Microsoft Announces Intel Atom-Based Surface 3 With Windows 8.1 for $499

[Anonymous Freak]

Interesting. It presumably has the same CPU as in my HP Stream 8, but double the RAM and storage, and a larger, higher resolution screen (Stream 8 has an 8", 1280x800 screen.)

More ports (Stream 8 has only a single USB type-B port, primarily for charging, but also can be used with a USB-on-the-go adapter to connect devices,) but missing Cellular connection at the stock price.

Yet far, FAR more expensive. (HP Stream 8 is $179.)

 

[onepoint]

So any actual good reason for the despise and hate? I mean, aside from the Zune and Windows 98?

...Vista :/

 

[santaliqueur]

With Apple's ipad largely failing to meet the productivity needs of professionals, a device such as this can fill the void for those of us needing full-fledged software. iPad's are still the superior choice for families and casuals.

Guess I need to shut down my two businesses I run exclusively on my iPad.

 

[pcote]

I really really like Microsoft lately.

I do to. Ballmer was easily the worst CEO of the 3. Satya Nadella is much more worthy of the title.

 

[nia820]

I'm surprised by this because now microsoft controls hardware development, I've never seen windows 8.1 run well on 2gb of ram, even 4 gb has been almost unusable.

So while the price is right, the experience might be horrible. There are a lot of variables I know but I just haven't seen it done. So why would they risk giving new customers a bad experience....

I have a 4gb version. It runs pretty smooth. The fact that it has ssd instead of hdd make a world of a difference.

 

[jmoore5196]

So any actual good reason for the despise and hate? I mean, aside from the Zune and Windows 98?

I despise the shoddy quality of Microsoft 1.0 releases. I don't own anything the company produces, generally because I long ago decided that their initial releases were deadline-driven and thus prone to having hundreds of thousands of bugs.

 

[crsh1976]

A MAC PRO with 8 or 12 core and 64 RAM is future proof, even a top iMac spec or 15 MBP are future proof
future proof i mean 5 years

Pro-grade workstations are entirely different than consumer tablets, convertibles and laptops - which is what the Surface is. Let's not mix apples and oranges.

 

[maflynn]

I despise the generally shoddy quality of Microsoft 1.0 releases. I don't own anything the company produces, generally because I long ago decided that their initial releases were deadline-driven and thus prone to having hundreds of thousands of bugs.

The same exact advice is given on Apple's 1.0 releases as well. I might add some of the points you bring up on MS have been levied against Apple with Yosemite.

FWIW, my SP3 is a fine machine and it looks like what MS got right with the SP3 has been brought over to this tablet. I will say though that 2gb is a tad meager. I know they had to cut some corners, but that's a tough pill to swallow.

 

[crsh1976]

Guess I need to shut down my two businesses I run exclusively on my iPad.

I'd love to know which field you're in, I certainly would love to have nothing but a tablet to do everything work-wise, but it's not feasible yet on an iPad (dev and graphic work).

 

[santaliqueur]

This thing looks pretty cool. I wouldn't mind one that ran OS X, which is 95% of the reason I buy Apple computers in the first place.

 

[stu.h]

I have a SP3 for work, and it's not all that.
Keyboard constantly loses connection, and even if it didn't my MacBook is 3 times the product this is.
Now to convince my boss I need a MacBook as a work tool, even if I do RDP to windows VMs.
It's annoying using a 2nd monitor also, it constantly resizes IE windows and isn't a particularly nice experience.
Buy once, buy right

 

[AlecZ]

The price isn't that good for a Windows machine.

 

[Popeye206]

I do to. Ballmer was easily the worst CEO of the 3. Satya Nadella is much more worthy of the title.

I double this sentiment... although, I've never really been a MS fan, but Ballmer was the prince of death for MS.

 

[Technarchy]

The 599 model would make more sense as a light computing device. Maybe a little more sense than an iPad for the price.

 

[Renzatic]

I realize that MS has automated defrags for their OS in recent versions. Do us all a favor though and run defrag c: /A and post it here. Thanks!

I'll do it! Click for bigger!

...I never defrag.

 

[linkgx1]

Nope. I think Windows is good for the enterprise. I think in the consumer space, they need something better than what they offer now with a strong focus. Me personally, I would created a new consumer OS built for this decade and not with a foundation designed 2 decades ago. You have to keep up with the times.

You can put syrup on poop but that doesn't make it pancakes!

Once again, you're saying that you get at least 12 billion in revenue from businesses and you'd be willing to give that up just to...have new (unproven) crap?

You do know Apple has less than 20% of the desktop market share right? They can easily make changes. Microsoft not so much.

 

[The WOPR]

What a load of uninformed hyperbole. I use Apple devices extensively, but that has nothing to do with the realities of enterprise environments. But hey, I guess it's cool to pretend like you have an authoritative opinion just because you have a keyboard.

Look, I get it. I understand that you ride around town with a Microsoft Windows flag mounted to the rooftop of your car. Why get upset that I have an opinion that others apparently agreed with? So you didn't understand one of the points I brought up? Let me break it down for you...

Microsoft Windows is basically the same technology from back in the 90's. There have been refinements but we still have the registry, legacy code and emulation for backwards compatibility. The user experience is horrible, unless you think users should be defragging and buying services to keep their PC running clean.

Microsoft needs to adapt by either altering Windows dramatically for specific devices like Apple and letting go of backward compatibility/legacy code or design a new OS from the ground up with a specific focus.

Yes, you beat on your chest shouting out words like Azure and Dynamics but the truth is, most consumers don't know and really don't care. There is an entire generation of folks that are growing up on Apple and Android technology which should scare the hell out of Microsoft. Why do I say that? Because these future leaders will be the ones making decisions on the technology they will implement for their companies. Microsoft could very well be on the outside looking in 15 or so years from now. Adapt or die.

 

[balamw]

Interesting. It presumably has the same CPU as in my HP Stream 8, but double the RAM and storage, and a larger, higher resolution screen (Stream 8 has an 8", 1280x800 screen.)

The reported CPUs are quite different. Z3735G vs Z8700. The memory bus for one thing is up to 5x faster, and the top speed is 2.4 GHz vs 1.8 GHz.

B

 

[Dargoth]

Well that's equally as insane as hating or loving Samsung or Apple or whoever. they genuinely don't give a monkeys about you.

Why waste your energy in hating a company that make and pushes technology forward even if you don't want to buy that particular brand / tech. I don't like Windows, but I love the xBox. I don't like Samsung phone interfaces but love their chips in my iPhone or the chips in my Fridge Freezer.

Well, there are reasons to hate a company. For example, Samsung is known for pulling any dirty legal tricks it can in order to maximize profits, even knowing full well before product release that their product might infringe on another's patents. This article on Vanity Fair says more than I ever could. Most businesses are just not as corrupt as Samsung. It hurts to hear, but it's true. For this reason, I do not buy Samsung products, and I somewhat begrudge Apple for putting their components into Macs and iOS devices. There is no other business I know of that operates like they do, outside of the Chinese clone market that is.

 

[Michael Goff]

I double this sentiment... although, I've never really been a MS fan, but Ballmer was the prince of death for MS.

Most companies would love to be dying to the time of almost yearly continued improvement of profits.

 

[t0mat0]

Seems it's not just Apple that has unbundled accessories - least Apple doesn't have the nerve to have them in the main Hero product shot.

 

[Agent-P]

For $499, this looks delicious.

Actually, if it weren't for Mac's superb build quality, I would be happy to migrate to Windows again.

The Surface line has pretty fantastic build quality when you are looking at the device itself. I'd say it's easily on par with Mac build quality.

 

[2IS]

I'm surprised by this because now microsoft controls hardware development, I've never seen windows 8.1 run well on 2gb of ram, even 4 gb has been almost unusable.

So while the price is right, the experience might be horrible. There are a lot of variables I know but I just haven't seen it done. So why would they risk giving new customers a bad experience....

You're either doing something wrong, or this is a made up story. I've never seen 8.1 being almost unusable with 4GB of ram.

 

[FatPaulie]

Apples to Microsofts

Wow, so long since I posted my username was available again. Takes a lot for me not to lurk.

I live in a divided household - my wife is an avid MS user and fan, and I'm Apple to the bone.

The missus uses a Surface Pro 3, and I was impressed at how well it worked as a productivity tool, so I wanted to see if I could do the same on the Apple side of things.

I've got a 128 gb iPad Air 2 LTE, so I added an Adonit Jot Script stylus and a Logitech Type+ cover/bluetooth keyboard. All told, I'm in for around $1100 CAD ($900 ipad, $100 stylus, $100 cover). Compared to my wife's $1400 or so investment, I felt I came out ahead.

While everything works, and I'm happy, I can't help but feel that the wife's solution may be better. The keyboard attaches wonderfully to the Surface Pro 3, and there's something about the pen that REALLY feels nice. It's as close to writing on paper as I've experienced on a tablet.

Is the SP3 worth the $300 more than my iPad solution? Maybe not for me, but the Surface 3 changes things.

Doing some quick price comparisons, I see that a 128 GB Surface 3 is $769 (same as iPad Air 2 128 GB wifi), and that while the type cover is more expensive than the solution for the ipad, the pen is cheaper, so it all comes out about the same.

While doing all of the tablet-y things feels better on my iPad - games, media browsing, reading - the SP3 destroys my iPad when it comes to getting work done. If the Surface 3 does productivity apps the same way, I think MS may finally have a device that is competitive both in terms of price and performance.

 

[Renzatic]

FWIW, my SP3 is a fine machine and it looks like what MS got right with the SP3 has been brought over to this tablet. I will say though that 2gb is a tad meager. I know they had to cut some corners, but that's a tough pill to swallow.

It is, but for $100 more, you get double the ram and storage, so I'm not holding it against them. I'm considering the low end the "too cheap for your own good, but there you go" option.