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I get that it is a converged device, I just don't think it was a great place to converge. I think the Lenovo Yoga series is a better implementation of a similar concept.

Do you mean the Yoga tablet or the Yoga notebook? In any case, neither has proper stylus support, so that alone leaves them useless for me, and I guess the vast majority of what would be the target market of the Surface Pro 3.
 
I get that it is a converged device, I just don't think it was a great place to converge. I think the Lenovo Yoga series is a better implementation of a similar concept.

True if you want to err more on the "laptop replacement" side... but what if you want to lean more on the tablet side? SP3's weight and design around a detachable keyboard make it the best choice in that case (and it also works as a laptop replacement...):p
 
True if you want to err more on the "laptop replacement" side... but what if you want to lean more on the tablet side? SP3's weight and design around a detachable keyboard make it the best choice in that case (and it also works as a laptop replacement...):p

I just really don't like styli. My first "tablet" was a Toshiba with the spinning screen. If I want a tablet, I'll buy an iPad. The Surface has always just felt like a heavy tablet to me.

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Do you mean the Yoga tablet or the Yoga notebook? In any case, neither has proper stylus support, so that alone leaves them useless for me, and I guess the vast majority of what would be the target market of the Surface Pro 3.

Styli are stupid. That's how people used tablets 10 years ago.
 
Styli are stupid. That's how people used tablets 10 years ago.

No, they are mandatory for drawing, painting, design, physics, maths and basically everyone else that requires handwritten/sketched note taking capabilities. Which, incidentally, would be about 100 % of the target market of the Surface Pro. The mere fact that you claim styluses to be stupid mean that you have no clue about the capabilities and use cases of this device.
 
True if you want to err more on the "laptop replacement" side... but what if you want to lean more on the tablet side? SP3's weight and design around a detachable keyboard make it the best choice in that case (and it also works as a laptop replacement...):p
I'm of the opposite opinion. I think that the SP3 makes a fine ultrabook replacement, but a mediocre tablet replacement. The SP3 is hampered by a chronic lack of Modern UI apps. If there was a comparable collection of MUI apps (as is available for iOS) and Microsoft could do updates properly, then I could probably replace 3-4 devices with an SP3.
 
No, they are mandatory for drawing, painting, design, physics, maths and basically everyone else that requires handwritten/sketched note taking capabilities. Which, incidentally, would be about 100 % of the target market of the Surface Pro. The mere fact that you claim styluses to be stupid mean that you have no clue about the capabilities and use cases of this device.

I know exactly what it's capable of. I'm saying they included the stylus because Windows is still not a fully functioning touch OS. There are still elements that you can't just touch with your finger.

Using an iPad with a stylus if you absolutely need one is cheaper, especially if you're a student.
 
Using an iPad with a stylus if you absolutely need one is cheaper, especially if you're a student.

There is no proper stylus support for iPad, so that's not an option.

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I know exactly what it's capable of. I'm saying they included the stylus because Windows is still not a fully functioning touch OS. There are still elements that you can't just touch with your finger.

I am not interested in "touching elements" with a stylus. I am interested in using the stylus for the exact things it is meant for. You do not use a pressure sensitive fine-point stylus to drive a user interface. You use it for the exact same things as you would use a pen or a brush.
 
I know exactly what it's capable of. I'm saying they included the stylus because Windows is still not a fully functioning touch OS. There are still elements that you can't just touch with your finger.

Using an iPad with a stylus if you absolutely need one is cheaper, especially if you're a student.

Using an iPad with a stylus won't be as accurate as the Surface Pro 3.
 
I know exactly what it's capable of. I'm saying they included the stylus because Windows is still not a fully functioning touch OS. There are still elements that you can't just touch with your finger.

Using an iPad with a stylus if you absolutely need one is cheaper, especially if you're a student.

SP stylus integration is superior because you actually have a digitizer built into the screen. It's the equivalent of a mini Cintiq

And the ability to ink is an additional feature, not something that compensates for anything. It still uses the same capacitive tech used on the iPad, not some old school resistive technology where you needed a stylus to hit a microscopic hyperlink on a 4 inch PDA screen.
 
I'm of the opposite opinion. I think that the SP3 makes a fine ultrabook replacement, but a mediocre tablet replacement. The SP3 is hampered by a chronic lack of Modern UI apps. If there was a comparable collection of MUI apps (as is available for iOS) and Microsoft could do updates properly, then I could probably replace 3-4 devices with an SP3.

I don't disagree completely... my point was that the Yoga is even MORE on the laptop side than a tablet. They both have the same exact faults from a software perspective, but the SP3 is much easier to utilize as a tablet.

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I don't really see how a *laptop* would be a replacement for a laptop...

The Yoga and SP3 are essentially in the same camp as attempting to replace a laptop and tablet in one device. The Yoga is more of a laptop than a tablet due to its weight and attached keyboard while the SP3 is still better at doing both equally, but definitely better as a tablet due to its weight and ability to function without a keyboard.
 
SP stylus integration is superior because you actually have a digitizer built into the screen. It's the equivalent of a mini Cintiq

And the ability to ink is an additional feature, not something that compensates for anything. It still uses the same capacitive tech used on the iPad, not some old school resistive technology where you needed a stylus to hit a microscopic hyperlink on a 4 inch PDA screen.
I was referring more to the old-school tablet style laptops. If I wanted a Cintiq, I'd buy a Cintiq. No sense in buying another Windows computer that I don't want or need.

Using an iPad with a stylus won't be as accurate as the Surface Pro 3.
No, but if I wanted accuracy I'd buy a Cintiq or Intuos. We're talking about quick jottings of notes and sketches, right? The iPad is plenty accurate for that.

There is no proper stylus support for iPad, so that's not an option.

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I am not interested in "touching elements" with a stylus. I am interested in using the stylus for the exact things it is meant for. You do not use a pressure sensitive fine-point stylus to drive a user interface. You use it for the exact same things as you would use a pen or a brush.

My point is that underneath Metro UI Windows is still very mouse centric. That's why they include a stylus, to get a finer point for navigating menus intended for mice and such.
 
My point is that underneath Metro UI Windows is still very mouse centric. That's why they include a stylus, to get a finer point for navigating menus intended for mice and such.


I don't see why I would use it outside the metro UI when in tablet mode, so that's definitely not an issue. And like you said yourself, should I need to do so, they kindly provide me with a stylus to help me with that.
 
I was referring more to the old-school tablet style laptops. If I wanted a Cintiq, I'd buy a Cintiq. No sense in buying another Windows computer that I don't want or need.

And if I wanted a tablet/computer/digitizer all in one, I'd get an SP3, which costs less than a Cintiq.

No sense in buying all these separately at additional cost along with a big backpack to lug all 3 around.
 
My point is that underneath Metro UI Windows is still very mouse centric. That's why they include a stylus, to get a finer point for navigating menus intended for mice and such.

I don't know what proof you have to back that up. I've never seen Microsoft push that as a reason or even show it as a feature in any of their videos. Yes, it may be used in that fashion, but switching from pen use to on screen typing is awkward at best.

The pen is MAINLY there for OneNote and other graphic applications...not to replace a mouse...or touchpad.

While not optimized for touch yet, "classic" Windows/programs are still easier to utilize with touch and the on screen keyboard versus the pen. Another reason why the argument around including the type cover is very strong.
 
I don't know what proof you have to back that up. I've never seen Microsoft push that as a reason or even show it as a feature in any of their videos. Yes, it may be used in that fashion, but switching from pen use to on screen typing is awkward at best.

The pen is MAINLY there for OneNote and other graphic applications...not to replace a mouse...or touchpad.

While not optimized for touch yet, "classic" Windows/programs are still easier to utilize with touch and the on screen keyboard versus the pen. Another reason why the argument around including the type cover is very strong.

They don't show it as a reason or feature because it's not really desirable...My proof to back it up is that it's absolute hell navigating all of their tiny menus with your fingers and no stylus. Try it.

I didn't say the pen was there to replace a mouse, did I? I said it was there because the way they implemented the touch interface doesn't really make sense without it. There's a reason iOS isn't just a layer of pretty tiles over an Aqua interface, and that's because Aqua was never designed to be touched. Touch use requires different paradigms of interaction than desktop use, which is why Microsoft includes the stylus. It's useful for writing and annotating as well, but I can type far faster than I can write and I don't have to read my own handwriting again later ;). Also my handwriting sucks.
 
They don't show it as a reason or feature because it's not really desirable...My proof to back it up is that it's absolute hell navigating all of their tiny menus with your fingers and no stylus. Try it.

I didn't say the pen was there to replace a mouse, did I?

So why not use the mouse or the trackpad then?
 
So why not use the mouse or the trackpad then?

...

I said the stylus was there for replacing a mouse, and the trackpad sucks.

Didn't the quote I use from you in my response pretty much say that exactly??

No, I said that Window's UI is mouse centric and largely unchanged outside of Metro since XP. That's why they included a stylus, because their trackpad sucks and nobody wants to use the Windows desktop interface with their fat fingers.
 
No, I said that Window's UI is mouse centric and largely unchanged outside of Metro since XP. That's why they included a stylus, because their trackpad sucks and nobody wants to use the Windows desktop interface with their fat fingers.

The SP3 N-Trig digitizer has hover lag. The SP1/2 WACOM digitizer has parallax. If someone's actually using the stylus as a mouse, they either love torturing themselves or have all the time in the world to study the cursor offset so they can make a single mouse click.

The SP1/2 trackpad was garbage but the SP3 trackpad is totally fine. It's one of the most improved things about the SP3. You're way off
 
The SP3 N-Trig digitizer has hover lag. The SP1/2 WACOM digitizer has parallax. If someone's actually using the stylus as a mouse, they either love torturing themselves or have all the time in the world to study the cursor offset so they can make a single mouse click.

The SP1/2 trackpad was garbage but the SP3 trackpad is totally fine. It's one of the most improved things about the SP3. You're way off

I guess you weren't made aware that he was elected by the Earth to represent the opinion of "everyone."
 
I said the stylus was there for replacing a mouse, and the trackpad sucks.


I know you did, but most of what you have said in this thread is either plainly wrong or just not making any sense at all, so that's why I'm asking again: if you need to use a mouse, why not use a mouse or the trackpad? Nobody is suggesting that either device needs replacing.

And like said above, no, the stylus isn't there to replace a mouse, it is there to work as a stylus.
 
After using a surface for a while, I have to say the OS is a waste of time. Endless updates. Took about 30 hours to reinstall OS with all the updates. Maybe there is an faster way..?
 
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