A few days ago, I did something I never thought I would do. I decided it was time to upgrade my 2009-era MacBook Aluminum (13 inch). You’ll never guess what I replaced it with!
After doing quite a bit of research, I decided to take a chance on a Surface Pro 3. I did not make this decision lightly. It started with an evaluation of Windows 8.1. My primary desktop was still running Windows 7 Ultimate. I upgraded it to Windows 8.1, as a first step in figuring out if I even wanted a tablet based on that OS.
Windows 8.1
It turns out windows 8.1 is pretty great! Believe it or not, I’m in the minority of people who prefer the tile based Start view. So much that I get a little angry when I accidentally switch to desktop mode. I wish I could disable desktop mode completely. I prefer the “full-screen app user interface” for running apps. I guess having used Apple devices (iPhone, iPad) for so long, it just makes sense to have applications that are designed to utilize the full screen. Anyway, after upgrading to Windows 8.1, and realizing I really liked the user interface, that made getting a Surface Pro 3 seem like a pretty easy decision. Take the Windows 8.1 tile based / tablet optimized UI, and add touch-screen to it? Hell yeah!
Microsoft Surface Pro 3
So, the next step was deciding which version of the tablet would be best for me: i3, i5, or i7? As it turns out, I didn’t think the almost double cost (i7 vs. i5) was not worth it. I also was not too concerned with storage space, as there is a micro-sd slot on all the tablets, and, at the time of this writing, you can purchase a 128GB class 10 micro-sd card for about $80. I ended up purchasing the i5, 128GB model. The timing was good, as Microsoft was doing a temporary price reduction on this model ($100 off). So, now that I have the tablet, what do I think of it?
This device is killer. It’s capable of doing mostly everything my aging desktop is able to do. For reference, my desktop is running an AMD bulldozer (8-core), and quad-crossfire AMD HD6990s, with 32GB of RAM. I find myself using the tablet more than my desktop, even though the desktop is hooked up to a 40 inch UHD display (and running natively in UHD, of course). Note: I did add the keyboard/cover, and am using both the keyboard, and the touch interface about the same. For example, typing this post using the keyboard is obviously more efficient than tapping it out!
Anyway, if you are on the fence about getting a Surface Pro 3, and you’ve been able to resist the temptation of purchasing the original, or the Pro 2, this is a really good time to dive in and get the Pro 3. You won’t regret it!
As a follow up, the Surface Pro 3 is amazing. It has to be the best laptop / tablet I have owned. One way of putting it: It’s a tablet for grownups.