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gc15

macrumors regular
Oct 23, 2012
181
2
I'm pretty biased, but I'd say HELL yes. Unless you are running an iOS specific game that is exclusive to iOS, or for a rare app that you can't find in windows form.

Games: superior IMO, but that's because I load desktop games onto it. YMMV and this is only personal preference. Woo GTAV on my tablet!!!

ITunes remote: not sure how it works as a remote, but hey you can always just install iTunes onto the surface taking away a level of complexity.

Web browsing: No comparison, you see the web in it's full glory the way it was intended.

Music: this I'm not sure of, I'm sure others will chime in.

how are you able to run gta 5 on the system when gta 5 has not been released for pc? Are you emulating it from your 360 or xbox one? Just curious because thats awesome.
 

JackieInCo

Suspended
Jul 18, 2013
5,178
1,601
Colorado
I saw a website that offered a free download that gives Windows 8 the old start menu.I can't remember what site it was now. Probably won't be hard to find it again.
 

akuma13

macrumors 6502a
Jan 10, 2006
931
426
I replaced my macbook air and ipad with my surface pro and i'm never looking back. The best convergence device out right now. For artist and note takers it's a godsend. It has it's faults but the pros outweighs the cons.
 

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,566
43,547
I saw a website that offered a free download that gives Windows 8 the old start menu.I can't remember what site it was now. Probably won't be hard to find it again.

There's many apps out there that do this. I'm partial to start8 by stardock, Its one of the paid versions, but I'm happy with it, and it wasn't really expensive by any stretch.

I can see my next computer being an Surface Pro. I almost pulled the trigger earlier this year and in a sense I wished I did.

Additionally, it is getting more popular. I was in Oracle's OpenWorld, a huge conference (we're talking about 50,000 to 60,000 people in one location) and I saw a lot of people using the SP3
 

JackieInCo

Suspended
Jul 18, 2013
5,178
1,601
Colorado
There's many apps out there that do this. I'm partial to start8 by stardock, Its one of the paid versions, but I'm happy with it, and it wasn't really expensive by any stretch.

I can see my next computer being an Surface Pro. I almost pulled the trigger earlier this year and in a sense I wished I did.

Additionally, it is getting more popular. I was in Oracle's OpenWorld, a huge conference (we're talking about 50,000 to 60,000 people in one location) and I saw a lot of people using the SP3

I bought my Surface Pro 3 at BestBuy two Sundays ago about 7PM. There were three separate people using different Surface Pros while over at the Apple table, there was no one.

I'm really enjoying mine and it's good to be using a Windows computer since I last used one before buying a Mac in 2007. 8.1 seems pretty stable and I have no lag whatsoever and no spinning wheels like I occasionally get on my 2012 i& Mac Mini running Mavericks.

Like anything we use, there will always be people experiencing problems hardware or software related.
 

spinedoc77

macrumors G4
Jun 11, 2009
11,414
5,291
how are you able to run gta 5 on the system when gta 5 has not been released for pc? Are you emulating it from your 360 or xbox one? Just curious because thats awesome.

No GTAV, I'm just happy that it *should* be playable in low settings according to the specs. GTA IV runs well from what I understand. All hearsay though until the PC version comes out.
 

JackieInCo

Suspended
Jul 18, 2013
5,178
1,601
Colorado
For those who may be considering the 128GB I5 Surface Pro 3:

There are two SSDs being used in these machines. Either a Hynix SSD or a Samsung SSD will be installed. You want the one with the Hynix drive because the write speed will be at least double the Samsung SSD. I found this out myself after reading some threads on one of the Surface forums. My first 128GB SP3 had the Samsung SSD and bench tests showed write speeds of 105MB/s. I exchanged it at BestBuy this morning and got one with the Hynix SSD. Write speeds are just below 300MB/s.

This seems to affect the 128GB I5 SP3 and probably the 64GB as well.

Unfortunately, there is no way to tell which SSD is installed until you open it, turn it on and run through the setup process. Then you go to control panel and the drive will be listed under device manager.
 

mi7chy

macrumors G4
Oct 24, 2014
10,495
11,155
For those who may be considering the 128GB I5 Surface Pro 3:

There are two SSDs being used in these machines. Either a Hynix SSD or a Samsung SSD will be installed. You want the one with the Hynix drive because the write speed will be at least double the Samsung SSD. I found this out myself after reading some threads on one of the Surface forums. My first 128GB SP3 had the Samsung SSD and bench tests showed write speeds of 105MB/s. I exchanged it at BestBuy this morning and got one with the Hynix SSD. Write speeds are just below 300MB/s.

This seems to affect the 128GB I5 SP3 and probably the 64GB as well.

Unfortunately, there is no way to tell which SSD is installed until you open it, turn it on and run through the setup process. Then you go to control panel and the drive will be listed under device manager.

Source? And, are you sure you don't have encryption enabled on the slower one? Here's a source that says otherwise:

ssd.jpg
 

dgr874

macrumors member
Aug 29, 2012
88
21
Texas
I've had my SP3 for about two weeks now and am very happy with the purchase. It's a nice piece of hardware. I bought it for the pen features, which unfortunately, the iPad has been missing since day one. I still use my iPad extensively, but the Surface has taken on more of the important work.

My only complaint is Windows 8. I'm looking for a good tool to get rid of the metro junk.

Why not just go into settings and set it to boot straight to the desktop? It will bypass the Metro homescreen and act just like a laptop.

Right click on taskbar-> Properties-> Navigation -> When I sign in or close all apps on a screen, go to the desktop instead of start
 

Billy95Tech

Suspended
Apr 18, 2014
540
61
You can get other great Windows 8 tablets as good and as powerful as the Surface Pro 3 with a keyboard dock that turns into a laptop and they are cheaper and better deal than the Surface Pro 3.

I suggest looking at Dell Venue Pro 11, Acer Switch 10/11, Lenovo Miix 2 10/11, Acer Iconia W700.

And all of them have a Intel Core I5 in them if you want that or they have Intel Atom(Baytrail) in them as well and they can all handle very demanding taks like Photoshop, Video editing just as well as the Surface Pro 3 with a Core I5, not too sure about Atom(Baytrail) weather it can handle very demanding tasks like Video editing of not.

I have Acer Iconia W700(Core I5) and it is great and it has completely replaced my laptop. :)



I say reserach other Windows 8 tablets before going for the totally obvious Windows 8 tablet the Surface Pro 3.

Or just wait for new Windows 8 tablets with the new Intel M Core to come out in the next few months and the M Core will give you better battery life and going to be as powerful between Core i3 to Core i5 in a ultra slim(lightweight) tablet form factor. :)

Hope this helps.
 
Last edited:

pedromcm.pm

macrumors 6502
Mar 23, 2014
483
0
Porto, Portugal
I'm pretty biased, but I'd say HELL yes. Unless you are running an iOS specific game that is exclusive to iOS, or for a rare app that you can't find in windows form.

Games: superior IMO, but that's because I load desktop games onto it. YMMV and this is only personal preference. Woo GTAV on my tablet!!!

ITunes remote: not sure how it works as a remote, but hey you can always just install iTunes onto the surface taking away a level of complexity.

Web browsing: No comparison, you see the web in it's full glory the way it was intended.

Music: this I'm not sure of, I'm sure others will chime in.

Out of curiosity, how do you run GTA V on a tablet with ULV processors (or the slower core M, can't remember) with slower than MBAir Intel HD 4400, with well known extremely limiting throttling due to bad heat management?

Oh, you don't? I thought so. I think that the OP should ignore fanboyish-like posts.
-----------------
OP, in my opinion you should drop your devices and go SP3 only. Clearly you got used to the pen, and the new device was made for people like you. You need windows, you like onenote and the pen, and as such the SP3's shortcomings (worse battery life and desktop paradigm when society is moving away from it) shouldn't be much of hindrance.

Basically I would buy a MBAir, but in your case, with your needs and uses, the SP3 sounds like the better match.

I wish Apple would drop older iPads and had an option with digitizers for the 6+, iPad Air and the new MBAir that is coming.
 

spinedoc77

macrumors G4
Jun 11, 2009
11,414
5,291
Out of curiosity, how do you run GTA V on a tablet with ULV processors (or the slower core M, can't remember) with slower than MBAir Intel HD 4400, with well known extremely limiting throttling due to bad heat management?

Oh, you don't? I thought so. I think that the OP should ignore fanboyish-like posts.
-----------------
OP, in my opinion you should drop your devices and go SP3 only. Clearly you got used to the pen, and the new device was made for people like you. You need windows, you like onenote and the pen, and as such the SP3's shortcomings (worse battery life and desktop paradigm when society is moving away from it) shouldn't be much of hindrance.

Basically I would buy a MBAir, but in your case, with your needs and uses, the SP3 sounds like the better match.

I wish Apple would drop older iPads and had an option with digitizers for the 6+, iPad Air and the new MBAir that is coming.

Thanks for your own fanboyish post. GTA4 runs quite nicely and I will predict GTA5 will run as well. Neither you nor I can answer that question until it gets released.

Off topic, but where is the idiot emote? Didn't you get banned? Welcome back I suppose.
 

AppleRobert

macrumors 603
Nov 12, 2012
5,726
1,132
You can get other great Windows 8 tablets as good and as powerful as the Surface Pro 3 with a keyboard dock that turns into a laptop and they are cheaper and better deal than the Surface Pro 3.

I suggest looking at Dell Venue Pro 11, Acer Switch 10/11, Lenovo Miix 2 10/11, Acer Iconia W700.

And all of them have a Intel Core I5 in them if you want that or they have Intel Atom(Baytrail) in them as well and they can all handle very demanding taks like Photoshop, Video editing just as well as the Surface Pro 3 with a Core I5, not too sure about Atom(Baytrail) weather it can handle very demanding tasks like Video editing of not.

I have Acer Iconia W700(Core I5) and it is great and it has completely replaced my laptop. :)



I say reserach other Windows 8 tablets before going for the totally obvious Windows 8 tablet the Surface Pro 3.

Or just wait for new Windows 8 tablets with the new Intel M Core to come out in the next few months and the M Core will give you better battery life and going to be as powerful between Core i3 to Core i5 in a ultra slim(lightweight) tablet form factor. :)

Hope this helps.

Dell Venue Pro 11 with M Core is already available at Best Buy.

I'm on the fence though with it or the SP3 because of the price.
 

spinedoc77

macrumors G4
Jun 11, 2009
11,414
5,291
Dell Venue Pro 11 with M Core is already available at Best Buy.

I'm on the fence though with it or the SP3 because of the price.

The Dell is pretty nice, but you'll notice a distinct difference in quality with the SP3. That may or may not be important to you though. IMO there are not any atom or core tablets that even come close to competing with the quality of the SP3.
 

swarley

macrumors newbie
Jul 13, 2014
17
0
You can get other great Windows 8 tablets as good and as powerful as the Surface Pro 3 with a keyboard dock that turns into a laptop and they are cheaper and better deal than the Surface Pro 3.

I suggest looking at Dell Venue Pro 11, Acer Switch 10/11, Lenovo Miix 2 10/11, Acer Iconia W700.

And all of them have a Intel Core I5 in them if you want that or they have Intel Atom(Baytrail) in them as well and they can all handle very demanding taks like Photoshop, Video editing just as well as the Surface Pro 3 with a Core I5, not too sure about Atom(Baytrail) weather it can handle very demanding tasks like Video editing of not.

I have Acer Iconia W700(Core I5) and it is great and it has completely replaced my laptop. :)



I say reserach other Windows 8 tablets before going for the totally obvious Windows 8 tablet the Surface Pro 3.

Or just wait for new Windows 8 tablets with the new Intel M Core to come out in the next few months and the M Core will give you better battery life and going to be as powerful between Core i3 to Core i5 in a ultra slim(lightweight) tablet form factor. :)

Hope this helps.

Any idea how the stylus on the dell pro 11 compares to the SP3? And is the largest SSD 64GB? I couldn't find it in a larger configuration than that on the Dell website.

My biggest concern as a student would be the hand note taking ability of a tablet personally.
 

spinedoc77

macrumors G4
Jun 11, 2009
11,414
5,291
Any idea how the stylus on the dell pro 11 compares to the SP3? And is the largest SSD 64GB? I couldn't find it in a larger configuration than that on the Dell website.

My biggest concern as a student would be the hand note taking ability of a tablet personally.

The dell stylus is very bad, do an internet search or go to the tabletpcreview forums. I had the Dell 11 atom version and found the digitizer/stylus just horrendous. The SP3 digitizer/stylus is awesome, although not quite as good as the Wacom on the SP2. I'm also bummed that the SP3 doesn't have as silo to slip the stylus into.
 

JackieInCo

Suspended
Jul 18, 2013
5,178
1,601
Colorado
Forget the iPad or Surface Pro, get a Macbook Air instead.

The MacBook Air has this problem where if a user tries to separate the keyboard from the screen, you can't really join the two together again. In fact, it kind of breaks. With the Surface Pro, the keyboard detaches without breaking and I can attach it again any time I want.
 

Technarchy

macrumors 604
May 21, 2012
6,753
4,927
I could probably roll with a SP3 and replace my MBA and iPad.

I do debate actually doing this often, but don't because my MBA works great, and I prefer OS X.

The question being does it make sense to own an iPad and MBA when devices like the SP3 exist? Personally if I had no devices, and was starting from zero I'd get the SP3.

Apple is wrong on this one. Convergence makes more sense and is the future of devices.
 
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