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

[Woyzeck]

I'm hardly convinced this new line will drive Apple to improve their "stagnating" iPad line. There's no innovation in the first place. This is just a new line of Surface tablets at lower price points and with lower specs for that matter.

It's a full fledged desktop OS with great user experience on a tablet, combined with a usable mechanical keyboard and a working stylus. We never had such a device before.

The iPad has not seen anything new since the introduction of the retina display and iOS is really lacking productivity features.

 

[niun]

Looks good, sounds good, price is good... but it's still Windows.
No way am I using that for a minute when I don't have to.

I have to ask. What is it about an operating system that puts so many people off? I see this from both sides.
You boot them up, files and folders are where you expect them to be. Apps open, install and un-install.
Just interested as I'm currently using both and can chop and change without any issues at all.

 

[jedifaka]

Because... Infomercials!

Yes, quite. Windows blows because there exist infomercials for gimmicky products that run on Windows. Can't argue with that.

It's the same reason I could never hack cleanly through a sneaker with a favorite chef's knife until I discovered Ginsu!


There aren't enough upvotes at my disposal for this comment:

You are the exception and not the rule. Have you seen all the infomercials on TV wanting your hard earned money monthly to keep your PC running smooth? Also, just because you haven't felt the need doesn't mean it doesn't need to be done. You may not feel the need to buy Antivirus software but that doesn't mean you don't have a virus.

 

[Mr. Buzzcut]

Windows is also dramatically more bloated than it was in the past.

You may be thinking of OS X and Linux. Windows has become more and more efficient. I ran Windows 7 on 1GB RAM with no issues using basic browsing and office apps. Now, 8.1 and 10 are running on ridiculously pathetic tablet hardware. Sometimes it's confusing because you can get the full OS for less than an RT tablet costs. They don't scream by any means but they cover the basics for very little cost.

I can't wait to see what this and the SP4 can do. Although I'm not sure how MS will differentiate them now.

 

[SlipSlidinAwa]

Apple has real competition

This looks great a tablet to browse and a PC to get some real work done, well built and competitive, Microsoft is back in the game; Apple be a-feared.

 

[subsonix]

It's a full fledged desktop OS with great user experience on a tablet, combined with a usable mechanical keyboard and a working stylus.

The keyboard and pen are not included in the product. You can get those for other tablets as well if you want. Personally I don't view a full fledged desktop OS on a tablet as great user experience, but a compromise.

We never had such a device before.

If by never, you mean before Surface 1 then yes. The only thing new here, is the lower price point.

 

[niun]

This looks great a tablet to browse and a PC to get some real work done, well built and competitive, Microsoft is back in the game; Apple be a-feared.

Seriously. With Apple fast becoming the Abercrombie and Fitch of the tech world I think iPad's, MacBook's and Surface Pro's can happily co-exist without there being a threat.
Unless the Surface comes out with a gold version.

 

[brinary001]

Pretty cool, and it looks like pen support has come to it as well. Hopefully it'll have better battery life than the Pro. But I doubt it .

I have a Pro 3 and it's been okay, but I only get maybe 6 or 7 hours of battery; not very good even for Windows. So, I'm trading it in for a MacBook .

 

[Michael Goff]

I've been saying this since Surface 1, and was lambasted for it at the time. This is Microsoft's tablet computer, nothing more. Yes, you can get a pen and keyboard as additional peripherals, but you can get that for any other tablet as well, no big deal.

The pens you're getting for most tablets are not comparable in the slightest.

 

[subsonix]

The pens you're getting for most tablets are not comparable in the slightest.

How so, have you used this Surface pen? It's not available yet.

 

[Black Magic]

Yes, quite. Windows blows because there exist infomercials for gimmicky products that run on Windows. Can't argue with that.

It's the same reason I could never hack cleanly through a sneaker with a favorite chef's knife until I discovered Ginsu!


There aren't enough upvotes at my disposal for this comment:

Clearly taking something out of context and reaching for dramatic effect. Yea, you got no up votes. Try again.

 

[toke lahti]

SP3 with osX would be the AILO (Air-I'd-like-to-own)!

 

[sracer]

The keyboard and pen are not included in the product. You can get those for other tablets as well if you want. Personally I don't view a full fledged desktop OS on a tablet as great user experience, but a compromise.

You keep mentioning this but it doesn't appear that you understand what the differences are. Yes there are pens for other tablets, but not all of them are "active" with pressure sensitivity. There aren't really that many tablets with an active stylus. And of the few that do exist, none of them are from Apple.

Capacitive Stylus that are commonly used simply mimic a finger. There are some creative ways to work around that limitation but it is a limitation and a hardware one at that. There are some other stylus available that mimic an active stylus for the iPad but they are app-specific... there is no iOS-wide support for those stylus.

As for "full-fledged desktop OS on a tablet", the Modern UI portion of Windows 8.x works fine in tablet mode. When I use my hybrid device in tablet mode, I use the start tiles and interact with it in the same way as I use my iPad or Galaxy Tab. I never have to see the desktop when using Modern UI apps. I have the added benefit of multi-window support.

 

[j26]

Windows 8.1 works fine on my tablet with 1gig.

The Surface seems to have a Micro sd slot, meaning expandable memory for movies, music etc. All in all a very nice package.

Unfortunately, it's way overpriced in Ireland, with the top spec one, with keyboard and pen coming in at €940 (over $1,000) only about €50 less than the basic SP3 with keyboard and pen.

 

[Mr. Buzzcut]

Holy *****.. I had not noticed that until you pointed it out.
I got 4 gigs on my work computer and this thing dies on me when I try to use google maps with some other windows and programs still open.
I mean, what's the cost of ram these days?
I know apple is no example here, but come on...

Work computers are what make people buy Macs! I bet your company soaks up 2GB with a whole host of enterprise crapware. I know mine does. AV, DLP, VPN, backup client, executable monitor, old IE, proxy client, etc. Can I have some leftovers to do my actual job??

 

[tdale]

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.

Are you talking about Microsoft or Apple.

 

[subsonix]

You keep mentioning this but it doesn't appear that you understand what the differences are. Yes there are pens for other tablets, but not all of them are "active" with pressure sensitivity. There aren't really that many tablets with an active stylus. And of the few that do exist, none of them are from Apple.

No need to be condescending. I believe Samsung has an active stylus. The root of this argument was that this new Surface brought out something fundamentally different and innovative. Microsoft did not invent the active stylus, and this product is very similar to earlier incarnations at a lower price point.

 

[diamond.g]

The 4GB 128GB model will be mine, it will be my laptop replacement, and will sit alongside my nice 8" Sony Android tablet.
I'll also use it for some PC games like Crysis 1 and Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3, and yes it WILL run those fine as the last gen quad core Atom could do that, this is the brand new top of the range Atom CPU in this new Surface 3

Hmm now all I need is the spare 4 grand for my Mac Pro then my setup will be complete.. hmm one day I'll get there.

Here is an 8" last gen Atom powered Windows tablet running Crysis 1:

Yeah that is awesome. Though I would be surprised if there was no iPad equivalent.

 

[tdale]

I have to ask. What is it about an operating system that puts so many people off? I see this from both sides.
You boot them up, files and folders are where you expect them to be. Apps open, install and un-install.
Just interested as I'm currently using both and can chop and change without any issues at all.

Because some like stuff cos it works well, some like stuff, irregardless of how it works, and issues, cos its the brand they use, and are not prepared to shift to a better product because of a fanboy attitude.

The SP3 is a capable ultra portable laptop, and a capable tablet, the iPad is a capable but restricted tablet. Those who talk about the SP3 being compromised should tale a look at their iPad

Disclaimer: I am an Apple user, rMBP, iPhone, iPad, ATV.

 

[niun]

How so, have you used this Surface pen? It's not available yet.

Is this not the same NTrig Pen as the Surface Pro 3?
If so, it's incredibly good.

 

[subsonix]

Is this not the same NTrig Pen as the Surface Pro 3?
If so, it's incredibly good.

I'm not sure, you may be right.

 

[Steve121178]

The Atom is not a powerful enough processor for desktop Windows and desktop applications. One again, Microsoft is missing the memo on the mobile device revolution, which will end up being good news for Apple, et al.

I had the VAIO X Series (first gen Atom CPU):

This was about 6 years ago and ran Office 2007 just fine which is a bloated heavy mess compared to Office 2010/2013. It ran everything I threw at it and was my 'travel' machine for around a year. If all people want to do is just standard tasks, run desktop applications and simply browse the net then this new Surface is more than adequate.

 

[tdale]

I agree i hope they don't make a Mac tablet.

All Apple NEED to do is to improve and bring features like multi windows(split sceen) to IOS(hopefully for 9) for the Ipads then it be good.


Because if Apple don't bother making big updates to IOS for Ipads then i think they will be way less less demand for them especially since Windows 8 tablets like the Surface 3 are at a very price point compared to the Ipad.

What do you think?


But i do agree Apple should stick with IOS on there Ipads instead putting OSX on it.

Agree. Make iOS still iOS, but make it productive. Make it easy to copy a file from something to the iPad on the run. You don't need an open file system to do that, you need a capability to copy from any old usb device, on the run, to the iPad. OSX apps can have an iOS equivalent that's productive, basically a lite version. Having said that the iAd is a consumption device, too hard to do many normal things on it, either market it as a non productive tablet, or make those too hard to do and cannot do, doable.

 

[anthorumor]

Very cool product, and I know beggers can't be choosers, but this would be UBER competitive if it had a retina display and double the RAM at that price... But even though the entry level model competes with the iPad on price, I don't want a Windows machine with 2GB of RAM, and I think it should have a retina display.

So, a Surface Pro for you, then?

 

[Liquorpuki]

Is this not the same NTrig Pen as the Surface Pro 3?
If so, it's incredibly good.

Engadget says it's the same digitizer/pen as the SP3