Surface Pro 3: good enough?

[xox]

Hi there

 

Basically, I need something to help me with the amount of paper that I go through. At the moment, I have piles upon piles upon piles of unsorted notes which haven't been glanced upon since they were written. This is a somewhat hefty predicament because I feel like it would be best if i could actually read over the notes that i have made in lessons/lectures/tutorials. Fortunately, I have heard of the Surface Pro 3, which comes with a special touchscreen and Stylus, for all of my note taking needs.

 

This is great and all; I could really use one. The problem with it is, however, is that it is a little pricey. Of course, the one that I'd generally go for as a tech enthusiast is the 128GB i5 model, the mid-ranged sweet spot, the one with enough juice to last through the 4 years that I want it to last for. The price of this model after a generous student discount is £764, which is actually more than my gaming PC is worth, so seemingly, that would be a little too much. Forseeably, I could afford this version and I probably would like it, but I would much rather spend the £575 that the i3 version costs. That would mean that there would be £200 more for me to spend on the important things (like getting bevistated).

 

Storageis a small concern for me, 64GB is enough for Mac OSX, but for Windows? No Way, Hosé! Although I could buy a 64GB Micro SD card to store shizzle on, is it really worth it? Should I simply commence with buying a 128GB one?

 

Also, I was wondering whether the i3 one would provide enough power for myself. I am only realistically going to be doing web browsing, watching movies and making notes on it, so it doesn't need to be anything special. I suppose the question really here is: Does anyone have experiences with these processors?

 

What would you recommend I do then? risk it for a biscuit with the i3 one, or play it safe with the i5 one?

 

Thanks

[menendez1293]

I have the i5 128Gb with 4Gb of ram. It's a decent device but I have had some issues with it in the two weeks of ownership. Just incase 128Gb wasn't enough (which for me it is), I bought a 64Gb card for it. Pretty much the way Linus feels about it in his video, are some of my complaints after using it.

[Builder]

The 11" MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM is only £780 and I think you will enjoy it much more.

[Guest]

I say go for it.

[Firearm2112]

Go for a 2 in one, or a Macbook. Im not really a fan of the surface lineup, even after the 3 dropped. 

[fatmandandan]

As you already have a primary computer to perform processor intensive tasks on, and store archives of notes, the surface pro 3 is an excellent choice for a side note taking device. I agree that it is pricey notepad, but I have the i5 version, and it has served me well so far. I have had no experience with the core i3 version but theoretically that battery life should be better. Consider these synthetic benchmark scores: http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i3-4020Y+%40+1.50GHz&id=2128, http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i5-4300U+%40+1.90GHz. I personally think that the core i3 would be enough for your note-taking, movie watching, and browsing, as well as provide possibly more battery life for those late night cramming sessions, all at a lower price leaving you extra cash to purchase a type cover.

[xox]

The 11" MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM is only £780 and I think you will enjoy it much more.

Yeah, I've had a peruse of the Apple store, I like the MacBook Air, but I have a few problems with it:

• No touchscreen
• It just looks too tiny, like a netbook
• I find OSX unintuitive

[Guest]

I like the Surface line.

 

VERY much, it's so insanely good for work and multitasking, also entertainment.

 

I recommend it very much, look at my Surface 2 thread in the mobile device subforum, I am still amazed, and I have an RT, not even a Pro.

[Builder]

 

Yeah, I've had a peruse of the Apple store, I like the MacBook Air, but I have a few problems with it:

• No touchscreen
• It just looks too tiny, like a netbook
• I find OSX unintuitive

 

I didn't realize a touchscreen was a big deal. Nobody wanted touch screen laptops before Windows 8. Strange thing, that.

 

The screen is only 1" smaller than on the Surface, and you get a really good full sized keyboard too.

 

You may find OS X unintuitive now, (though I'd like to hear some examples of how it's worse than Windows ) but I literally (as in true literally) have not met a single person who did not like OS X more after using a Mac for a few months. Even my friend was a hardcore Windows fan/laptop user, I suggested he get the 13" Air and he called me the day after he bought it to say I was "sooooooo right!"

 

My point is, (and this has been echoed by Linus and other tech reviewers) the Surface Pro 3 is still awkwardly in between a tablet and laptop, and unfortunately as a result it's incredibly difficult to use on your lap, and to do so you have to pay even more money for a type cover or touch cover. I mean really Microsoft, can it really replace my laptop if it doesn't come with a keyboard?!?

[Giddyguy]

im typing this with my surface pro (gen 1) sitting on my lap.

 

I like the device(s) - its beautifully built and has great functionality (keyboard, touchscreen, really nice ips screen, stylus) but there are also some quirks that are difficult to ignore.

 

1. its a bit awkward to use. the kickstand is cool but not stable enough on the lap because all the weight is on the screen rather than the keyboard

2. the battery life is poor (compared to other notebooks and the macbook)

3. tackpad is too small

4. the screen has a weird scaling which causes unsupported apps to be blurry

 

Overall, i wouldn't really recommend it for a friend nor would i buy another (i actually got this current one on sale).

My next laptop will probably be a macbook because of the build quality(trackpad) and battery life.

 

I didn't realize a touchscreen was a big deal. Nobody wanted touch screen laptops before Windows 8. Strange thing, that.

 

for all the hate it gets for being a touchscreen optimized, people actually warmed up to it

[Builder]

for all the hate it gets for being a touchscreen optimized, people actually warmed up to it

I didn't. Probably never will. I'm a stickler for consistency though.

[TheGosuStandard]

im typing this with my surface pro (gen 1) sitting on my lap.

 

I like the device(s) - its beautifully built and has great functionality (keyboard, touchscreen, really nice ips screen, stylus) but there are also some quirks that are difficult to ignore.

 

1. its a bit awkward to use. the kickstand is cool but not stable enough on the lap because all the weight is on the screen rather than the keyboard

2. the battery life is poor (compared to other notebooks and the macbook)

3. tackpad is too small

4. the screen has a weird scaling which causes unsupported apps to be blurry

 

Overall, i wouldn't really recommend it for a friend nor would i buy another (i actually got this current one on sale).

My next laptop will probably be a macbook because of the build quality(trackpad) and battery life.

 

 

for all the hate it gets for being a touchscreen optimized, people actually warmed up to it

 

You are comparing the first surface to the third one?

[Giddyguy]

You are comparing the first surface to the third one?

well these issues are general issues with the surface devices. Even with the improvements in the Surface 3 it still has some of the same downfalls as the first.

• the fact that the screen is heavier than the keyboard makes it a little awkward to use on the lap
• battery life is still inferior to other devices (which is unfair because its a hybrid but still)
• trackpad on the type cover is still small and not the easiest to use
• the screen again has a strange scaling and makes programs that are unsupported blurry or very small