Surface Devices

[SteveJUAE]

Razer is a small company, so I can understand why they aren't available everywhere. But Microsoft is the main tech giant in my country for 30+ years. Everything runs on windows and ms office. MS is the main supplier of software for schools, they have big government contracts, etc.

But still no xbox support in Croatia. No surface lineup. And MS is a huge company, so that part is really hard to understand

Sorry did not mean to confuse your point re MS with my Razer story, which BTW I can buy every accessory here but not the laptops

Yes when I lived in UAE like Croatia MS store only sold software and here there are only approved dealers so no MS direct involvement or MS warranties etc.

Although if you buy from big brand stores you do get a like MS warranty, international 3 years replacement and fixed by MS

 

[SteveJUAE]

Ouch, a low score from the Verge.

Microsoft Surface Book 3 (15-inch) review: more power, more problems

The Surface Book 3 is held back by a design that hasn’t changed in nearly five years

www.theverge.com

Yep this is what happens if you try and pigeon hole the SB3 in to a laptop mold

If you used the same metrics in reverse then many laptops would loose points on: no touch, no 360, no detachable screen, no USB-A or SD card slot

No TB3 as I noted before there are not many running out buying $600 TB3 peripherals and you get modest gaming so extra GPU is some what of a waste

He placed little or no value on the dual functionality and it bested most in his simple comparisons and still has best in class KB etc after 5 years

All he wanted was a shape change and a bigger TP that many do not use when in full anger mode

Maybe MS should release a 17 beast with a kickstand or studio type dock for the tablet

 

[Dave245]

Yes when I lived in UAE like Croatia MS store only sold software and here there are only approved dealers so no MS direct involvement or MS warranties etc.

Although if you buy from big brand stores you do get a like MS warranty, international 3 years replacement and fixed by MS

In the U.K we only have one Microsoft store, that is in London which is miles away from where i live. Microsoft do offer the "Microsoft Complete Protection Plan" over here, however i'm not sure if that is worth it. I don't get the Apple Care +
with any of my Apple products, mainly because they are usually pretty good at sorting out issues.

My AirPods Pro had an issue and they eventually sent out a replacement. The only serious issue i have ever had was with my 2017 iPad Pro, they wanted to charge me over £500 to fix it. I wasn't very happy, even tho it was out of warranty i didn't think it was very good for an iPad Pro to break after around 15 months. I sent a strong but polite email to Phil Schiller and Tim Cook, within a few hours i had a phone call from Apple executive relations. I explained the situation and the next day i sent the iPad Pro back to them, 24 hours after that i received a new one. Within a couple of hours of reaching the iPad i had an email asking if i had received the new iPad and if i was happy with everything. That was a pretty nice touch to be fair.

 

[LeeW]

I wanted to wait until I am back in the office before getting a new laptop but I am really on the verge of pulling the trigger on a SL3 just to give me something to use whilst sitting outside. I am stuck in Scotland at the moment, and it may surprise some to know that the weather has been tremendous for the last couple of months.

I want to be back in Gran Canaria though

 

[SteveJUAE]

In the U.K we only have one Microsoft store, that is in London which is miles away from where i live. Microsoft do offer the "Microsoft Complete Protection Plan" over here, however i'm not sure if that is worth it. I don't get the Apple Care +
with any of my Apple products, mainly because they are usually pretty good at sorting out issues.

My AirPods Pro had an issue and they eventually sent out a replacement. The only serious issue i have ever had was with my 2017 iPad Pro, they wanted to charge me over £500 to fix it. I wasn't very happy, even tho it was out of warranty i didn't think it was very good for an iPad Pro to break after around 15 months. I sent a strong but polite email to Phil Schiller and Tim Cook, within a few hours i had a phone call from Apple executive relations. I explained the situation and the next day i sent the iPad Pro back to them, 24 hours after that i received a new one. Within a couple of hours of reaching the iPad i had an email asking if i had received the new iPad and if i was happy with everything. That was a pretty nice touch to be fair.

Dave

As you know many people in UK buy their laptops from John Lewis, MS or Apple etc. One of the advantages being a 2 year warranty for free and their good customer service etc

MS UK replaced our SP4 that was 3 years old with no warranty and an import from US to UAE. They even sent a pre paid box to ship it back and it took just 5 days to receive a new one

Never used UK for Apple repairs only UAE where there was no store, so terrible support from authorized dealers on de laminated screens, failed logic boards and like most I have bought 5 wall chargers as the cables fray and an Imac with a faulty graphics card defect they would not honor.

As my 3 kids were Apple fans I have bought many MBP/MBA (+25) and even had 5 consecutive (each year) MBA for myself and 3 for my wife, but my last purchase was 2 12" MB in 2015, my wife still users hers, just and my eldest the remaining Apple fan in our clan has the other as a spare. Don't even get me started on IPhones and IPads I have bought

I consider myself lucky and bailed out just at the right time

 

[SteveJUAE]

See the Galaxy Flex and Book S and Ion will be available soon in UK, slight variant to US with the 13" Flex I5 costing as much in UKP as the I7 in US in $ (ignoring state tax)

Just noticed the Book S in earthy gold is an Intel chip set Lakefield Intel Core i5-L16G7 17 hrs playback the grey is Qualcomm with 25 hrs playback. Main difference is full W10 compatability and WiFi 6 on Intel version but no integrated LTE it's a separate chipset

High Performance & Touchscreen Laptop Computers | Samsung UK

Browse our range of high-performance, powerful, touchscreen laptops at Samsung UK. Compare models by price & specs to find the best laptop for you.

www.samsung.com

 

[Dave245]

See the Galaxy Flex and Book S and Ion will be available soon in UK, slight variant to US with the 13" Flex I5 costing as much in UKP as the I7 in US in $ (ignoring state tax)

Just noticed the Book S in earthy gold is an Intel chip set Lakefield Intel Core i5-L16G7 17 hrs playback the grey is Qualcomm with 25 hrs playback. Main difference is full W10 compatability and WiFi 6 on Intel version but no integrated LTE it's a separate chipset

High Performance & Touchscreen Laptop Computers | Samsung UK

Browse our range of high-performance, powerful, touchscreen laptops at Samsung UK. Compare models by price & specs to find the best laptop for you.

www.samsung.com

That is very tempting! It’s 360 hinge along with the S-Pen would make it a great iPad replacement, using it in tent mode to watch Netflix. Also the display seems pretty good. Does anyone know if Samsung still has lag in their devices tho? I’m not sure if this will have any bloatware and so on. Also how likely would it be to get regular updates?

 

[Silvestru Hosszu]

That's the one part I don't get. At all. I can't buy a SB3 in my country.
Most of the devices we talk about in this subforum I can't even buy. Unless I order them from amazon/ebay, then pay import taxes, etc. So even if I get a lemon, I have to send it back, deal with customs so that they don't charge me for importing again, etc.

All I would need is 14 day trial period. I really don't need more to see if device suits me or not.
Some of you here have 30 days on some products, others have 60 days. If you think you're gonna love SB3, order one, test it out. Not your cup of tea? Return it. No money lost.

I would really love to be able to do just that.

You can buy it directly from microsoft.ie (Ireland).
I'm based in Romania, so no Microsoft Store here either.
I bought a Surface Pro from them, had issues, contacted them online and the next day a guy from DHL picked up the device on Microsofts cost and two weeks later the same guy delivered a shiny new device.
It was smooth and effortless, and Ireland being EU there are not import duties.

 

[SteveJUAE]

That is very tempting! It’s 360 hinge along with the S-Pen would make it a great iPad replacement, using it in tent mode to watch Netflix. Also the display seems pretty good. Does anyone know if Samsung still has lag in their devices tho? I’m not sure if this will have any bloatware and so on. Also how likely would it be to get regular updates?

Dave I really wonder at times if you are a genuine poster on these long threads or just trying to get your post count up, especially when you come back with stereotypical response like this, that is not even relevant to laptops

For someone who admits to months of research on a no risk try before you buy, you did not look too hard for this response

 

[Dave245]

Dave I really wonder at times if you are a genuine poster on these long threads or just trying to get your post count up, especially when you come back with stereotypical response like this, that is not even relevant to laptops

For someone who admits to months of research on a no risk try before you buy, you did not look too hard for this response

genuine poster, just very indecisive with no need to jump in head first. I’m in no rush to buy anything straight away. I haven’t done ANY research on the Samsung Book Flex at all.
I’m no tech guru and I’ve admitted that before, hence my indecisiveness on previous posts of which spec machine I should even get when I do make a decision.

 

[SteveJUAE]

genuine poster, just very indecisive with no need to jump in head first. I’m in no rush to buy anything straight away. I haven’t done ANY research on the Samsung Book Flex at all.
I’m no tech guru and I’ve admitted that before, hence my indecisiveness on previous posts of which spec machine I should even get when I do make a decision.

Dave your response on Samsung Flex etc was a C&P from a typical IPhone vs Android mobile forum chat, even you know the laptops are W10 and updates are for life. Same re bloatware comment totally unnecessary

 

[Dave245]

Dave your response on Samsung Flex etc was a C&P from a typical IPhone vs Android mobile forum chat, even you know the laptops are W10 and updates are for life. Same re bloatware comment totally unnecessary

Yes I know that the Flex is Windows 10, no I don’t know that updates are for life. How would I know that they are for life when I don‘t use Windows and also the Samsung Flex is a device from Samsung with some Samsung software on it. As for iPhone vs Android, I don’t visit any such sites because I don’t want to get into that argument of which is better.

How is the bloatware comment totally unnecessary, again i don't know what software Samsung put on the devices, i don’t own Samsung devices (I’ve been Apple user for years).

 

[SteveJUAE]

Yes I know that the Flex is Windows 10, no I don’t know that updates are for life. How would I know that they are for life when I don‘t use Windows and also the Samsung Flex is a device from Samsung with some Samsung software on it. As for iPhone vs Android, I don’t visit any such sites because I don’t want to get into that argument of which is better.

How is the bloatware comment totally unnecessary, again i don't know what software Samsung put on the devices, i don’t own Samsung devices (I’ve been Apple user for years).

Dave you are not telling me being such an avid researcher on your purchases that when you bought your W10 SP6 and the 100's of posts on that subject you are not aware of updates etc

Bloatware is really subjective and most true bloat requesting subscriptions or paid software are easily deleted and occupy a fraction of SSD space compared to many smartphones

Other non standard W10 apps are usually specific OEM utilities for the extra functionality offered like S-Pen on Samsung laptops or there driver updates utilities. My Razer came with synapse for the multi color KB and accessories plus altering power and fan speeds

I cant even get away from Apple extras even on my W10 laptops as I still have my Apple email account, Just last night there was an update to Icloud for windows that checks twice and every time I have to deny Itunes and ensure photos, bookmarks are not selected for synch and restart my laptop and that is for each laptop I own and my wifes.

My MBA and MB came with a load of junk I never used but it never bothered me, but by some owners definition it would be bloatware

My One Mix UMPC came with Huawei phone drivers being a predominately Chinese market product, meant for convenience not bloat

Depending on your view point all OEMs have so called bloat

 

[Dave245]

Dave you are not telling me being such an avid researcher on your purchases that when you bought your W10 SP6 and the 100's of posts on that subject you are not aware of updates etc

Bloatware is really subjective and most true bloat requesting subscriptions or paid software are easily deleted and occupy a fraction of SSD space compared to many smartphones

Other non standard W10 apps are usually specific OEM utilities for the extra functionality offered like S-Pen on Samsung laptops or there driver updates utilities. My Razer came with synapse for the multi color KB and accessories plus altering power and fan speeds

I cant even get away from Apple extras even on my W10 laptops as I still have my Apple email account, Just last night there was an update to Icloud for windows that checks twice and every time I have to deny Itunes and ensure photos, bookmarks are not selected for synch and restart my laptop and that is for each laptop I own and my wifes.

My MBA and MB came with a load of junk I never used but it never bothered me, but by some owners definition it would be bloatware

My One Mix UMPC came with Huawei phone drivers being a predominately Chinese market product, meant for convenience not bloat

Depending on your view point all OEMs have so called bloat

I'm not saying that at all! Sorry maybe i wasn't being clear, what i meant by updates was because it is a Samsung machine, does that mean they control the updates and therefore they are not updated as much as say the Surface range (because it's directly made my Microsoft, similar to Apple owning both hardware and software).

By bloatware i meant to say things like 3rd party software like anti-virus with 30 days free trial. My definition of bloatware would be software installed that isn't owned or made by the manufacturer (like Apple puts iMovie on it's Mac's but i wouldn't consider it bloatware because they make the software and install it themselves.

Apologises if i was not clear on any of this.

 

[SteveJUAE]

I'm not saying that at all! Sorry maybe i wasn't being clear, what i meant by updates was because it is a Samsung machine, does that mean they control the updates and therefore they are not updated as much as say the Surface range (because it's directly made my Microsoft, similar to Apple owning both hardware and software).

By bloatware i meant to say things like 3rd party software like anti-virus with 30 days free trial. My definition of bloatware would be software installed that isn't owned or made by the manufacturer (like Apple puts iMovie on it's Mac's but i wouldn't consider it bloatware because they make the software and install it themselves.

Apologises if i was not clear on any of this.

Dave

W10 is the OS and by and large is the same on all laptops and updates are controlled by MS, only specific apps by OEM and some unique drivers are by them eg Samsung

You see a similar thing with Apple ie you can go to their support page and DL the latest TP drivers for bootcamp if you wish. So if Samsung have some special drivers for the S-Pen they have a utility to updates those only. W10 is still by MS even under bootcamp, but Apple specific drivers are by them for non standard things.

Yes some OEMs include as you note 3rd party software like anti-virus with 30 days free trial. But these are seldom installed and working. More often than not it's an icon that initiates the process to install or not, you will see selections/options including quit/no. these icons are easy to remove by right click/un-install, no big deal.

This bloatware thing is often over emphasized simply to note a trivial point that Apple do not include them where some others do

However I still note one of your other points re lagging is a mobile OS argumentative point that is just old tosh and not relevant

 

[Mendota]

genuine poster, just very indecisive with no need to jump in head first. I’m in no rush to buy anything straight away. I haven’t done ANY research on the Samsung Book Flex at all.
I’m no tech guru and I’ve admitted that before, hence my indecisiveness on previous posts of which spec machine I should even get when I do make a decision.

What I don't understand is why is this a all or nothing in terms of tech. There are some things that mobile devices are very good for. I use my Samsung Galaxy Tab 6 for casual Netflix, browsing, and reading all the time. It is lightweight and perfect for those tasks. It is also a good for light sketching. It is a good companion to my main systems. I also like my Surface Pro for actual on the go productivity and real work and it is quite lightweight. My Surface Book is my "power" portable device... More power than the previous mentioned devices, not as powerful as my desktop, but very able for when I want to sit on the couch in the main room instead of my office. You seem to be looking for the one "perfect" device that will do everything perfectly... That device doesn't exist, however the Surface Book in my view comes closest.

 

[Dave245]

You seem to be looking for the one "perfect" device that will do everything perfectly... That device doesn't exist, however the Surface Book in my view comes closest.

Thats very true! I’m looking for something that can replace my iPad Pro as a tablet, be reliable without issues (like the iPad use to be before Apple decided to make them thinner and before all the touch screen issues). I also don’t want to be overkill and buy something that I won’t use. I’ve used iPads since they first came out, they were all great up until I had the issue with my 2017 iPad Pro, and now it seems the replacement Apple sent me is also starting to have touch screen issues (which is how the problem with my original 2017 iPad Pro started).

The reason I haven’t so far brought the 2020 iPad Pro (like I normally would have) is because of the bending issues and the price is getting ridiculous for a tablet, £349 for the magic keyboard just seems really high.

 

[SteveJUAE]

Thats very true! I’m looking for something that can replace my iPad Pro as a tablet, be reliable without issues (like the iPad use to be before Apple decided to make them thinner and before all the touch screen issues). I also don’t want to be overkill and buy something that I won’t use. I’ve used iPads since they first came out, they were all great up until I had the issue with my 2017 iPad Pro, and now it seems the replacement Apple sent me is also starting to have touch screen issues (which is how the problem with my original 2017 iPad Pro started).

The reason I haven’t so far brought the 2020 iPad Pro (like I normally would have) is because of the bending issues and the price is getting ridiculous for a tablet, £349 for the magic keyboard just seems really high.

Dave

If this is your brief then you should not be looking at any W10 based tablets/2 in 1, just stick with the IPP for better or worse

Any W10 tablet because of it's OS capability and functionality will automatically fall in to the category of overkill if you have no intention to use this potential and only need mobile esq apps

The additional burden of maintaining a full OS, learning curve and application are likely to far outweigh any other minor gains for your use or gripe avoidance with IOS

You will be simply jumping out of the frying pan in to the fire if the IPP was already meeting your software/workflow/entertainment needs

Unless you have a drive to do more stick with your IPP.

Although the combined price of a fully accessorized IPP is well in to 2 in 1 territory what gains in potentiality are simply wasted if never used.

The loss of ease and familiarity for no good reason should be avoided if your primary requirements are already met.

 

[Queen6]

To summarise; for me iPadOS is predominantly focused on consumption, W10 can deliver the same to a lesser extent, however W10 allows the full desktop experience with expected productivity. MS Surface encapsulates and delivers, outside of a few Apple specific apps and a mobile gaming experience. IPP just a waste of tech, being little more than a vehicle to promote Apple's locked in, locked down culture, big numbers that are meaningless in the real world, outside of bragging rights ...

Apple and Pro as many now know is simply sales & marketing for the uneducated. I too was concerned with leaving Apple's walled garden, equally I found those that matter also flexed with no drop out in productivity.

Q-6

 

[Falhófnir]

To summarise; for me iPadOS is predominantly focused on consumption, W10 can deliver the same to a lesser extent, however W10 allows the full desktop experience with expected productivity. MS Surface encapsulates and delivers, outside of a few Apple specific apps and a mobile gaming experience. IPP just a waste of tech, being little more than a vehicle to promote Apple's locked in, locked down culture, big numbers that are meaningless in the real world, outside of bragging rights ...

Apple and Pro as many now know is simply sales & marketing for the uneducated. I too was concerned with leaving Apple's walled garden, equally I found those that matter also flexed with no drop out in productivity.

Q-6

Even as someone who very much enjoys the iPad experience for browsing and consumption I very much agree it still doesn't feel like a 'get things done' OS to me, even with the latest advancements. Some people swear by the iPad for productivity so I guess it can work, but for me at least there's still way too many drawbacks vs a traditional laptop and nothing really gained by switching to it.

 

[KarmaRocket]

Interesting review of the Surface Book 3 with RTX Quadro 3000.

 

[LeeW]

Some people swear by the iPad for productivity so I guess it can work

I know a couple of people that swear by it and for them it really does work, but they are drawing, doing notes with the pen, typing up documents, that kind of thing. So absolutely for them keep using IPP, it does what they need it to do.

But for the majority, it is a toy, bragging rights earned. It is a device that is incredibly powerful, but its power is way ahead of its capability with IOS. And peoples use (in the main) is no different than any other tablet.

 

[Mendota]

Interesting review of the Surface Book 3 with RTX Quadro 3000.

Yes, this is the thing that many of the other so called "reviewers" have missed to include the Verge. Microsoft in fact did make a super power Surface Book for those that want and need it.

 

[SteveJUAE]

I know a couple of people that swear by it and for them it really does work, but they are drawing, doing notes with the pen, typing up documents, that kind of thing. So absolutely for them keep using IPP, it does what they need it to do.

But for the majority, it is a toy, bragging rights earned. It is a device that is incredibly powerful, but its power is way ahead of its capability with IOS. And peoples use (in the main) is no different than any other tablet.

The IPP strength is in finger based navigation in typical consumption and media based mobile apps

Once you step in to more complex menu driven apps that need the precision of pen input for selection then the playing field is leveled with any good W10 tablet/2 in 1 format.

At this point the W10 formats can accelerate away from IPP as they simply have more potential and options of full apps, better interface with peripherals etc. Although Apple have tried to implement mouse like cursor features, it is a poor substitute in complex menus etc of full apps

Even with dailies and standard productivity apps like MS Office you are more likely to have a richer and better interface with Samsung Dex and your TV, as a even a cheap BT KB and mouse will give a better interface experience than an IPP, plus with Dex you gain multi windows etc etc and all your mobile apps

There is no doubt the IPP has some unique strengths, especially for sketching and portable endurance and many find it is capable for their workflow but any W10 tablet will cover these strengths to a high degree and offer so much more, if you need it

 

[LeeW]

I need to hunt for a laptop today, I was holding out replacing the MBP until back in the office, but I just need something, anything I can use away from the desk at home, outside specifically whilst this weather looks to be holding up. Just been told this morning I am WFH until Sept at the earliest. I don't expect I will be returning to an office environment before the end of this year.

Does anyone know what screen type works best in outdoors light for best viewing?