[video=youtube;O2uRKAIcmvk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2uRKAIcmvk[/video]
At its core, the Surface 3 is a shrunken-down version of the Surface Pro 3 that’s cheaper and less powerful. For many, the $499 price is attractive, but once you’ve added the Type Cover, it’s nearly $630 — and that’s just the base model. I reach for my Surface Pro 3 a lot at home because there’s something about it I just love, but I always travel with a laptop. The Surface 3 won’t change this for me. There ought to be a market for the Surface, because having the power of touch, keyboard, and pen in one single thin and light device is really compelling. But even three years into this experiment, there are just compromises I’m not willing to make, especially on the laptop side. Unless you’re on a tight budget, I would just recommend a laptop or at least the Surface Pro 3 with its adjustable hinge if you really want the pen and touch input.
Perhaps that’s just the story of the Surface. It’s not the "tablet that can replace your laptop" so much as it’s a tablet that wants to be a laptop, and maybe it’s just time Microsoft made a Surface laptop. That’s really what the Surface wants to be.
Good Stuff
- Full version of Windows
- 3:2 aspect ratio improves tablet use
- Bright and colorful display
Bad Stuff
- Awkward hardware for laptop use with small trackpad
- Performance isn't as good as similarly priced laptops
- Weak touch apps for tablet use
7.3/10