Microsoft Surface 3 Review: Laptop Destroyer
Previous attempts to cross breed laptop and tablet has spawned some questionable creations that have been rightly consigned to the history books, filed under ‘oops’.
Not so with Microsoft MSFT -1.1%’s Surface range. The tablet/laptop (tabtop?) in question is the Surface 3, the slightly less glitzy version of the Surface Pro 3. It’s aimed at casual users and students I’m told, and the price is supposed to reflect that.
The basic version of the Surface 3 costs $499, but the full, pro version costs $799, which includes a more powerful processor, quad-HD display and larger screen. That $499 rises to $628 when you add the keyboard accessory, which is a lot of money for a tablet. There’s certainly nothing casual or studenty about that price.
But in comparison to its Android and iOS rivals – the iPad Air and the SonyXperia Z4 – it comes in cheaper than both. Indeed, it’s the ‘lite’ version, so you’d expect it to be cheaper, but – for that price - you get a lot more than you would from a standard tablet…
Design and accessories
Image credit: Jay McGregor
What’s immediately clear is that the Surface 3 isn’t a conventional tablet. It’s not obsessed with its silhouette like the ultra thin iPad Air 2 or Sony Xperia tablets. It’s thicker width might put some off, but there’s a functional reason for it: a full size USB 3.0 port. Microsoft is unashamed of that, because this Surface range is squarely aimed at productivity enthusiasts.
With that said, it’s as thin as a full-size USB allows it to be. Given that it’s thinner than the average laptop – and it’s pitching itself as a superior replacement – then there’s no problem here.
The magnesium alloy casing and angular shape makes the Surface 3 feel like an expensive, professional piece of kit. On the back there’s a practical non-flimsy kick-stand that sharply clicks into place when pulled out and pushed back in, underneath the kickstand is a subtle microSD slot. Around the edges are the sturdy volume and power buttons – that reward you with a satisfying click when pushed – the full size USB port, a micro USB port and mini DisplayPort.
Image credit: Jay McGregor
Across the bottom is the magnetic connector that the Type Cover accessory (keyboard) attaches too. The keyboard has been been shrunken from the Surface Pro 3’s to accommodate for the smaller sized device. It’s narrow, but not unuseable. The back-lit touch keyboard is responsive and the keys have a good bounce to them. The trackpad is hilariously small though, you’re better off using touch to navigate around the interface.
There’s also a very swish stylus that accompanies tablet, although it’s sold seperately. It does all of the things you’d expect a stylus to do, but it also has some extra, useful, functionality. In particular, the button at the top of the pen instantly opens up One Note, even when the tablet is asleep, which means you can quickly take notes without having to go through the rigmarole of finding and opening the app – although you do have to be logged in. The idea is that the Surface can replace the speed of using pen and paper to quickly jot down a note.
Image credit: Jay McGregor
Curiously, there’s no way of attaching the pen to the tablet. There’s a clip on the top of the pen and the only thing it kind-of clips on to is the keyboard (with a bit of force). It seems strange that a core accessory has no way to stay connected to the main device, especially when it’s something as easily lost as a pen.
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