Lol I have been a subscriber for several years and that is because this is the BEST and most honest reviewer on youtube. Nothing to do with her gender.
She's been doing this for a while. She and Brigette Carey are the first I remember (though Brigitte, bless her(!) might be more of a talking head (mouth piece) where Lisa is the real Mccoy).. :)
The SJW's have really messed things up bad haven't they... Did I say that women were better than men at reviewing products? Or the other way around? I meant it's nice to listen to a female voice review tech products as opposed to the countless male voices and shrill female voices already on youtube.
Preordered the 4gb and picked it up Monday from best buy. Previous owner of a surface pro 3 i7 256gb and a dell xps 9343 qhd. Out of all of them I like the surface 3 the best. The size and weight make it actually usable as a tablet while the keyboard makes it a great laptop albeit not the most powerful. I'm typing this on the onscreen keyboard which I could never do on the pro 3 and I have some big mitts. As a laptop I find it more than adequate for what I do... browsing Netflix, word editing and even some warcraft at low settings... butter smooth. I'm surprised at how well the atom performs. Playing 1080p video while typing in one note not a hiccup. What really impresses me is how much more light it is than the pro. I'd say it really is a tablet that can be a decent laptop. I manage 87wpm on this which is actually more than I could on the dell which really surprised me. I'm averaging 9+ hours battery life according to battery meter and I can tell that's on point. Don't let the atom fool you. Unless you're doing extremely heavy graphics editing or high end gaming give this baby a good look. I didn't get the pen since I don't do art but when school starts up ill be getting one. The kickstand is not as wide open as the pro but more than adequate for couch and lap use. I'm typing this while holding it up. Can't do that on a pro. Hope this helps someone make a choice !
Watching on my surface 3.. :) I love mine.. My dad has an ipad.. Will never trade my surface for an ipad after seeing the difference.. Forget split window n multi tasking crap.. In this u can open as many windows as u want at one time n keep stuff running in the bacground.. With windows 10 its the best tab out there thats actually more of a computer..
I bought an Acer Switch 10 for my wife last December. I think I paid something like $250, so basically half of what this new MS tablet goes for. Sure, it's usable, but it's nowhere near as nice as the Surface 3. The screen resolution is only 1280x800 and the IQ is not even close to that of the S3. Also, the S3 uses a faster, last-generation Atom, which, to the best of my knowledge, no other manufacturers have adopted yet. If the S3 was available back then, I would have gladly spent the extra money (even if most likely my technophobic wife wouldn't be able to appreciate the better screen and the extra performance...) I use a Surface Pro 3 as my travel laptop/tablet and I love it. As usual, kudos to Lisa for the best tech reviews on YT. You go girl!
Great review as always Lisa. This Surface is meant to be for student or casual user who just need Chrome to watch Netflix. You can take notes, watch movies, use Office, beautiful screen, and it's also light as hell. Don't look too much at the specs when you shop for computer, just look for what you need to do and if the machine would perform comfortably. Lisa emphasized the word PORTABLE, The only thing that I would love MS to do is to lower the price of the keyboards a little bit, and pushing 4 GB of ram as lowest config, not 2 GB.
I'd love to see the smackdown between Surface 3 and the iPad Air 2 since it's clear the S3 is not aimed towards heavy multitasking (like the iPad, which has no multitasking whatsoever), both cost the same. In my opinion it makes more sense to compare the S3 with other tablets than with other laptops since the SP3 is like a laptop that can be used as an occasional tablet while the S3 is a tablet that can sort-of heavy-lift as a laptop occasionally =)
Iuri Kato The Surface 3 is a full on laptop-tablet hybrid, not just a tablet. It might not have the power as regular laptops, but it runs a full desktop OS. The 12inch MacBook doesn't have much power either, but it's still a laptop. The Surface 3 should be compared to a MacBook, not an iPad.
Night and day. This is for the time you are away and get a work email with a problem. I can still open InDesign, Photoshop or illustrator and fix the file and send it back. You do not need all the power in the world, just the ability to open desktop level software - that is what a tablet with Windows gives you.
4NewHop3 I understand your point but I kinda disagree hehe. Mostly for the price point: 499+130 on the S3 vs 1299 on the MacBook. And with that, the MacBook comes with 4x more RAM and a better processor. But the main point for me is that, the Surface line (and hybrids in general) can be approached from multiple angles. If you approach the S3 mainly as a laptop that can be used as a tablet, the experience will be frustrating, and this is how I'm seeing all tech reviewers approaching the device. Everybody is pointing out how you can't do heavy multitasking and how you can't edit 4k videos or heavy photo editing on the S3, while nobody complains that you can't even try those on an iPad (that has the same price point with 16gb of storage vs 64gb on the S3). So I would love the see the smackdown between these devices to see how much of a TABLET the S3 can be and, as a "bonus", I can do stuff like 3212adolfo said: emergency or light work when I'm on the go, and use my full laptop when I need to do the heavy lifting =)!
I agree. I think the surface 3 leans toward an iPad than any notebooks. However, compare to iOS, the drawback here is the amount of applications provided by windows App Store.
I love this thing. Not as my only computer, but as a truly portable tablet that can double as a laptop while on the go. The inclusion of the pen is a huge benefit - for me really seals the deal. You can switch between meetings and interviews from laptop mode to notepad pen mode with OneNote or Windows Journal. The size and weight are perfect. Performance is good enough for this use. This is a real break through for a specific nitch. Love it!
The only problem with the Surface now are the keyboards since they're so fucking expensive. If they made them $50 or something then it would be a lot easier to recommend one. I'm not a Surface hater either, in fact I'm writing this on a first gen Surface Pro.
***** You don't have to buy the keyboards Microsoft sells if you don't want to. It is usable without a keyboard or you can just buy a cheap Bluetooth keyboard.
webcomment That defeats the purpose of a Surface then. I love the Surface keyboards, but they definitely don't need to charge as much as they do for them. I doubt they cost more than $50 to make.
If these came with the keyboard I'd seriously consider ditching my iPad for one. But with the 4gb version being $599 and the keyboard adding $130 it's just too far out of my price range. At that point you might as well splurge for the pro or just buy a really nice regular laptop.
TheInsanityUnleashed I did the math on adding the expensive accessories and I decided to go with a used Macbook pro from a good dealer. The Macbook Pro is 739 with no shipping no taxes. Albeit it gently used, it can still do what I need for school and some recreation. I have had several windows PCs my whole life. I was raised on Windows. Then 10 came out and my husband's laptop upgraded to 10. I don't love it and I feel iffy about how it works and makes you update on its schedule not on your own which could potentially interfere with my studies if I can't defer updates. The only downside I saw to the used Macbook Pro is that no Macbook on the market has a touch screen but I want a traditional laptop more than I want a tablet. So that's what I'm doing. Just some random ramblings I'm sharing. But people usually say Windows is cheaper than Apple. Right now Best Buy has a new Macbook Air (latest model) for students for 749 + tax. with more flash storage than the Windows Surface 3 which the low end one has 64 GB. Once you add on the accessories for the Surface 3 you've spent 679 plus tax and its still a lower specs than the Macbook Air. In order to get one with similar internal storage as the Macbook Air you have to pay 600 plus accessories which puts the Microsoft Surface 3's price at above the apple product's price that already comes with its own keyboard. I know the Air isn't touch screen but its a hit I'm willing to take since I don't want a tablet anyway. I want a traditional laptop to use for school and taking notes and in this case, Apple wins my favor. Especially since I like to tell the computer what to do I don't want it telling me what to do. That kind of makes the computer the owner. If I could find a Windows that won't kill itself three months into using it, that will let me do some light gaming like occasionally minecraft, that will let me defer updates, that will let me watch netflix, take notes, browse youtube, get my emails...and fit my tight school budget then I'd buy it before I'd buy Apple. But at the rate windows is going, I'm unimpressed and switching sides. I'm disappointed by how lame Windows has gotten and I was always a Windows girl.
Hello Lisa, Which of the following two devices you would recommend: - Surface pro 4 Core M3-6Y30 HDD 128GB RAM 4GB or - Surface 3 Atom x7-Z8700 HDD 128GB RAM 4GB
so if I were to use this for basic web browsing, microsoft office, and playing some GameCube games off an emulator would I be well off using this device as my only main computer?
@10:16 my great grandmother has given me one of her paintings of the seven sisters at that exact spot! Those houses are the life guard cottages (I'm UK) :)))
Thank you for such a great informative video! You are and will always be my number one stop for any technological question. Your videos are always very informative and understandable for the average viewer.
Hi Lisa, would you choose this over a macbook air 11 inch. Right now the macbook air 11 inch 2014 model is 670 dollars for officially refurbished models. After adding the touch keyboard and the pen the cost of the surface was a more expensive for the 4 gig model which is what I would get if I were to go with the surface. I am familiar with both operating systems. I just am curious what your thoughts are n what is the smarter buy.
The little bendable part of the Type Cover near the screen is also magnetic, and attaches to the lower half of the screen. It gives an angle to the keyboard, like a regular desktop keyboard, to make it more ergonomic.
Costco sells this 4GB/128GB model in a bundle (Surface, Surface keyboard, Surface pen and Office 360) for $700. I pre-ordered one and it should be delivered today.
Hey Lisa, I have to tell you that I really love your reviews. Straight -up information, the pros & cons. I even have my kids watching you ! They are aduls with their own wallets (sometime) anyway keep on with the great work.
I have a question of opinion. I would like to buy either this Surface tablet or a MacBook Air for my school work, would you recommended this tablet for a student. I basically need to do some school work like doing papers and research. I love the MacBook Air because it's small and thin but of course it does not have touch. I love the idea of getting a Surface because it has full Window which is amazing and it appears to have great performance.
Lisa, awesome review as always. Do you think that Surface 3 can run with no problems Visual Studio and SQL Management Studio at the same time? This would be most resource consumming task I would do with this pretty cool tablet. Thank you for your response
Nice review, just the info I was looking for. Already got mine on order. It seems like it will be most useful for both work and play - I love the pen integration and the fact that I can actually work in Excel. Finally, they have it at a price point that works for me.
I don't quite get the negativity about the charging time. It's simple physics and the limitation of micro usb. They can only supply 13W through it. The ipad 4 is comparable and has a charge time approaching 6 hours, so even longer. The SP3 can supply 36W through the docking/power port so can charge in around just 2 hours, which is extremely fast compared to most other devices.
how good is the camera compared to the surface pro 2? i have a surface pro 2 and i am a student who takes pictures and scan documents in class for later use
Do you think this is reliable for students in terms of running office, reading papers, taking notes and for multitasking for these purposes. Could you take notes and read a paper side by side without lags?
Thanks a lot for the review. Do you happen to have any idea if this could run Autodesk Inventor, or would I be better off saving up for the Pro model, or a workstation?
I'm thinking about replacing my mid 2012 macBook Air with the S3. Any opinions on that ? Also is the AtomX7 good enough for light Java and MatLab programming ? I have a Desktop with sufficient power for all heavy duty tasks. So how would it perform in comparison to the i5 mb Air ?
I can understand making the stylus an optional extra, but they should really include the keyboard in the price if they want to mark it as a laptop as well as a tablet
Great video. Will my type cover 2 work with the surface 3? I'm currently using the surface 2 but want to escape from RT now, and I really don't want to fork out for another keyboard when I don't see why the one I have now wouldn't work...
Lisa, I am looking to buy one of these to replace my first gen Acer Aspire Switch 10 and my Sony Vaio Duo 13 at the same time. The only sticking point for me is that charging time you described. Do you know if this might accept a beefier charger for faster speeds, or if a higher power charger would simply be wasted money?
i plan on buying this for drawing, and quick sketches, how good is the pen for this kind of stuff? also, do you think it can run the program blender without too much lag? thank you! ( I plan to buy the 4gb of RAM version)
Lisa, would you recommend this or the Macbook Air 2015 for the following: Webbrowsing light photoshop light gaming emails document creation/processing (word, excel, etc)
Thanks for the helpful review. I was wondering if I can consider Surface 3 as a legit upgrade from Asus X205TA. Now, I use my X205TA mostly for MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. It gets work done, but it is quite slow, especially when I have Chrome running at the same time. I bought the device for the need to be able to do my work on the go. It's been almost a year now, and with the price, I am OK with it. However, I am willing to spend $499 on Surface 3, 4G model, if it is faster than X205TA. Any help is welcome. I'd be very appreciative. :)
It would suit my needs for a compact, lightweight portable for Web browsing, Twitter /Facebook etc. Microsoft should give a bundle price on top cover, charging dock, pen.
I am interested in creating documents on a tablet if this is possible using word and then printing them. I am looking at tablets because I am an ESL teaching in Mexico and am getting tired of carrying a heavy computer while walking and taking the bus here in Mexico. If at all possible I would love a tablet I could load the software program Final Draft so I can work on screen plays in my free time. Does such a tablet exist that can do these tasks?
I torn between the surface 3 or the dell xps 13 witch one should I get and I'm gonnq be using it for school work and play some games on it! Pls answer!
What I am looking forward to is the LTE model. Having the LTE wireless and running from a cell phone charger or USB battery means it can be used more flexably than the pro when it comes to location and power.
This most likely can't handle the comics I make, the largest my comics get is 200 MB. The program I use on my Surface Pro 3 Clip Studio Paint does crash on it but mostly when I try to use the lasso tool, I use my Pro 3 90% of the time. I was curious if the Surface 3 would be sufficient enough for light gaming and heavy web browsing? I think this would be a perfect computer for my sister.
would it be possible to compare the surface 2 and the surface 3? pretty please? all i can find are comparisons with surface 3 vs surface 3pro or some full blown laptop where the result in terms of computational power is a foregone conclusion ... i would really like to see how the arm based surface 2 stacks up against the atom based surface 3 in for excample 3dmark and the few tests that can be run cross platform.
i'm fan of the surface line, but many times it has death pixels. i'm curious if my surface 3 don't have death pixels. going to sell this one in a view days. lisa, do you look to death pixels in your reviews of the surface models? can you do it? im curious ,but not surprised if you have death or stuck pixels. please commend. it happened by my surface-surface 2- pro2 and pro 3. all the times. i have to say i always get a new one, for some reason the second one is free of death pixels. exept the pro3. 2 times there
Lisa, good review. Could you compare the Surface 3 performance with other laptops or tablets that use the Core M processor? As you probably know, Microsoft claims the Surface 3 Atom processor has about 80% of the performance of the i3. If that is true, I would expect the Atom to be pretty close to the Core M. Of course, overall performance of the Surface 3 is probably held back by its slower storage.
Lisa again another top quality review. QUESTION: on the Surface 3 with Atom 128gb and 4gb ram , how would that compare with the i-3 Surface 3 Pro 64gb 4gb ram performance wise. (I understand the Pro would only have about 37gb storage but the SD 128gb it would work as a tablet. Currently MS has the S3 at $599 and the Pro at $649. only $50 difference. I don't plan on using a keyboard. I have Note tablets 8, 10.1 and 12.2 but I want a Win tab and Lumina 950XL . So Win 10 on phone, tablet and desktops on Ultrabook seems like a good way to go. Thank You Be Well
I wish they could have made it a bit thicker to a larger battery and maybe one or two more ports. They could have gone with usb c charging like the macbook did.
Hi Lisa and thanks for the great review can you tell me the exact specs of the surface 3 power supply? amps? volts? I travel allot and have several devices so I'm looking for one charger to charge them all.
I purchased the Surface 3 128 GB Model as a bundle package (Surface 3 Pen and Type Keyboard included for $769.00 ). I am very happy with the purchase I have had it for about a month now I disagree with NuRal but everyone is entitled to there own views as far as a scratch you should be more carefull and not scratch it in the first place.
I've always thought that tablets were a waste of money until this was announced. It's almost at the same price point as the Nexus 9 and IPad Air, but with more functionality; although the keyboard and pen substantially add to the cost. It has certainly piqued my interest.
Vicki k Gibson Flipping over like that isn't nearly as useful without the superb stylus support that the SP3 brings. Plus, those types of laptops are always bulkier and heavier.
James Russo sayresy Devino yeah, but the SP3 is a larger device. Money was not the issue for me when the SP3 came out it was the sheer size of it that bugged me. I like the Surface 3, not too small or big
Mikenopolis yea the SP3 is pretty big. Tho I have the cintiq companion that is 13.3" and quite heavy. I am a massive fan of the fully capable PC/tablet, aka S3.SP3. phone operating systems in a tablet just dont do it for me. I like the price of the S3, but feel that I would regret not saving that bit more for the more powerfull i3/i5 model..
James Russo Actually I hear x7 Atom processor may be better at multitasking, because of the 2 extra cores. Core M will obviously be better at more power hungry applications but for multitasking multiple lightweight applications, I don't think the Atom will be so bad.
I am writing this comment on a Surface 3. I didn't preorder, just walked into Best Buy and picked it up yesterday. 128GB HDD, 4GB RAM EDIT: Btw, if anyone is having strange issues with their stylus, download drivers from Ntrigs website. It was like night and day. Before I downloaded the drivers, my pen behaved like HP's stylus solution. Now it feels just as good as my SP3.
It's really refreshing to see a woman reviewing tech products. Always a joy to watch your videos :)
Lol I have been a subscriber for several years and that is because this is the BEST and most honest reviewer on youtube. Nothing to do with her gender.
MrC0MPUT3R Lol, beta.
She's been doing this for a while. She and Brigette Carey are the first I remember (though Brigitte, bless her(!) might be more of a talking head (mouth piece) where Lisa is the real Mccoy).. :)
+MrC0MPUT3R Here we go. Male or Female, doesn't matter. Shes good at what she does
The SJW's have really messed things up bad haven't they...
Did I say that women were better than men at reviewing products? Or the other way around?
I meant it's nice to listen to a female voice review tech products as opposed to the countless male voices and shrill female voices already on youtube.
One of the few tech reviewers who doesn't treat the stylus like a foreign object.
Preordered the 4gb and picked it up Monday from best buy. Previous owner of a surface pro 3 i7 256gb and a dell xps 9343 qhd. Out of all of them I like the surface 3 the best. The size and weight make it actually usable as a tablet while the keyboard makes it a great laptop albeit not the most powerful. I'm typing this on the onscreen keyboard which I could never do on the pro 3 and I have some big mitts. As a laptop I find it more than adequate for what I do... browsing Netflix, word editing and even some warcraft at low settings... butter smooth. I'm surprised at how well the atom performs. Playing 1080p video while typing in one note not a hiccup. What really impresses me is how much more light it is than the pro. I'd say it really is a tablet that can be a decent laptop. I manage 87wpm on this which is actually more than I could on the dell which really surprised me. I'm averaging 9+ hours battery life according to battery meter and I can tell that's on point. Don't let the atom fool you. Unless you're doing extremely heavy graphics editing or high end gaming give this baby a good look. I didn't get the pen since I don't do art but when school starts up ill be getting one. The kickstand is not as wide open as the pro but more than adequate for couch and lap use. I'm typing this while holding it up. Can't do that on a pro. Hope this helps someone make a choice !
Very helpful:)
You can play WoW on this? What about Smite??
Candy's Channel never played smite. .. sorry
***** Sorry... don't play minecraft
***** funny, plenty of reviews say it will on low but acceptable settings...
Watching on my surface 3.. :) I love mine.. My dad has an ipad.. Will never trade my surface for an ipad after seeing the difference.. Forget split window n multi tasking crap.. In this u can open as many windows as u want at one time n keep stuff running in the bacground.. With windows 10 its the best tab out there thats actually more of a computer..
here is the thing, everybody is reviewing the 4/126 model not the 2/64 one. i would be interested to know more on the 64GB one.
I bought an Acer Switch 10 for my wife last December. I think I paid something like $250, so basically half of what this new MS tablet goes for. Sure, it's usable, but it's nowhere near as nice as the Surface 3. The screen resolution is only 1280x800 and the IQ is not even close to that of the S3. Also, the S3 uses a faster, last-generation Atom, which, to the best of my knowledge, no other manufacturers have adopted yet. If the S3 was available back then, I would have gladly spent the extra money (even if most likely my technophobic wife wouldn't be able to appreciate the better screen and the extra performance...) I use a Surface Pro 3 as my travel laptop/tablet and I love it.
As usual, kudos to Lisa for the best tech reviews on YT. You go girl!
Finally Microsoft Surface 3 review
***** I cant. Im on mobile!
Lisa, Your revirews are fantastic. Don't know how it took so long to find you. subscribed.
Great review as always Lisa.
This Surface is meant to be for student or casual user who just need Chrome to watch Netflix. You can take notes, watch movies, use Office, beautiful screen, and it's also light as hell. Don't look too much at the specs when you shop for computer, just look for what you need to do and if the machine would perform comfortably. Lisa emphasized the word PORTABLE,
The only thing that I would love MS to do is to lower the price of the keyboards a little bit, and pushing 4 GB of ram as lowest config, not 2 GB.
I was JUST wondering when you would upload the review to the Surface 3 and minutes later I see it in my subs! Awesome! Thank you!
Thanks pre-ordered one of these and this review is the best one I have seen. Thanks
I'd love to see the smackdown between Surface 3 and the iPad Air 2 since it's clear the S3 is not aimed towards heavy multitasking (like the iPad, which has no multitasking whatsoever), both cost the same. In my opinion it makes more sense to compare the S3 with other tablets than with other laptops since the SP3 is like a laptop that can be used as an occasional tablet while the S3 is a tablet that can sort-of heavy-lift as a laptop occasionally =)
Iuri Kato The Surface 3 is a full on laptop-tablet hybrid, not just a tablet. It might not have the power as regular laptops, but it runs a full desktop OS. The 12inch MacBook doesn't have much power either, but it's still a laptop. The Surface 3 should be compared to a MacBook, not an iPad.
Night and day. This is for the time you are away and get a work email with a problem. I can still open InDesign, Photoshop or illustrator and fix the file and send it back. You do not need all the power in the world, just the ability to open desktop level software - that is what a tablet with Windows gives you.
4NewHop3 I understand your point but I kinda disagree hehe. Mostly for the price point: 499+130 on the S3 vs 1299 on the MacBook. And with that, the MacBook comes with 4x more RAM and a better processor. But the main point for me is that, the Surface line (and hybrids in general) can be approached from multiple angles. If you approach the S3 mainly as a laptop that can be used as a tablet, the experience will be frustrating, and this is how I'm seeing all tech reviewers approaching the device.
Everybody is pointing out how you can't do heavy multitasking and how you can't edit 4k videos or heavy photo editing on the S3, while nobody complains that you can't even try those on an iPad (that has the same price point with 16gb of storage vs 64gb on the S3). So I would love the see the smackdown between these devices to see how much of a TABLET the S3 can be and, as a "bonus", I can do stuff like 3212adolfo said: emergency or light work when I'm on the go, and use my full laptop when I need to do the heavy lifting =)!
I agree. I think the surface 3 leans toward an iPad than any notebooks. However, compare to iOS, the drawback here is the amount of applications provided by windows App Store.
I consider it a weak laptop Or a decent tablet for fact of full windows pretty neat on a tablet. Other than way better products on market
gj lisa love your reviews (completely unbiased) you should get more views
I love this thing. Not as my only computer, but as a truly portable tablet that can double as a laptop while on the go. The inclusion of the pen is a huge benefit - for me really seals the deal. You can switch between meetings and interviews from laptop mode to notepad pen mode with OneNote or Windows Journal. The size and weight are perfect. Performance is good enough for this use. This is a real break through for a specific nitch. Love it!
The only problem with the Surface now are the keyboards since they're so fucking expensive. If they made them $50 or something then it would be a lot easier to recommend one. I'm not a Surface hater either, in fact I'm writing this on a first gen Surface Pro.
***** You don't have to buy the keyboards Microsoft sells if you don't want to. It is usable without a keyboard or you can just buy a cheap Bluetooth keyboard.
webcomment but then it is like any other tablet, isn't it?
webcomment
That defeats the purpose of a Surface then. I love the Surface keyboards, but they definitely don't need to charge as much as they do for them. I doubt they cost more than $50 to make.
It's all marketing and they do it intentionally IMO
With a highly priced accessory
You would want to buy the premium model or even get the pro version
+Jack Stavris $129 for backlighted keyboard is not that expensive with the new Ipad pro smart keyboard at $169 with no backlight LOL
If these came with the keyboard I'd seriously consider ditching my iPad for one. But with the 4gb version being $599 and the keyboard adding $130 it's just too far out of my price range. At that point you might as well splurge for the pro or just buy a really nice regular laptop.
I agree totally.
TheInsanityUnleashed I did the math on adding the expensive accessories and I decided to go with a used Macbook pro from a good dealer. The Macbook Pro is 739 with no shipping no taxes. Albeit it gently used, it can still do what I need for school and some recreation. I have had several windows PCs my whole life. I was raised on Windows. Then 10 came out and my husband's laptop upgraded to 10. I don't love it and I feel iffy about how it works and makes you update on its schedule not on your own which could potentially interfere with my studies if I can't defer updates. The only downside I saw to the used Macbook Pro is that no Macbook on the market has a touch screen but I want a traditional laptop more than I want a tablet. So that's what I'm doing.
Just some random ramblings I'm sharing. But people usually say Windows is cheaper than Apple. Right now Best Buy has a new Macbook Air (latest model) for students for 749 + tax. with more flash storage than the Windows Surface 3 which the low end one has 64 GB. Once you add on the accessories for the Surface 3 you've spent 679 plus tax and its still a lower specs than the Macbook Air.
In order to get one with similar internal storage as the Macbook Air you have to pay 600 plus accessories which puts the Microsoft Surface 3's price at above the apple product's price that already comes with its own keyboard. I know the Air isn't touch screen but its a hit I'm willing to take since I don't want a tablet anyway. I want a traditional laptop to use for school and taking notes and in this case, Apple wins my favor. Especially since I like to tell the computer what to do I don't want it telling me what to do. That kind of makes the computer the owner.
If I could find a Windows that won't kill itself three months into using it, that will let me do some light gaming like occasionally minecraft, that will let me defer updates, that will let me watch netflix, take notes, browse youtube, get my emails...and fit my tight school budget then I'd buy it before I'd buy Apple. But at the rate windows is going, I'm unimpressed and switching sides. I'm disappointed by how lame Windows has gotten and I was always a Windows girl.
Great review!! Ms. Gade, you don't disappoint!
Hello Lisa, Which of the following two devices you would recommend: - Surface pro 4 Core M3-6Y30 HDD 128GB RAM 4GB or - Surface 3 Atom x7-Z8700 HDD 128GB RAM 4GB
as long as it's faster than this Acer Iconia W510 I've owned for the past few years :) I'll be super happy
so if I were to use this for basic web browsing, microsoft office, and playing some GameCube games off an emulator would I be well off using this device as my only main computer?
Awesome Review!!
I am buying this tablet for schoolwork and web browsing I think this is the perfect model for me.
@10:16 my great grandmother has given me one of her paintings of the seven sisters at that exact spot! Those houses are the life guard cottages (I'm UK) :)))
Just two days ago I was wondering if you were going to make a review on it and you did I'm sorry happy you did you do such good reviews
Thanks for eviewing all tthese products lisa, whenever I buy technology I always check your channel out :)
I really like your reviews Lisa
Thank you for such a great informative video! You are and will always be my number one stop for any technological question. Your videos are always very informative and understandable for the average viewer.
I love your reviews! They are so detailed and helpful. Thanks
Hi Lisa,
would you choose this over a macbook air 11 inch. Right now the macbook air 11 inch 2014 model is 670 dollars for officially refurbished models. After adding the touch keyboard and the pen the cost of the surface was a more expensive for the 4 gig model which is what I would get if I were to go with the surface. I am familiar with both operating systems. I just am curious what your thoughts are n what is the smarter buy.
The little bendable part of the Type Cover near the screen is also magnetic, and attaches to the lower half of the screen. It gives an angle to the keyboard, like a regular desktop keyboard, to make it more ergonomic.
I was waiting for yr review on this.. thanks Lisa
Costco sells this 4GB/128GB model in a bundle (Surface, Surface keyboard, Surface pen and Office 360) for $700. I pre-ordered one and it should be delivered today.
Do you get to choose the pen and keyboard color?
No
Looks good! Would anyone recommend it for high school work?
Would like to see a smack down between the Surface 3 & the Lenovo Thinkpad 10. They seem to be very close in specks.
Hey Lisa, I have to tell you that I really love your reviews. Straight -up information, the pros & cons. I even have my kids watching you ! They are aduls with their own wallets (sometime) anyway keep on with the great work.
Just love your reviews Lisa! :)
Hi, can I ask what comes in the box? Only the tablet and the charger? What are the things that you have to purchase separately? Thanks! :)
Can you use an external hard drive with the likes of these tablets?
I have a question of opinion. I would like to buy either this Surface tablet or a MacBook Air for my school work, would you recommended this tablet for a student. I basically need to do some school work like doing papers and research. I love the MacBook Air because it's small and thin but of course it does not have touch. I love the idea of getting a Surface because it has full Window which is amazing and it appears to have great performance.
Lisa, awesome review as always. Do you think that Surface 3 can run with no problems Visual Studio and SQL Management Studio at the same time? This would be most resource consumming task I would do with this pretty cool tablet. Thank you for your response
Gerardo Aguilar Not sure they'd run quickly together. Definitely get the 4 gigs of RAM model.
Nice review, just the info I was looking for. Already got mine on order. It seems like it will be most useful for both work and play - I love the pen integration and the fact that I can actually work in Excel. Finally, they have it at a price point that works for me.
I don't quite get the negativity about the charging time. It's simple physics and the limitation of micro usb. They can only supply 13W through it. The ipad 4 is comparable and has a charge time approaching 6 hours, so even longer. The SP3 can supply 36W through the docking/power port so can charge in around just 2 hours, which is extremely fast compared to most other devices.
how good is the camera compared to the surface pro 2? i have a surface pro 2 and i am a student who takes pictures and scan documents in class for later use
Looking for something simple for our son to use for Scratch/Arduino programming. Will this be good for him?
Do you think this is reliable for students in terms of running office, reading papers, taking notes and for multitasking for these purposes. Could you take notes and read a paper side by side without lags?
Thanks a lot for the review. Do you happen to have any idea if this could run Autodesk Inventor, or would I be better off saving up for the Pro model, or a workstation?
I'm thinking about replacing my mid 2012 macBook Air with the S3. Any opinions on that ?
Also is the AtomX7 good enough for light Java and MatLab programming ? I have a Desktop with sufficient power for all heavy duty tasks. So how would it perform in comparison to the i5 mb Air ?
Looking for a budget-ish travel laptop/tablet, would you recommend this, the Yoga 3 11, Asus T300 Chi, or something else?
I can understand making the stylus an optional extra, but they should really include the keyboard in the price if they want to mark it as a laptop as well as a tablet
Great video. Will my type cover 2 work with the surface 3? I'm currently using the surface 2 but want to escape from RT now, and I really don't want to fork out for another keyboard when I don't see why the one I have now wouldn't work...
Would this be better or Lenovo yoga tablet 2 :0
Lisa, I am looking to buy one of these to replace my first gen Acer Aspire Switch 10 and my Sony Vaio Duo 13 at the same time. The only sticking point for me is that charging time you described. Do you know if this might accept a beefier charger for faster speeds, or if a higher power charger would simply be wasted money?
Lisa, this may not be that much important, but have you tried the camera? any review on it?
i plan on buying this for drawing, and quick sketches, how good is the pen for this kind of stuff? also, do you think it can run the program blender without too much lag? thank you! ( I plan to buy the 4gb of RAM version)
Lisa, would you recommend this or the Macbook Air 2015 for the following:
Webbrowsing
light photoshop
light gaming
emails
document creation/processing (word, excel, etc)
Really like the reviewer, clearly knows what she's talking about but doesn't go overboard. Reminds me of Christina H. Sommers (faint praise indeed!)
can i ask something, if you buy the pen where are going to place it?
Thanks for the helpful review.
I was wondering if I can consider Surface 3 as a legit upgrade from Asus X205TA. Now, I use my X205TA mostly for MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. It gets work done, but it is quite slow, especially when I have Chrome running at the same time. I bought the device for the need to be able to do my work on the go. It's been almost a year now, and with the price, I am OK with it. However, I am willing to spend $499 on Surface 3, 4G model, if it is faster than X205TA. Any help is welcome. I'd be very appreciative. :)
It would suit my needs for a compact, lightweight portable for Web browsing, Twitter /Facebook etc. Microsoft should give a bundle price on top cover, charging dock, pen.
Would this be good for a student?
I am interested in creating documents on a tablet if this is possible using word and then printing them. I am looking at tablets because I am an ESL teaching in Mexico and am getting tired of carrying a heavy computer while walking and taking the bus here in Mexico. If at all possible I would love a tablet I could load the software program Final Draft so I can work on screen plays in my free time. Does such a tablet exist that can do these tasks?
I torn between the surface 3 or the dell xps 13 witch one should I get and I'm gonnq be using it for school work and play some games on it! Pls answer!
How do you think this compares to the iPad Air 2?
It doesn't, how would you compare a full OS to a mobile OS?
What I am looking forward to is the LTE model. Having the LTE wireless and running from a cell phone charger or USB battery means it can be used more flexably than the pro when it comes to location and power.
But all the surface pro 3's being released this quarter aren't running RT anymore. so they're more easy to compare, with price in mind.
I love your tech reviews..!!!
Would you suggest gettin virus protection for a tablet/laptop like this?
It's worth mentioning the keyboard is pretty much the same size as the Pro model, only smaller by removing the extra space on the sides.
To those saying the keyboard should be cheaper think again. The keyboard has a mousepad, is detachable, etc. and costs $130 with is fairly cheap.
so i need to use this for school, aka typing and battery life, and watching netflix will it do?
napkinman1 It'll rock at all of those things. The pen is also great for note taking combined with One Note
This most likely can't handle the comics I make, the largest my comics get is 200 MB.
The program I use on my Surface Pro 3 Clip Studio Paint does crash on it but mostly when I try to use the lasso tool, I use my Pro 3 90% of the time. I was curious if the Surface 3 would be sufficient enough for light gaming and heavy web browsing? I think this would be a perfect computer for my sister.
is this a good tablet for university or should I take the Pro3
At 3:33 you said "windows logo on here" but it's really the Microsoft logo
would it be possible to compare the surface 2 and the surface 3? pretty please? all i can find are comparisons with surface 3 vs surface 3pro or some full blown laptop where the result in terms of computational power is a foregone conclusion ...
i would really like to see how the arm based surface 2 stacks up against the atom based surface 3 in for excample 3dmark and the few tests that can be run cross platform.
The surface 3 pro pen will work with it? wonder if the surface/surface pro 4 pen will work with it?
i'm fan of the surface line, but many times it has death pixels. i'm curious if my surface 3 don't have death pixels. going to sell this one in a view days. lisa, do you look to death pixels in your reviews of the surface models? can you do it? im curious ,but not surprised if you have death or stuck pixels. please commend. it happened by my surface-surface 2- pro2 and pro 3. all the times. i have to say i always get a new one, for some reason the second one is free of death pixels. exept the pro3. 2 times there
Lisa, good review. Could you compare the Surface 3 performance with other laptops or tablets that use the Core M processor? As you probably know, Microsoft claims the Surface 3 Atom processor has about 80% of the performance of the i3. If that is true, I would expect the Atom to be pretty close to the Core M. Of course, overall performance of the Surface 3 is probably held back by its slower storage.
Would this tablet be good for a mobile game developer.
Lisa again another top quality review.
QUESTION: on the Surface 3 with Atom 128gb and 4gb ram , how would that compare with the i-3 Surface 3 Pro 64gb 4gb ram performance wise. (I understand the Pro would only have about 37gb storage but the SD 128gb it would work as a tablet.
Currently MS has the S3 at $599 and the Pro at $649. only $50 difference. I don't plan on using a keyboard. I have Note tablets 8, 10.1 and 12.2 but I want a Win tab and Lumina 950XL . So Win 10 on phone, tablet and desktops on Ultrabook seems like a good way to go.
Thank You
Be Well
Oops I forgot about buying the $50 pen for the S3. So there is no difference in price between the 128gb S3 and the 64gb S3P.
I know that I have previously asked in a different review forum, however are you able to review the new Alienware 13" with the graphics amp?
Rakesh Arora Dell hasn't gotten us an Alienware 13 so far, but we're trying.
Looking forward to your review if you get one.
did you ever get the battery bulge problem that is common in this tablet?
I wish they could have made it a bit thicker to a larger battery and maybe one or two more ports. They could have gone with usb c charging like the macbook did.
And Microsoft Surface Pro 4, will have review?
Would this be good for school Netflix social media and Photoshop
Hi Lisa and thanks for the great review
can you tell me the exact specs of the surface 3 power supply? amps? volts? I travel allot and have several devices so I'm looking for one charger to charge them all.
Padelis Kristalakis 5.2 volts, 2.5 amps.
I purchased the Surface 3 128 GB Model as a bundle package (Surface 3 Pen and Type Keyboard included for $769.00 ). I am very happy with the purchase I have had it for about a month now I disagree with NuRal but everyone is entitled to there own views as far as a scratch you should be more carefull and not scratch it in the first place.
I'm looking for a 2 in 1 for college. This with the pen and cover for $620 or an acer aspire r13 for $650?
I've always thought that tablets were a waste of money until this was announced. It's almost at the same price point as the Nexus 9 and IPad Air, but with more functionality; although the keyboard and pen substantially add to the cost. It has certainly piqued my interest.
which PC do you advise with a budget of 500 euros?:)i'm a student and i have to use it for university :)
Did you try Adobe Lightroom on this machine? I heard it might run okay, but what do you think?
TheParagonify I found Lightroom sluggish.
+TheParagonify *Surface 7ZR-00001 RT Tablet 64GB really chose great, best price on>>>>* plus.google.com/u/1/114819018594351646462/posts/jLcBt2BsvBi
+MobileTechReview Lisa, I really want to know how good is this device for WebProgramming?
Yeah bro, shut your face.
Sweet. I might get one. I have a good desktop for my main things but I need a small laptop for college when I do things on the move.
KyleTVProductions Especially if you get the pen this thing is AMAZING for college
Michael Werner yeah i just got the pro 3 and its so cool
Would you recommand this device for running engineering drawing software; CATIA or AutoCAD?
EjaxPlus Not really. I'd go with an Intel Core i5 for that.
Can you compare Microsoft surface 3 and Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 with Windows (10)
Hey lisa could u please tell me the maximum amount of micro sd i can add in that beauty
Could I plug this into a laptop and use it as a drawing tablet add on?
Do you have video reviews on the laptops that flip all the way over? They seem to have both laptop and tab combined? Maybe rival this type of pad?
Vicki k Gibson Flipping over like that isn't nearly as useful without the superb stylus support that the SP3 brings. Plus, those types of laptops are always bulkier and heavier.
I really wish it had Core M at least. I multitask a lot, even on a mobile device and I just don't think think the Atom is up for it.
James Russo you should check out the SP3 i3 model. Not much more money..
True true
James Russo sayresy Devino yeah, but the SP3 is a larger device. Money was not the issue for me when the SP3 came out it was the sheer size of it that bugged me. I like the Surface 3, not too small or big
Mikenopolis yea the SP3 is pretty big. Tho I have the cintiq companion that is 13.3" and quite heavy.
I am a massive fan of the fully capable PC/tablet, aka S3.SP3. phone operating systems in a tablet just dont do it for me.
I like the price of the S3, but feel that I would regret not saving that bit more for the more powerfull i3/i5 model..
James Russo Actually I hear x7 Atom processor may be better at multitasking, because of the 2 extra cores. Core M will obviously be better at more power hungry applications but for multitasking multiple lightweight applications, I don't think the Atom will be so bad.
I am writing this comment on a Surface 3. I didn't preorder, just walked into Best Buy and picked it up yesterday. 128GB HDD, 4GB RAM
EDIT: Btw, if anyone is having strange issues with their stylus, download drivers from Ntrigs website. It was like night and day. Before I downloaded the drivers, my pen behaved like HP's stylus solution. Now it feels just as good as my SP3.
I am not having any issues with my charger. It charger from 50% in less than 2 hours, and I was using it.
Help please ! I got the surface 3 as a gift, I started it yesterday and then shut it down. how do I turn it back on ?
I would love it if somebody with more computer knowledge than me could answer this question.
How well do you think this would run fruity loops?