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[Sai]

It was always going to be RT, which is kinda the reason it was canceled in the first place. RT doesn't have a full "touch-first" version of Office yet and without that, it wasn't going to be differentiating enough, compared to other small tablets.

All according to rumors, of course.

But with the Surface Mini references in the SP3 manual, mentioning that it uses the same pen, I'm not sure if I'd really care.

y u pewp on ma dreamz, brotkasten? :<

 

[brotkasten]

But it doesn't seem like the next version of Office is launching so soon, why restart it now?

Maybe this time they'll put Android on it.

 

[Totakeke]

... I was going to say Nadella could have decided to kill of the ARM Windows silliness now that x86 has caught up on mobile compute, but I guess there's more than one way to do that.

 

[lastflowers]

How do I tell? Can I update or is it tied to phone hardware?

if you have the notification center, you have 8.1. You can also check via Settings->about->[more info]. The OS version/Software will tell you which version of the OS you're running.

WPCentral wrote up a pretty good article summarizing a lot of the various talking points around upgrading via the preview program: upgrade to 8.1. It also guides you through the process if you want to do so.

 

[commish]

Really don't understand why my SP3 loses so much battery when not in use. If I don't use it for a day, it's dead the following day. I can't tell if it's running something the entire time or not.

 

[maximum360]

Please don't be RT. Please don't be RT. Please don't be RT...

Interesting but I'll pass on this one. My i5 SP3 already cost me a kidney and I was able to pick up a dell venue 8 pro for the MS store for $99 which takes care of my portable needs.

 

[Barmaley]

I was gonna get one until I saw this

Waiting for the mini/sp4 it is, then.

 

[hwalker84]

Really don't understand why my SP3 loses so much battery when not in use. If I don't use it for a day, it's dead the following day. I can't tell if it's running something the entire time or not.

It's gotta be something on your side keeping it from fully sleeping. Mine lasted a solid 3 days of on and off use.

 

[AlexMogil]

Interesting but I'll pass on this one. My i5 SP3 already cost me a kidney and I was able to pick up a dell venue 8 pro for the MS store for $99 which takes care of my portable needs.

I know it's a little old but is the Venue 8 Pro usable as a OneNote device? Just a little notepad, really.

 

[Shogmaster]

I was gonna get one until I saw this

Waiting for the mini/sp4 it is, then.

What am I looking at?

 

[Barmaley]

What am I looking at?

From the anandtech review:
"Surface Pro 3's display stack distorts under heavy pressure from the new pen, the older thicker display stack was more resilient.
I don't know how well Microsoft has beefed up the display to ensure that doing a lot of heavy pressure drawing on it won't cause harm in the long run, but it's clear that the design isn't as robust as it used to be. Again, in the grand scheme of things this is likely the right tradeoff. The best solution here would be for control over the new pen's pressure curve so you don't need to press as hard to get reach max pressure levels."

 

[Shogmaster]

From the anandtech review:
"Surface Pro 3's display stack distorts under heavy pressure from the new pen, the older thicker display stack was more resilient.
I don't know how well Microsoft has beefed up the display to ensure that doing a lot of heavy pressure drawing on it won't cause harm in the long run, but it's clear that the design isn't as robust as it used to be. Again, in the grand scheme of things this is likely the right tradeoff. The best solution here would be for control over the new pen's pressure curve so you don't need to press as hard to get reach max pressure levels."

What crap, he's pushing down so hard that the pen tip is way off axis! Oh no, you can't apply ridiculous pressure on the screen without the LCD pooling. How will we live?!?

 

[Barmaley]

Well, that distortion doesn't happen with the pro 1, no matter how hard i press. And from all the reports, it does seem like the new pen requires heavier pressure to get the same results as with the wacom pen. Seem like a valid concern to me.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Well, that distortion doesn't happen with the pro 1, no matter how hard i press. And from all the reports, it does seem like the new pen requires heavier pressure to get the same results as with the wacom pen. Seem like a valid concern to me.

But like SHog says, hes bending the Pen nib because he's pressing so hard.

 

[Mabase]

Anyone have experience or opinions on the Thinkpad Yoga? That looked interesting to me...

I bought a thinkpad Yoga about a month ago, and I really like it so far. But I haven't really tested it comprenhensively so far, so take the following with a grain of salt.

My use: mobile working (I actually bought it during a trip because I needed a workstation), writing, drawing and animating (Photoshop, Flash, Toonboom). Will use for more 3D apps later on.

I got the version with i7, 8GB, and stylus. Haven't used the new surface pro 3 yet, only know the SP2.

Bad:
- Battery duration not _that_ long, non-replaceable (Battery life is ok for me, where I work there's a plug)
- Stylus is small, weak and has only one button (it's okay, but I need to buy a better one for longer sessions)
- Mini HDMI instead of Display port
- screen could be better colorwise
- Windows 8 (but unfortunately necessary IIRC for all the touch stuff)

Good:
- it's a thinkpad, very nice build and finish
- awesome keyboard
- screen is matte/non-reflective (WHO BUYS THESE FXXING MIRRORS???)
- stylus works very well
- all the stupid looking turning and twisting of the screen/keyboard hinge actually makes sense. The most comfortable setup for me is as a quasi-Cintiq, with an extra keyboard for all my shortcuts
- not very heavy

Gotta run, if you have questions feel free to ask!

 

[Barmaley]

But like SHog says, hes bending the Pen nib because he's pressing so hard.

Isn't it supposed to be a rubber tip? Bending it shouldn't be such a great feat.

 

[StudioTan]

Well, that distortion doesn't happen with the pro 1, no matter how hard i press. And from all the reports, it does seem like the new pen requires heavier pressure to get the same results as with the wacom pen. Seem like a valid concern to me.

That's because the way Wacom and N-Trig work are different. There is an extra layer between the glass and the LCD with the Wacom versions. The downsides are that it makes the device thicker and there is more parallax between the pen tip and the screen. The Wacom devices also get less accurate the closer to get to the edges of the screen. As they said you have to press really hard to get this result but the benefits far outweigh this minor issue.

 

[Shogmaster]

That's because the way Wacom and N-Trig work are different. There is an extra layer between the glass and the LCD with the Wacom versions. The downsides are that it makes the device thicker and there is more parallax between the pen tip and the screen. The Wacom devices also get less accurate the closer to get to the edges of the screen. As they said you have to press really hard to get this result but the benefits far outweigh this minor issue.

Actually no. Wacom's extra layer is UNDER the LCD.

It's clear that MS is using thinner glass for SP3 over SP2 and SP1. But having used it myself, I know that usch LCD pooling is due to way tooexcessive force. Nobody should draw or write like that.

 

[Chris R]

So I see Microsoft stores are offering up to $650 for a Macbook Air trade in towards a Surface Pro 3...

Is there any way to know what my Macbook Air would be worth? I'll be traveling down to Seattle soon and could see myself getting to a Microsoft Store (none in Alaska) to do the deal if I'd get close to the $650. If I'm only going to get $200 or something I don't think I'd bother, just don't want to waste my day walking all the way to the store to find out the price I'd get.

Because the device is really slick now that I've used one in person.

 

[godofcookery]

I bought a thinkpad Yoga about a month ago, and I really like it so far. But I haven't really tested it comprenhensively so far, so take the following with a grain of salt.

My use: mobile working (I actually bought it during a trip because I needed a workstation), writing, drawing and animating (Photoshop, Flash, Toonboom). Will use for more 3D apps later on.

I got the version with i7, 8GB, and stylus. Haven't used the new surface pro 3 yet, only know the SP2.

Bad:
- Battery duration not _that_ long, non-replaceable (Battery life is ok for me, where I work there's a plug)
- Stylus is small, weak and has only one button (it's okay, but I need to buy a better one for longer sessions)
- Mini HDMI instead of Display port
- screen could be better colorwise
- Windows 8 (but unfortunately necessary IIRC for all the touch stuff)

Good:
- it's a thinkpad, very nice build and finish
- awesome keyboard
- screen is matte/non-reflective (WHO BUYS THESE FXXING MIRRORS???)
- stylus works very well
- all the stupid looking turning and twisting of the screen/keyboard hinge actually makes sense. The most comfortable setup for me is as a quasi-Cintiq, with an extra keyboard for all my shortcuts
- not very heavy

Gotta run, if you have questions feel free to ask!

I really like these impressions, thank you so much. I like the pros actually, my personal negative would be that I prefer the aspect ratio and resolution of the Surface Pro, and everything else of the lenovo.

edit: I do have a question actually. Do you read comics on your Lenovo? how do you find the reading experience?

 

[Mabase]

I really like these impressions, thank you so much. I like the pros actually, my personal negative would be that I prefer the aspect ratio and resolution of the Surface Pro, and everything else of the lenovo.

edit: I do have a question actually. Do you read comics on your Lenovo? how do you find the reading experience?

No problem, I'm happy to help.
It's true that the 1920x1080 aspect ratio makes little sense for a portrait-like tablet use. I've used it a little bit for drawing in portrait mode but most programs don't scale well natively to the 9x16 ratio (like Photoshop CS5, don't know about newer ones). Also the lack of buttons next to the screen annoys me, but this is the same on the SP3 I guess.
So, I use it mostly in landscape mode.

I haven't used it for reading extensively yet, and I probably won't, as a reading and media tablet I think the Thinkpad Yoga is too heavy. I wouldn't use it to read on the bus or in bed. For that I use the smallest Ipad mini.
Two tablets may sound like overkill, but the difference in weight and size is big enough to justify both of them.
For the traditional tablet and media consumption, I'm sure the SP3 is better than the Thinkpad Yoga: lighter and slightly less bulky.
In the end, the Yoga is still a laptop for working, that's what I like about it and that's what I bought it for, but my user profile is also peculiar. I need good drawing capability, but also use the keyboard a lot.
In the end I decided against the SP2 (back then) because a SP with the same specs as the Yoga (256GB SSd, i7 8GB) cost the same, and didn't actually come with a keyboard. For the same price I'm not gonna buy Microsoft hardware if I can have a Thinkpad. But that's just me after years of Thinkpad use.

I know this doesn't make it easier for you I guess, hope it helps anyway.

BTW I checked yesterday, the battery is replaceable after all! It's just very cumbersome and nothing you want to do on the run apparently.

 

[godofcookery]

No problem, I'm happy to help.
It's true that the 1920x1080 aspect ratio makes little sense for a portrait-like tablet use. I've used it a little bit for drawing in portrait mode but most programs don't scale well natively to the 9x16 ratio (like Photoshop CS5, don't know about newer ones). Also the lack of buttons next to the screen annoys me, but this is the same on the SP3 I guess.
So, I use it mostly in landscape mode.

I haven't used it for reading extensively yet, and I probably won't, as a reading and media tablet I think the Thinkpad Yoga is too heavy. I wouldn't use it to read on the bus or in bed. For that I use the smallest Ipad mini.
Two tablets may sound like overkill, but the difference in weight and size is big enough to justify both of them.
For the traditional tablet and media consumption, I'm sure the SP3 is better than the Thinkpad Yoga: lighter and slightly less bulky.
In the end, the Yoga is still a laptop for working, that's what I like about it and that's what I bought it for, but my user profile is also peculiar. I need good drawing capability, but also use the keyboard a lot.
In the end I decided against the SP2 (back then) because a SP with the same specs as the Yoga (256GB SSd, i7 8GB) cost the same, and didn't actually come with a keyboard. For the same price I'm not gonna buy Microsoft hardware if I can have a Thinkpad. But that's just me after years of Thinkpad use.

I know this doesn't make it easier for you I guess, hope it helps anyway.

BTW I checked yesterday, the battery is replaceable after all! It's just very cumbersome and nothing you want to do on the run apparently.

in some ways it actually does help me out. I have been deciding between getting this and the SP3 and am coming from a macbook air. I really want some drawing capabilities, and I would love to have a keyboard as well. I had a surface pro 1 and thought the keyboard was good enough, but not great for long typing sessions. The SP3 type cover is an improvement, but never having used a Thinkpad keyboard, I can only assume i would like the Thinkpad's keyboard.

The only thing i would sacrifice is reading comics and a thin profile w/ the lenovo, and I suppose a more paper like aspect ratio. That can be a big deal of course, but I am not sure its a 100% deal breaker. On top of that after reading comics on the Galaxy Note Pro I used for a bit,I REALLY prefer reading on something that size, and the SP3 seems pretty great for that sort of thing.

Yoga 2 Pro was on the radar, I tried the keyboard there and thought it was a step down for the MB Air.

The Air was 3 yrs old but it served my purposes really well, sadly the screen cracked the other day, so here I am looking.

 

[Mabase]

in some ways it actually does help me out. I have been deciding between getting this and the SP3 and am coming from a macbook air. I really want some drawing capabilities, and I would love to have a keyboard as well. I had a surface pro 1 and thought the keyboard was good enough, but not great for long typing sessions. The SP3 type cover is an improvement, but never having used a Thinkpad keyboard, I can only assume i would like the Thinkpad's keyboard.

The only thing i would sacrifice is reading comics and a thin profile w/ the lenovo, and I suppose a more paper like aspect ratio. That can be a big deal of course, but I am not sure its a 100% deal breaker. On top of that after reading comics on the Galaxy Note Pro I used for a bit,I REALLY prefer reading on something that size, and the SP3 seems pretty great for that sort of thing.

Yoga 2 Pro was on the radar, I tried the keyboard there and thought it was a step down for the MB Air.

The Air was 3 yrs old but it served my purposes really well, sadly the screen cracked the other day, so here I am looking.

Hmm, the way I see it you need the tablet aspect of the SP3 and Yoga much more than I do. I guess in your shoes I'd go with the SP3, and if you don't like the Microsoft keyboard, you can still attach any other USB or Bluetooth one you like, especially if you know that you're gonna need one on the run. Otherwise, you're flexible enough to leave any keyboard at home if you just need something to read on in the bus.
I don't know the MB Air enough to compare to either.

Hope this helps, anyway I don't think you'll be making a big mistake with either of these!

 

[commish]

So I see Microsoft stores are offering up to $650 for a Macbook Air trade in towards a Surface Pro 3...

Is there any way to know what my Macbook Air would be worth? I'll be traveling down to Seattle soon and could see myself getting to a Microsoft Store (none in Alaska) to do the deal if I'd get close to the $650. If I'm only going to get $200 or something I don't think I'd bother, just don't want to waste my day walking all the way to the store to find out the price I'd get.

Because the device is really slick now that I've used one in person.

Wouldn't it make sense to actually call the store? I think they would have a better understanding than we would.

 

[maximum360]

I know it's a little old but is the Venue 8 Pro usable as a OneNote device? Just a little notepad, really.

It's an awesome little device. Getting for $99 was a steal but they've been some good deals out there. You might be able to score one from Dell's outlet site for $150 or less.

I don't have the pen so haven't tried much note-taking besides using the virtual keyboard.

 

[Laconic]

My god. I just got to play with one at Staples (no MS Store within 3 hours). That screen is the perfect size. But IS 4 gigs enough for Clip/Manga? I am seriously debating it...

 

[StudioTan]

New firmware update.

The firmware updates reduce power consumption and enhance system stability, as well as enhance battery life and increase efficiency and reliability in low power states. The firmware updates also improve the trackpad's reliability and overall system stability. There is also an update that helps the on-screen keyboard appear and disappear at the correct times.

There is also another update coming next week that addresses some of the WiFi issues.

Microsoft is planning on rolling out a WiFi update next week -- July 16th to be specific. This update will address the WiFi connection issues some users were facing.

 

[totipotent.cell]

So I see Microsoft stores are offering up to $650 for a Macbook Air trade in towards a Surface Pro 3...

Is there any way to know what my Macbook Air would be worth? I'll be traveling down to Seattle soon and could see myself getting to a Microsoft Store (none in Alaska) to do the deal if I'd get close to the $650. If I'm only going to get $200 or something I don't think I'd bother, just don't want to waste my day walking all the way to the store to find out the price I'd get.

Because the device is really slick now that I've used one in person.

Wouldn't it make sense to actually call the store? I think they would have a better understanding than we would.

I recently traded in my wife's barely used 2013 model of 11" mac air (1.3ghz/4gb ram/128hd) that was in pristine condition (including the original box) because she thought she'll get more usage out of Surface 3. Don't bother calling as they won't appraise your device over the phone; you have to bring it into the store.

They offered $542 for her mac air. She was willing to go down to $600. We ended up pulling the trigger due to the 10% discount for student/educator/faculty discount I was able to get.

It's not a great value proposition but at the least, she has used the Surface 3 a lot more within the past 3 days than her mac air in the past 6 months so it was definitely worth it for us.

 

[Jeff-DSA]

Ok, guys, I'm going to go pick one up at lunch. What does everybody recommend as far as accessories go (besides Type Cover)? Any agreed upon cases or sleeves for traveling? I'm heading out of town this weekend and I'm going to give it the full on the go experience.

 

[Blackhead]

ignore the code: Surface Pro 3

Last week, I was in Seattle. While there, I went to the Microsoft store and picked up a Surface Pro 3. I’ve been using it for two weeks now.

Previously, I’ve been using a Surface Pro 2, and I liked it. It made for a really good tablet, and a perfectly acceptable laptop. I like the Pro 3 a lot more. It’s not just a good tablet, it’s the best large-screen tablet I’ve used, by a huge margin. And it’s not just a perfectly acceptable laptop, it’s a really good laptop...

 

[hwalker84]

Ok, guys, I'm going to go pick one up at lunch. What does everybody recommend as far as accessories go (besides Type Cover)? Any agreed upon cases or sleeves for traveling? I'm heading out of town this weekend and I'm going to give it the full on the go experience.

I like a more laptop bag for this device as that's what it's replacing for me.

I went with this

Targus

 

[Dinokill]

Nice looking bag.

 

[Laconic]

Okay, Surface GAF - I went ahead and dipped on the 128 Pro 3.

I'll report back with pics, later.

EDIT:

Also - Slappa makes, hands down, the best bags I have ever owned.

 

[godofcookery]

can anyone do me a favor and run that Titanfall 60fps video on their SP3 and tell me how it runs? for those that don't know, it needs to be set @ 1080p for it to run at 60fps.

Titanfall Video

 

[Jeff-DSA]

Also - Slappa makes, hands down, the best bags I have ever owned.

I have a Slappa backpack, it's fantastic.

Ok, so I picked up the 256GB i5 model with a black Type Cover. Waited on other accessories for now. I wanted the navy blue cover, but it was out. Ah well. So far, so good. This thing is impressive from a build standpoint. Now to put it through the ringer.

 

[TKR92]

can anyone do me a favor and run that Titanfall 60fps video on their SP3 and tell me how it runs? for those that don't know, it needs to be set @ 1080p for it to run at 60fps.

Titanfall Video

runs fine with me

 

[godofcookery]

runs fine with me

thanks!

 

[AEREC]

Is it possible to set the SP3 to a lower resolution like 1080p and have it scale to fit the whole screen?

Whenever I change the resolution it just makes the screen smaller.

 

[godofcookery]

Is it possible to set the SP3 to a lower resolution like 1080p and have it scale to fit the whole screen?

Whenever I change the resolution it just makes the screen smaller.

ooc, are you speaking about just the desktop?

 

[Shogmaster]

Is it possible to set the SP3 to a lower resolution like 1080p and have it scale to fit the whole screen?

Whenever I change the resolution it just makes the screen smaller.

See if 1080x720 available. Or 1620x1080.

 

[AEREC]

See if 1080x720 available. Or 1620x1080.

Neither is an option.

 

[cool_dude]

I'm on the fence about selling my Surface Pro 2 for a Pro 3. The SP2 has been quite wonderful to use...but do I really need more screen real estate? Hmmmmmmm....

 

[GodParticle]

Man, this thing runs really hot...like uncomfortable to touch hot. And this was just installing a windows update

 

[Laconic]

See if 1080x720 available. Or 1620x1080.

Quoting you, to get your specific answer, as well as any other replies.

I have been playing around with it for a couple of days now, and while I think it is nice, am wondering... is it me, or does the pen not like slow lines? I get a LOT of wobble if attempting to be even semi-precise, which does not occur on my Intuos, let alone in real life. Is there a solution?

 

[Drifters]

Hey all,

Looking at getting a new laptop for personal use/ work/travel and the SP3 looks to fit the bill of having a hybrid.

I do a LOT of travel on trains and international flights so is the new Type Cover going to cut it? I'm also on the fence about what size to get; I'm assuming most here have the 256/8GB model? Seems like that with my onedrive account should be fine.

Battery life good? I'm hoping for at least 6-7 hours of use doing web/office/visio etc. on it. Not planning to game on it other than perhaps Team Fortress 2.

Thoughts?

 

[chickdigger802]

played with one at best buy, trying to use it as a tablet is still too heavy and big, and the 'laptop mode' still isn't optimal due to the keyboard still not ideal (its getting there though!).

maybe next year

 

[boviscopophobic]

I have been playing around with it for a couple of days now, and while I think it is nice, am wondering... is it me, or does the pen not like slow lines? I get a LOT of wobble if attempting to be even semi-precise, which does not occur on my Intuos, let alone in real life. Is there a solution?

I got pen jitter when drawing slow lines, even with a ruler. I also had a problem with bursts of phantom touches and swipes in the upper third of the screen, where the system would appear to be channeling the spirit of an invisible Van Cliburn. I'm going to return my unit and wait for the next iteration.

 

[DaveH]

played with one at best buy, trying to use it as a tablet is still too heavy and big

Did you use it as a tablet without the keyboard attached? It weighs in at 800 grams or the same as an iPad with a case. I was very skeptical of the tablet experience, coming from iPads which just work (otherwise I'm Android and Windows for all my other machines and devices), but the size and aspect ratio won me over when reading comic books and page-sized PDFs... absolutely love that. Less a fan for video and web media consumption because it gets hot and the fan kicks in which is unpleasant in a tablet.

Now if you're talking about an iPad Air, the weight difference is appreciable... but then so is the cost / value proposition / screen size (12" to 9.7" for reading is big, for surfing less so, which is why 7" is so popular).

I do a LOT of travel on trains and international flights so is the new Type Cover going to cut it?

If you're used to mobile / compact keyboards, you'll be fine... and probably feel this type cover is cut above any other tablet cover and on par with most laptops. For all intents and purposes, it is a laptop keyboard... the keys are mechanical with travel and backlit, the touch pad is glass with mechanical clicking, and the whole thing is built out of metal. The only thing that might weird you out is how it doesn't have to lay flat... which can introduce a very little bit of flex... if it bugs you, just lay the keyboard flat!

I'm also on the fence about what size to get; I'm assuming most here have the 256/8GB model? Seems like that with my onedrive account should be fine.

Mine was provided by work, didn't have a choice, but that's what we got and it seems more than adequate so far, particularly with the MicroSD slot. It's probably only me, but I'm slightly uncomfortable at how easily accessible the SD card is. It's probably just a psychological issue... if they can get to your machine and under its kickstand, they can away with the whole thing rather than just stealing your precious data... but SD cards being under a case or latch, etc. somehow feel more secure to me.

Battery life good? I'm hoping for at least 6-7 hours of use doing web/office/visio etc. on it. Not planning to game on it other than perhaps Team Fortress 2.

Battery life has been great so far. On standby, without being touched or charged for nearly five days, it only lost two percent (which couldn't be said of the Pro 2), through regular use I've gotten 7 hours without charging (a workday + lunch having forgotten to bring the charger in). I haven't done endurance testing beyond that. I don't game so I can't speak to that, sorry.

I have heard repeated complaints about people who try to use the SP3 to do podcasts, so if that's your thing you may want to try before your buy and/or hold onto that receipt.

 

[Drifters]

Did you use it as a tablet without the keyboard attached? It weighs in at 800 grams or the same as an iPad with a case. I was very skeptical of the tablet experience, coming from iPads which just work (otherwise I'm Android and Windows for all my other machines and devices), but the size and aspect ratio won me over when reading comic books and page-sized PDFs... absolutely love that. Less a fan for video and web media consumption because it gets hot and the fan kicks in which is unpleasant in a tablet.

Now if you're talking about an iPad Air, the weight difference is appreciable... but then so is the cost / value proposition / screen size (12" to 9.7" for reading is big, for surfing less so, which is why 7" is so popular).

If you're used to mobile / compact keyboards, you'll be fine... and probably feel this type cover is cut above any other tablet cover and on par with most laptops. For all intents and purposes, it is a laptop keyboard... the keys are mechanical with travel and backlit, the touch pad is glass with mechanical clicking, and the whole thing is built out of metal. The only thing that might weird you out is how it doesn't have to lay flat... which can introduce a very little bit of flex... if it bugs you, just lay the keyboard flat!

Mine was provided by work, didn't have a choice, but that's what we got and it seems more than adequate so far, particularly with the MicroSD slot. It's probably only me, but I'm slightly uncomfortable at how easily accessible the SD card is. It's probably just a psychological issue... if they can get to your machine and under its kickstand, they can away with the whole thing rather than just stealing your precious data... but SD cards being under a case or latch, etc. somehow feel more secure to me.

Battery life has been great so far. On standby, without being touched or charged for nearly five days, it only lost two percent (which couldn't be said of the Pro 2), through regular use I've gotten 7 hours without charging (a workday + lunch having forgotten to bring the charger in). I haven't done endurance testing beyond that. I don't game so I can't speak to that, sorry.

I have heard repeated complaints about people who try to use the SP3 to do podcasts, so if that's your thing you may want to try before your buy and/or hold onto that receipt.

Dave,
Sounds great! Your last bit, are you saying the creation of podcasts or listening to them? I'm guessing I would simply use my Android phone for that.

My current computer is a Nexus 7 (2013), bluetooth KB + Mouse which I throw in a bag for traveling but as I'm learning, going mobile like that with a lot of content creation for clients that live in the MS world just isn't going to cut it. Sounds like the 256/8GB is the way to go. I'll stop by the MS store in town next week and play with it for a bit. Thanks for the feedback, appreciate it.

 

[DaveH]

Dave,
Sounds great! Your last bit, are you saying the creation of podcasts or listening to them?

Creating them. The Surface Pro 2 was supposedly an awesome all-in-one mobile solution for podcasting / streaming / recording. I've been hearing issues with the SP3, although, supposedly MS is aware and working on a firmware fix (since the horsepower is there, but it's more an issue with how the SP3 throttles itself).

My current computer is a Nexus 7 (2013), bluetooth KB + Mouse which I throw in a bag for traveling but as I'm learning, going mobile like that with a lot of content creation for clients that live in the MS world just isn't going to cut it. Sounds like the 256/8GB is the way to go. I'll stop by the MS store in town next week and play with it for a bit. Thanks for the feedback, appreciate it.

No problem, hang onto both those bluetooth devices, you'll be able to use them with your SP3 if you use it as a workstation.