Microsoft to launch the Surface Pro 3 next week along with the Surface Mini?

[snowComet]

Many of you may already know that Microsoft will have a press event next week, probably for the rumored Surface Mini. But as The Verge and PocketNow reported, Surface Mini may not be the only product launched in that event.

Microsoft is holding a Surface press event in New York City next week, but the company may have accidentally revealed one of the announcements. In a support article published yesterday, Microsoft says a fresh update for Windows 8.1 "adds support to the Surface Pro 3 camera." The reference could be a simple typo, but recent supports have suggested Microsoft will launch a fresh Intel-based Surface tablet on May 20th alongside a smaller Surface mini.

CNET reported last week that "there's definitely a new Intel-based Surface" planned for the press event, suggesting that it will include a new power-optimized Intel Haswell processor rather than an Atom variant. Microsoft currently uses Intel Haswell processors in its Surface Pro 2 tablets, and the company even improved its clock speed earlier this year. We’ve reached out to Microsoft to comment on the Surface Pro 3 reference, and we’ll update you accordingly. Either way, a new Intel-based Surface tablet looks increasingly likely for next week.

Microsoft has removed the lines about Surface Pro 3 from the document, but NotCassim, The Verge's source of this article, manage to grab a screen cap before it was removed.

http://m.imgur.com/WcPxKjs

https://mobile.twitter.com/NotCassim/status/466588549308239873

http://www.pocketnow.com/2014/05/14/microsoft-surface-pro-3-rumors

http://www.theverge.com/2014/5/14/5716282/surface-pro-3-microsoft-support-site

[Psykomantis00]

No way they launch a new surface pro. They just released the surface pro 2 not that long ago. The mini is a possibility though.

[Sidiox]

No way they launch a new surface pro. They just released the surface pro 2 not that long ago. The mini is a possibility though.

I do hope for  one. Considering what I have seen from the Pro 1 & 2 I might buy a 3. Although it would be a bit soon though

[TheGosuStandard]

bigger screen perhaps?

 

Surface ultrabook style maybe can hope

[Nick Paviour]

Pretty sure they need to support their previous surface products more, rather than just banging more product out into the marketplace? 

[moustacheman]

Pretty sure they need to support their previous surface products more, rather than just banging more product out into the marketplace? 

from what i here from people that own the surface 1 and 2 the support is pretty good, i mean what are you expecting? 

 

As for thee surface 3, id be interested if it was running Broadwell and the power efficiency that it would bring, my friends surface 1 drains the battery really quickly :\ 

[GoodBytes]

And what would the Surface Pro 3 have? That is a question that many fail to answer successfully.

-> Broadwell isn't out. In fact, delayed.

-> Y series is junk (drastically slower), making the device well, much slower then the Pro 2.

-> Haswell refresh? Sure. It could have an i7 HD5000 model or something, but it can't be more than 15W (dual core and Hyper-threading, exactly like the current i5), as the Surface Pro 1, suggests that people want battery life, so if it's SP1 battery life, no one will buy it. It had at best 4h run time, which is drastically lower than now. So it could be Haswell refresh, but that is not even a thin margin performance boost over the Surface Pro 2 revision 2 (Core i5 4300U - 1.9GHz - Turbo Boost 2.9GHz). And while the graphics is faster, try playing games. At higher settings than minimum, the result of the current HD 4400 give you playable frame rates (~30fps), but expect frequent crashes with rendering errors, due to the Intel graphics inability to FULLY support DirectX and OpenGL. So what's the point of getting faster? It's nice, sure, but nothing that will make people with the Pro 2 upgrade to the Pro 3.

Assuming it is true.

I expect a Haswell update, so not even 5% performance boost, much like the refresh MacBook Air where it got a 100MHz increase CPU (yay?!), and I expect the Pro 3 to have an 1080p cameras instead of 720p. Worth upgrading? Worth buying? No. Just get the SP2.

Of course, we will have to wait and see. Microsoft did blew us of with the Surface Pro 1, where it jam pack super powerful system in such slim small factor, so many they have more magic in their bag. But, I doubt it.

Surface Pro 3 will be announced in October with Windows 9, is what I say. That would make far more sense, and can announce to have broadwell.

The current Pro 2 has no issue that want to make anyone buy the Pro 3. All it would mean is the Pro 2 will drop in price, and everyone will buy that one as they would be no benefits to the Pro 3.

[snowComet]

And what would the Surface Pro 3 have? That is a question that many fail to answer successfully.

-> Broadwell isn't out. In fact, delayed.

-> Y series is junk (drastically slower), making the device well, much slower then the Pro 2.

-> Haswell-E refresh? Sure. It could have an i7 HD5000 model or something, but it can't be more than 15W (dual core and Hyper-threading, exactly like the current i5), as the Surface Pro 1, suggests that people want battery life, so if it's SP1 battery life, no one will buy it, with its: at-best 4h run time. So it could be Haswell-E, but that is not even a thin margin performance boost over the Surface Pro 2 revision 2 (Core i5 4300U - 1.9GHz - Turbo Boost 2.9GHz). And while the graphics is faster, try playing games, at higher settings than minimum, will result in playable frame rates with the current HD graphics of the SP2, but expect frequent crashes with rendering errors, due to the Intel graphics inability to FULLY support DirectX and OpenGL. So what's the point of getting faster? It's nice, sure, but nothing that will make people with the Pro 2 upgrade to the Pro 3.

Assuming it is true.

I expect Haswell-E, so not even 5% performance boost, much like the refresh MacBook Air who got a 100MHz increase CPU (yay?!), and 1080p cameras instead of 720p.

Worth upgrading? Worth buying? No. Just get the SP2.

Of course, we will have to wait and see. Microsoft did blew us of with the Surface Pro 1, where it jam pack super powerful system in such slim small factor, so many they have more magic in their bag. But, I doubt it.

Surface Pro 3 will be announced in October with Windows 9, is what I say. That would make far more sense, and can announce to have broadwell.

The current Pro 2 has no issue that want to make anyone buy the Pro 3. All it would mean is the Pro 2 will drop in price, and everyone will buy that one as they would be no benefits to the Pro 3.

Haswell-E??

[GoodBytes]

Haswell-E??

Sorry, I meant the refresh of Haswell, the newer Haswell models that came later.

[Warcony]

And what would the Surface Pro 3 have? That is a question that many fail to answer successfully.

-> Broadwell isn't out. In fact, delayed.

-> Y series is junk (drastically slower), making the device well, much slower then the Pro 2.

-> Haswell refresh? Sure. It could have an i7 HD5000 model or something, but it can't be more than 15W (dual core and Hyper-threading, exactly like the current i5), as the Surface Pro 1, suggests that people want battery life, so if it's SP1 battery life, no one will buy it, with its: at-best 4h run time. So it could be Haswell-E, but that is not even a thin margin performance boost over the Surface Pro 2 revision 2 (Core i5 4300U - 1.9GHz - Turbo Boost 2.9GHz). And while the graphics is faster, try playing games, at higher settings than minimum, will result in playable frame rates with the current HD graphics of the SP2, but expect frequent crashes with rendering errors, due to the Intel graphics inability to FULLY support DirectX and OpenGL. So what's the point of getting faster? It's nice, sure, but nothing that will make people with the Pro 2 upgrade to the Pro 3.

Assuming it is true.

I expect Haswell-E, so not even 5% performance boost, much like the refresh MacBook Air who got a 100MHz increase CPU (yay?!), and 1080p cameras instead of 720p.

Worth upgrading? Worth buying? No. Just get the SP2.

Of course, we will have to wait and see. Microsoft did blew us of with the Surface Pro 1, where it jam pack super powerful system in such slim small factor, so many they have more magic in their bag. But, I doubt it.

Surface Pro 3 will be announced in October with Windows 9, is what I say. That would make far more sense, and can announce to have broadwell.

The current Pro 2 has no issue that want to make anyone buy the Pro 3. All it would mean is the Pro 2 will drop in price, and everyone will buy that one as they would be no benefits to the Pro 3.

 

I am going to agree with you here.  There really isn't anything that justifies a release of the Pro 3. I hope there's a price cut on the Pro 2 though so I can buy one for my girlfriend for school

[GoodBytes]

I am going to agree with you here.  There really isn't anything that justifies a release of the Pro 3. I hope there's a price cut on the Pro 2 though so I can buy one for my girlfriend for school

Shes in school? You can get student pricing on the device and keyboard (10% off each). Not much, but it helps.

[Warcony]

Shes in school? You can get student pricing on the device and keyboard (10% off each). Not much, but it helps.

 

Does the 10% student discount apply in Canada now?! When I looked in January it was only for U.S.

[GoodBytes]

Does the 10% student discount apply in Canada now?! When I looked in January it was only for U.S.

It was always there. You just had to call them.

I did not know at first when I wanted to get the Surface Pro 2, but when came to order, I called them, and it was not a problem.

This ended up being beneficial, as due to the high demand of the device, and me wanting for the student special to show up on the store, mixed with the manual verification (e-mail picture, wait a day, call them), it made have a hard time getting it until January (sold always sold out), which allowed me to get Rev 2 of the device with the faster CPU.

[beebskadoo]

I just got my Surface Pro a few weeks ago. I have to return it now because the screen is creaking when I press on it, I will get another Pro but I hope to have better luck this time! Great device besides battery life.

[GoodBytes]

Are you sure it's the screen that does it and not the keys of the keyboard (assuming you have the TypeCover 1 or 2, flipped on the back)?

I am just just asking because some got confused.

Putting a cloth under the device keyboard when flipped will determine if that was the case or not. If it still happen with a cloth under it, then yea return it. If not, then there isn't much you can do, the keys does rub the table.

[GoodBytes]

VR-Zone suggests that the Surface Pro 3, might be a 12inch system

http://vr-zone.com/articles/12-inch-microsoft-surface-pro-3-tipped-may-20-intro-alongside-surface-mini/77448.html

If it is 12inch, then it better have a Quad core CPU, or an Nvidia or AMD GPU, even a low end one, as it would be miles better than Intel solution (at least games won't be crashing is what I am saying)

[steffen_anywhere]

Haswell-E??

 

Wow, totally gonna happen... They may also go the AMD route and put an all in one liquid cooler on it then...

[steffen_anywhere]

VR-Zone suggests that the Surface Pro 3, might be a 12inch system

http://vr-zone.com/articles/12-inch-microsoft-surface-pro-3-tipped-may-20-intro-alongside-surface-mini/77448.html

If it is 12inch, then it better have a Quad core CPU, or an Nvidia or AMD GPU, even a low end one, as it would be miles better than Intel solution (at least games won't be crashing is what I am saying)

 

13 Retina MacBook Pro has Intel Iris graphics. Discrete GPU was not a viable option even within the 28W thermal envelope. So how do you suggest they do that?

 

And by the way, Iris easily beats anything up to GT 740M, while being much more power efficient, so what are you saying? 

[GoodBytes]

13 Retina MacBook Pro has Intel Iris graphics. Discrete GPU was not a viable option even within the 28W thermal envelope. So how do you suggest they do that?

 

And by the way, Iris easily beats anything up to GT 740M, while being much more power efficient, so what are you saying?

Beats what? Try PC games on Intel, you'll find that many that aren't tested for Intel GPUs, and not in the driver software list of Intel, will have tendency of crashing for not supporting fully DirectX and OpenGL. I would prefer something that doesn't beat Intel best offering, but at least my games and software, for that mater, to be sure to work. Also, drastically better multiple monitor experience (no fighting to make it work, and always works), and lets not mention OpenCL, and DirectCompute support, and int the case of Nvidia GPU: CUDA support.

We had 12inch laptops with with far more heat producing CPUs than today, mixed with Nvidia or AMD GPUs which were also more power consuming of today, that was more than 8 years ago, which could pump 7h, and didn't feature switchable graphics. Why would it be impossible today?

Remember, if the system is bigger, the battery could be bigger.

Also, the GeForce 650M is faster than Iris or the MacBook Pro Retina.

http://www.elie.net/blog/web/high-end-macbook-pro-retina-late-2013-15-benchmark#.U3VV4CiZ2Sd

[TheGosuStandard]

Anymore info on this?

[GoodBytes]

Anymore info on this?

Hmm, on what specifically? They are multiple things mentioned about on this thread.

Surface Pro 3 was a type in the Microsoft KB file, and was corrected.

[TheGosuStandard]

Hmm, on what specifically? They are multiple things mentioned about on this thread.

Surface Pro 3 was a type in the Microsoft KB file, and was corrected.

Oh I meant updates to maybe it being a 12 inch surface.

[Scheer]

VR-Zone suggests that the Surface Pro 3, might be a 12inch system

http://vr-zone.com/articles/12-inch-microsoft-surface-pro-3-tipped-may-20-intro-alongside-surface-mini/77448.html

If it is 12inch, then it better have a Quad core CPU, or an Nvidia or AMD GPU, even a low end one, as it would be miles better than Intel solution (at least games won't be crashing is what I am saying)

 

I'd jump on a 12" Surface Pro, 10" is just too small IMO... I had a 12" HP TX2 that I loved for the portability over other current laptops and it even weighed like 8 pounds. 

[jezza39]

I'd jump on a 12" Surface Pro, 10" is just too small IMO... I had a 12" HP TX2 that I loved for the portability over other current laptops and it even weighed like 8 pounds. 

 

Yep, agree here, if you're intending to work, 12" is the starting point. Anything smaller is really only suited to mobile OS's and mobile apps.

[GoodBytes]

Yep, agree here, if you're intending to work, 12" is the starting point. Anything smaller is really only suited to mobile OS's and mobile apps.

I must disagree with you. I use my Surface Pro 2 for school and work, including software development.

No problem what's so ever, mainly because 11inch is fine, and allows for near full size keys keyboard.