If they would make it dock like a T100 to a keyboard I would buy one.
Many guys can't stand sitting with their knees together to balance a propped up tablet on a kickstand, I can't see how they're talking about ergonomics but forgetting that fact.
My Surface Pro wishlist: - Sleep does not shut off wifi downloads - turns on instantly from sleep - Deep sleep where you see a loading screen will not be a thing - Sleep does not take 3 seconds or so to turn off the tablet - Sleep that does not make it so next time I turn on the tablet for some reason it has rebooted (crashed?) - Thinner device - Lighter device (IMPORTANT) - Device design that does not dig into my hand (Less angles please) - No fan if possible - Magnetic power connector with chanfers so it does not take forever to insert in the dark (seriously, how did they miss this detail. The insertion of the Surface Pro is very fiddly) - Power cover with backlighting - cheaper keyboard covers ($129? $200?) - Maybe more variaty of colored Surfaces? - Less bezel? - Larger screen but not much larger area? - Windows button that works (Currently, impossible to hit in the dark (I assume it has palm rejection or something). Most of the time, the first time I press it the haptic activates but nothing happens. I have to press a second time to bring up the start screen. I adjusted by using the charms menu but this should not be a thing.) - More storage - More ram? Maybe? - stylus slot!!!!
I have more but those would probably be a Windows wishlist instead of a Surface wishlist.
You do realize that in the Live stream, Panos mentioned that the pen on the Surface Pro 3 (and any pen they want to make) is intended as a PEN. Not something thin, something substantial, something that you can hold comfortably.
A thin toothpick stylus... is not comfortable to hold. At another tradeoff of stowing it in an already thin device, this means sacrificing that pen comfort to hold over time. One would be nuts to even think about a simple cheap stylus - compared to the implemented pen.
I really enjoy the feel of my Galaxy Note II pen. Luckily, it works with my Surface Pro, so I don't have to bother carrying it around. Also, I found the tip is less jittery on the Note's pen than the Surface's pen.
Love it or hate it, the inside sure is pretty. Please tell me that is eDRAM next to the CPU and they managed to cram in some new lower power Iris Pro part. That would make this probably the closest thing currently available to a perfect international travel device for me. My wallet is open but waiting to be disappointed.
Yeah I figured, but a guy can dream right? This is so close to what I want, but I'll probably have to wait for the Broadwell version (or longer). The config I'd want would be around $1500. For that much money, I want it to be able to do 720p gaming with low/medium settings (e.g. play Borderlands 2 on international flights).
I just love the aspect ratio. It was one thing the Chromebook pixel got absolutely right. 16:10 is also okay, as is 4:3. Anything but the useless 16:9 ratio.
$799 for core i3 version!! That is pretty good compared to previous iterations. Will it have the same Crystalwell graphics though (100% custom so it's possible)?
Maybe you got used to Apple prices. $799 is not abnormally low for an i3 with little RAM or storage. The prices on the quality Surface 3 devices are much higher.
What are you talking about, when you add a keyboard it's $929, a Macbook air with an i5 is $899. One has a detachable keyboard and touch screen, the other has a i5. Seems like they're reasonably in line with each other.
I need cellular and gps built-in at least as an optional model on the Pro. I am not concerned about the Windows RgimpedT Surface. WTF. How many CEOs need to be fired to get this done?
I have to admit it was worth waiting for the third generation. It seems liked they've ironed out a lot of issues and this definitely seems like the model to get. I'll await the reviews.
On first blush this looks really compelling, but the $799 price is really misleading. The SKU I would want (Core i5, 256GB, 8GB RAM) is $1300 and then on top of that you have to pay $130 for the Type cover. If I could get that configuration for $1200 + the Type cover included then it would be a no brainer, but the pricing gives me pause.
For the same general specs you are talking something like the Dell E7440 Ultrabook at $1632 (3 Year warranty) If you figure in the MS 2 year warranty pricing is pretty much a wash or better going with the Surface Pro 3
i still don't get why they price their type and touch covers so high! it's a serious disadvantage as it's a must buy accessory. Other than that got to say they nailed it with the 3rd gen, too bad i got a yoga 2 pro a month ago.
It does baffle me that the Type cover isn't included as a standard part of the package. If Microsoft were Apple maybe they could get away with it, but if their goal is to produce a device that promotes their services rather than to net a profit on hardware then I don't see how the Type cover pricing fits with their overall strategy.
The price of the Surface itself seems pretty low when you look at the build quality (no, you can't compare it to the prices of shitty plastic laptops).
I'm guessing they're putting all their margins into the accessories, to which their branding has lent a huge push. I had to wait a week before I could get my Type Cover, and it was kind of a sad experience. You'll also want a DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter, but at least for that we can get third-party solutions for half the price (or less)!
And conversely that's one reason I can't see it gaining much traction unless you desperately need a detachable keyboard or touch input. If it came with a keyboard it'd be seriously compelling over a laptop for many more people.
Love SP3, but by looking at the pricing, it's going to be another mass failure.
Has Balmer scored some 'great' deal with Intel that Surface has to be 'Intel inside' only before he got kicked out? When is MS going to wake up and start making products users need and actually can afford?
Imagine Surface Pro running on AMD's APU with decent HD IPS panel for 500/600$ max(including keybord). With these specs and price MS could have sold a few millions units instead of few thousand.
MS is like a big slow giant who is about to extinct.
As a professional, a laptop for $1,299 is an afterthought. I buy a new laptop in the $1,200-$2,000 range almost every year. Surface "PRO" is not targeted towards general consumers as consumption devices. They are targeted towards people that create content on the move. The SP3 ticks pretty much every checkbox on my wishlist for a perfect work computer: something with enough power and a high enough resolution to easily build financial models on the move and dock when I get home at either my TV or monitor at my desk.
If this was a AMD machine with a decent panel, I wouldn't even look twice at it. If you need a cheapy computer, the bottom spec'd i3 model is only $799...
You're so right, they should lose money on every one! These specs and build quality just aren't realistic in the $500-$600 range. For that you'll get lots of plastic, eMMC, etc. I'm still waiting for these unicorn devices with AMD internals that cost 1/3 of the Intel versions and have equivalent specs and build quality. What we will actually likely see are AMD competitors to the Bay Trail convertibles we have today, with all of the pluses and minuses that class of device brings with it.
AMD has never had the low power consumption of Intel's newer chips. Sure, they're cheaper, but they can use up a lot more power. Something of this form factor can't really handle that thermal load, and battery life is always a concern.
This is all fine and dandy but they need a sim card slot, especially if they want it to be adopted by industry. We have iPad's at work since we need internet access throughout the plant and a wifi network would be too expensive.
"I feel like what MS wants to do with Windows RT is what it should've done in the early days, which is make it an extension of Windows Phone. But now with the near term arrival of high performance ARM silicon, what we need from Windows RT is a full fledged ARMv8 version of Windows, with full developer access to the desktop and Windows APIs
What we really need from Microsoft is an ARM version of Windows and Windows server that are true counterparts to the x86 versions, rather than the limited platform we have today with Windows RT"
Thank you!!!! That's what I've been saying from day one. The only reason I bought a Surface RT was because of the "jailbreak". Windows on ARM should not be a dumb-down phone OS, but simple a proper port of Windows 8 without out the dumb artificial restrictions. Windows RT could easily have been this, and I hope going forward that's what we will get.
Sooo.... no Surface mini then? Not that I was ever interested, but I thought that was supposed to be what those event was all about according to the rumors. I guess those were false?
I reckon the mini device should have a 2:1 aspect so that it folds into a long thin rectangle that fits lengthways in your pocket yet still has a keyboard.
Looks like a winner. Still a bit pricey, but this is definitely the high-end laptop bridge I think a lot of people have been waiting for. I want to get these validated for work as well, but I will probably pick one up in the next few months.
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Homeles - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
"The 2nd generation Surface Pro used Haswell but lacked connected standby, I'd expect whatever is announced today to address that at least"Exactly my thoughts as well.
praeses - Friday, May 23, 2014 - link
If they would make it dock like a T100 to a keyboard I would buy one.Many guys can't stand sitting with their knees together to balance a propped up tablet on a kickstand, I can't see how they're talking about ergonomics but forgetting that fact.
invinciblegod - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
My Surface Pro wishlist:- Sleep does not shut off wifi downloads
- turns on instantly from sleep
- Deep sleep where you see a loading screen will not be a thing
- Sleep does not take 3 seconds or so to turn off the tablet
- Sleep that does not make it so next time I turn on the tablet for some reason it has rebooted (crashed?)
- Thinner device
- Lighter device (IMPORTANT)
- Device design that does not dig into my hand (Less angles please)
- No fan if possible
- Magnetic power connector with chanfers so it does not take forever to insert in the dark (seriously, how did they miss this detail. The insertion of the Surface Pro is very fiddly)
- Power cover with backlighting
- cheaper keyboard covers ($129? $200?)
- Maybe more variaty of colored Surfaces?
- Less bezel?
- Larger screen but not much larger area?
- Windows button that works (Currently, impossible to hit in the dark (I assume it has palm rejection or something). Most of the time, the first time I press it the haptic activates but nothing happens. I have to press a second time to bring up the start screen. I adjusted by using the charms menu but this should not be a thing.)
- More storage
- More ram? Maybe?
- stylus slot!!!!
I have more but those would probably be a Windows wishlist instead of a Surface wishlist.
Imaginer - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
Stylus slot...You do realize that in the Live stream, Panos mentioned that the pen on the Surface Pro 3 (and any pen they want to make) is intended as a PEN. Not something thin, something substantial, something that you can hold comfortably.
A thin toothpick stylus... is not comfortable to hold. At another tradeoff of stowing it in an already thin device, this means sacrificing that pen comfort to hold over time. One would be nuts to even think about a simple cheap stylus - compared to the implemented pen.
invinciblegod - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
Doesn't mean they can't have both a thin and a comfortable one.mkozakewich - Saturday, May 24, 2014 - link
I really enjoy the feel of my Galaxy Note II pen. Luckily, it works with my Surface Pro, so I don't have to bother carrying it around. Also, I found the tip is less jittery on the Note's pen than the Surface's pen.Drumsticks - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
3:2 screen! Oh my gosh this is awesome.skiboysteve - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
Holy crap this looks amazingly well built. Daddy wantssherlockwing - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
3:2??? Only other 3:2 product currently onsale is chromebook pixel. interesting choice by MS here.bountygiver - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
And the point of 3:2 is to make portrait use more comfortable while preserving the benefits of widescreen. More tablets need to use this ratio.flemeister - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
Think of it as 15:10, not far off 16:10. =)mkozakewich - Saturday, May 24, 2014 - link
I've been introducing it to other people as "16:10-and-two-thirds". I also say 4:3 is 16:12. It just makes things so much easier to compare.Homeles - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
That heatsink design is very interesting.Bob Todd - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
Love it or hate it, the inside sure is pretty. Please tell me that is eDRAM next to the CPU and they managed to cram in some new lower power Iris Pro part. That would make this probably the closest thing currently available to a perfect international travel device for me. My wallet is open but waiting to be disappointed.skiboysteve - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
no thats the PCH. see right side of this image: http://images.anandtech.com/doci/5078/1846200cfe8x...Bob Todd - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
Yeah I figured, but a guy can dream right? This is so close to what I want, but I'll probably have to wait for the Broadwell version (or longer). The config I'd want would be around $1500. For that much money, I want it to be able to do 720p gaming with low/medium settings (e.g. play Borderlands 2 on international flights).Anders CT - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
I just love the aspect ratio. It was one thing the Chromebook pixel got absolutely right. 16:10 is also okay, as is 4:3. Anything but the useless 16:9 ratio.Sunburn74 - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
Nice product but too big for my tastes. I need 7-8 inches with a similar pen. Thats the tablet that will next take my moneyinvinciblegod - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
$799 for core i3 version!! That is pretty good compared to previous iterations. Will it have the same Crystalwell graphics though (100% custom so it's possible)?BPM - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
I think the price is abnormally low. There's something wrong about thatJeffFlanagan - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
Maybe you got used to Apple prices. $799 is not abnormally low for an i3 with little RAM or storage.The prices on the quality Surface 3 devices are much higher.
icrf - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
Also no keyboard, and they're not cheap. Still, I rather like it.Deelron - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
What are you talking about, when you add a keyboard it's $929, a Macbook air with an i5 is $899. One has a detachable keyboard and touch screen, the other has a i5. Seems like they're reasonably in line with each other.Homeles - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
No, it won't. Crystalwell isn't available at all on the SP3. Think you're stuck with HD4400.eanazag - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
I need cellular and gps built-in at least as an optional model on the Pro. I am not concerned about the Windows RgimpedT Surface. WTF. How many CEOs need to be fired to get this done?texasti89 - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
No Surface RT this time!bleh0 - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
I have to admit it was worth waiting for the third generation. It seems liked they've ironed out a lot of issues and this definitely seems like the model to get. I'll await the reviews.ol1bit - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
I agree, looks more like a product than a beta test!JeffFlanagan - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
Yeah, I think this is the year that I buy a Surface.Stochastic - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
On first blush this looks really compelling, but the $799 price is really misleading. The SKU I would want (Core i5, 256GB, 8GB RAM) is $1300 and then on top of that you have to pay $130 for the Type cover. If I could get that configuration for $1200 + the Type cover included then it would be a no brainer, but the pricing gives me pause.Gunbuster - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
For the same general specs you are talking something like the Dell E7440 Ultrabook at $1632 (3 Year warranty) If you figure in the MS 2 year warranty pricing is pretty much a wash or better going with the Surface Pro 3Jon Tseng - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
Is that Has well Y??maximumGPU - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
i still don't get why they price their type and touch covers so high! it's a serious disadvantage as it's a must buy accessory.Other than that got to say they nailed it with the 3rd gen, too bad i got a yoga 2 pro a month ago.
Stochastic - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
It does baffle me that the Type cover isn't included as a standard part of the package. If Microsoft were Apple maybe they could get away with it, but if their goal is to produce a device that promotes their services rather than to net a profit on hardware then I don't see how the Type cover pricing fits with their overall strategy.Stochastic - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
Also, how much can it possibly cost to manufacture a Type cover? I can't imagine it being more than $50.mkozakewich - Saturday, May 24, 2014 - link
The price of the Surface itself seems pretty low when you look at the build quality (no, you can't compare it to the prices of shitty plastic laptops).I'm guessing they're putting all their margins into the accessories, to which their branding has lent a huge push. I had to wait a week before I could get my Type Cover, and it was kind of a sad experience. You'll also want a DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter, but at least for that we can get third-party solutions for half the price (or less)!
soulcougher73 - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
That is why its so high because it is essentially a must buy. It it was a fluff item it would be cheap :)Deelron - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
And conversely that's one reason I can't see it gaining much traction unless you desperately need a detachable keyboard or touch input. If it came with a keyboard it'd be seriously compelling over a laptop for many more people.michal1980 - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
this seems awesome. have a yoga 1, and this will probably replace it when it goes on sale for a i5+cover for ~1000.theNiZer - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
Hay yes, Anandtech covers a Microsoft press event again, finally! Then I don't have to go elsewhere for my fix...Da W - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
Beautiful Surface Pro 1, 128 GB for sale with type cover.Extensively used.
Kids jumped on it.
Still nickel with barely a scratch.
I need that 3:2 ratio and pen!
milkod2001 - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
Love SP3, but by looking at the pricing, it's going to be another mass failure.Has Balmer scored some 'great' deal with Intel that Surface has to be 'Intel inside' only before he got kicked out?
When is MS going to wake up and start making products users need and actually can afford?
Imagine Surface Pro running on AMD's APU with decent HD IPS panel for 500/600$ max(including keybord). With these specs and price MS could have sold a few millions units instead of few thousand.
MS is like a big slow giant who is about to extinct.
botero7781 - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
As a professional, a laptop for $1,299 is an afterthought. I buy a new laptop in the $1,200-$2,000 range almost every year. Surface "PRO" is not targeted towards general consumers as consumption devices. They are targeted towards people that create content on the move. The SP3 ticks pretty much every checkbox on my wishlist for a perfect work computer: something with enough power and a high enough resolution to easily build financial models on the move and dock when I get home at either my TV or monitor at my desk.If this was a AMD machine with a decent panel, I wouldn't even look twice at it. If you need a cheapy computer, the bottom spec'd i3 model is only $799...
Bob Todd - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
You're so right, they should lose money on every one! These specs and build quality just aren't realistic in the $500-$600 range. For that you'll get lots of plastic, eMMC, etc. I'm still waiting for these unicorn devices with AMD internals that cost 1/3 of the Intel versions and have equivalent specs and build quality. What we will actually likely see are AMD competitors to the Bay Trail convertibles we have today, with all of the pluses and minuses that class of device brings with it.mkozakewich - Saturday, May 24, 2014 - link
AMD has never had the low power consumption of Intel's newer chips. Sure, they're cheaper, but they can use up a lot more power. Something of this form factor can't really handle that thermal load, and battery life is always a concern.zappb - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
I think this is what Anand meant at the end of the Surface Pro 2 review...."It could have been more" - This tablet looks amazing - planning to buy it.xodusgenesis - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
This is all fine and dandy but they need a sim card slot, especially if they want it to be adopted by industry. We have iPad's at work since we need internet access throughout the plant and a wifi network would be too expensive.mkozakewich - Saturday, May 24, 2014 - link
Could your work supply you with mobile hotspot devices? They're usually pretty cheap (like just over $100).BSMonitor - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
LTE !!!! Please!!? When?!coburn_c - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
That is one bad-ass tablet, I covet theedomboy - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
"I feel like what MS wants to do with Windows RT is what it should've done in the early days, which is make it an extension of Windows Phone. But now with the near term arrival of high performance ARM silicon, what we need from Windows RT is a full fledged ARMv8 version of Windows, with full developer access to the desktop and Windows APIsWhat we really need from Microsoft is an ARM version of Windows and Windows server that are true counterparts to the x86 versions, rather than the limited platform we have today with Windows RT"
Thank you!!!! That's what I've been saying from day one. The only reason I bought a Surface RT was because of the "jailbreak". Windows on ARM should not be a dumb-down phone OS, but simple a proper port of Windows 8 without out the dumb artificial restrictions. Windows RT could easily have been this, and I hope going forward that's what we will get.
domboy - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
Sooo.... no Surface mini then? Not that I was ever interested, but I thought that was supposed to be what those event was all about according to the rumors. I guess those were false?domboy - Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - link
Nevermind, found the answer:http://www.neowin.net/news/report-microsoft-killed...
stephenbrooks - Sunday, May 25, 2014 - link
I reckon the mini device should have a 2:1 aspect so that it folds into a long thin rectangle that fits lengthways in your pocket yet still has a keyboard.chizow - Wednesday, May 21, 2014 - link
Looks like a winner. Still a bit pricey, but this is definitely the high-end laptop bridge I think a lot of people have been waiting for. I want to get these validated for work as well, but I will probably pick one up in the next few months.