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[diaspora]

Anyone try playing games on this thing off of an external HDD? If so, what was the performance like?

 

[SerTapTap]

Anyone try playing games on this thing off of an external HDD? If so, what was the performance like?

I was curious about this too, about the microsd card though. I figure load times would obviously be longer but unless the game streams assets mid gameplay I wouldn't think it would affect gameplay too much?

 

[Drifters]

Only 128GB but still a steal...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834735043&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-BensBargains.com-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=404255&SID=440050_desktop

Link to rebate: http://images10.newegg.com/uploadfilesfornewegg/rebate/SH/Newegg/Microsoft34-735-043_62367May31Jul3015yh62.pdf

 

[diaspora]

I was curious about this too, about the microsd card though. I figure load times would obviously be longer but unless the game streams assets mid gameplay I wouldn't think it would affect gameplay too much?

I figured microSD wouldn't be able to handle random read/writes as well as an HDD, though with USB 3.0 I can't imagine the load times would be that bad.

 

[SerTapTap]

Oh right, USB 3.0. Then you're basically the same as a local drive I think, the spinning platter limits you not USB then. Ideally you'd want a decently performing 3.5" in the external though. 2.5"s are often pretty bad

 

[TheLaughingStock]

You might of had a faulty i3 cause the one I have doesn't heat up and get loud. It gets warm in the upper right hand corner on the back at times but not hot and loud. I am going to jump up to the i5 since hdd space is lacking on the i3.

I doubt it. It's just my subjective expectations of what the experience should have been. It felt like I was getting heat, noise, and battery life that corresponded to a mobile i5/i7 but there's an i3 in there at 1.5 GHz. I hope she enjoys the device in any case since he pulled the trigger.

 

[mrklaw]

Any recommendation for a 32/64GB micro SD card? Would only be for document/photo storage, not games. I don't know if a particular class is preferred or can be taken advantage of.

 

[SerTapTap]

Any recommendation for a 32/64GB micro SD card? Would only be for document/photo storage, not games. I don't know if a particular class is preferred or can be taken advantage of.

I got this little guy. I think class 10 UHS is as fast as is relevant but I'm not sure. Had no problems with mine. Price difference between 32 and 64 is minor so I'd get a 64. 128 is where the big jump is.

 

[brotkasten]

Only 128GB but still a steal...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834735043&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-BensBargains.com-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=404255&SID=440050_desktop

Link to rebate: http://images10.newegg.com/uploadfilesfornewegg/rebate/SH/Newegg/Microsoft34-735-043_62367May31Jul3015yh62.pdf

Wow, that's really a steal. That price gets me a Surface 3, 64GB with 4 GB RAM here.

 

[CaptainZombie]

I've only heard of heat being a particular issue with the i7. I have an i5, I dunno, it gets warm, fan turns on, but it's pretty low noise compared to most any laptop. I'm amazed the jet engines some people's laptops have.



I'd recommend the Surface Pro personally. 4GB ram is surprisingly capable--yes Chrome is a RAM hog, but it's easy to overestimate ram requirements since ram is *meant* to be used and a lot of programs will use a ton of ram if you give it to 'em but still work fine without it. 60 FPS high quality streams are about the only perf issue I have with Chrome on the SP3. I had to give up and watch Evo on the desktop because framedrops bug me, I don't usually have issues with video though.

I'd recommend the typecover over the dock personally--you can add a second monitor easy with the mini displayport (I have a mini DP->HDMI, works great), add a mouse ideally with bluetooth or with USB if you must, and you can always add a keyboard yourself at a desk, but the typecover is really great when moving around with it. Biggest advantage of the typecover is it's practically weightless and almost never gets in the way.

IIRC there are active offers on the SP3 right now, at least in the US.



If space is all you need you can expand with the internal SD card--you can get a 64GB quite cheap and a 128GB isn't too expensive, cheaper than upgrading for sure. Depends if you need high speed storage though, the microsd will of course be fairly slow for IO intensive stuff but for just pictures/video/music I would think it'd do the trick. I have a 128GB + 64 and space isn't an issue (but then my desktop does my gaming and recording)



I cannot believe how no ad network seems to give a shit about performance--adsense with text only seems okay, but holy shit, even GAF has a second or two of loading lag thanks to display ads. I would be a lot more willing to completely remove adblock instead of whitelisting if ads weren't such a major performance issue. I'm pretty sure most of the performance issues I had when testing Edge vs Chrome were simply due to ads.

I wanted the SSD like speeds for the HDD which the microSD can't offer so was one of the reasons wanting to jump to that i5. Plus having an i5 I think will help if I start using the SP3 more with heavier intensive programs down the road.

 

[SerTapTap]

Ah, well, if you already have an SP3 I'd just wait for the SP4 and buy a higher storage tier--whether it comes this year or next, the SP3 should be enough power unless you really need the space now.

I didn't want to get on the annual upgrade train ever again but I'll be real tempted if the SP4 comes this year and fixes the fan/heat thing with no performance concessions.

 

[Drifters]

Thing with the Surface units is they are essentially a Mac; Sell off the old one to someone who wants it and buy the SP4. That's my intent.

 

[SerTapTap]

Thing with the Surface units is they are essentially a Mac; Sell off the old one to someone who wants it and buy the SP4. That's my intent.

Same here, though I loathe selling stuff online. Hopefully I can find a gaffer to buy though, had decent luck with that so far. But I got the i5 thinking I'd flip it in a year and not lose too much, seems to be the case.

 

[j-wood]

Is there a way to properly display 1920x1080 on the SP3? I'd like to start streaming my steam games from my desktop to play anywhere else in the house, but the black bars are annoying :/

 

[SerTapTap]

Is there a way to properly display 1920x1080 on the SP3? I'd like to start streaming my steam games from my desktop to play anywhere else in the house, but the black bars are annoying :/

The black bars are how 1080p is properly displayed on the SP3. Stretching is a sin and I don't believe the SP3 will do it anyway.

You can of course add a 1080p monitor to get 1080p but then you're not portable. IMO you'll get used to black bars, don't worry about it. I've played way too many shmups and 4:3 games to complain about that.

 

[The Faceless Master]

Is there a way to improperly display 1920x1080 on the SP3? I'd like to start streaming my steam games from my desktop to play anywhere else in the house, but the black bars are annoying :/

nothing to fix here, it's already displaying properly.

 

[j-wood]

Does anyone own the desktop stand? Is it work $150?

I have a gaming desktop PC, but was thinking it would be cool to have the docking station for the SP3 for when I'm streaming steam games.

 

[Septimus Prime]

Does anyone own the desktop stand? Is it work $150?

I have a gaming desktop PC, but was thinking it would be cool to have the docking station for the SP3 for when I'm streaming steam games.

I own it, and I think it's really nice, but $150 is a lot for some USB ports and a stand.

 

[kazinova]

I own it, and I think it's really nice, but $150 is a lot for some USB ports and a stand.

I got the dock as a gift. I like having it to have an attractive place to charge my SP3, love it, even.

I don't know if I would recommend getting one if you have a desktop already.

 

[SerTapTap]

The stand looks nice and if you really, really need a stationary home and desktop replacement I can see it eventually being worth it's price, but with a mini displayport, power cord and a 2 USB hub (the SP3's USB can't power more than 2) you're already plenty ready to do most desktop tasks, add a powered USB hub if you really need a lot. I can't really see it being worth it unless you need multiple external monitors or really will be constantly docking it.

I'd probably bite for ~$50, but I can't justify $150 for how much I'd use it, not with a desktop in the house.

 

[Sai]

So, I'm seeing a Surface 3 with LTE out now.

What about the Pro?

 

[mrklaw]

10% off in the UK at the moment at the microsoft store, Argos and PC world (although PC world has no stock of the i3). As expansys let me down, I'm picking one up from argos tomorrow instead.

 

[mrklaw]

Picked up an i3/64 and just about finished setting it up for my wife. 33GB free after installing office is pretty good. I added a 64GB SD card which I'll use just for her music and backups.

I really like it, just the form factor is really nice. Type cover is great, and for reviewing/annotating pdfs it seems about A4 size in portrait which is great. Kind of want one myself now might consider a surface or surface pro 4 instead of an iPad air 3..

Speaking of which, what is good software for annotating pdfs, and is the pen an advantage? My wife usually uses PDF xchange but would be open to suggestions if they would be more productive.

 

[Totakeke]

Picked up an i3/64 and just about finished setting it up for my wife. 33GB free after installing office is pretty good. I added a 64GB SD card which I'll use just for her music and backups.

I really like it, just the form factor is really nice. Type cover is great, and for reviewing/annotating pdfs it seems about A4 size in portrait which is great. Kind of want one myself now

Speaking of which, what is good software for annotating pdfs, and is the pen an advantage? My wife usually uses PDF xchange but would be open to suggestions if they would be more productive.

Drawboard.

 

[Spunky Monkey]

Got two questions.

1. Is it possible to put a boot password on the surface? On a laptop i use truecrypt to secure the laptop, but you can't seem to use that on a surface and at the moment the windows login pin doesn't seem super secure.

2. Is there anything like find my iphone or remote wipe for the surface? Seen project prey but they want $15 a month which is a bit much for something thats free on other devices.

 

[SerTapTap]

Got two questions.

1. Is it possible to put a boot password on the surface? On a laptop i use truecrypt to secure the laptop, but you can't seem to use that on a surface and at the moment the windows login pin doesn't seem super secure.

2. Is there anything like find my iphone or remote wipe for the surface? Seen project prey but they want $15 a month which is a bit much for something thats free on other devices.

There's no accessible BIOS that I'm aware of to put a boot password on, you can use bitlocker though which I think can force a PIN entry before even windows startup. I think that's how it works anyway I've never used Bitlocker. I think Bitlocker is included in the version of windows that comes stock on surface but I've been a bit confused about "editions" of windows and their features ever since Vista.

Not sure what you mean by windows login PIN, it's not a phone-like pin unlock, it's a standard MS account password entry like any win 8 device.

Don't know about remote wipe, I don't think it's included in win 8 for non-phone devices.

I really like it, just the form factor is really nice. Type cover is great, and for reviewing/annotating pdfs it seems about A4 size in portrait which is great. Kind of want one myself now might consider a surface or surface pro 4 instead of an iPad air 3..

Speaking of which, what is good software for annotating pdfs, and is the pen an advantage? My wife usually uses PDF xchange but would be open to suggestions if they would be more productive.

IIRC it was designed to be just like a legal pad in size and dimensions.

I used Onenote for all my annotating in college (4 years ago...oh god I'm an adult somehow), I'm not sure of the import flow anymore, but back then I just printed to onenote and annotated that way.

 

[Spunky Monkey]

Thanks. Found an article that guided me through how to set up bitlocker on boot, its the most unintuitive thing ever with you having to go deep into the bowls of the operating system to change things you probably shouldn't be messing with that are all overly complicated. Would be nice if it had a nice step by step thing.

By windows login pin, my account is linked to my live.com account and as i use a randomised password for it, i don't want to be having to enter that every time i unlock the surface, as my choices were to change the password and make that less secure, use a pin, or some picture type password. Its a shame it has to link so deeply like that.

I know you can make an offline account, but so much of the surface wants to connect to microsoft stuff that i'd only have to enter that password multiple times anyways.

 

[CaptainZombie]

I exchanged the SP3 i3 model for the SP3 i5 over the weekend. Last night I was doing some light web surfing while also installing windows updates. The darn thing was getting pretty hot. I did also notice that the battery was draining much faster than the i3 model even at these smaller tasks. Is this stuff pretty normal on the i5 model?

I will say that I do love having that extra 60gb of HDD space that the i3 lacks.

 

[Team Jones]

Only 128GB but still a steal...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834735043&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-BensBargains.com-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=404255&SID=440050_desktop

Link to rebate: http://images10.newegg.com/uploadfilesfornewegg/rebate/SH/Newegg/Microsoft34-735-043_62367May31Jul3015yh62.pdf

Should I do this? Looks like a GREAT deal. I've recently started a apparel company and I NEED a new laptop for graphics and design. I was holding out for Surface Pro 4, but it doesn't seem to be on the way... decision decision

 

[brotkasten]

Should I do this? Looks like a GREAT deal. I've recently started a apparel company and I NEED a new laptop for graphics and design. I was holding out for Surface Pro 4, but it doesn't seem to be on the way... decision decision

The Pro 4 is still on its way for an October launch, according to Brad Sams from Neowin.
That's why I'm still holding off, even if it's really, really hard.

 

[SerTapTap]

I exchanged the SP3 i3 model for the SP3 i5 over the weekend. Last night I was doing some light web surfing while also installing windows updates. The darn thing was getting pretty hot. I did also notice that the battery was draining much faster than the i3 model even at these smaller tasks. Is this stuff pretty normal on the i5 model?

I will say that I do love having that extra 60gb of HDD space that the i3 lacks.

Installing updates will drain the battery and heat up the device more than you probably realize. The i5 should get good for a laptop battery life but not quite high-end tablet battery life, around 6-7 hours I thought it was? It also gets hot when recharging + being used, but will cool down once the battery is fully charged.

Wait to judge temp/battery until it's fully updated, it's had a lot of updates and will probably take at least a couple restarts to get fully up to date.

 

[mrklaw]

I'm leaving the surface pro on to hopefully preload win 10. Is there any way to turn the screen off but leave the computer on? I can change sleep to 'never' when plugged in, but can't find anywhere to turn the screen off.

 

[NormandyVII]

I'm leaving the surface pro on to hopefully preload win 10. Is there any way to turn the screen off but leave the computer on? I can change sleep to 'never' when plugged in, but can't find anywhere to turn the screen off.

My method is a little unconventional. I set the screensaver background as none. Works exactly as leaving the screen off for me.

 

[NormandyVII]

Probably have been asked many times but....

Do any of your surface pro 3s have any kind of yellow tinting/bleeding on any part of the screen?

Anyone tried to enquire on a unit exchange because of it?

I have about 1/5 of the yellow tint on the left upper corner of my SP3. Heard its a very rampant issue.

 

[Ape]

Only 128GB but still a steal...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834735043&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-BensBargains.com-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=404255&SID=440050_desktop

Link to rebate: http://images10.newegg.com/uploadfilesfornewegg/rebate/SH/Newegg/Microsoft34-735-043_62367May31Jul3015yh62.pdf

So i think I'm going to get this, I need a new laptop before classes start.

 

[hwalker84]

Windows 10 available for the Surface yet?

 

[……forgetit]

Question, if I'm just using a surface for word processing and programming is the 3 fine or should I spring for the pro 3?

 

[hwalker84]

Question, if I'm just using a surface for word processing and programming is the 3 fine or should I spring for the pro 3?

The screen real estate alone I would think would be much better on the Pro for programming. Personally I'd spring for the Pro.

 

[diaspora]

Windows 10 available for the Surface yet?

Running it now, it's good stuff.

 

[……forgetit]

The screen real estate alone I would think would be much better on the Pro for programming. Personally I'd spring for the Pro.

The thing is I have a larger laptop, but it's huge and heavy, this would mainly be for work too and from class and I can work on my main laptop outside of class/lab.

 

[diaspora]

The thing is I have a larger laptop, but it's huge and heavy, this would mainly be for work too and from class and I can work on my main laptop outside of class/lab.

I'd still go for the Pro 3. Resolution in addition to screen real estate is a big thing for me on mine when it comes to VS/ brackets.

 

[……forgetit]

I'd still go for the Pro 3. Resolution in addition to screen real estate is a big thing for me on mine when it comes to VS/ brackets.

Hmm....thanks for the tip, I'll probably go with the pro then.

 

[SerTapTap]

Windows 10 is downloaded to my SP3. Anyone tried it yet? I'mma scared. Dualshock 4 not working right is a pain on my desktop though I don't really use it often on my SP3. Not sure there's other major issues in RTM

Probably have been asked many times but....

Do any of your surface pro 3s have any kind of yellow tinting/bleeding on any part of the screen?

Anyone tried to enquire on a unit exchange because of it?

I have about 1/5 of the yellow tint on the left upper corner of my SP3. Heard its a very rampant issue.

Light bleed when the screen is black but on, or when colors are on screen? If it's just light bleed on a black screen it's normal and don't worry about it. If it's visible in normal operation with stuff on screen it's a defect and MS should replace

 

[derFeef]

Have it on my SP3 now and it seems to work good so far. Only annoyance is Onedrive where I cant see the folders if I dont want to sync all folders. But thats a general W10 thing it seems.

 

[brotkasten]

Have it on my SP3 now and it seems to work good so far. Only annoyance is Onedrive where I cant see the folders if I dont want to sync all folders. But thats a general W10 thing it seems.

Yeah, OneDrive is back to where it was on Windows 7. Apparently a lot of users were confused by the design and how it acted and the thumbnails took a lot of space, which is crucial on smaller devices with 16 GB. There's supposed to be a big update in the works for this Fall that brings part of that functionality back, but there are no concrete rumors about it, as far as I know.

 

[Septimus Prime]

I haven't had much time to do anything yet, but I just enabled Cortana. Looks nifty.

 

[hwalker84]

Where the hell is my Windows Phone 10 swipe keyboard?

 

[WhiskerFrisker]

Post more impressions for Windows 10 guys. You're the beta testers.

 

[SerTapTap]

Starting it now. I'm so scared.

Also the "downloading" was apparently a lie because it's downloading 2 more gigabytes.

 

[Septimus Prime]

Hmm, so I said, "Hey Cortana," and then let her time out, since I couldn't think of anything to say. Now she won't respond to "Hey Cortana" anymore.

EDIT: Also, WiFi in general seems to have improved, since it can now stay connected even when the device is asleep. I do notice a difference in battery drain, though.