Support NeoGAF

[Raistlin]

But yeah, just don't expect the popular Android or iOS apps to come over, you'll just be disappointed.

Actually they will

 

[Shogmaster]

Some insights into Wacom > N-Trig change:

1. It helps to make the tablet thinner.

One of the reasons bigger and fatter Wacom Tablet PCs work better than thinner ones is that they can use thicker and better sensor board. I think one of the reasons why Surface Pro 1 and 2 was thicker than most people would have liked is because of the extra depth needed for the sensor board layer below the LCD. N-Trig does not use extra sensor board, but just uses the projected capacitive touch layer for X/Y coordinate.

2. Wacom DID NOT want bigger Surface to have Wacom in it.

Recently Wacom has "requested" MS that they do not advertise Surface Pro 1 and 2 having Wacom tech. Indeed when you go to MS Store, now they will avoid telling you that they have Wacom pen in it..

This is because Wacom does not want Surface Pro from further eating into Cintiq Companion sales, which is not as good as they hoped (hence the price drop). The Pro 1 and 2 was eating into it bad enough at 10". At 12", this would be a disaster, so no more Wacom inside.

3. Hardware wise, N-Trig has caught up with Wacom:

The new Duo Sense 2 with v3 firmware is Very good. The pressure curve is just as responsive, the tip is just as sensitive, and temporal update rate is similar. And N-Trig's design by nature has less parallax issues, and tip offset issues since the pen tip sensor is closer to the pen tip, and the sensor grid for X/Y coordinate is right at the surface of the tablet.

The only remaining problems are drivers, and software support.

Software support isn't what you think it is. It is more subtle and entrenched. Most art software out there was first written when N-Trig did not exist, and they are tailored for Wacom's pressure curve. This is why N-Trig feels a bit "off" with things like Painter for example. But with more recent apps with neutral pressure curve like Fresh Paint, they feel about the same.

As for drivers, if you use apps that already support Microsoft's tablet API, like Manga Studio 5/Clip Studio Paint, then you are good to go. Just go into setting and flip the tablet settings. Even with things like Photoshop, things are getting better since now CS support Microsoft tablet API natively. We just have to wait for rest of the art app community to stop only supporting Wacom's WinTab API.

 

[Just_myles]

yeah, that is a lot for a tab imo. I think pcGAF has already done the math on what you can get for 1900 dollars. Still if I had money to just burn, I would get the i7/8gb/512 no doubt. I don't see why anybody would want anything but that.

Also does this mean we are going to see a price drop for the old surface RT/2/2 pros?

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

So that initial sizzle reel showed somebody using Final Draft. Are we finally getting some Final Draft support especially for Surface?

 

[Doc Holliday]

Some insights into Wacom > N-Trig change:

1. It helps to make the tablet thinner.

One of the reasons bigger and fatter Wacom Tablet PCs work better than thinner ones is that they can use thicker and better sensor board. I think one of the reasons why Surface Pro 1 and 2 was thicker than most people would have liked is because of the extra depth needed for the sensor board layer below the LCD. N-Trig does not use extra sensor board, but just uses the projected capacitive touch layer for X/Y coordinate.

2. Wacom DID NOT want bigger Surface to have Wacom in it.

Recently Wacom has "requested" MS that they do not advertise Surface Pro 1 and 2 having Wacom tech. Indeed when you go to MS Store, now they will avoid telling you that they have Wacom pen in it..

This is because Wacom does not want Surface Pro from further eating into Cintiq Companion sales, which is not as good as they hoped (hence the price drop). The Pro 1 and 2 was eating into it bad enough at 10". At 12", this would be a disaster, so no more Wacom inside.

3. Hardware wise, N-Trig has caught up with Wacom:

The new Duo Sense 2 with v3 firmware is Very good. The pressure curve is just as responsive, the tip is just as sensitive, and temporal update rate is similar. And N-Trig's design by nature has less parallax issues, and tip offset issues since the pen tip sensor is closer to the pen tip, and the sensor grid for X/Y coordinate is right at the surface of the tablet.

The only remaining problems are drivers, and software support.

Software support isn't what you think it is. It is more subtle and entrenched. Most art software out there was first written when N-Trig did not exist, and they are tailored for Wacom's pressure curve. This is why N-Trig feels a bit "off" with things like Painter for example. But with more recent apps with neutral pressure curve like Fresh Paint, they feel about the same.

As for drivers, if you use apps that already support Microsoft's tablet API, like Manga Studio 5/Clip Studio Paint, then you are good to go. Just go into setting and flip the tablet settings. Even with things like Photoshop, things are getting better since now CS support Microsoft tablet API natively. We just have to wait for rest of the art app community to stop only supporting Wacom's WinTab API.

Thanks Shog! you sexy bastard! So it's not the end of the world. How is the battery life on these pens?

 

[Raistlin]

Some insights into Wacom > N-Trig change:

1. It helps to make the tablet thinner.

One of the reasons bigger and fatter Wacom Tablet PCs work better than thinner ones is that they can use thicker and better sensor board. I think one of the reasons why Surface Pro 1 and 2 was thicker than most people would have liked is because of the extra depth needed for the sensor board layer below the LCD. N-Trig does not use extra sensor board, but just uses the projected capacitive touch layer for X/Y coordinate.

2. Wacom DID NOT want bigger Surface to have Wacom in it.

Recently Wacom has "requested" MS that they do not advertise Surface Pro 1 and 2 having Wacom tech. Indeed when you go to MS Store, now they will avoid telling you that they have Wacom pen in it..

This is because Wacom does not want Surface Pro from further eating into Cintiq Companion sales, which is not as good as they hoped (hence the price drop). The Pro 1 and 2 was eating into it bad enough at 10". At 12", this would be a disaster, so no more Wacom inside.

3. Hardware wise, N-Trig has caught up with Wacom:

The new Duo Sense 2 with v3 firmware is Very good. The pressure curve is just as responsive, the tip is just as sensitive, and temporal update rate is similar. And N-Trig's design by nature has less parallax issues, and tip offset issues since the pen tip sensor is closer to the pen tip, and the sensor grid for X/Y coordinate is right at the surface of the tablet.

The only remaining problems are drivers, and software support.

Software support isn't what you think it is. It is more subtle and entrenched. Most art software out there was first written when N-Trig did not exist, and they are tailored for Wacom's pressure curve. This is why N-Trig feels a bit "off" with things like Painter for example. But with more recent apps with neutral pressure curve like Fresh Paint, they feel about the same.

As for drivers, if you use apps that already support Microsoft's tablet API, like Manga Studio 5/Clip Studio Paint, then you are good to go. Just go into setting and flip the tablet settings. Even with things like Photoshop, things are getting better since now CS support Microsoft tablet API natively. We just have to wait for rest of the art app community to stop only supporting Wacom's WinTab API.

Was hoping you'd show up with some insights ... thanks Shog!

And that sounds pretty good. Would like to hear some impressions with Photoshop, etc ... but this leaves me cautiously enthusiastic.

 

[GuitarAtomik]

Someone loan me $2k please. I'll pay you back eventually.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

Thanks Shog! you sexy bastard! So it's not the end of the world. How is the battery life on these pens?

This.

 

[soul creator]

I always feel like an old man when I see all the magnet-related features on these tablets/laptops and think "oh no, it's gonna mess up the screen!"

 

[Anton Sugar]

So that initial sizzle reel showed somebody using Final Draft. Are we finally getting some Final Draft support especially for Surface?

Yup! His demonstration showed him using it to add handwritten notes to a screenplay.

 

[Shogmaster]

Thanks Shog! you sexy bastard! So it's not the end of the world. How is the battery life on these pens?

You're welcome. The battery life on the pen is largely dependent on amount of usage, but I think most people get at least 3 months per battery. Just have a pack handy I'd say, and be sensitive to any change in pen responsiveness and feel.

 

[Klaymator14]

Some insights into Wacom > N-Trig change:

1. It helps to make the tablet thinner.

One of the reasons bigger and fatter Wacom Tablet PCs work better than thinner ones is that they can use thicker and better sensor board. I think one of the reasons why Surface Pro 1 and 2 was thicker than most people would have liked is because of the extra depth needed for the sensor board layer below the LCD. N-Trig does not use extra sensor board, but just uses the projected capacitive touch layer for X/Y coordinate.

2. Wacom DID NOT want bigger Surface to have Wacom in it.

Recently Wacom has "requested" MS that they do not advertise Surface Pro 1 and 2 having Wacom tech. Indeed when you go to MS Store, now they will avoid telling you that they have Wacom pen in it..

This is because Wacom does not want Surface Pro from further eating into Cintiq Companion sales, which is not as good as they hoped (hence the price drop). The Pro 1 and 2 was eating into it bad enough at 10". At 12", this would be a disaster, so no more Wacom inside.

3. Hardware wise, N-Trig has caught up with Wacom:

The new Duo Sense 2 with v3 firmware is Very good. The pressure curve is just as responsive, the tip is just as sensitive, and temporal update rate is similar. And N-Trig's design by nature has less parallax issues, and tip offset issues since the pen tip sensor is closer to the pen tip, and the sensor grid for X/Y coordinate is right at the surface of the tablet.

The only remaining problems are drivers, and software support.

Software support isn't what you think it is. It is more subtle and entrenched. Most art software out there was first written when N-Trig did not exist, and they are tailored for Wacom's pressure curve. This is why N-Trig feels a bit "off" with things like Painter for example. But with more recent apps with neutral pressure curve like Fresh Paint, they feel about the same.

As for drivers, if you use apps that already support Microsoft's tablet API, like Manga Studio 5/Clip Studio Paint, then you are good to go. Just go into setting and flip the tablet settings. Even with things like Photoshop, things are getting better since now CS support Microsoft tablet API natively. We just have to wait for rest of the art app community to stop only supporting Wacom's WinTab API.

i came into the thread to see your opinions on this change to n-trig, thanks!

 

[enzo_gt]

Some insights into Wacom > N-Trig change:

1. It helps to make the tablet thinner.

One of the reasons bigger and fatter Wacom Tablet PCs work better than thinner ones is that they can use thicker and better sensor board. I think one of the reasons why Surface Pro 1 and 2 was thicker than most people would have liked is because of the extra depth needed for the sensor board layer below the LCD. N-Trig does not use extra sensor board, but just uses the projected capacitive touch layer for X/Y coordinate.

2. Wacom DID NOT want bigger Surface to have Wacom in it.

Recently Wacom has "requested" MS that they do not advertise Surface Pro 1 and 2 having Wacom tech. Indeed when you go to MS Store, now they will avoid telling you that they have Wacom pen in it..

This is because Wacom does not want Surface Pro from further eating into Cintiq Companion sales, which is not as good as they hoped (hence the price drop). The Pro 1 and 2 was eating into it bad enough at 10". At 12", this would be a disaster, so no more Wacom inside.

3. Hardware wise, N-Trig has caught up with Wacom:

The new Duo Sense 2 with v3 firmware is Very good. The pressure curve is just as responsive, the tip is just as sensitive, and temporal update rate is similar. And N-Trig's design by nature has less parallax issues, and tip offset issues since the pen tip sensor is closer to the pen tip, and the sensor grid for X/Y coordinate is right at the surface of the tablet.

The only remaining problems are drivers, and software support.

Software support isn't what you think it is. It is more subtle and entrenched. Most art software out there was first written when N-Trig did not exist, and they are tailored for Wacom's pressure curve. This is why N-Trig feels a bit "off" with things like Painter for example. But with more recent apps with neutral pressure curve like Fresh Paint, they feel about the same.

As for drivers, if you use apps that already support Microsoft's tablet API, like Manga Studio 5/Clip Studio Paint, then you are good to go. Just go into setting and flip the tablet settings. Even with things like Photoshop, things are getting better since now CS support Microsoft tablet API natively. We just have to wait for rest of the art app community to stop only supporting Wacom's WinTab API.

Thanks for the insight. Think I'm gonna stick with the Surface Pro 2.

I always feel like an old man when I see all the magnet-related features on these tablets/laptops and think "oh no, it's gonna mess up the screen!"

I'm the exact same way, haha

 

[faridmon]

I wouldn't mind those prices if it was the exchange price in UK would be comparable, but no, they will expect me to pay £1200 for an i5....

Fuck those prices, and I am saying this as someone who actually wanted one of these.

 

[Riderz1337]

This is from the MS copy.

36 GB? And you want me to replace this with my laptop?

 

[Mobius 1]

Holy shit that's amazing and exactly what I was expe...

No Wacom digitizer

... Oh

 

[Lucis]

Wacom thing is way over blown in this thread I feel.

Most people who buy this tablet probably will not give a fuck (or even known) about this.

 

[JaggedSac]

36 GB? And you want me to replace this with my laptop?

There is an SD card slot. Obviously isn't as fast, but fine for audio/video viewing.

 

[Betta Lines]

36 GB? And you want me to replace this with my laptop?

Until recently there was a 64GB MacBook Air too. But this is also supposed to be a tablet, and they typically have even smaller capacity. As such there will be some users who find this very minimal amount of storage manageable.

You can free up a few more GB with various tricks in Windows, like disabling hibernation and putting the restore files onto a USB drive.

And there is a microSD slot if you want to expand the memory that way. And you can plug in any old USB stick or hard drive if necessary.

But the reality is they offer a 64GB version to make the 'from' price of the Pro 3 more appealing. Most buyers (much like MBA buyers) will end up picking the 128GB version or bigger. The pricing is not unreasonable compared to similar-spec laptops.

 

[zeeaykay]

Does anyone know if you can pre-order at midnight at BestBuy, or is it only available on the Microsoft store?

 

[a secret-boss]

Some insights into Wacom > N-Trig change:

1. It helps to make the tablet thinner.

One of the reasons bigger and fatter Wacom Tablet PCs work better than thinner ones is that they can use thicker and better sensor board. I think one of the reasons why Surface Pro 1 and 2 was thicker than most people would have liked is because of the extra depth needed for the sensor board layer below the LCD. N-Trig does not use extra sensor board, but just uses the projected capacitive touch layer for X/Y coordinate.

2. Wacom DID NOT want bigger Surface to have Wacom in it.

Recently Wacom has "requested" MS that they do not advertise Surface Pro 1 and 2 having Wacom tech. Indeed when you go to MS Store, now they will avoid telling you that they have Wacom pen in it..

This is because Wacom does not want Surface Pro from further eating into Cintiq Companion sales, which is not as good as they hoped (hence the price drop). The Pro 1 and 2 was eating into it bad enough at 10". At 12", this would be a disaster, so no more Wacom inside.

3. Hardware wise, N-Trig has caught up with Wacom:

The new Duo Sense 2 with v3 firmware is Very good. The pressure curve is just as responsive, the tip is just as sensitive, and temporal update rate is similar. And N-Trig's design by nature has less parallax issues, and tip offset issues since the pen tip sensor is closer to the pen tip, and the sensor grid for X/Y coordinate is right at the surface of the tablet.

The only remaining problems are drivers, and software support.

Software support isn't what you think it is. It is more subtle and entrenched. Most art software out there was first written when N-Trig did not exist, and they are tailored for Wacom's pressure curve. This is why N-Trig feels a bit "off" with things like Painter for example. But with more recent apps with neutral pressure curve like Fresh Paint, they feel about the same.

As for drivers, if you use apps that already support Microsoft's tablet API, like Manga Studio 5/Clip Studio Paint, then you are good to go. Just go into setting and flip the tablet settings. Even with things like Photoshop, things are getting better since now CS support Microsoft tablet API natively. We just have to wait for rest of the art app community to stop only supporting Wacom's WinTab API.

Alright Shog i trust u

Might get SP 3
I have SP1 already

 

[MercuryLS]

There is an SD card slot. Obviously isn't as fast, but fine for audio/video viewing.

When you factor in the price of a large Micro SD card and a Type cover, why wouldn't you just get a good ultra book?

I don't get the point of these convergence devices, if I want a laptop I will get a high end laptop, if I want a tablet I'll get something cheap and light for casual computing.

This thing is a big, heavy tablet and a substandard laptop (compared to something like a rMBP) rolled into one. Why.

 

[Kabuki Quantum Lover]

At least Apple gave you more space out of the box with the 64gb model (~50gb free). What happened to WIMBoot reducing OS size?

 

[btrboyev]

At least Apple gave you more space out of the box with the 64gb model (~50gb free). What happened to WIMBoot reducing OS size?

That's the next windows update this summer.

 

[btrboyev]

When you factor in the price of a large Micro SD card and a Type cover, why wouldn't you just get a good ultra book?

I don't get the point of these convergence devices, if I want a laptop I will get a high end laptop, if I want a tablet I'll get something cheap and light for casual computing.

This thing is a big, heavy tablet and a substandard laptop (compared to something like a rMBP) rolled into one. Why.

Because it can do what other laptops and tablets can't. It's not hard to figure out. Can you use your Macbook Pro as a digital notebook? Can your tablet run photoshop? It's really not hard to figure out.

 

[Betta Lines]

When you factor in the price of a large Micro SD card and a Type cover, why wouldn't you just get a good ultra book?

I don't get the point of these convergence devices, if I want a laptop I will get a high end laptop, if I want a tablet I'll get something cheap and light for casual computing.

This thing is a big, heavy tablet and a substandard laptop (compared to something like a rMBP) rolled into one. Why.

What if you want exactly this product? I can't use a stylus on an rMBP. I can't use an rMBP like a tablet. Some people find it more convenient to have one device. Where you see compromises, others see cutting-edge flexibility. When I got my Pro 2, it felt like it was from the future. It still does. Feels like a tablet, albeit a very heavy one, but performs like a PC. It's coooool.

 

[I'm an expert]

When you factor in the price of a large Micro SD card and a Type cover, why wouldn't you just get a good ultra book?

I don't get the point of these convergence devices, if I want a laptop I will get a high end laptop, if I want a tablet I'll get something cheap and light for casual computing.

This thing is a big, heavy tablet and a substandard laptop (compared to something like a rMBP) rolled into one. Why.

It does more than your laptop. It does more than your tablet. What is not to understand?

Big? Heavy? Are you people serious lol.. are you people too young to have lived through the years when we actually did have big gadgets..?

 

[VoxPop]

Some insights into Wacom > N-Trig change:

1. It helps to make the tablet thinner.

One of the reasons bigger and fatter Wacom Tablet PCs work better than thinner ones is that they can use thicker and better sensor board. I think one of the reasons why Surface Pro 1 and 2 was thicker than most people would have liked is because of the extra depth needed for the sensor board layer below the LCD. N-Trig does not use extra sensor board, but just uses the projected capacitive touch layer for X/Y coordinate.

2. Wacom DID NOT want bigger Surface to have Wacom in it.

Recently Wacom has "requested" MS that they do not advertise Surface Pro 1 and 2 having Wacom tech. Indeed when you go to MS Store, now they will avoid telling you that they have Wacom pen in it..

This is because Wacom does not want Surface Pro from further eating into Cintiq Companion sales, which is not as good as they hoped (hence the price drop). The Pro 1 and 2 was eating into it bad enough at 10". At 12", this would be a disaster, so no more Wacom inside.

3. Hardware wise, N-Trig has caught up with Wacom:

The new Duo Sense 2 with v3 firmware is Very good. The pressure curve is just as responsive, the tip is just as sensitive, and temporal update rate is similar. And N-Trig's design by nature has less parallax issues, and tip offset issues since the pen tip sensor is closer to the pen tip, and the sensor grid for X/Y coordinate is right at the surface of the tablet.

The only remaining problems are drivers, and software support.

Software support isn't what you think it is. It is more subtle and entrenched. Most art software out there was first written when N-Trig did not exist, and they are tailored for Wacom's pressure curve. This is why N-Trig feels a bit "off" with things like Painter for example. But with more recent apps with neutral pressure curve like Fresh Paint, they feel about the same.

As for drivers, if you use apps that already support Microsoft's tablet API, like Manga Studio 5/Clip Studio Paint, then you are good to go. Just go into setting and flip the tablet settings. Even with things like Photoshop, things are getting better since now CS support Microsoft tablet API natively. We just have to wait for rest of the art app community to stop only supporting Wacom's WinTab API.

Great stuff. Got my mind all confuzzled again.

 

[Dead]

Some insights into Wacom > N-Trig change:

1. It helps to make the tablet thinner.

One of the reasons bigger and fatter Wacom Tablet PCs work better than thinner ones is that they can use thicker and better sensor board. I think one of the reasons why Surface Pro 1 and 2 was thicker than most people would have liked is because of the extra depth needed for the sensor board layer below the LCD. N-Trig does not use extra sensor board, but just uses the projected capacitive touch layer for X/Y coordinate.

2. Wacom DID NOT want bigger Surface to have Wacom in it.

Recently Wacom has "requested" MS that they do not advertise Surface Pro 1 and 2 having Wacom tech. Indeed when you go to MS Store, now they will avoid telling you that they have Wacom pen in it..

This is because Wacom does not want Surface Pro from further eating into Cintiq Companion sales, which is not as good as they hoped (hence the price drop). The Pro 1 and 2 was eating into it bad enough at 10". At 12", this would be a disaster, so no more Wacom inside.

3. Hardware wise, N-Trig has caught up with Wacom:

The new Duo Sense 2 with v3 firmware is Very good. The pressure curve is just as responsive, the tip is just as sensitive, and temporal update rate is similar. And N-Trig's design by nature has less parallax issues, and tip offset issues since the pen tip sensor is closer to the pen tip, and the sensor grid for X/Y coordinate is right at the surface of the tablet.

The only remaining problems are drivers, and software support.

Software support isn't what you think it is. It is more subtle and entrenched. Most art software out there was first written when N-Trig did not exist, and they are tailored for Wacom's pressure curve. This is why N-Trig feels a bit "off" with things like Painter for example. But with more recent apps with neutral pressure curve like Fresh Paint, they feel about the same.

As for drivers, if you use apps that already support Microsoft's tablet API, like Manga Studio 5/Clip Studio Paint, then you are good to go. Just go into setting and flip the tablet settings. Even with things like Photoshop, things are getting better since now CS support Microsoft tablet API natively. We just have to wait for rest of the art app community to stop only supporting Wacom's WinTab API.

Informative post. Thanks.

I think I will end up buying this, hope to try it out soon to settle that decision.

 

[BlastProcessing]

It's not a tablet god dammit lol.

Until there is a keyboard bundled, it's a tablet with an optional keyboard accessory.

Some insights into Wacom > N-Trig change:

1. It helps to make the tablet thinner.

One of the reasons bigger and fatter Wacom Tablet PCs work better than thinner ones is that they can use thicker and better sensor board. I think one of the reasons why Surface Pro 1 and 2 was thicker than most people would have liked is because of the extra depth needed for the sensor board layer below the LCD. N-Trig does not use extra sensor board, but just uses the projected capacitive touch layer for X/Y coordinate.

2. Wacom DID NOT want bigger Surface to have Wacom in it.

Recently Wacom has "requested" MS that they do not advertise Surface Pro 1 and 2 having Wacom tech. Indeed when you go to MS Store, now they will avoid telling you that they have Wacom pen in it..

This is because Wacom does not want Surface Pro from further eating into Cintiq Companion sales, which is not as good as they hoped (hence the price drop). The Pro 1 and 2 was eating into it bad enough at 10". At 12", this would be a disaster, so no more Wacom inside.

3. Hardware wise, N-Trig has caught up with Wacom:

The new Duo Sense 2 with v3 firmware is Very good. The pressure curve is just as responsive, the tip is just as sensitive, and temporal update rate is similar. And N-Trig's design by nature has less parallax issues, and tip offset issues since the pen tip sensor is closer to the pen tip, and the sensor grid for X/Y coordinate is right at the surface of the tablet.

The only remaining problems are drivers, and software support.

Software support isn't what you think it is. It is more subtle and entrenched. Most art software out there was first written when N-Trig did not exist, and they are tailored for Wacom's pressure curve. This is why N-Trig feels a bit "off" with things like Painter for example. But with more recent apps with neutral pressure curve like Fresh Paint, they feel about the same.

As for drivers, if you use apps that already support Microsoft's tablet API, like Manga Studio 5/Clip Studio Paint, then you are good to go. Just go into setting and flip the tablet settings. Even with things like Photoshop, things are getting better since now CS support Microsoft tablet API natively. We just have to wait for rest of the art app community to stop only supporting Wacom's WinTab API.

The type of decision making on display in the bolded is how companies wither and die. So shortsighted.

I hope you are correct on the N-trig solution being sufficient.

 

[Impeccable]

If I was rich, I'd consider one. Pretty neat.

 

[Ollie Pooch]

Looks pretty nice - gotta say I was hoping they'd fit another USB port on there, I'm constantly using hubs even when out just to get shit connected to it, but it's not a deal breaker. Will see how prices stack up over here or if the SP2 drops in price.

 

[White Man]

I'll probably end up selling my Surface Pros 1 and 2 once I get one of these.

 

[Doffen]

So the Surface Pro 3 i7 512GB version lands on about $2800 (16.845 NOK) here in Norway.

Spoiler

Still plan on getting it.

 

[StudioTan]

It does more than your laptop. It does more than your tablet. What is not to understand?

Big? Heavy? Are you people serious lol.. are you people too young to have lived through the years when we actually did have big gadgets..?

My first cell phone looked something like this:

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

Well, I can see with all the Tech Boners I'll be sating, I'll never get prostate cancer.

 

[luxarific]

yeah, that is a lot for a tab imo. I think pcGAF has already done the math on what you can get for 1900 dollars. Still if I had money to just burn, I would get the i7/8gb/512 no doubt. I don't see why anybody would want anything but that.

Also does this mean we are going to see a price drop for the old surface RT/2/2 pros?

I think the 512 upgrade is unnecessary, given the micro SD slot. If it was 200 cheaper I'd say go for it, but 256 is more than enough between cloud and micro SD.

 

[Izuna]

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msuk/en_GB/pdp/Surface-Pro-3/productID.300212300

UK preorder with prices here.

OH MY GOD.

I have decided that I won't be getting 512GB version, but now I need to decide if I want the i5 or i7... Is there a big difference anyway?

 

[StudioTan]

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msuk/en_GB/pdp/Surface-Pro-3/productID.300212300

UK preorder with prices here.

OH MY GOD.

I have decided that I won't be getting 512GB version, but now I need to decide if I want the i5 or i7... Is there a big difference anyway?

Probably not. Depends on what you're doing but I personally don't think it's worth the price difference.

 

[Izuna]

Probably not. Depends on what you're doing but I personally don't think it's worth the price difference.

My Surface Pro 1st Gen (256GB JPN version) is perfect for everything I do except gaming. I am wondering if the i5 to i7 jump will have any affect on gaming at all. If not then I'm happy with the price.

 

[TheLaughingStock]

yeah, that is a lot for a tab imo. I think pcGAF has already done the math on what you can get for 1900 dollars. Still if I had money to just burn, I would get the i7/8gb/512 no doubt. I don't see why anybody would want anything but that.

Also does this mean we are going to see a price drop for the old surface RT/2/2 pros?

I'd assume so. RT and pro 1 have already seen huge price drops but they're not completely out yet which is extremely sad.

Light editing. No custom/heavy editing aside from adding a few effects.

Most of my videos consists of just editing audio, syncing it too footage, trimming the footage, and maybe adding some lens flares and such.

Feel like 4GBs and the i5 would be efficient... 8GBs and double the hard drive would be preferable, but I don't want to break the $999+ price barrier.

i5 would be good.

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

Sweet I was just about to buy a Surface 2 Pro, I'll see how the Aussie pricing goes and make a choice on Surface 2 or 3 from there.

 

[Doffen]

Sweet I was just about to buy a Surface 2 Pro, I'll see how the Aussie pricing goes and make a choice on Surface 2 or 3 from there.

It's up for pre-order here: http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msaus/en_AU/pdp/Surface-3/productID.300217100

 

[Izuna]

Sweet I was just about to buy a Surface 2 Pro, I'll see how the Aussie pricing goes and make a choice on Surface 2 or 3 from there.

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msaus/en_AU/pdp/Surface-3/productID.300217100

AUS Official Pricing

 

[Souless_PJ]

Sweet I was just about to buy a Surface 2 Pro, I'll see how the Aussie pricing goes and make a choice on Surface 2 or 3 from there.

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msaus/en_AU/pdp/productID.300217100

 

[Izuna]

It seems that the i7 version will still use the HD4400.

I think I have decided which one I will buy now. £230 more for a minimal performance boost that won't affect gaming seems pointless. Preordering now!

 

[Deku Tree]

Anyone know the clock speed on the i7 in the SP3 yet?

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

Great, thanks for the Aus pricing guys'n'gals.

 

[Izuna]

OMG I can't decide on the colour of the Type Cover... I am leaning towards Cyan but the new darker Blue looks... damnit!

 

[Totakeke]

The power of the Shog.

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/05/the-mysterious-disappearance-of-the-8-inch-surface-mini/

Paul Thurrott, also well connected to company insiders, wrote just this morning that, based on plans he had seen, he expected the company to release both a Surface mini and a larger Surface Pro. Only one of those predictions came true. Thurrott offered a little more insight into the 8-inch device: in addition to its Qualcomm processor, the small tablet would lose the kickstand, come in a range of colors, and include pen support. The kickstand would instead be part of a separate cover.

Moreover, he says that the mini hardware has been more or less ready since last year. It wasn't released at the same time as the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 because of production problems.

Mary Jo Foley agrees that the device exists and has been delayed, but she has different explanations for its non-release. First, she says that Terry Myerson, leader of Microsoft's Operating System group, doesn't like Windows RT and is waiting for a version of Windows that can run on both phones and tablets. Second, Microsoft's entire Surface project is designed to fill gaps that the company's OEM partners aren't filling. With OEMs producing plenty of 8-inch Windows tablets, there's little need for Microsoft to join them. This second point seems consistent with the lack of differentiation that Bloomberg notes.

Our take? The 8-inch tablet space seems to be important, with many consumers enjoying the low prices and compact form factor, and it makes a logical addition to the Surface range, even if other OEMs are operating in the same market sector. The problem, as we've noted in our looks at 8-inch Windows tablets, is the software: while new Metro-style touch applications work well on a smaller tablet, the traditional Windows desktop is virtually unusable, as it's all impossibly small. Microsoft's tablet operating system—whether the ARM Windows RT or the x86/x64 Windows—still sports the desktop, and it still needs the desktop for certain high value applications. Chief among these is Office. While we know that a touch-friendly version of Office is coming, it's not here yet. That makes the 8-inch tablets more than a little awkward.

In an interview, Microsoft's Panos Panay confirmed that the company is working on a smaller tablet but that he had no specifics to share.

Maybe next year.

Spoiler

How about make it more like courier eh?