Surface Pro 3 Review: The Tablet That Will Replace Your Laptop

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[@KarLStroud]

I develop software professionally and the Surface Pro 1 hasn't given me any trouble at all. I agree completely that the keyboard is too small to type on for a living all day and of course I use my docking station and a traditional keyboard whenever I can. But at the same time its great to be able to take my work machine home with me every day with minimal fuss and its never given me any trouble in terms of running any of the software I work with professionally.

[@guruprasadkm]

Excellent review !

[@huyle9988]

Best review!! Thanks a lot!

[@Amari588]

Awesome review I do have a surface pro 3 its brilliant

[@NumairRana]

Best review I've seen awesome.

[@donamerex8383]

I agree with you 100% that the Surface Pro 3 is an awesome tablet!

[@RigADeer]

I'm a CS major, and I really want to get this!

[@wanshan0822]

very good!

[@TheGregersdk]

Hahaha! "Where are the TPS reports?" I like your references! I am an engineer... That thing and a docking station for the office (which Microsoft sells) could be awesome!

[@sniggity]

This was a great review ! I actually think this is what finally sold me on one of these beauties. Thanks for doing this !

[@BWOne]

Glad it helped out!

[@MrDonkov]

Still a bit expensive, at least for the upgraded version... But on the other hand, it is not that expensive, since you get a tablet and a PC for one price! :) It is also more ecological as one device covers more things. To me the "mobile productivity" adds the most value, looking forward to using a device like that.

[@dredon8007]

Love it!

[@seaman78athome]

Thank you for calling it a "Full blown desktop PC in a tablet form"

[@seaman78athome]

Great review. Thank you for calling it a .

[@tinman1955]

Where do you put in the floppy disks?

[@donamerex8383]

It's been a long time since floppies.

[@tinman1955]

Don Amerex Tin Men last a long time. A Tin Man is not some gizmo of the week which will be burned out, broken & forgotten in time for the next annual update cycle or two.

[@christobanistan5973]

Ha, Tin Man, you are so outdated!

[@XxPinoyBroxX]

lmao welcome to the future of Wifi storage, iCloud, Netflix, and external hard drive. You really dont need a Disc Drive, that's a little outdated, I can't even remember the last time I use one haha

[@gameandgrow1509]

omg lulz

[@Vexen4]

I like this guys energy

[@DakumaMusic]

This tablet finally hits the mark. Cheaper than a decent laptop and tablet combined and way sexier :)

[@joelowthianYT]

very very good review. Still debating whether or not to buy one of these but I think the price tag is a key aspect as to why I might not

[@RevwdGaming]

But buying a Tablet and Laptop separately will cost you well over $1000 (Usually), and that's $200 more then the Surface Pro 3 (i3 Version)... but instead of having 2 devices, you have One.

[@iReturnV1deotapes]

***** But there's plenty of convertible options on the market that can act as both a laptop and a tablet much better than the Surface is trying to achieve. The Lenovo Yoga and Sony Vaio flip lines are perfect examples. They are slightly over-cumbersome as tablets, but they are tablets second, and laptop first, and for the same price, are much more ergonomic than the surface pro 3 is and comes with a keyboard where the surface pro doesn't, which is ridiculous for a product that is being marketed as a laptop replacement.

[@DigitalSamTV]

I want the top spec of this. Been waiting for such a thing for my photography and video work. Am on the road alot or out in field and getting by with a 14" Acer that has a terrible screen for last few months after my sony s series died

[@gorik11]

I think you forgot to mention students. Surface pro 3 is probably the best device out there for students.

[@BWOne]

Thanks for the comment. I actually didn't forget about students. I don't feel the pricing on this is aimed towards students. The base config would push it out of most students price range.

[@gorik11]

BWOne I must respectfully disagree because more than 60% of all university/college students I have seen in the last 4 years carry around over $1300 macbooks and $500 tablets. I feel like the price is beyond fair even if we just look at it as an ultrabook because anything with comparable specs to SP3 is more expensive (ativ book 9 plus, asus zenbook etc...). I must agree that not including the keyboard is an unprofessional move though, I would prefer if they priced it $900 because not including the keyboard just makes microsoft look cheap and gimmicky.

[@BWOne]

gorik11 60% is far too high of a number. In my experience working in retail for around 10 years in the past. The average student laptop falls between $400 and $800 on average. You do have those that spend more but its not near the majority who spend much less.

[@BWOne]

gorik11 now if student is a senior or grad then you will typically seen them spend a bit more on the laptop making at bigger investment but when you are talking about students and the majority of the sales each year are from 1st years entering college their price range is usually between what i mention before with a few outside of that box spending more. Usually its University requirement that causes the higher spending.

[@ungabunga252]

BWOne I do agree with gorik. I go to college and almost on a daily basis I see about 2-3 people with a MacBook just walking around campus. Now when I am in the library, in almost every table there is a person with an ipad or a MacBook. So when u say that it is out of the price range of students I highy disagree.

[@seonginkang8316]

I want one!

[@rmd2791]

This machine is not a tablet. They should call it a laplet.

[@eminent2003]

Best device ever. Business when I need it and when I don't, I can detach and go tablet mode. Try that with anything else as light and well made as this will be. I have a Surface 2. This will be twice the machine in about the same weight and thickness with a larger screen.

[@toma9129]

Till next generation of surface I think they should make smaller margins between edges and screen, mabye a 13 inch screen would fit in same package. As you said, improvements of the keys! Take a look at thinkpads keyboard and learn :) I would also love a trackpoint version of type cover! Otherwise try to improve the feel of the pen. As an engineer student I do tons of calculations by hand and really want a tablet that can replace the paper with out compromises!

[@iducatifan1]

Looks like it would be great for students

[@mmwerner92]

It's the bomb for students. Mine completely replaced my laptops and has literally raised my GPA, haha. Notes and assignments are much easier to keep track of when they're all in one place, instead of hundreds of little sheets.

[@UsamaSamman]

it is amazing and great demo but as usual the new technology is expensive for those who have limited salaries or budgets. I will wait till next year to buy one.

[@DjangoGroen]

i do a lot of browsing, and a little bit photoshop and maybe play a game like gta san andreas or gta 5 (comes out soon) . is this the best laptop i can get ??

[@cristiankahn2315]

Idk about laptops but the SP3 BEATS ALL OF THE TABLETS OUT THERE. I WANT THIS DEVICE.

[@almaarik3056]

Since it has just one USB port and you used a USB expander. Can it then support a flash drive (high speed device) and an external mouse and recognising printer simultaneously? Can it handle x-copying from two flash drives?! The later is a stronger test.

[@ericwhite6040]

interestting

[@samirgautam1849]

I wanted to ask you one question! I am a system analyst in a company and I do almost all of the stuffs with my laptop. I also develop certain softwares for my company. So, apps like dreamweaver and other heavy developing tools works too . My startup gets clogged every single time as I need all the apps for my day to day work and can't disable them too. How would you think this product will perform in my day-to-day activities. And I still love gaming too.I have a heavy laptop as I need whatever the world can provide me!! So, you know I tend to have a heavy customizabe laptop!! :( Does surface pro 3 meet my workload?

[@ryanpenfold9965]

looks like a great value, anyone that thinls that this is overpriced obviously doesnt understand that this is a premium tablet. It has the technical specs of some of the best ultrabooks on the market, but is thinner and lighter. I wont think twice about forking out 2k for the i7 model when it is released.

[@eduardomatias3011]

Better than any laptop out there.

[@mariana336]

Does the keyboard have to be attached to the screen to work? I mean, can I type having the keyboard a few cm's away from the screen, connected by Bluetooth or something?

[@f271970]

You can play red alert 2 on this?

[@Cptblogh]

Hi How does the TouchPad compare to the Mac track pads?

[@Jorsteen]

I don't really see why there is so much testing of the "lapability" of this device. Even with my laptop I do not do ANY extensive writing with the thing in my lap, when I need to write I sit down at a desk. Therefore this is going to be my device for the rest of my studies. One device that covers the browsing I do while watching TV (tablet), writing my reports and papers (laptop) AND my notetaking in class (pen & paper).

[@Soccercrazyigboman]

But can it be used like a laptop. I need to demo one, but it looks like its pretty much the same thing as Pro 2. I tried Pro 2 but typing when not on a desk was misrable

[@SuperLifelearner]

Can I install Oracle database software on surface?how it will perform....like a laptop?Is is it good for software developer/programmer/coder?

[@scalemath]

For something that would be used for school work and as a second editing computer for youtube, photo editing and stuff like that: Would you recommend the surface pro 3 OR the Yoga 3????

[@Vercongent]

Where are the TPS reports??

[@MegaProfessionnel]

pixel density of its screen is so low,it's only 216 PPI,why is it like this? why not higher?

[@shoenutz]

Is this compatible with an external usb hard drive?

[@ps3Tank11]

hows this for video editing

[@CODgamerOFFICIAL]

can you use the elgato game capure HD with it

[@RevwdGaming]

Don't see why you would want too, a PC has programs such as Dxtory and Fraps, witch work better then Capture Cards.

[@WoWplayer527]

Only ab idiot uses external capture on pc.

[@jorozcomuzik]

I loved your video but I just recently bought a Asus Q500a laptop that has a 750gb hard drive, and 6gb Ram (6bs). Before I bought my laptop I had a Asus Transformer tf-700 but it wasn't what I wanted, which was creating Microsoft documents, PowerPoint, brochures, and work on excel because it constantly lagged and gave me a hard time. But now I kind of miss having a tablet, because it's much lighter than my laptop, and a lot more mobile. Would I have the same problems with the surface pro 3? And would you recommend it for someone who is constantly taking notes, and creating Microsoft documents, PowerPoint, brochures, and work on excel, and heavy web browsing. Also would this tablet work good with programs/games like WinRAR, League of Legends, graphing calculator software such as (TI-Nspire), iTunes, and Dragon Naturally speaking. Another thing I was wondering about is if the memory on the surface pro 3 is expandable. Thank You! Have a great day +BWOne

[@mr21king2]

Is this a good laptop/tablet for college? Loved for review by the way.

[@mmwerner92]

This is one of the best things you can get for college. Being able to write on your class's pdf's is huge for note taking.

[@mr21king2]

Yep ive loved it so far im on it right now actually

[@outerbanksdrum1026]

Would you say for a college student like me this would replace a ipad and a laprop?

[@lewishd1234]

do you get the type cover with the surface or is it an additional extra?

[@realtv708]

Can u use protools?

[@CRBRFILMS]

Can I download torrent on this and run Adobe softwares?

[@rubadubtub9448]

The beast of a laptop does what any other laptop or pc can do.maybe not a high end pc but it sure does beat most average pc or laptops

[@briannabeauty2883]

does it have front camera and back?

[@minionrahman1891]

+Brianna Beauty yeah

[@joepacheco7979]

Your feelings/thoughts on the thermal throttling issue?

[@j.xenn_]

Can you play League of Legends here and other pc games?

[@luigymanx781]

does the display ignore other touches when it is using the stylus?

[@BWOne]

yes it will ignore other touches so you can rest your palm on it.

[@luigymanx781]

Thanks

[@NafisAhmed73]

can u plz tell me what model of intel graphics is used in surface pro 3 ? [if u don't know] u can do that by : windows+r button -> dxdiag -> ok -> yes -> Display ...i really like it and will buy it for sure if that model surprises me

[@tylerbarnes7788]

The i5 uses the HD4400, while the i7 models use the higher end HD5000 graphics.

[@Kykosavage]

Does iTunes work on this device?

[@joseCalderon1976]

Nice device, but I think that it's still not comfortable enough to use in laptop mode, so it would not replace my laptop. Not a fan of the kickstand and the type cover.

[@CharbelAkl]

Can this device support anything you throw at it? Like programming, gaming, editing, rendering,...

[@CharbelAkl]

Oopss never mind I just finished the video :

[@markrottger9292]

what types of games can it handle, could it handle rome total war 1???

[@gurpb2550]

I think it is good for students. I'm in grade 11, and I was thinking about buying it as I need a new laptop, and want a tablet. Not sure if this will make the best laptop though. Any thoughts?

[@marangello16]

Can somebody please answer my question I need a answer. So I just graduated from High School and will be going to university in September , would it be a good idea to buy A surface pro 3 or a regular laptop? Would I be able to do thing I need to do for university things ? I'm gonna take business courses. Thank you :)

[@ramenx2]

I would say buy this, although its a bit mroe expensive but it will really replace your notebook / pen paper. There will be many times in business courses where you (economics, math etc) where you need to take down notes and/or annotate pdf documents that your professor provides, and this device is perfect for that. One Note (part of the office suite) will be your best friend and i guarantee you will no longer need to buy notebooks and print out pdfs just to write on them. The great thing about the surface is that there is no more parallax, which means it is a much smoother writing experience and no "delay" which makes it seem like you are writing naturally. of course it is a full pc with folders, so no need to download third party apps like the crappy android / ios systems just to navigate your files in a simplified manner. trust me, I am a fourth year university business student and I wish this was available in my first year - would have definitely picked it up.

[@skittle186]

i'm in university at the moment, and my surface pro 2 was a GOD SEND! I take all my notes on it and dont need paper anymore at all, which is a lot of money, and a lot of weight saved each day. I would definitely recommend getting a SP3, i'm considering upgrading from my 2 because it has been such an exceptional experience, and on top of that you have a constant use for it. Could not recommend more

[@Rinikyu]

I bought this as my graduation present. I SAY GO FOR IT! laptop is too heavy.

[@scstraus]

It will do anything a similarly powered laptop would do, and you can buy it in combinations up to a very powerful i7 with 8gb of RAM, which will run just about anything. The stylus makes it very good for taking notes on in class, and you could use it for that all day with the 7-9 hours of battery. The main question is about the keyboard. I think it will be fine for light use, but you may want to buy a full size USB keyboard for using at home when you type up papers, etc. Since this is real Windows, it will work with all printers, keyboards, monitors, etc, so it's no problem to buy a $50 full size USB keyboard and use that at home. And the light weight will be a godsend in your backpack. I'd say it's a very good choice for students.

[@DalaKhamnouane]

Easy to take note in class, not too big to carry it around the campus, I would go with this surface pro 3. Laptop is old school now. Both of my boys will get this for their high school work soon.

[@paragme]

Still Surface seems to be attempting to fix a problem that doesn't exists :(. I own Macbook Pro 15 and don't see anything wrong with using Windows most of the time over it. Perhaps this Surface idea is wrong, they should excel at laptop making it more lighter and cooler ?

[@lewmysterhd3651]

Is Microsoft office on this already ?

[@6cmh3]

can you play minecraft(PC)? I an always wondering about that, the specs are high enough to run it

[@BWOne]

It can but its not meant to be a gaming machine but it can do that.

[@nicolasblume1046]

100% sure it does. If you install a mod called "optifine" the framerate will be even better.

[@bbchaos100]

BWOne does it come with Microsoft office pre installed or can you put it on if so how?

[@nicolasblume1046]

bbchaos100 it is not preinstalled, but you can install it your self

[@bbchaos100]

Nicolas Blume Ok thank you, but how do you install it?

[@mattsheehan5033]

Would this be good for a college student?

[@rfinnigizzle]

BWOne I bought a Surface Pro 3 about a week ago. I'm worried about bending the keyboard case around the back like you did in the video in case it might break the keyboard or the plug it connects to, do you think that is something to worry about?

[@BWOne]

It should be fine as its designed to do that

[@rfinnigizzle]

Okay, just wanted to make sure it wouldn't lead to any future problems, thanks!

[@Jordan_Dossou]

surface pro 3 is the the best 2 in 1 tablet/computer yet. I love windows 10 and cortana the Best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@bairfamilyfarm1336]

Cortona is a joke, it really doesn't do much except for stocks and weather. Perhaps a future update will make it usable, at least for me.

[@briannabeauty2883]

it's my birthday today but I won't have my party tell 3 days and I am getting one can u play Minecraft on it and watch Netflix?

[@aldreimislang1003]

yes and yes

[@nicehairline3198]

BWOne is the keyboard cover magnetic

[@BWOne]

Yes it clips on the bottom

[@TonyDiaz.]

How many times have they said the damn keyboard is magnetic?! What, were you born just today man or what the hell?!

[@UntakenNick]

Tony Diaz He meant to ask if the keyboard is magnetic on other end, so it stays attached to the device on both ends..

[@lxs077]

almost costs as much as my pc...

[@TheSilverApe]

Microsoft marketing is going at this all wrong, they shouldn't sell it as a laptop/tablet replacement, but rather as a powerful tablet that can do everything other tablets do and much much more, thanks to Windows 8.1. As an Ultra-tablet so to speak perfect for the business and home users who don't need a keyboard 100% of the time but need power and flexibility only it can provide. It's a tablet and so much more. So many marketing words would sell these like hotcakes yet MS doesn't use any of them.

[@TDxWidowx]

What tablet would you suggest for a college student?

[@TonyDiaz.]

Uh mate, get the Surface 2 -not the pro, the RT version. That toy is very awesome at 449 bucks with a Tegra 4 processor, 2 gigs or ram and 32 gigs or memory.

[@marangello16]

Tony Diaz I disagree , the RT version isn't as good as the pro since surface pro 3 is coming out the surface pro 2 will reduce in prices so ull end up paying the same amount ,about 450-500$ Gert the pro. Just saying

[@TonyDiaz.]

can uzak Well, if you want something better than a tablet, at a good price with great functions I think the Surface 2 is a great option. Of course the Surface Pro 2 or 3 are miles better. But if you already have a PC, I think the Pro's are too much. I'd get the Surface 2.

[@nicolasbradley3234]

Can u get Minecraft on this

[@acata100realcatnotadog5]

it´s a really sexy device (;

[@prodipto]

but can you game on it ??? and if yes the can you play crisis ?

[@Poopinatorism]

Prodipto Majumder no way in hell pal lmao! you can play source games and light indie games.

[@prodipto]

SwagMuffin22 guess it wont be replacing my laptop then

[@Poopinatorism]

The i7 model with 8 gb of ram will be your best bet for gaming.

[@prodipto]

na man i was joking when i asked that ...... much rather get the asus 501 or the upcoming dell xps15 with infinity display

[@wafflestomper5206]

Speakers;location, performance?

[@tylerbarnes7788]

It has two front-facing stereo speakers on the left and right sides (in landscape mode) of the device. These are supposedly 45% louder than the SP2 speakers, which in my opinion could fill a small room quite easily with little distortion.

[@wafflestomper5206]

Thanks Tyler

[@polievets1]

Need price adjustment for sure, way to expensive at least in configuration which make sense, in lower configuration Samsung Pro 12.2 tablet would fit much better

[@RevwdGaming]

Why? If you go and buy a Tablet and Laptop, your already spending more then $1000, witch is already $200 higher then the Surface Pro 3 i3... but instead of having to carry 2 different devices, you only have one, that is twenty times more useful then any other tablet on earth.

[@polievets1]

With i3 and just 64 GIG of memory it would be a hardly a laptop replacement don't you think ?

[@RevwdGaming]

Nick Pol Well the i3 with 64GB is at the same price as the iPad. So that is the more "Tablet" version, for those who don't really plan on using it as a laptop, or those who use External hard drives/Cloud. Even when you get into... like the i5, your still at a equal/cheaper price then most Laptops+Tablets together.

[@polievets1]

could be could be I need to check it first of all so far my windows 8 experience was't perfect anyway

[@RevwdGaming]

Nick Pol Really? Since I updated to Windows 8 iv had nothing but good things happen, now I save WAY more space, my Gaming PC runs faster, boots faster, is more organized, and I don't have to worry if things like my hard drive failing, or my PC being stolen. Since 100+ of my PC is backed up, with Windows 8 all my settings and such are saved, and as for my Files, everything important is always being backed up to OneDrive. Plus there is about a billion other reasons I could mention why im never going back to Windows 7, but id rather not lol

[@rollo109]

Can you download snapchat/Instagram?

[@rubadubtub9448]

Keep in mind it's not really that much of a tablet it's more of a on the go laptop

[@secondmonitorvideos]

Nice review. But that thing is way too expensive

[@ren7ee]

A laptop still has a dvd player that a tablet doesn't have.

[@minionrahman1891]

+Ren7ee yes it does

[@reecemate7499]

I have a very similar tablet and it did not last a year it just started being shitty. the charges wouldn't work. There shit

[@badsombreh]

The only bad thing about it that it started to look like iPad

[@GamerOverT]

Killing two birds with one stone

[@XxPinoyBroxX]

I'll rather wait 5 more years for a better one of these haha

[@surlysmiles]

I don't think you really know what programmers want.. nobody but video editors are going to need an i7

[@BWOne]

Depends on what you are programming and dealing with. Have a lot of friends that are programmers and most use i7 laptops to do what they need. Some are i5 but not often.

[@tylerbarnes7788]

I agree, I recently took a programming class (C++, Java, Python), and we used basic $400 computers (i5, 4GB RAM, basic HDD) to get the job done. However, any heavy video/photo editors, and people who work in a 3-D environment such as Maya or Cinema 4D will NEED an i7.

[@curtismeiring467]

Wow I want it give it to me plz plz plz lol jk jk great video. Can't wait to find a good job to where. Could afford one. Can't wait for you next video love all your videos.

[@wafflestomper5206]

everything the sp3 does can be done with an ultrabook.

[@gorik11]

No ultrabook can be properly used as a tablet so I disagree.

[@wafflestomper5206]

no tablet can be properly used as a laptop

[@gorik11]

Bruce Taliaferro Actually the surface is a fantastic notebook, the only weakness of it is its "lapability" but I am willing to sacrifice that over carrying 2 devices around with me on any day of the week.

[@napro62]

gorik11 I totally agree

[@eminent2003]

An ultrabook cannot become a tablet. Ultrabooks fail at any light, touch and digitizing, one handed use.

[@Ragingfighter1]

I can appreciate the design of the Microsoft surface tablet but I will say this it will not replace a laptop. For the price point you come by almost 2 computers I don't see the point of it for that reason alone you Kabaye not so bad laptop for about 400 reasonable turnaround and buy an iPad mini or even an iPad for the same $1200 price having requiring a keyboard and whatnot it makes no sense to buy this thing

[@BWOne]

Well you have some points but you have to look at this as not a iPad competitor. This is a full PC going against ultrabooks and looking to be the device that replaces both your tablet and PC so you don't have to have both. I think there is a good crowd for that but not everyone.

[@irlshrek]

way too expensive for a glorified tablet!

[@BWOne]

It's a full PC in a tablet body. It does a lot more then any tablet in the market currently. You can to look at the price from that perspective.

[@HTHAMMACK1]

JDOGFTW LOL! What the hell are you talking about? It doesn't cost $2500. It starts at $800.

[@HTHAMMACK1]

Oh God, clueless idiots comparing this to a damn iPad. This is a full PC running high end Intel Core processors, with 64GB to 512GB SSD, 2K screen, full Windows 8, 4 to 8 GB of RAM, etc. This is not a tablet comparable to an Android or an iPad tablet. This is comparable to a MacBook Air or an Ultrabook. The iPad Air is a glorified tablet, but costs $700 for a 64GB model with far worse specs and gimped mobile OS. Yet I bet you have no problem with that.

[@wafflestomper5206]

HTHAMMACK1 This is in competition with ultrabooks? Epic failure, many convertible ultrabooks availiable for less with better specs AND screen. Also the type pad looks cheap and is not included?

[@BWOne]

Bruce Taliaferro This has the same specs and configuration options with many ultrabooks out there now. And we're talking against the premium ultrabook side not the mid range ultrabooks. So you have to look at it from that perspective.

[@lsksupporter]

stygt

[@ethanbailey347]

Its fucking terrible never get it. Its extremly slow and a piece of shit

[@primevalcinders]

Microsoft Haters so you use Mac Os

[@seaman78athome]

Great review. Thank you for calling it a .

[@marangello16]

Can somebody please answer my question I need a answer. So I just graduated from High School and will be going to university in September , would it be a good idea to buy A surface pro 3 or a regular laptop? Would I be able to do thing I need to do for university things ? I'm gonna take business courses. Thank you :)

[@tylerbarnes7788]

If you are going to need power in a thin and light design, then get the Surface. In my opinion it would work fine. I am buying the $1000 version of the SP3 for the last 3 years of my high school education, and I do graphic design, light gaming, and video editing as well. I'd say this is a great laptop/tablet if the price isn't a problem for you.