a few of the expensive additional features of the SP, not to mention the fact that the SP3 is 1.1Kgs (rounded up) all-up with a keyboard, and 800g without. You're almost saying it like one of those Applezombie cherry-pickers. In either case, why compare with a last-gen laptop for housewives incapable of making an informed choice bar making a beeline for a brand?

 

[kaerflog]

I know ill end up buying the keyboard cause its for my wife and not me but 130 is expensive for a keyboard.
I wonder why others haven't try to copy and produce cheaper keyboards.

 

[vi edit]

I know ill end up buying the keyboard cause its for my wife and not me but 130 is expensive for a keyboard.
I wonder why others haven't try to copy and produce cheaper keyboards.

MS may not license out the tech specs for 3rd parties and the payoff of doing R&D to re-engineer it for what really is a niche product probably isn't there.

 

[bearxor]

I don't see why everyone says this. Is it because it's a keyboard? It's the thinnest, lightest backlit keyboard + touchpad out there. If it had an Apple logo on it the tech press would be losing their minds, beating us over the head with its specs.

It's because it's a crappy keyboard. I have a Microaoft Bluetooth keyboard that's not that much larger than the Type Cover and if you put low profile laptop keys on it, it wouldn't be that much thicker. It cost $30. And it has to have electronics for Bluetooth and for the batteries to power it.

I just don't understand why the Type Cover is so friggin expensive. It's a low-profile laptop keyboard attached to some ribbon cables encased in a fabric housing. $60 maybe even $80 I could understand.

If they wanted to make a statement, they should include it with the cost of the Surface Pro's. As it is, I just don't think Microsoft is taking this space very seriously. All the buzz right after the event seems to indicate that the SP3 was supposed to get very little time on stage and the Surface Mini was supposed to be the focus of the event.

 

[vbuggy]

I'm gonna go into best buy tomorrow or the day after and grab an i5 128gb for &999-stu discount $150 - movers discount 10% = 7~$760

Has anyone done a benchmark of UHS MicroSD cards that do 90+MB/s?

I'd really like to see the latter too. Thing is of course depending on the device you will probably not get the quoted speeds due to the interface. I'm running the Sandisk Extreme Plus in my phones and the fastest IRL handset transfer rate is 34MB/Sec (but which is actually significantly faster than most if not all of last years flagship handset's internal storage) against a claimed 80Mb/sec.

 

[Ns1]

In other news MS killing major updates for win8/win8.1

 

[Cogman]

MS may not license out the tech specs for 3rd parties and the payoff of doing R&D to re-engineer it for what really is a niche product probably isn't there.

What tech specs will there be really? The surface pro laptops have bluetooth connectivity built in, so it wouldn't be at all hard to make a fake cover, slap some magnets in it, and add bluetooth connectivity (Well, at least it wouldn't be any easier if MS gave out their specs freely).

 

[Imaginer]

What tech specs will there be really? The surface pro laptops have bluetooth connectivity built in, so it wouldn't be at all hard to make a fake cover, slap some magnets in it, and add bluetooth connectivity (Well, at least it wouldn't be any easier if MS gave out their specs freely).

Two things that dissuade me from bluetooth. Additional battery, and wireless conflict in connectivity. Having the type cover/touch cover connectivity means it is solid, and not worrying about the wireless space of other devices and networks to compete with (channel switching, etc).

Not to say I do not mind bluetooth. I use it when using a wireless receiver for my hearing protection earmuffs. It just drops when I am in certain areas of the room or if I am too far, or skips a beat in a congested wireless area.

If even just a documentation of the pin layout and data receiving of the cover ends along with some physical dimensions of the connectors and magnet locations would be enough. I figured with the Surface Music cover, we would see more of possible blade systems and other types of keyboards of comfort.

 

[Unoid]

Got the i5 128gb. First one had a 100+ pixels stripe of dead pixels. Drove back to best buy and got a new one. Loving it so far.

Bought a Samsung 64gb microsdxc 90 MB/s card to store my Google drive on.

I intend to use this as my note taking school device while getting my PhD in econ.

Civ 5 ran awesome. Nook app reads amazing. Undervolting -40mv. Connected standby crashes with under volt though