New Surface 3 Shock Little Engine That...

[ct1211]

...could!

I too was not overly impressed with the rMB, 1.3 rMB I ordered at launch looking for a light alternative to an already light 3.2 lb maxed out 2015 13" rMBP. Ultra slick, fast, could not find any adaptors / connectors for it to use in my work. Another "Hey thats the PRICE of being an Apple Mac user" moment. Well, I need those connections to work! Also, you know what, I'm getting tired of paying the "Price"

The following was a fluke and accident. I thought I would share this little story. I ain't telling to convert Apple users, Apple is heading in more new PC users than anyone, great! I could care less what you use, think, lay or pray. merely an alternate view from someone that has spent thousands on Apples latest and greatest computers every year.

Here is something quite subjective but interesting. Stunning to me. I decided to try the new Surface 3 (not the "Pro") that now runs full windows and has amazing handwriting recognition through their Pen. i purchased a 4GB/128GB Bundle with Pen and the Keyboard for just $699 through Costco) Set it up, what a joke, that flimsy keyboard, Windows 8.1, Then I started using the Pen, dialing in the machine with packing close at hand for its ultimate return to the store... Folks its now been a month. Last week I left on a business trip for the very first time, without my beloved 13" rMBP for an entire week! Fit on plane tray tables, perfect! The Surface worked flawlessly on client projector presentations, HDTV monitors, my note taking sloppy as can be, later converted to text at the flick of a button. Is it all sleek and shiny like the Apple product, no... Strangely, all its cool and useful features that just work and it runs all day on a single charge...

I know "Just you wait for the iPad Pro" yea right... First this little thing will not even compete with the "iPad Pro"! There is a Surface Pro for that, and this thing does 95% of the S3! Noits price range has it in the class of iPad and cheap Windows computers. I laugh because most Surface 3 reviews claim Microsoft is out of its mind charging for a keyboard (lighted) and a working Stylus! Considering my 9.7" iPad (which is now a picture viewer) still costs $799 with 128GB, my wait is over... Again, I'm just shocked...

P.S. Who am I kidding, heres my wallet, charge me when the iPad Pro goes to pre order...

 

[MyopicPaideia]

Don't doubt the SP is quite an ok machine if you are a hand writing / pen using person, or if you are OS agnostic.

Just don't understand knocking the rMB port setup when you knew that going in. If you have work critical connections that the rMB doesn't have a solution to ATM, you shouldn't have bought it in the first place?

Seems like the SP was a better fit for your use case, and that's great for you! Glad you found something you were happy with in the end.

 

[ct1211]

Don't doubt the SP is quite an ok machine if you are a hand writing / pen using person, or if you are OS agnostic.

Just don't understand knocking the rMB port setup when you knew that going in. If you have work critical connections that the rMB doesn't have a solution to ATM, you shouldn't have bought it in the first place?

Seems like the SP was a better fit for your use case, and that's great for you! Glad you found something you were happy with in the end.

I didn't knock anything, read close. I Knew I needed $160.00 in cables! (VGA, HDMI) I did NOT know I couldn't buy them at that time. God your like little kids, NO I can't validate your buying choices, today.

 

[Queen6]

I looked a Surface 3 and came very close to buying one, to me they are a great system for the Ultraportable role. Windows 8.1 also has a significant advantage that it runs very well on low level hardware, as a result the Surface 3 performs very decently. As I run primary & secondary system in the field, having two differing OS, generally brings an additional load, so both on OS X is preferable.

The good with Core M, it will force Apple to be more conscious of optimising OS X for lower powered systems, not just the "heavyweights" So far on 10.10.3 I am very pleased with the rMB`s performance given it`s specification.

Personally speaking the roll out of the Retina MacBook and the associated adaptors for many has been, and still is extremely poor, definitely not an "awesome experience" Apple seriously this time needs to look at Microsoft and seamless release of Surface 3, given the last couple of months I have been across Asia, Europe, Scandinavia, and now back to Asia.

Q-6

 

[Fuzzball84]

I use both Windows and Apple products and I find that for some of my tasks the surface 3 is great and others the MacBooks (currently an air 11 inch and rMBP 13 inch) are perfect. I'm still trying to reduce my computers to just a surface 3 and one of the MacBooks.... In a perfect world I'd have my air with a retina display... it really would be a killer ultraportable... I hope that the next macbook pro design has a tapered design like the current airs

 

[masotime]

The only advantage the Surface has to me is the stylus. Take that away and the choice is extremely dubious. A keyboard is the most critical component to me, and otherwise I use an iPad (which I'm using right now to type this response).

I like the concept of a stylus, but until the day I can pick up ANY pen or pencil and use it on a notebook or tablet with perfect palm rejection, I don't think much of any stylus option.

 

[squirrrl]

The only advantage the Surface has to me is the stylus. Take that away and the choice is extremely dubious. A keyboard is the most critical component to me, and otherwise I use an iPad (which I'm using right now to type this response).

I like the concept of a stylus, but until the day I can pick up ANY pen or pencil and use it on a notebook or tablet with perfect palm rejection, I don't think much of any stylus option.

I'm glad the OP found a good computer for his needs, which is what we really all want in the end. For me, I needed a machine for writing grants and for making and giving presentations. I do like the concept of taking notes with a stylus and have it translated to text later. I hope to get an iPhone 6s plus later this year and use an app + stylus to see how note taking feels. There are plenty of apps for this. It would be an added bonus, but note-taking is not one of my major uses for a machine, just an added bonus.

 

[xmichaelp]

This has nothing to do with the MacBook.

https://forums.macrumors.com/forums/windows-linux-others-on-the-mac.86/

 

[inmnbob]

First of all -- like many of you I spend thousand on Apple since 2014. A new iMac 27", 2014 rMBP, 2 iPads, 2 iPhone plus all the Apple Care and accessories and I have the 1.3 512gb SG on order. I do want to say however that I also purchased the Surface 3 4/128 GB on launch day. Like the gentleman that started this post I love the Pen and wish Apple would come out with one. I use OneNote for everything and the integration is so well done in Windows that I use it for everything and on every device. I even installed Parallels on all the Macs to get it because the Windows Office integration is still better than on a Mac.

For me the current solution is traveling with the Surface 3 or the 8" Asus VivoTab because they are both great for note taking with a pen. I hope to carry the rMB too. Some day I hope I can just take a iPad mini with a Pen and the rMB as my two computers. Today I still need three (iPad, Macbook and some Windows device)

 

[MyopicPaideia]

I didn't knock anything, read close. I Knew I needed $160.00 in cables! (VGA, HDMI) I did NOT know I couldn't buy them at that time. God your like little kids, NO I can't validate your buying choices, today.

I think you are the one that needs to relax. I am not motivating anything. You are the one that wrote this:

...could not find any adapters / connectors for it to use in my work. Another "Hey that's the PRICE of being and Apple Mac user" moment. Well, you know what? I need those connections to work! Also, you know what? I am getting tire of paying the "Price"

All I wrote was it was an unfair critique of the rMB, because essentially you bought it without doing any research to know you couldn't use it, which is strange in itself. That's not the Macbook's fault. Also, there are plenty of USB-C to VGA and HDMI adapters out there? So your critique is against USB-C, really?

I didn't say anything negative about the S3 at all, and wrote that I am glad you found something you liked. That was a genuine comment. It seems to me that your aggressive retort points to a need to validate your own purchasing decisions?

The rMB is a niche machine. It excels at what it is good at, and is surprisingly capable and versatile, but it is also not good at all for things it is bad at. That's the reality.

Again, happy for you that you found a machine that suited you and your needs, and sorry you had to figure it out in a round about fashion.

 

[eco54]

I have both the rMB and the Surface 3. For me the Surface 3 makes a fine laptop alternative. Yes, its a little slow from time to time when opening programmes etc but its perfectly acceptable. I find the keyboard is fine for long typing sessions - really if you only want to have one device then its okay. I don't find it useful as a tablet though - my iPad mini gets a lot more use for reading books and occasional web surfing.

For me its about having the right device for the task - I use the Surface 3 when I want to take hand written notes or read documents. For everything else I use the rMB. I like that the rMB is a true laptop and I find the screen on rMB is much better than the Surface 3. The trackpad makes productivity better and its just a nice experience overall for long productivity sessions. I've also found the max 128gb onboard storage (plus a SD memory card) insufficent and much prefer having the 512gb in the rMB available.

 

[ct1211]

I travel a lot. My "Holy Grail" when on the road is a device 1-2 pounds runs a windows only work program I have, runs full Office, and allows me to take notes with a pen, eliminating the many legal pads I have around my office in one place. This crazy One Note program seems to do the job. I have No plans to get rid - of my early 2015 rMBP 13". Actually I am interested in seeing what the new Surface Pro 4 has to offer with windows 10.