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Macbook vs New Surface 3

I've been debating this ... Luckily I got to go on a trip for work and stay in a hotel across the street from this mall with a Microsoft Store and an Apple Store. Tried out the Surface 3 and it was amazingly zippy ... Did not feel like there was a limited ram on the computer at all. Now I didn't get to put it thru its paces but was quite impressed. In the end I still need Pro power, as I deal with some intense databases and excel files. But for those with light duty, don't hesitate, you won't know that it's specs are a bit lower.
 
macguy360 said:
Samsung has never been a real competitor. Sorry but Android can't compete with a full fledged operating system and it never will.

Not to mention the Android operating system as a whole is like a team of alzheimers patients trying to make a decision. One device has one version while another has a different version. There is no consistency across devices for versions of Android like there is for iOS.
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Samsung make Computers also ;)
 
cfedu said:
The Macbook can not connect to an external monitor without an adapter where the surface can and connecting with an Apple TV is an inferior solution it lags and unusable for anything more than powerpoint presentations.
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...or you could just wait few weeks and buy a $20 adapter from a different manufacturer...
 
christophermdia said:
I've been debating this ... Luckily I got to go on a trip for work and stay in a hotel across the street from this mall with a Microsoft Store and an Apple Store. Tried out the Surface 3 and it was amazingly zippy ... Did not feel like there was a limited ram on the computer at all. Now I didn't get to put it thru its paces but was quite impressed. In the end I still need Pro power, as I deal with some intense databases and excel files. But for those with light duty, don't hesitate, you won't know that it's specs are a bit lower.
Click to expand...

UI performance of Windows has improved a lot since 8.1 that's why it runs smoothly on hidpi scaling even on a low Atom chip and 2 GB of RAM. Still, interface and features are far less immersive than OS X Yosemite.
 
christophermdia said:
I've been debating this ... Luckily I got to go on a trip for work and stay in a hotel across the street from this mall with a Microsoft Store and an Apple Store. Tried out the Surface 3 and it was amazingly zippy ... Did not feel like there was a limited ram on the computer at all. Now I didn't get to put it thru its paces but was quite impressed. In the end I still need Pro power, as I deal with some intense databases and excel files. But for those with light duty, don't hesitate, you won't know that it's specs are a bit lower.
Click to expand...

If I don't go for a new MacBook, I may go for a Surface, equally I am looking at the Surface Pro 3 256 i5

Q-6
 
Queen6 said:
If I don't go for a new MacBook, I may go for a Surface, equally I am looking at the Surface Pro 3 256 i5

Q-6
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I'd buy both rMB and SP3 if I have money. SP3 only for light browsing, some cooking/recipe apps or some metro games etc and mainly tablet use while rMB for productivity and everything else and best of all OS X Yosemite!
 
I have the Surface Pro 3. It's a brilliant product, but it's a completely different thing than a Macbook.

Just my opinion.
 
retrospek said:
In a good way ? or a bad way ?
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To elaborate a little.

I use the Surface without the keyboard mostly. It's a pen computer, and I can do things with it I simply can't with a Macbook. And on top of that it's very well made.
 
I had a chance to try out a surface 3 at the Microsoft store in Houston this past weekend. I must say I am really impressed with it. I had previously bought a surface 2 but ended up returning it due to the Windows RT OS not being everything I needed. I'll list some of the things that really stood out about the surface 3.

1. Speed of device. I tested it streaming 4k content on youtube as well as running some various programs on the device. There was no lag or slowdown. I imagine to really slow the device down you would have to throw a really graphical game on this device or do some serious video editing. Also the fact that the memory is emmc rather than ssd, I did not notice it running slow at all.

2. Fanless design is nice! Essentially this thing feels like a Surface Pro 3, but its thinner and doesn't have the gaps in the back for ventilation like the pro does.

3. Build quality. This device just feels solid. Also, the screen is still gorilla glass and the shell is still magnesium. It doesn't feel hollow or thin like the iPad.

I think that Microsoft will sell a ton of the surface 3. The integration of a dedicated keyboard and full microsoft windows is really impressive for the cost. I am surprised that Apple hasn't built a keyboard to go with the iPad. Additionally, Microsoft offers a student discount on the surface 3. Meaning you can get the base model for $449 or the next model up for $539.
 
cfedu said:
Why would someone need the Microsoft keyboard but not Apple 80$ adapter.

Im sure people buying the 500$ model are on the cheaper side and will save the move and not buy it. The 500$ surface pro is way more useful than a 1300$ Macbook without the adapter in many ways IMO

Without an adapter the surface pro has 2 available usb port (1 can only be used for charging other devices) the Macbook can not really charge any other device without the 80$ adapter.

The Macbook can not connect to an external monitor without an adapter where the surface can and connecting with an Apple TV is an inferior solution it lags and unusable for anything more than powerpoint presentations.

A surface 3 can be used with any of the billions of USB keyboards that are on the market. It is easier to connect a surface 3 to a keyboard than a iPad which no one really uses with an external keyboard.
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what lag? you can even use apple tv as second monitor. hardly laggy. wanna talk laggy? try chromecast

surface 3 NEEDS a usb keyboard because the keyboard covers suck.

get the surface 3 non-pro loses in about every single category to the rmb other than price. when you spec the pro version to be similar to the rmb, the prices are close.
 
Serban said:
The new surface 3 will begin shipping 05.05.2015 with Intel Atom
What are your opinions about them? what macbook has over surface and the other way around?
Will Core M will be more performant than that Intel Atom? I guess 2 Gb Ram it will be the weak point vs the 8Gb Ram from the macbook

Lets forget the OSX vs Windows and say the macbook in this comparison will have windows as well
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I would wait for the Surface Pro 4. The Surface 3 is lacking CPU power.

We have the iPad Pro and Surface 4 Pro out this year. One of them will be what I want for sure.
 
5errated said:
what lag? you can even use apple tv as second monitor. hardly laggy. wanna talk laggy? try chromecast

surface 3 NEEDS a usb keyboard because the keyboard covers suck.

get the surface 3 non-pro loses in about every single category to the rmb other than price. when you spec the pro version to be similar to the rmb, the prices are close.
Click to expand...

Yes lag, lots of lag, every time I use airplay there is lag and/or image cutting. Chromecast has nothing to do with Apple TV being laggy.
 
Serban said:
The new surface 3 will begin shipping 05.05.2015 with Intel Atom
What are your opinions about them? what macbook has over surface and the other way around?
Will Core M will be more performant than that Intel Atom? I guess 2 Gb Ram it will be the weak point vs the 8Gb Ram from the macbook

Lets forget the OSX vs Windows and say the macbook in this comparison will have windows as well
Click to expand...

The Surface is both a lousy laptop and a lousy tablet.
Lets not forget Windows because that makes no sense. Especially since all the versions of Windows since 7 have been panned by the general public.
 
cfedu said:
Yes lag, lots of lag, every time I use airplay there is lag and/or image cutting. Chromecast has nothing to do with Apple TV being laggy.
Click to expand...

Where exactly did I say that Chromecast is why an Apple TV is laggy? Oh yeah, that's because I didn't. Because Apple TV isn't laggy. Chromecast is. I have both. That's assuming the Chromecast is working, because sometimes I have to replug the stupid thing to bounce it to get it working again. Something I've never had to do with the ATV.
 
Played with a new Surface 3 at Best Buy today. $600 for the 128 SSD. Id pay double the price and get the new MacBook just so I wouldn't have to use that awful, plastic keyboard and trackpad. The S3 itself is pretty decent but that keyboard, ugh. Quality between the S3 and the MacBook is night and day.
 
5errated said:
Where exactly did I say that Chromecast is why an Apple TV is laggy? Oh yeah, that's because I didn't. Because Apple TV isn't laggy. Chromecast is. I have both. That's assuming the Chromecast is working, because sometimes I have to replug the stupid thing to bounce it to get it working again. Something I've never had to do with the ATV.
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You are the one that mentioned chromecast not me, I have never used chromecast.

As for the lag it is a know issue, you can google it

"Apple tv airplay lag"

When I do presentation there is a noticeable lag when typing, when I airplay off my mac there is a delay from my Macbook air and the TV they are never synced. Any productivity work work is next to impossible for me as the lag is horrible, they the only time it is useful is for watching movies and even then there is considerable choppiness and screen tearing. Airplay is good when you need a quickly show something off your iPhone or ipad, it is not an alternate for the connection of a display used for productivity.



https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourcei...le+tv+airplay+lag+++site:forums.macrumors.com




https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourcei...2&ie=UTF-8#q=apple+tv+mirror+lag++mac+rumours
 
cfedu said:
You are the one that mentioned chromecast not me, I have never used chromecast.

As for the lag it is a know issue, you can google it

"Apple tv airplay lag"

When I do presentation there is a noticeable lag when typing, when I airplay off my mac there is a delay from my Macbook air and the TV they are never synced. Any productivity work work is next to impossible for me as the lag is horrible, they the only time it is useful is for watching movies and even then there is considerable choppiness and screen tearing. Airplay is good when you need a quickly show something off your iPhone or ipad, it is not an alternate for the connection of a display used for productivity.



https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourcei...le+tv+airplay+lag+++site:forums.macrumors.com




https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourcei...2&ie=UTF-8#q=apple+tv+mirror+lag++mac+rumours
Click to expand...

crappy routers, crappy signal, older ATV? who knows, but I have the current gen ATV on an airport extreme (last gen--doesn't have AC), and I get zero lag. in fact, i played around with airplay at the plaza apple store and set it to mirror mode on the 4k display and even on that, there was no lag. not sure why people are having issues
 
5errated said:
crappy routers, crappy signal, older ATV? who knows, but I have the current gen ATV on an airport extreme (last gen--doesn't have AC), and I get zero lag. in fact, i played around with airplay at the plaza apple store and set it to mirror mode on the 4k display and even on that, there was no lag. not sure why people are having issues
Click to expand...

Why would a 4K display be any different from a 1080P display for the apple TV?
Would The 4K display be more demanding on the ATV?
 
I find that people are sometimes very quick to jump on the whole Windows bashing bandwagon. FWIW I've been using Windows 8 on my desktop since it came out and really don't have any complaints. Then again I don't ever use the 8 screen and installed a taskbar program to mimic the 7.

I use both Windows and Apple products and the Surface is a good device. Sure it has its negatives, looks ugly, the stand makes it pretty much impossible to use on anything but a desk and the keyboard is not the best. However, it is a very usable product if a Windows OS is what you want.
 
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