Third time's the charm with Microsoft's Surface

Third time's the charm with Microsoft's Surface

By Michael Lasky

Is the Surface tablet best platform for Windows 8? Or is Win8.1 the ideal platform for a powerful and fully functional tablet?

This chicken-or-egg question came to mind while I was reviewing the new Surface 3 and Surface Pro 3. And the answer to both questions is — yes!

On the third try, MS gets its tablet right

Anyone who has worked with Microsoft products for a long time knows the old saw: It takes the company three tries to get it right. That would certainly seem to apply to the Surface tablets, which got off to a very slow and rough start. If you still own an original Surface, my condolences.
The second-generation Surface tablets were an improvement but still failed to gain widespread acceptance. But on its third try, Microsoft might have finally gotten a Windows-based tablet right. The Surface 3 and Surface Pro 3 still have a few glitches, but they should please many Windows users. I found both devices to be fluid and functional — and I say that as an unrepentant Windows 8 critic of long standing.
Microsoft boasts that the third-generation Surface is "the tablet that can replace your laptop." Both models make excellent tablets, but replacing a notebook is a harder sell — especially the Surface 3, which has only a 10.8-inch HD display and a maximum storage of 128GB. The Surface Pro 3 sports a 12-inch HD display and up to 512GB of storage.
Starting prices for the Surface 3 are U.S. $499, and $799 for the Pro version. But a laptop replacement needs a physical keyboard. Adding Microsoft's optional Surface 3 Type Cover, which doubles as a keyboard and screen protector, will set you back another $129.

Figure 1. Using either model of the Surface 3 as a laptop replacement requires purchasing an optional keyboard.

One important note: Surface 3 effectively marks the end of Windows RT, the much-maligned OS that would not run classic Windows apps — causing no end of confusion for Windows-tablet buyers. The Surface 3 and Surface 3 Pro come with full editions of Windows 8.1. They'll also run Windows 10 (no surprise there) when it's released in late July. Previews of the new OS suggest that you'll get an even better tablet/laptop experience once you upgrade.

Surface as tablet: More than iPad with Windows

It could be argued that the overwhelming — and largely unexpected — success of Apple's iPad drove Microsoft's ill-fated development and release of Windows 8 — an OS that clearly had the touch-centric environment of a tablet in mind. But Microsoft made two strategic errors: it assumed that a tablet interface would be easily and willingly adopted on the desktop and that tablet hardware to compete with the iPad could be quickly developed.
Desktop users who tried Win8.1 rebelled en masse, and potential tablet users were unimpressed with the first-generation Surface devices — likely in large part due to a lack of quality Metro apps.
Microsoft obviously learned some hard lessons; the Surface 3 and Surface Pro 3 are designed to be used primarily as tablets with no compromises. The Surface 3 weighs in at just 1.4 pounds, and the Pro 3 is just a few ounces more (1.8 pounds). Attaching the keyboard/cover adds, surprisingly, about another pound.
The Surface 3s are better equipped than most tablets. They support all current versions of Wi-Fi (a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 4.0, and USB 3.0. Ports include a microSD slot, one USB port, Mini DisplayPort, and keyboard port.
Both models have excellent displays, both for static screens and video playback. The Surface 3's 10.8-inch screen supports 1920-by-1280-pixel resolution, while the Pro 3's 12-inch display generates a generous 2160 by 1440 pixels.
The Surface 3s include front and back cameras, but whereas both cameras on the Pro 3 are 5 megapixels, the more basic Surface 3 has a 3.5-megapixel camera on the front and an 8-megapixel camera on the back. Both models have microphones, but the Pro 3's is stereo. I took pleasing photos and videos with the two tablets; I also made Skype calls using the built-in microphones. The Dolby-enhanced stereo speakers produced unexceptional sound but were certainly adequate for Skype. If you're using Skype for listening to music often, I recommend investing in some high-quality headphones or Bluetooth speakers.
Microsoft states that the two tablets should get about nine to 10 hours of use on a full charge. In my informal tests running video, browsing the Web, using Office, and so on, the Surface 3 lasted about eight hours and the Pro a bit less. With continuous video playback, it was more like four or five hours.
As mentioned above, both Surfaces run full versions of Windows, which means you can install and use almost any Windows-based application. But you still have the issue of the operating system's split personality.
As was originally envisioned by Microsoft, Win8.1 Metro-style tiles are well suited to finger-based navigation. They're designed to be easily opened with a tap and managed with gestures. Unfortunately, the selection of useful Metro/Universal apps still leaves much to be desired. And trying to use touch-and-swipe for classic Windows apps — designed for mouse and keyboard — is still vexing.
Microsoft's apparent solution to that problem is the Surface Pen, included with all but the base model Surface 3 (where it's $50 extra). The Pen is a Bluetooth-enabled digitizer that recognizes 256 pressure levels and works both as an input device and pointer. Its small tip makes tapping the small icons of classic Windows apps much easier than with fingers. You can also use it like a ballpoint pen to create, mark up, and edit documents. The one flaw is that there's no pen holder on the tablet, though there is one on the optional keyboard/cover.
Working with Office apps in tablet mode is also somewhat problematic — mostly due to the intrusiveness of the on-screen keyboard. If you plan to do more than minor edits to Office documents, you'll want to purchase the Surface 3 Type Cover or a third-party Bluetooth keyboard. (Unlike a Bluetooth keyboard, the Surface keyboard/cover works only when it's attached to the tablet.) When in use, the keyboard has a slight angle that makes typing a bit more comfortable. Also, the tablet's kickstand lets you choose a comfortable display angle. I found the keyboard generally agreeable to use, though the built-in touchpad seemed too shallow for full effectiveness.

Surface as laptop: Ultrathin and light

Typically, the need for a laptop means you're doing some sort of productivity task. For this type of application, a keyboard is a virtual requirement — but so is a good suite of apps. Both the Surface 3 and the Pro 3 include a one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal. That includes full versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook plus at least 1TB of online OneDrive storage for one user (along with free phone/chat technical support).
Equipped with solid-state memory, the two Surface 3s boot up in seconds and switch between apps in a flash. However, the Surface 3, running a 1.6GHz Atom x7 processor, was noticeably slower than the Pro 3 running an Intel Core (i3, i5, or i7) processor. Still, the Surface 3 proved up to most tasks such as Web browsing, running Office, and viewing videos. (While watching movies, I did notice that the Surface's metal case became noticeably hot. I solved that problem by popping out the kickstand and resting the tablet on something other than myself. Some users of the Pro 3 report noticeable fan noise in some instances.)
On a tablet with a super-slender chassis, a standard USB port is a luxury. But on a laptop replacement, one USB port can present a quandary solved only by adding a multiport hub. Adding the VisionTek USB 3.0 Seven Port Hub I reviewed in the Oct. 23, 2014, Best Hardware column allowed me to connect a USB external drive, a mouse, and a printer. Microsoft also offers an optional docking station for $200; it includes two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, a gigabit Ethernet port, an audio input/output connection, a Mini DisplayPort, and power supply input.
Bottom line: If you're looking for a laptop alternative, go with the Surface Pro 3. In my tests, it had the power to handle all the apps I used on my bulky Win7 laptop; moreover, the 12-inch screen also provides more desktop real estate than does the Surface 3.

Still paying a premium for ultra-portability

As mentioned earlier, you can purchase a Surface 3 for $500. But the keyboard/cover adds another $129, plus $50 for a pen. You're now up to $680. That's more than a low-end iPad — even adding a Bluetooth keyboard and free Office apps. It's more than many inexpensive, traditional laptops.
The Surface Pro 3 starts at $799, but the top-end model, with 512GB of storage and an Intel Core i7, will set you back a whopping $1949 — and you still need to add another $129 for the keyboard. Even some of the bundled packages offered by vendors such as Costco seem overpriced. At least for the Surface Pro 3, I think Microsoft should include the keyboard with the current prices.
That said, the Surface 3 and Pro 3 offer the best and most convincing implementations of Windows 8.1. And they should be even better with Windows 10. If you're looking for a simple tablet, mostly for entertainment, look for an iPad or Android tablet. If you want to get real work done on a truly flexible and mobile device, the Surface should fit your needs. Portability and power have never been cheap.