Microsoft said during the announcement of the first Surface that this device will combine all the best features of laptops and tablets. But ARM architecture and Windows RT did not allow the Surface to be used normally as a tablet, and even more so as a laptop. The meaning of such a device was completely incomprehensible. Now we have before us the last generation Microsoft Surface and all the same manufacturer's claims that this is the perfect balance between a laptop and a tablet.
Minimalism in packaging design is familiar to us not only from Apple products, Microsoft also presents its product extremely simply - a simple pull-out package, similar to its other portable devices.
Inside is the tablet itself, documentation and a charger, now not with a magnetized connector, as it was before, but with a regular microUSB.
Appearance, assembly
There are not so many differences from past generations. Before us is the same cast magnesium case, which is distinguished by its minimum weight and a high margin of safety.
In front, the main part is occupied by a display with an aspect ratio of 3: 2 and quite wide frames, on the upper part there is a camera, a light sensor and a microphone.
The ends are trapezoidal and slightly pointed. At the back there is a stand with the Windows logo and a camera with flash on top.
The build quality and materials are at a high level, absolutely no complaints arise. The only thing you can complain about is not a record thickness, now there are models that are even thinner. In the hands, the Surface 3 feels expensive, although it looks restrained.
Ease of use
On the upper edge are the power and volume keys, and on the right side of the frame there is a touchscreen Windows button, from the controls, that's all. The device can be used in two ways - as a tablet and as a laptop. To turn it into a laptop, it is enough to buy a special Type Cover keyboard cover, which has a touchpad, a laptop layout with full-size keys and a backlight. As a Windows tablet, there are no revelations - those who accept such devices with the above OS will be pleased.
The adjustable stand allows you to put the device in three positions, which is convenient for watching movies or chatting on Skype, and is also indispensable with a connected keyboard.
Didn't like the location of the port micro USB and the direction of the charging plug downward, since the cable is not convenient to connect due to the tight cable. As a laptop, the model has shown itself to be good, not least thanks to the operating system and the usual usage pattern.
Type Cover
As already written, to turn this tablet into a laptop, a keyboard is optionally available, which is attached to a magnetized dock connector.
Such a miracle costs a lot, namely $ 130, and provides the user with great convenience to type text, adjust parameters, etc. No additional connectors on the keyboard are provided. The coating is somewhat similar to suede, which looks and feels great, but very quickly becomes covered with all kinds of stains.
Full-size keys have the shortest travel and are not stable, they are pressed like buttons on cheap Chinese keyboards. The backlight has several gradations and helps out when working at night.
Connection, indication
Almost all connectors are located on the right side, including mini DisplayPort, full-format USB 3.0, micro USB, mini Jack 3.5 mm and a slot for cards hidden under the stand microSD memory.
Below is a docking port for connecting the Type Cover. When charging, a white diode is on on the micro USB connector, there is no other indication besides the camera diodes.
Communications
There are two versions of Microsoft Surface 3 - 4G and non-4G. We got a copy without fourth generation communication support. Implemented wireless connection to the network via Wi-Fi (802.11 a / b / g / n / ac). The Bluetooth 4.0 module is designed to connect wireless headsets, gamepads, keyboards and mice.
Display
We have a touchscreen 10.8-inch display with a resolution of 1920 × 1280 pixels, 10 simultaneous touches and Surface Pen are supported.
The image quality is at a high level, the brightness reserve is large, the image on the display does not fade in bright sunlight. The colors are natural and soft, there is no obvious color change.
Multimedia
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the built-in stereo speakers - you can even listen to music, everything is so good. The speakers are located directly on the front panel and the sound is directed towards the user. One more thing. The built-in sound card has a good volume reserve and is capable of shaking even headphones such as the Beyerdynamic T1, and it was those legendary 600-ohm phones that were personally tested.
Cameras are some of the best among tablets, and when chatting on Skype, the interlocutors have repeatedly noted that the image quality of the front 3.5-megapixel camera is just perfect. And the rear 8-megapixel sensor allows you to take high-quality and detailed images. Most likely, modules with Lumia smartphones who have a habit of photographing well.
Functionality
We got a tablet on Windows 8.1, but immediately updated to version 10. The smoothness of the interface is at a high level and perfected, it is noticed immediately. Since we already have a full-fledged Windows, and not a stripped-down version of RT, we are free to install any applications and games both from the market and from any other sources.
Microsoft Surface 3 runs on a very fresh and efficient quad-core Intel Atom x7-Z8700 processor, with 2 MB of cache and a clock speed of 1.6 GHz (2.5 GHz in Intel Burst).
The integrated graphics in the processor allows you to run not only simple, but also quite serious games. According to information on the network, games such as Dirt 3, COD: MW3, Mass Effect and others of a similar level are easily launched. Due to the time limit, we did not manage to check this, but you can estimate the performance in 3DMark.
The RAM in our tablet is 4 GB, and the eMMC drive has a capacity of 128 GB. A modification with 2 GB of RAM and a 64 GB drive is also available for sale. Flash memory speed is poor.
With PCMark benchmarks, you can measure the overall performance of the system.
Cooling is completely passive, which means the system is silent. The energy efficient processor keeps the case from getting too hot, even in the most demanding applications. There was no such heating that it was impossible to touch the tablet during the test.
Autonomy
At maximum load and display brightness, the device lasts a little over 3 hours.
In reading mode with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned off, as well as minimum brightness, the tablet lives for 15 hours. With the scheme of using a browser-toys-typing-listening to music, you can count on 8-9 hours. Charging in the on state takes an incredibly long time - more than 5 hours, in the off state there are no such problems.
Eventually
Microsoft Surface 3 captivates with its appearance, excellent build, high-quality display, productive system and good battery life. Also, it was not without its drawbacks, among which long time charging, not quite a loyal price tag of $ 500 and quite expensive branded accessories. In general, if you perceive this type of device as a Windows tablet, take a closer look at this all-metal handsome.
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The editors are grateful to the online store Reader.ua for providing the device for review.
- The tablet
- Stylus
- Brief instruction
- Charger
- Keyboard cover sold separately
Positioning
The three in the name of the tablet hints in plain text that this is the third generation of the device. Usually, by the third attempt, Microsoft has at least a remote understanding of what the consumer wants, and the product turns out to be relatively usable and understandable. As you know, Microsoft's new president is heading for the cloud and mobility, albeit in a different sequence. Satya Nadella put it this way: “Mobile First, Cloud First”. With platform Windows Phone so far it is not very good, but there are some sales, albeit small, but with tablets it turns out very badly. On the platform Windows any there are few versions of them, consumers do not like them, and Microsoft's attempt to create a reference device turns into a circus with horses, in which the venerable company acts as a horse. The first generation of Surface-branded devices was launched with great fanfare and promises that now the company has seriously taken up its mind. The devices were divided into two lines: the inexpensive Surface had Windows RT, which had disappeared by the third generation and, apparently, will soon be forgotten, since in the second generation the company lost a couple of billion dollars on these devices. Models with the Pro prefix came out initially on the desktop version of Windows and did not enjoy any noticeable demand, which quickly led to their catastrophic reduction in price. In the tablet market, the only product that steadily fell in price was Microsoft's tablet. The cost of the iPad remained at the same level before the release of the new model, but the Surface rolled down and down. But even at cost, these devices did not attract buyers, including in their home market in the United States.
In my review of the first MS Surface, I wrote that Microsoft tried to create a laptop without a keyboard instead of a tablet, and they succeeded. But most of those who buy tablets still want to see a mobile device, and not a laptop with a detached keyboard, on which you can run any programs. People in tablets do not need complex programs from the AutoCAD category, they need completely understandable and standard applications plus games. I don’t know why the realization of this thought is so expensive for Microsoft, but the company has been persistently trying year after year to launch a laptop with a detached keyboard on the market. Two years after the first devices, when it became clear that this concept is causing losses, we see the only tablet in which this idea was brought to its logical conclusion. If earlier tablets from Microsoft at least tried to disguise as mobile devices, now they don't even bother about this topic. At the presentation of Surface Pro 3, it was called a competitor in plain text MacBook Air... But they still stubbornly called it a tablet.
Microsoft invented its own version of Narnia, in which grateful residents perceive everything that the company does, with gratitude, do not pay attention to shortcomings and, moreover, do not attribute their savings to competitors. Also, Microsoft is engaged in the substitution of concepts: we cannot win in the tablet market and create a tablet - let's come up with a new niche where no one exists, and we will fight in it with competitors that are not there. It's like Sony likes to draw reports on their achievements - they take a market segment from 5,650 to 5,675 rubles and suddenly realize that they occupy one hundred percent of it. Victory, the enemy is broken, everyone gets bonuses and enjoys life. Such eyewash disgusts me - it's time to get down to business, and not inventing new images and entities.
It's hard for me to imagine the image of a buyer for Surface Pro 3. I repeatedly asked this question to our readers, the answers were very vague - this is someone mythical who needs a tablet (!) And all Windows programs, but does not feel the need for a full keyboard. Then the exotic begins and an attempt to invent magical people who vitally need this "tablet".
For two weeks, I was the most devoted apologist for MS Surface Pro 3, recommended it and imposed it on friends and strangers, showed how cool it can be used in different applications and MS Office. They looked at me as if I was mentally ill, and, as a rule, asked the sacramental question: "Why do I need Windows on my tablet?" The prepared answer about MS Office, all programs and the like came across the standard answer: "Thank you, no need, I already have everything I need for life." Only once did I find a person who looked at my tablet from the side and then started a conversation and began to admire what a cool toy it was. He had an excellent Lumia phone, the second - also of this brand, he remembered all the builds of the operating system. Unfortunately, he worked for Microsoft and that is why he was so enthusiastic. I especially liked how he, parrying my statement about the inconvenience of working on his knees on this "tablet", happily put it down and tried to depict fast typing. I was sincerely sorry for him, he failed, but he tried from the heart. It was a circus that everyone around drew attention to.
I sincerely envy the fact that Microsoft is capable of throwing out millions for development, and then hundreds of millions for losses in order to create a kind of chimera that, by and large, no one needs. This device has no target audience other than Microsoft employees. For three generations, the company has been able to create the perfect product for the perfect employee. Well, or a bestseller in Narnia. Surface mobile devices are no longer in any form. A laptop with a keyboard that has been torn off.
Design, dimensions, controls
The device measures 292x201x9.1 mm and weighs 800 grams. Larger than the MacBook Air 11, slightly smaller than the 13-inch model. It will not fit in every bag, as if it is included in all bags where ultrabooks lived before. In terms of size and weight, I don't see much difference with ultrabooks - you fasten the keyboard to the tablet, and it turns out about one kilogram. Ultrabooks can weigh a little more, but the difference is subtle. Comparing with half-kilogram tablets from Apple or Samsung, you understand that this is a different world and does not smell of mobility here.
Screen
With a 12-inch screen diagonal, this is the largest “tablet” in the Surface lineup. Screen resolution - 2160x1440 pixels, 216 dots per inch. It is curious that the geometry of the screen has changed, instead of the usual 16: 9 it has become 3: 2. On such a screen, tiles are great, but not content - for example, videos. In most cases, part of the screen is simply useless, or the video needs to be stretched and distorted.
The screen has an oleophobic coating, but handprints remain on it. The work with the stylus has changed, since Wacom bought Samsung, then Microsoft had to look for another solution, it was N-Trig. This is a clear step backward, since there are only 256 levels of sensitivity, on the other hand, I could not detect differences in ordinary text notes or drawings of the chicken-paw style. I think that most of those who use a stylus will not notice this either. As usual, the stylus will have to be carried with you separately, there is no place for it on the case. The keyboard comes with a loop for the stylus, the design looks like a stick-string, ugly and pathetic. This is the whole Microsoft - to make a nice stylus and not figure out how to carry it with the device to make it comfortable.
There is no point in evaluating how the device behaves in the sun. It will not appear there, since it is not mobile.
Battery
Inside this machine is a full-fledged version of Windows Pro, and the architecture from Intel is also used. It is necessary to estimate the operating time in relation to each specific configuration, it may differ significantly. At first, tablets on Intel Core i5 went on sale - on this I looked at the operating time. Video playback at maximum screen brightness gives about 6.5 hours of operation. In standby mode the device can live for a long time, it falls asleep - pressing the button does not immediately wake up the screen, it takes one or two seconds.
Playing World of Tanks put the battery to zero in 4 hours. Normal work in MS Word kills the device in 7.5-8 hours. I think that this will be the average. Full recharging takes about 3.5 hours.
Hardware versions - their cost
It will not be superfluous to look at what versions of this device exist. The ruler looks like this:
- Intel Core i3 64GB Memory - $ 799 Late August
- Intel Core i5, 128/256 GB memory - $ 999/1299, July
- Intel Core i7, 256/512 GB of memory - $ 1549/1949, end of August
Buy a keyboard cover will rise for another $ 130.
Once Microsoft has decided to compare its "tablet" with the MacBook Air, then let's do that as well. The 13-inch MacBook Air, 128GB SSD, Intel Core i5 in an aluminum case and a full keyboard is $ 999 in the US. That is, $ 130 cheaper than the similar Pro 3 version, that's the price of the keyboard. I do not even take into account the fact that the MacBook lives on a single charge for about 10 hours with similar tasks, and also wakes up instantly, there are no delays. The quality of the keyboard is also much higher, because it is a full-fledged keyboard. Don't forget about the larger screen diagonal. Why it was necessary to compare the incomparable, I do not know, but I can say for sure that in such a comparison the prices from Microsoft are obviously unprofitable.
The tablet lacks NFC support, and it is not needed here. There is a standard Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 4.0.
Impressions and conclusions
This is a standard laptop on Windows 8.1 Pro, whose keyboard was torn off, and then they offered to buy it for $ 130, so I see no point in describing the software. The set includes a 30-day trial version of Office 365, then you have to buy an office if you want to use it (for comparison, Apple's office suite is free - they charge zero rubles for it).
Microsoft's desire to compare this device with both tablets and laptops looks like a desperate attempt to save face by releasing such a monster. I think that the company clearly understands the lack of any prospects for this model, the interest in it is close to zero. In the United States, before the start of sales, there was no excitement in Microsoft branded stores, I watched it myself, there were almost no people interested. There were noticeably more of those who were interested in the previous tablets - everyone was talking about taking them because of the cost, and only because of it. In Russia, there were no official deliveries, on the gray market they began to sell it for 50 thousand rubles, now the price is already about 40 thousand rubles - that is, in fact, it is sold at cost price, exactly at the purchase price in the USA! This popularity is undeniable and unconditional. And you don't have to go anywhere and spend money. The gray market always shows the demand for goods and their real value. For Surface Pro 3, this cost can be at least 30 thousand rubles in order to somehow interest people. But no more.
There are many Ultrabooks on the market with keyboards that are cheaper than the MacBook Air. And such devices can be recommended for those who want to get Windows. But basically, touch screen in such machines is superfluous, and the usual is enough. People choose tablets for portability and laptops for work. In the case of Surface Pro 3, you can forget about entertainment - it is simply inconvenient for this, it is worse than regular laptops. It is also inconvenient for work - it is a kind of hybrid with crippled ergonomics.
Year after year, Microsoft fans, reading Surface reviews, promise to go out and buy these devices, prove there are millions of people like them, and shame the "defamation that isn't true." Two years after the first generation Surface, I come back to this question and I can say that everything has changed, and the current Surface has become even more useless, more expensive and more incomprehensible. And there is no need to promise a bright future, high sales and so on again. Billions have already been lost on Surface, and the company will lose the same amount. And the achievements in the tablet market are zero, Microsoft is not not that a noticeable player - the company has not crossed the 2.1 percent milestone! For a company like Microsoft, this is just a statistical error. Especially considering the hundreds of millions of copies of Windows and the order of a billion computers running on them every day.
You expect achievements from champions, not such raw food-excuses. And there is no need to talk about what will be better tomorrow. Believe in this bright future - go and buy this product today, don't wait tomorrow. But you never did that when you praised Surface. And I can prove it with sales figures. So, no matter how much praise this product is, its fate is simple - to be a bestseller in Narnia and not sell at all in the real world.
On May 20, 2014, Microsoft officially unveiled the 12-inch Surface Pro 3 tablet, which, according to the company, can become a full-fledged replacement for any laptop.
Recall that the history of Microsoft Windows tablets begins in 2012, when the company released the first versions of Surface tablets: Surface RT and Surface Pro. In September 2013, the second generation of Microsoft tablets was announced: Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2, and in May of this year, the Surface Pro 3 tablet was presented based on the operating room. Windows systems 8.1.
We have already written about the Surface Pro 2 tablet in detail, and in this article we will talk about the new Microsoft Surface Pro 3 tablet.
Completion and packaging
The Microsoft Surface Pro 3 tablet comes in a small cardboard box. In addition to the tablet itself, the package includes a power supply, a stylus along with a separate battery, as well as a quick user's guide.
The Microsoft Surface Pro 3 power adapter has a USB connector that can charge mobile devices.
As for the stylus, it supports gradation of pressure and can be used in professional applications. A similar stylus was included with the previous version of the tablet - Suface Pro 2.
As with the Suface Pro 2, the keyboard is not included and must be purchased separately. This keyboard is called Surface Pro Type Cover and it costs about $ 130. However, this accessory is extremely useful as it turns the tablet into a full-fledged laptop.
The magnetic 5-pin connector on the charger is identical to the first generation Surface Pro.
Design
The most important difference between the new version of Microsoft's tablet and the previous version (Surface Pro 2) is that Surface Pro 3 received a large 12-inch touchscreen with a rather unusual resolution of 2160 × 1440 pixels (pixel density 216 ppi), that is, with an aspect ratio 3: 2. Naturally, with this screen size, the dimensions and weight of the tablet itself have changed: Surface Pro 3 measures 201.4 x 292.1 x 9.1 mm. For comparison, the Microsoft Surface Pro 2 tablet had a screen with a diagonal size of 10.6 inches and a resolution of 1920 × 1080 (pixel density 208 ppi), and its overall dimensions were 173 × 275 × 13.5 mm. As you can see, the new Microsoft tablet has increased in size, but at the same time it has become thinner as much as 4.4 mm, and today it is the thinnest product with Intel processor Core. Moreover, despite the increase overall dimensions Surface Pro 3 is now lighter. So, if Surface Pro 2 weighed 907 g, Surface Pro 3 weighs only 810 g. As you can see, progress is evident.
Of course, Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 is thin and light only when compared to Ultrabooks. But if we compare it with tablets, then it is not so light and thin, and using such a tablet on weight is quite problematic. However, Surface Pro 3 implies a completely different use case: after all, in terms of its capabilities, it is closer to laptops than to traditional tablets, and in this regard it simply has no competitors (except for Surface Pro 2). Yes, there are Windows tablets based on Intel Atom processors, but this is a completely different level of performance and, accordingly, a different level of capabilities.
However, back to the design of the new tablet. Except for the overall dimensions, the appearance of Surface Pro 3 is not much different from Surface Pro 2. The body is made of magnesium alloy, and a bending metal plate on the back of the body acts as a stand and allows you to change the angle of inclination of the tablet. Moreover, the maximum angle at which you can deflect the tablet relative to the horizontal plane is 150 °.
In terms of connectors and buttons, the situation is also identical to the Surface Pro 2, only the location of the connectors has changed. The USB 3.0 connector is now located on the right side of the case, there is also a Mini-DisplayPort connector, as well as a magnetic connector for connecting a charger and a slot for microSD memory cards.
On the left side of the case there is a volume rocker and a mini-jack audio jack for connecting a headset.
The power button is located on the top edge of the case. As in the Surface Pro 2 tablet, there is a ventilation slot along the entire upper edge of the case, as well as partially along the side edges.
On the bottom there is a dock connector for connecting a keyboard.
Configuration
Naturally, the new tablet comes in several configuration options. We tested a Surface Pro 3 with the following configuration:
| Microsoft Surface Pro 3 | ||
| CPU | Intel Core i5-4300U | |
| Chipset | N / A | |
| RAM | 8 GB DDR3-1600 | |
| Video subsystem | Intel HD Graphics 4400 | |
| Screen | 12 inches (2160 × 1440), IPS, with multi-touch function | |
| Sound subsystem | Realtek | |
| Storage device | SSD Samsung MZMTE256HMHP (256GB) | |
| Card reader | microSD | |
| Network interfaces | Wired network | not |
| Wireless network | 802.11b / g / n / ac (Marvell Avastar Wireless-AC) | |
| Bluetooth | there is | |
| Interfaces and ports | USB (2.0 / 3.0) | 0/1 |
| Mini-DisplayPort | there is | |
| Headphone out | yes (combined) | |
| Microphone input | yes (combined) | |
| Cameras | front (5 MP, 1080p) and rear (5 MP, 1080p) | |
| Microphone | there is | |
| Sensors | accelerometer gyroscope compass |
|
| Battery | Li-ion, 42 Wh | |
| Dimensions (edit) | 201 x 292 x 9.1 mm | |
| Weight without power supply | 800 g | |
| Power adapter | 36 watts | |
| Operating system | Windows 8.1 Pro (64-bit) | |
| average price | T-10834028 | |
| Retail offers | L-10834028-10 | |
So, the core of our Surface Pro 3 tablet is a dual-core processor. This SiP processor has a nominal clock speed of 1.9 GHz, which is Turbo mode Boost can go up to 2.9 GHz. Its L3 cache size is 3MB and its TDP is 15W. The processor is integrated with Intel HD Graphics 4400, the base frequency of which is 200 MHz and the Turbo Boost frequency is 1.1 GHz.
Surface Pro 3 comes with DDR3-1600 memory. In our case, 8 GB of memory was installed in the tablet, which functioned in dual-channel mode (two modules of 4 GB each).
In all possible configurations for Surface Pro 3, its storage subsystem is an SSD. In our version, it was a Samsung MZMTE256HMHP SSD with SATA interface 6Gb / s (with mSATA connector) and 256GB capacity. According to the information on the manufacturer's website, Samsung drive The MZMTE256HMHP achieves a maximum sequential read speed of 540 MB / s and a sequential write speed of 270 MB / s, while the random read speed is 95 MB / s and the random write speed is 65 MB / s.
The connectivity of the Surface Pro 3 tablet is determined by the presence of the Marvell Avastar Wireless-AC Wi-Fi module. It is a dual-band (2.4 and 5 GHz) controller that supports IEEE 802.11b / g / n / ac standards. In addition, this module also includes a Bluetooth 4.0 controller.
All Surface Pro 3 tablets come with two (front and rear) cameras with a resolution of 5 megapixels and the ability to shoot 1080p video. Note that the previous generation of Surface Pro tablets used cameras with more modest specifications (1.2 megapixels, 720p video).
Surface Pro 3's battery appears to be exactly the same as that found in Surface Pro 2. Anyway, both tablets use lithium ion battery with a capacity of 42 Wh.
The composition of the sensors in the Surface Pro 3 tablet has not changed either: there is an accelerometer, gyroscope and compass - in fact, this is a standard set of sensors for all tablets.
As noted, Surface Pro 3 comes in a variety of configurations. The processor model, the amount of RAM, and the amount of SSD-drive may differ. In particular, the volume of an SSD drive can be 64, 128, 256 and 512 GB. Models with 64 and 128 GB SSDs are equipped with 4 GB of DDR3-1600 RAM, while older models with 256 and 512 GB drives are equipped with 8 GB of DDR3-1600 memory.
As for the processors, it can be Intel Core i3-4020Y, Core i5-4300U and Core i7-4650U. In total, taking into account the possible combinations of processor models, SSD size and memory, there are five different configurations of the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 tablet, they are presented in the table.
In conclusion, here's a comparison of the characteristics of the Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 2 tablets:
| Characteristics | Surface Pro 3 | Surface Pro 2 | |
| CPU | Core i3-4020Y Core i5-4300U Core i7-4650U | Core i5-4200U Core i5-4300U |
|
| DDR3-1600 RAM | 4/8 GB | 4/8 GB | |
| Screen | 12 inches (2160 × 1440) | 10.6 inches (1920 x 1080) | |
| SSD storage capacity | 64/128/256/512 GB | 64/128/256/512 GB | |
| Card reader | microSD | microSD | |
| Network interfaces | Wired network | not | not |
| Wireless network | 802.11b / g / n / ac | 802.11b / g / n | |
| Bluetooth | there is | there is | |
| Interfaces and ports | USB (2.0 / 3.0) | 0/1 | 0/1 |
| Mini-DisplayPort | there is | there is | |
| Headphone out | yes (combined) | yes (combined) | |
| Microphone input | yes (combined) | yes (combined) | |
| Camera | front (5 MP, 1080p) rear (5 MP, 1080p) | front (1.2 megapixel, 720p) rear (1.2 MP, 720p) |
|
| Microphone | there is | there is | |
| Sensors | accelerometer gyroscope compass | accelerometer gyroscope compass |
|
| Battery | Li-ion, 42 Wh | Li-ion, 42 Wh | |
| Dimensions (edit) | 201 x 292 x 9.1 mm | 173 x 275 x 13.5 mm | |
| Weight without power supply | 810 g | 907 g | |
| Power adapter | 36 watts | 36 watts | |
Testing the audio path
To estimate the weekend sound path designed for connecting headphones or external acoustics, we conducted instrumental testing using an external sound card Creative E-MU 0204 USB and RightMark Audio Analyzer 6.3.0 utilities (tested for stereo mode (24 bit; 44.1 kHz)).
According to the test results, the audio section in the Microsoft Surface 3 Pro tablet received a rating of "Very Good". The full report with the test results in the RMAA 6.3.0 program is placed on a separate page, followed by a short report.
Screen Testing
The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen may be slightly worse than that of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, we present photographs in which a white surface is reflected in the off screens of both tablets (Microsoft Surface Pro 3, as it is not difficult to determine, is on the left, then they can be distinguished by their size):
Visually, the reflection in the Surface Pro 3's screen is slightly lighter, which is confirmed by the statistics from the graphics editor (average brightness for the photo is 125 versus 122 for the Nexus 7), but we will not call this difference significant. The doubling of reflected objects in the Surface Pro 3 screen is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the outer glass (aka touch sensor) and the matrix surface (OGS-type screen - One Glass Solution). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (such as glass-to-air) with greatly different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of strong ambient light, but their repair in case of cracked outer glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be changed. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (very effective, maybe a little worse than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are much easier to remove, and appear at a slower rate than in the case of ordinary glass.
When the white field was displayed in full screen and with manual brightness control, its maximum value was about 366 cd / m², and the minimum was 7.5 cd / m². The maximum value is not very high, but given the good anti-glare properties, the image on the screen should be more or less distinguishable in bright daylight. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable level. Automatic brightness control works according to the light sensor (it is located to the right of the front camera eye - the extreme dark dot). The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment. If it is at the maximum, then in complete darkness the auto brightness function reduces the brightness to 130 cd / m2 (it could have been lower), in an office illuminated with artificial light (about 400 lux) it sets to 366 cd / m2 (too much), in a very bright environment (corresponds to illumination on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or slightly more) increases to the maximum, that is, to the same 366 cd / m². If the brightness slider is about half the scale, then the screen brightness for the three conditions above is as follows: 47, 100 and 366 cd / m² - very correct values. If the dimmer is set to minimum when automatic dimming is on, the brightness always remains at the minimum (7.5 cd / m²) value. In general, this function works adequately. At brightness up to about 50% (according to the position of the adjustment slider), there is no significant backlight modulation. With a further decrease in brightness, its adjustment is carried out using pulse width modulation(PWM) with a frequency of 200 Hz. Here are the graphs of the dependence of brightness (vertical axis) on time (horizontal axis) at various values of brightness control:
200 Hz is a low frequency, so flickering can already be noticed with rapid eye movement (and the lower the brightness, the more noticeable the flicker), and the presence of such modulation, depending on the individual characteristics of the user, can already adversely affect the comfort of working with this device.
This tablet uses an IPS type matrix. The micrographs show the typical IPS subpixel structure:
For comparison, you can see the gallery of photomicrographs of screens used in mobile technology.
The screen has good viewing angles without inverting tints and without significant color shift, even with large gaze deviations from the perpendicular to the screen. For comparison, we present photographs in which identical images are displayed on the screens of the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 and the second participant in the comparison, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to about 200 cd / m2, and the color balance on the camera was forcibly switched to 6500 K. Perpendicular to the screens is a test picture :
It can be seen that the differences in color reproduction are small, the colors have natural saturation. And a white box:
Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone, which is slightly different from the screen tone of the Nexus 7. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen, the test picture:
It can be seen that the colors did not change much on both tablets, but on the Surface Pro 3 the contrast decreased to a large extent due to the black lightening. Then a white box:
The brightness at an angle on both tablets noticeably decreased (at least 4 times, based on the difference in exposure), but in the case of the Surface Pro 3, the drop in brightness is noticeably less. At the same time, the color tone changed slightly. When deviated diagonally, the black field lightens very strongly and acquires a purple tint or remains approximately neutral gray. The photos below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is the same for the screens!):
And from a different angle:
With a perpendicular view, the uniformity of the black field is average, since the brightness increases noticeably at the edge of the screen in several places:
Contrast (near the center of the screen) on the Surface Pro 3 is relatively high at around 890: 1. The response time for the transition black-white-black is 16 ms (9 ms on + 7 ms off). The transition between gray tones of 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes 26 ms in total. The gamma curve, plotted using 32 points at equal intervals in terms of the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal a blockage in either the highlights or the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power-law function is 2.10, which is slightly lower than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve slightly deviates from the power-law dependence:
Apparently, when running on battery power, a dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness is enabled in accordance with the nature of the displayed image. It cannot be disabled, since the panel with the corresponding settings is not available in the initial system configuration. For this reason, we carried out a number of tests - determining the contrast and response time, comparing the black illumination at angles - when displaying special templates, and not single-color fields in full screen. Also, although this is ideologically not entirely true (however, the power supply method does not affect the maximum brightness), the tests were carried out with power supply from the mains, in this case we did not find any brightness adjustments depending on the image.
The color gamut is almost equal to sRGB:
Apparently, the matrix filters mix the components to each other to a moderate extent. The spectra confirm this:
As a result, the colors of images - drawings, photographs and films - oriented to the sRGB space (and there are the overwhelming majority of them) have natural saturation. The balance of shades on the gray scale is not ideal, since the color temperature is only slightly higher than the standard 6500 K, but the deviation from the spectrum of the absolute black body (ΔE) is greater than 10, which is not a very good indicator even for a consumer device. However, in this case, the color temperature and ΔE change little from hue to hue, which is good for the visual assessment of the color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since the color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)
Let's summarize. The brightness adjustment range of this screen is wide enough, and the screen has good anti-glare properties, which allows you to comfortably use the tablet both on a clear day outside (but without a margin of brightness), and in complete darkness. At the same time, the user is relieved of the need to manually adjust the brightness, since the automatic adjustment does an excellent job with this task, helping in addition to conserve battery power. The advantages also include an effective oleophobic coating, no flicker at medium and high brightness, no air gap in the layers of the screen, sRGB color gamut and - visually, a good color balance. Disappointing is the strong black lightening when the gaze deviates from the perpendicular to the screen surface and the presence of significant backlight modulation at low brightness values. Overall, though, we think the screen quality of the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is good.
Note that the tablet is equipped with a Mini-DisplayPort connector, which allows you to display images to an external device. This connector is relatively small, but it has a high reliability of the connection, so there are no problems when using it - unlike Micro-HDMI, which is used in some mobile devices. The modes are traditional for Windows: copy (clone), desktop extension, only to the tablet screen or only to an external device. Everything works as expected.
Cameras
The tablet is equipped with two video cameras - front and rear. Moreover, both cameras have a resolution of 5 megapixels and are capable of recording 1080p HD video. However, the quality of these cameras is rather mediocre.
First, the cameras in Surface Pro 3 are not good for macro photography and only start focusing on the subject from about 50cm away.
Secondly, the cameras have poor focus. In our standard test of capturing text, these cameras failed at all.
You can use Surface Pro 3 to shoot landscapes, but only if the entire frame is evenly lit and without brightness fluctuations.
Since the dynamic range of the camera is small, shooting a scene with a large dynamic range(in which light and dark areas are present) leads to loss of detail (overexposure and / or under-highlights).
Work under load and idle
In idle mode, as it should be, the processor frequency is 800 MHz (of course, we are talking about a balanced power consumption scheme). At the same time, the processor temperature in idle mode does not exceed 46 ° C, which is a good result.
When the processor is loaded with the Stress CPU test (AIDA64 Extreme Edition utility - system stability test), which uses integer calculations, the processor frequency is 2.6 GHz (recall that for an Intel Core i5-4300U processor, the maximum frequency in Intel Turbo Boost mode is 2 , 9 GHz). The processor temperature in this load mode does not exceed 76 ° C, which is quite acceptable.
But when the processor is loaded with the Stress FPU test, which uses floating point calculations and heats up the processor to a greater extent, throttling is initially observed, after which the processor frequency decreases to 1.5 GHz, and the core temperature stabilizes at around 76 ° C.
Memory subsystem and storage performance
According to the AIDA64 Cache & Memory Benchmark utility, the memory write speed is 24864 MB / s, and the read speed is 20583 MB / s. For DDR3-1600 memory (12800 MB / s peak bandwidth) in dual-channel mode, these are quite typical figures.
As noted, Surface Pro 3's storage is a 256GB Samsung MZMTE256HMHP SSD. ATTO Disk Benchmark Utility determines the maximum sequential read speed at 550 MB / s and sequential write at 240 MB / s. These figures are in line with those declared by the manufacturer.
Measurement of noise level
The measurement of the noise level was carried out in a special sound-absorbing chamber, and the sensitive microphone was positioned relative to the tablet so as to simulate the typical position of the user's head.
According to our measurements, this tablet does not make any noise at all in idle mode (apparently, the fan simply does not rotate).
When the processor is under stress, the noise level emitted by the tablet is 29 dBA. Such noise, if you can hear it, is only in a very quiet room and being in the immediate vicinity of the tablet. Overall, the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 tablet can be said to be very quiet.
| Load scenario | Noise level |
| Idle mode | N / A | 29 dBA |
Battery life
We measured the battery life of the laptop using our new method using the iXBT Battery Benchmark v.1.0 script at a screen brightness of 100 cd / m². In the video viewing mode, we measured the battery life without a keyboard connected, and in the text mode - naturally, with a keyboard connected.
So, the test results are as follows:
| Load scenario | Working hours |
| Watching a video | 5 hours 38 minutes |
| Working with text and viewing photos | 10 hours 8 minutes |
Considering that this tablet is based on a powerful Intel Core i5 processor, the battery life is quite normal, although, of course, not a record one.
Performance research
To evaluate the performance of the Surface Pro 3 tablet, we used our methodology using the iXBT Notebook Benchmark v.1.0 and iXBT Game Benchmark v.1.0.
The test results in the benchmark iXBT Notebook Benchmark v.1.0 are shown in the table. For clarity, we've also added test results for a Surface Pro 2 tablet powered by an Intel Core i5-4200U processor with 4GB of RAM.
| Logical group of tests | Reference system | Surface Pro 2 | Surface Pro 3 |
| Video conversion, points | 100 | 109,1 | 97,9 |
| MediaCoder x64 0.8.25.5560, seconds | 408,1 | 374,2 | 464,2 |
| Video content creation, points | 100 | 100,2 | 74,7 |
| Adobe Premiere Pro CC, seconds | 1115,7 | 1119,9 | 1587,0 |
| Adobe After Effects CC, seconds | 1975,4 | 1975,2 | 2629,0 |
| Photodex ProShow Gold 5.0.3276, seconds | 913,6 | 905,9 | 1155,9 |
| Digital photo processing, points | 100 | 110,0 | 100,7 |
| Adobe Photoshop CC, seconds | 1834,0 | 1667,8 | 1821,4 |
| Audio processing, points | 100 | 101,2 | 95,0 |
| Adobe Audition CC, seconds | 880 | 869.6 | 926.5 |
| OCR, points | 100 | 99,8 | 107,0 |
| Abbyy FineReader 11, seconds | 115,3 | 115,6 | 107,8 |
| Archiving and unzipping data, points | 100 | 97,0 | 100,0 |
| WinRAR 5.0 archiving, seconds | 313,8 | 322,8 | 326,9 |
| WinRAR 5.0 unzip, seconds | 12,6 | 13,0 | 12,1 |
| Application and content loading speed, points | 100 | 89,6 | 113,6 |
| Application and content loading speed, seconds | 157,4 | 175,7 | 138,6 |
| Integral performance result, points | 100 | 100,8 | 96,2 |
So, as can be seen from the test results, in terms of integral performance, the Microsoft Surface 3 Pro tablet with an Intel Core i5-4300U processor not only does not surpass, but is also inferior to the Microsoft Surface 2 Pro tablet with a Core i5-4200U processor. It would seem that the result is very strange, since the Core i5-4300U processor must operate at a higher clock speed (1.9 GHz; 2.9 GHz in Turbo Boost mode) than the Core i5-4200U processor (1.6 GHz; 2, 6 GHz Turbo Boost). However, these are only characteristics of the processors in the normal mode. And as an analysis of Surface 3 Pro's stressful CPU usage shows, the processor never reaches its maximum frequency. Moreover, if we compare the performance of the Surface Pro 2 and Surface Pro 3 tablets in boot mode by the Stress FPU test (AIDA64 package), it turns out that the processor in the Surface 2 Pro runs at a higher clock speed (2.0 GHz) than the processor in Surface 3 Pro (1.5 GHz). At the same time, the Core i5-4200U in the Surface Pro 2 always throttles, while the Core i5-4300U only starts throttling, but after a certain period of time, throttling stops and the processor frequency stabilizes at around 1.5 GHz. This observation explains why a Surface Pro 3 with a faster processor can perform even lower than a Surface Pro 2 with a lower processor. Our result clearly demonstrates that it makes no sense to buy Surface Pro 3 with an expensive Core i7-4650U processor, since this processor will still overheat and reduce its clock frequency.
Now let's look at the results of testing the Microsoft Surface 3 Pro tablet in games. Note that the tests in games were carried out at a screen resolution of 1920 × 1080, and not at a resolution of 2160 × 1440. The test results in the benchmark iXBT Game Benchmark v.1.0 are presented in the table:
| Game test | Highest quality | Minimum quality | ||
| Average FPS | Minimum FPS | Average FPS | Minimum FPS | |
| Aliens vs Predator D3D11 Benchmark | 5,3 | - | 15,3 | - |
| Grid 2 | 12,5 | 12,5 | 18,0 | 14,0 |
| Bioshock Infinite | 3,0 | 1,2 | 11,3 | 6,1 |
| World of tanks | 9,2 | 1,5 | 23,8 | 8,5 |
| Metro: LL | 2,1 | 1,2 | 6,2 | 1,5 |
| Hitman: Absolution | 1,4 | 0,9 | 9,7 | 6,7 |
As you can see from the test results, even with the graphics settings for the minimum quality, the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 tablet does not allow you to comfortably play any of the selected games. According to our method of calculating the cumulative score in games, Microsoft Surface Pro 3 gets 0 points (out of 11) in the mode minimum quality and 0 points in maximum quality mode. In short, this tablet is not at all suitable for games.
It should be noted that for an Intel Core i5-4300U processor with Intel HD Graphics 4400, this is an atypically weak result. For example, the Surface Pro 2 tablet with a Core i5-4200U processor performed significantly better in games. Apparently, the reason for this lies in the already mentioned behavior of the processor in the Surface Pro 3, which in boot mode greatly reduces its clock speed. So, if you simultaneously load the graphics core of the processor with the Stress GPU test (AIDA64 utility) and the processor cores with the Stress FPU test, then in the steady state the clock frequency of the processor cores will be 1.3 GHz, and the frequency of the graphics core will be 600 MHz.
In addition, using the HWInfo64 utility, we analyzed the work of the processor in game World of Tanks with settings for maximum quality. It turned out that initially, while the processor is "cold", everything goes as it should. However, after heating the processor cores and the graphics core, their frequencies decrease, and the performance, accordingly, decreases. Graphs showing the change in load level, frequencies and temperatures over time are presented below:
It looks like the Surface Pro 3's CPU cooling optimization efforts have been very unsuccessful. Firstly, the processor overheats anyway, and secondly, its temperature is reduced due to a strong cut in frequency of the processor, which naturally affects performance.
conclusions
Like the 10-inch Microsoft Surface Pro 2, the 12-inch Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is much closer to laptops than tablets. And it's not just that the optional keyboard allows it to be used in laptop mode. In terms of hardware configuration, functionality, and use cases, Surface Pro 3 is the most typical hybrid laptop tablet. At the same time, using Surface Pro 3 in tablet mode is rather inconvenient. Firstly, for a tablet, it is rather massive and heavy. Secondly, with a screen resolution of 2160 × 1440 (no additional scaling) on a 12-inch screen, everything looks very small, and in Windows applications it is virtually impossible to use your finger with the touch screen. Of course, the stylus greatly facilitates the task, but not so much that the work can be called comfortable. By the way, it is worth noting that the tablet does not provide a place for attaching the stylus, so it is very likely to be quickly lost. Based on all of the above, the best option using Surface Pro 3 - in laptop mode with a mouse connected, but also with the ability to pick it up and use it in tablet mode.
Now let's look at the Surface Pro 3 as a hybrid laptop-tablet. Included with the keyboard, its weight is already 1.11 kg - this is not much, but still more than a kilogram. Next, the Surface Pro Type Cover keyboard isn't perfect. Typing on it is not very convenient, and the touchpad is very small. In addition, with such a keyboard, Surface Pro 3 can only be used on a desk, and you cannot type on your lap. Finally, when comparing the Surface Pro Type Cover to the keyboards of hybrid laptop-tablets, many of them also contain an additional battery, which the Surface Pro Type Cover does not. The next point to keep in mind when comparing Surface Pro 3 to laptops is the presence of only one USB 3.0 connector, which, of course, is completely insufficient (at least one USB port will most likely be occupied by a mouse). You can use a USB hub, but this is another optional accessory and you will also have to carry it with you. However, for the Surface Pro 3 tablet there is an optional docking station (Surface Pro 3 Docking Station) for $ 200. This docking station has three more USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, an RJ-45 Gigabit network port, and a Mini-DisplayPort connector. It would seem that the problem of lack of ports has been solved. However, firstly, it is not clear whether this docking station will be sold in Russia, and secondly, with such a docking station, the tablet is already turning into a stationary computer.
Last but not least, the Surface Pro 3 tablet's performance. Despite the fact that the tablet we tested was based on a Core i5-4300U processor, its performance leaves much to be desired. The problem, as we have already noted, is that as a result of overheating of the processor, the clock frequency of its cores is greatly reduced, which leads to a drop in performance.
Finally, let's take a look at the cost of the Surface Pro 3. In the configuration we tested, it costs $ 1,300 (priced from Microsoft). Add to this the cost of the keyboard ($ 130), and you get a very serious amount of almost 50 thousand rubles. And this amount can hardly be considered justified in this particular case.
Microsoft Surface 3 has many new updates that set it apart from its predecessor, but beware - the price here is also new.
Microsoft Surface 3 - Tablet Test
More recently, the public has discussed Microsoft's partnership with tablet-converting developer Panos Panay, which has earned the company a billion dollars for the latest Windows tablets. Panay told CNN: "We made a product that won the love of users - this is the most important thing." Microsoft isn't going to ditch the billion-dollar product, so it's just updating the lineup. They have created a new tablet with a sleek design - the Microsoft Surface 3.
Thinner and more powerful - Microsoft Surface 3
Pricing per device starts at $ 499. For this cost, we get a tangible difference from the previous model, which only ran on Windows RT. New tablet runs on Windows 8.1 and has an Intel x86 the Atom x7-Z8700 processor. It is a 1.6GHz quad-core chip with a maximum operating speed of 2.4GHz. It is also based on Cherry Trail, which is latest version Intel. This means we get improved performance.
The new processor is a serious and important improvement, because the previous devices in the line had problems with it, and the transition from Windows RT to 8.1 allows you to get the most of the possibilities. The device has a small 10-inch display and comes standard with only two gigabytes of RAM and 64 gigabytes of internal memory. But there is also a model with four gigabytes of RAM and 128 gigabytes of built-in, only the price rises to $ 599. Such characteristics are still not sufficient, because there are more "advanced" tablets.
But Microsoft has always focused not on technical strength, but on the dual functionality of the device. The Surface 3 supports this idea. Unlike the Surface Pro 3, which was clearly designed to suit frequent travelers and those in business, the Surface Pro 3 is positioned as an iPad alternative, but for a much larger budget. Is this so and is Panay right when he said that people would love such a device? Or is the company very deluded?
Tablet design
No one can argue that Microsoft did not borrow the design from another well-known company for their tablets. Finish, quality, curves - everything is very similar to Apple products. But Microsoft went further and made their design more industrial and clear. It has few curves and curves, but rather crisp and hard lines. However, such sharp corners can bring some inconvenience to the user. But the weight of the latest model has become less and is only six hundred grams, which is slightly less than the iPad - the fourth generation.
However, this weight is heavier than modern tablets, like Dell venue 8 7000. And the gap in weight is not much different from the previous model of the tablet: the weight is less by a few grams, and the thickness is by a couple of millimeters.
If you compare both models, the new and the old, at first glance it will be difficult to tell them apart. The main difference is the difference in the location of the power and volume buttons. They are located far from each other, on the top surface of the tablet, which is much more convenient. Microsoft engineers have also reduced the thickness of the plastic strip that houses the wireless antenna.
There are also minor changes to the stand - Surface 3 has three locking positions, not two. In the first version, the tablet is located almost vertically, in the second - with an inclination for reading, and in the third it is adjacent to the surface at an angle of forty-five degrees.
This model is not prettier than the previous one, and does not differ much in terms of convenience. It is believed that such a high price is justified by the new processor. However, such a processor, although it works faster, will not be able to compete with Android and IOS.
Accessories: expensive but beautiful
We were able to look at a few accessories that come with the Surface 3. The most important one is the cover. For $ 130, you can buy two in one: a cover and a keyboard, but such a device makes the tablet heavier. With such a keyboard, of course, you cannot do full-fledged work while traveling, but this option is better than carrying a laptop with you everywhere. The keyboard layout itself is very convenient, it even wins in comparison with some stationary, full-fledged devices.
This cover is more than a keyboard, as it has a small touchpad. It works quite accurately, and despite its small size, it is convenient. But multi-touch gestures are a clear weakness of the device, because there is simply no room for them. Even simple scrolling is difficult.
Another handy accessory is the Surface Pen, that is, the stylus. It is made with high quality and fits comfortably in the hand. This nib has good contact with the surface, which makes it one of the best stylus. While the pen is technically accurate, it takes longer to press down than touching the screen. However, even in this model, Microsoft could not take care of securely attaching the stylus to the tablet.
There is an opportunity to buy and additional block for multiple USB ports (one USB 3.0, two USB 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, DisplayPort and 3.5mm audio jack). It also includes a stylus holder. However, such a port costs $ 200, which is a rather high price for a few extra connectors.
Pretty darn good as a netbook
Using the device along with the keyboard like a netbook, you can get good results. While this is good for a tablet, the width of the screen leaves much to be desired. So, the Asus T300 Chi is several inches wider and also has a keyboard that is much more comfortable.
However, we still have a touchscreen. But it is often much easier to click on an icon than to use a keyboard or mouse. Touchpad allows you to work quickly, which greatly simplifies the use of the tablet.
When it comes to work, the Surface 3 may well live up to your expectations. Editing Word documents, electronic Excel spreadsheets, or a few photos? Not a problem. Slight slowdowns can be noticed, but they are not critical. But if you already need to edit several photos, when you have ten tabs open in your browser and the game is hanging in the background? Then you can worry.
Unlike the Surface Pro, there are some performance issues here. The meager two gigabytes of RAM makes the problem obvious. However, if you just need a tablet for fun and not for work, then it can seem very fast and high-spirited.
The 1920 × 1280 display looks bold and vibrant. The pixel density is 213 ppi, which is not quite ideal for a tablet, but suitable for a laptop. The 425 lux backlight helps to overcome glare, and the maximum contrast is 640. This data is quite strong, it gives good color accuracy, which you will not find even on some notebooks. Although a laptop with such screen data costs more than a thousand dollars.
Even at high volumes, the speaker does not hiss or distort the sound. However, like all tablets, there are problems with bass - the sound is far from standard, shallow. But despite this, watching movies on Surface 3 is comfortable and enjoyable.
Not very good as a tablet
Although accessories are sold separately and are expensive, they are nearly impossible to do without. Without the same keyboard, work will be extremely difficult.
A cover with a keyboard is also needed because without it the tablet is still uncomfortable in the hand, its sharp corners bite into the hand, and control without a touchpad is incomplete. And it's not about the design, because the device is pretty pretty. It's about the Windows operating system itself.
Despite the fact that Windows 8 is formally made to be touched, the operating system carries much of the older versions. Even three years after the release, it is difficult to use only sensory touches in it. Icons and window arrangement are so uncontrollable that they inadvertently lead to unnecessary clicks.
Sometimes it's not even clear where the mistake was made. The window can be closed or opened, enlarged or minimized without apparent reasons... This is aggravated by the fact that the Windows Store still lacks applications compared to the Android and IOS platforms, and the choice of programs made for the sensor is extremely small.
Even when there are no complaints, the processor can create problems. The base clock of the X7-Z8700 works well, but it's still Atom and it's still Windows. In various tests, the processor is significantly inferior in speed to similar ones in price.
The Atom has never been a fast processor, and that's not changing with the new tablet model. For such a price, the device wants to see good performance, and not the same as in previous models. Obviously, the Surface 3, as a tablet, isn't very fast. Sometimes this is not very noticeable, but the problem does not disappear. When you scroll with your finger, the pages constantly freeze. Apps load slowly even if they are made for the desktop and sensor, and most 3D games cannot be played due to the limitations of Intel HD graphics, which have a lower clock speed than multi-core versions.
Use every day
Surface 3 has great advantage... It can be carried in a backpack or bag all day long without even feeling its weight. The device is so thin that it can easily be confused with a magazine or small book. Unlike laptops, which are problematic to carry everywhere with you, the tablet is convenient.
But this is only part of the big picture. After all, there is also such an important part of the device as the battery. Microsoft has made a 28-watt battery that gives good results, but not amazing results. So, constantly working on the Internet, the tablet will last for 6 hours and 32 minutes. The result is similar to the Asus Zenbook UX305 and outperforms the Samsung ATIV Book 9, Lenovo Yoga 3 and Asus T300 Chi. On the other hand, these figures are significantly lower than those of the iPad and most Android devices.
You can use Surface 3 all day long if you don't put the tablet under constant stress. Lifetime can be shortened if you enable "demanding" applications that run constantly in the background. The limited choice of stand positions and the glossy screen also play against the battery because you have to turn on maximum brightness.
Microsoft Surface camera and photos
The Surface 3 features an 8-megapixel camera. As long as there is enough light, the camera will take good pictures, but if the lighting deteriorates, the noise in the photo will increase dramatically. This is not uncommon among smartphones and tablets, which is why Microsoft hasn't added a flash to the device.
It is unlikely that such a camera can be used for serious shooting, but for everyday purposes it is suitable. What's really annoying is not the quality itself, but the speed at which the device takes pictures. Attempts to take several frames in a row lead to freezing. Autofocus sometimes does not want to work, it needs at least a few seconds to find an object.
For the front camera, 3.5 megapixels are allocated. This is not a lot, but it is not critical either. In Skype, these parameters are usually sufficient.
Outcome
Like previous versions of the line, Microsoft's Surface 3 is full of controversy. Microsoft is not lying when they say that the device combines a tablet and a laptop. This is true even when it is not an advanced model. You can watch 1080p videos on your device, edit documents and spreadsheets, browse websites, take photos and correct them in programs, manage files, and play applications and 2D games.
However, the tablet feels incomplete. Compared to the iPad, the device is heavier, thicker and more uncomfortable. The layout of the screen is ill-conceived. Therefore, the question arises, was it necessary to try to add functionality without fixing old errors?
The processor of the tablet is often slow, the display is clearly small, and the battery clearly could hold a charge longer. Nevertheless, such a device is pleasant to use as a laptop. As a tablet, Surface 3 loses out, but for entertainment and chatting on the Internet, it is perfect.
The base model Surface 3 costs $ 500. The same is the price of an iPad with 16 gigabytes, but we will have 64 gigabytes at our disposal. However, the Pro model, which has more powerful performance, already costs $ 600. And to use the tablet like a laptop, you need to pay another $ 130 for a cover with a keyboard. So we end up with a price tag of almost $ 750, which is more expensive than the Asus Zenbook UX305 and even some laptops. For this price, you can buy a quality Android device.
Microsoft claims to have solved the problem for those who need both a tablet and a laptop. However, it is not entirely clear whether such solutions are really necessary? Yes, for those who are constantly on the move - this is the way out. However, such people are few. Surface 3 does its job - connects tablet and laptop. But such a device is too expensive, and it does not cope with many tasks.
A tablet for many users is a device for entertainment and communication. In between movies and toys, you can read new messages on social networks or find out the news on the Internet. The tablet is poorly adapted for work tasks. Whether it's the case familiar Windows: a complete office suite Microsoft Office, the ability to use various work programs (from PhotoShop to 1C) and a familiar desktop with full multitasking.
Microsoft has envisioned the Surface Pro tablet as a proprietary reference device that unleashes the full potential of Windows 8. The first generation was released in 2012. Then in 2013 the second generation tablet was introduced. He underwent an upgrade: got a new one, powerful processor and extended battery life. In 2014 was released Microsoft Surface Pro 3- a model, even more deeply revised in design and technical parameters.
The idea of a universal hybrid of a tablet and a laptop looks very interesting. This is exactly the kind of device the Surface Pro is positioned to be. The transformation from a tablet to a laptop takes place after connecting a removable keyboard to it. Without it, it's a tablet, and with it, the Surface Pro, according to the developers, is able to act as an alternative to a laptop, thanks to a full keyboard and touchpad.
However, the first two generations of Surface Pro left a mixed impression. For a tablet that primarily needs to be mobile device, it was too heavy and cumbersome. The battery life was also a source of criticism. The Surface Pro also did not pull on a laptop: a small screen, an uncomfortable keyboard, a too peculiar design.
Surface Pro 3 is the final result of Microsoft's efforts to create a versatile device that can replace both tablet and laptop. To what extent the proprietary third-generation tablet is able to solve this very difficult task, we will find out in our review.
Modifications
The third generation tablet is presented in modifications with different amounts of built-in memory and three types of processors. At the moment, all five versions have already gone on sale. Here is a complete list of mods and their timing in 2014:
Weight and size
Despite all the flaws previous versions Surface Pro, one cannot but do justice to the very original form factor and design solutions that many users have liked. Firstly, it is a removable keyboard (when folded, it covers the screen and acts as a cover). Secondly, a folding leg-stand that allows you to place the tablet at an angle in two positions. On the new Pro 3 these elements are also present, but they are implemented much better.
The new tablet is much thinner. The case is 9.1mm thin, versus 13mm for the older Pro 2. This is thinner than the 13-inch MacBook Air, the main competitor to the Surface Pro 3. These two devices are by far the best PCs on the market. Surface Pro 3 is positioned by Microsoft as an alternative to this particular laptop. The 13-inch MacBook Air weighs 1.35 kg. Our Windows tablet with an attached keyboard weighs about 300 grams less. This is where the Surface excellence really comes into play.
But if we compare Surface Pro 3 in physical parameters with tablets, then the situation is different. The weight of the model without the keyboard is 800 grams, which is a lot by tablet standards. For example, the iPad AIR weighs approximately 470 grams. Adding to that, the Surface's display has increased from 10.1 inches to 12 inches, and the physical size is now 292 x 201 x 9.1 mm. For comparison, the size of the iPad AIR is 240 x 169 x 7.5 mm. An alternative to Surface Pro 3 can also be. But he uses Android, which is poorly suited for work tasks.
But, Surface Pro 3 Is a business tablet that allows you to comfortably work with documents (make edits with a stylus) and is ideal for presentations thanks to its huge screen. His other target audience is designers and artists. It would be inappropriate to compare the iPad with it, just based on the differences in size and weight. iPad is just a gadget for entertainment: movies, music, internet. The Surface Pro 3 doesn't need to be held in one hand like the iPad. This device is of a fundamentally different kind.
Microsoft's progress is evident: Surface Pro 3 is a full-fledged business tablet with a large screen, yet light and thin enough. The Pro 1 and Pro 2 were much thicker and heavier, and were more formally called tablets.
Design
The tablet is made of magnesium alloy, like previous models, but it looks more stylish and expensive. The same outline of the case is used: tapering from the front surface to the back, rounded corners, the same placement of ports and buttons. The back of the case and ends are now painted silver instead of the black that was used on older models.
The design and ergonomics of Surface Pro 3 as a tablet are optimal. But judging by laptop standards, there is a shortage of connectors. There are not many of them on the case. Holding the gadget horizontally in your hands, on the right side you will find a Mini DisplayPort, which is used to transfer images to a large monitor, one USB port 3.0, charging connector. One can complain about the lack of USB ports, the lack of an HDMI connector and an SD card slot. There is a place under the foot-stand for inserting a microSD memory card. Supports media up to 128GB.
The power button is located on the upper left side. On the top left side there is a volume rocker and a headphone jack. The touch key on the front surface, which the Pro 2 had under the screen, is now located on the side in the middle.
The charger port has been updated. The connector has become thinner. When connected to the connector, it is more magnetically attached to the case and holds better than the Surface Pro 2.
Microsoft has developed a new cooling system that makes the Surface Pro 3 the thinnest device with the latest Intel processor. The fan is practically silent and copes with its work. The device heats up slightly on the right side of the case when the processor receives a serious load (for example, in games), but not so much that it cannot be handled.
No less impressive was the work done on the folding stand on the rear panel. On the past Surface Pro, the stand only fixed in two positions. Now the user can install the tablet using the "legs" at any angle of inclination: from 22 to 150 degrees. This is what allows you to work with the device on your lap as with a laptop, use it as a tablet for drawing, or simply place it on the table, typing on the keyboard, at the angle of inclination and in the position that is convenient for you.
The stability of the "leg" in any position is very reliable, and the hinge mechanism looks convincing and gives hope that it will work out the entire service life of the device.
Screen
Another big innovation on the Surface Pro 3 is the display. The tablet has a 12-inch touch screen with a resolution of 2160 x 1440 pixels (for comparison, the screen resolution is 1920 x 1080, the iPad Air has a resolution of 2048 x 1536, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display is 2560 x 1600). In previous versions, the Surface Pro had a 10.6-inch screen. The pixel density has increased from 207 ppi to 216 ppi.
Microsoft has been assured that it has worked to improve the viewing angles. It is difficult to notice this with the naked eye. Even if you look at the screen from almost zero angle, it is impossible to notice any distortion - the viewing angles are absolutely perfect. Both text and graphics in HD movies look equally sharp on the display. The quality of the screen on the Surface Pro 3 is unimaginable.
The display on Surface Pro 3 has changed its aspect ratio. Instead of the 16: 9 used on most tablets, it is now 3: 2. Thus, the screen has become more "laptop". However, it also became more convenient to use as a tablet screen. The old Surface Pro 2's 10.6-inch screen looked ridiculous when viewed vertically. The screen of the new model in portrait mode is very conducive to working with it, for example, in a browser. There is enough space on the display even when using the virtual keyboard.
Surface Pen
Like previous models, the Surface Pro 3 comes with a dedicated stylus that you can use with your tablet. Its functionality has been radically improved. Even outwardly, this accessory has changed. If on the Pro 2 it looked like a cheap plastic pen, now it really is a stylus: a nice weighty design in an aluminum body. By the way, many reviewers complain that the pen is not attached to the body in any way (in the previous model, it was magnetized to the side edge). There is a loop on the keyboard for it, but it is frankly unfortunate. In our opinion, this is a solvable problem: the stylus has a clothespin (like a fountain pen) and can be hooked onto the Type Cover keyboard.
The stylus uses N-Trig technology, not Wacom like the older Surface Pros. It was rumored that this was due to the fact that Wacom bought Samsung, and Microsoft had to look for a new technology solution. The stylus has 256 sensitivity levels. It is a pleasure to draw and mark them.
The possibilities of the pen will be appreciated to the maximum by artists and designers. In fact, Surface Pro 3 could be a replacement for a graphics tablet. The tablet will allow you to both perform graphic work, and carry out the subsequent processing of the created material, as they say, in the field, "on the go", without resorting to using a stationary computer. By the way, according to some reports, Adobe is preparing a version of Photoshop optimized for the pen. In the meantime, nothing prevents you from using the usual version of this popular graphics program on the tablet. You can draw with the stylus in the standard graphic editor Paint.
The pen will be appreciated not only by creatives. With the stylus, you can simply operate the device. For example, it is very convenient for them to follow small links in the browser. And in the office suite Microsoft Office, the pen will allow you to make the necessary notes. For example, in Excel files there is a special tab "Handwriting input". In a file with important working information, you can emphasize, highlight, draw what is needed directly on a plate, graph or on lines with numbers and letters. This is a very convenient opportunity for a manager who needs to edit the file in such a way as to convey the necessary information to subordinates. Marks are saved in the file even when it is transferred to another computer with a different version of Windows or even a different operating system. Similarly, you can use the stylus to mark up and write comments in text Word files as well as in PowerPoint presentations.
Keyboard Type Cover 3
The main accessory that transforms Surface Pro 3 from tablet to laptop is the removable keyboard. It is sold separately, but many users choose to purchase it with their tablet to get the most out of their device right away. The keyboard of the new Surface Pro 3 has also changed for the better. It became wider, the keys got a better move, and most importantly, a full-fledged touchpad appeared. The Type Cover 2, which was offered for the Surface Pro 2, had this element, as they say, "for show." The touchpad was very inconvenient to use. This flaw has been corrected for the new keyboard. The touchpad is 68% larger, making it easy to do without a mouse. However, branded mice for the tablet also exist. For example, a mouse is a comfortable and stylish pointing device designed specifically for Surface Pro and designed in the same design as your tablet and keyboard.
The Type Cover 3 has a very original element that allows you to adjust the angle of its inclination. There is a special magnetic stripe on the side with which it is magnetized to the tablet. If necessary, the keyboard bends and additionally attaches to it to the tablet. Thanks to this, the keyboard is placed at an angle, and it becomes more convenient to type on it both when you work with the tablet at the table and when you hold it on your lap. The Type Cover 3 keys are backlit. The redesigned keyboard is another highlight of the Surface Pro 3.
By the way, when working with the tablet and the keyboard on your lap, you will not feel the heating of the case. Due to the fact that the Surface Pro 3 case contains absolutely all the hardware (including the processor that heats up), you just have a plastic keyboard on your lap, which is not capable of heating by definition.
Software
Microsoft's Transformer runs on the 64-bit Windows 8.1 Pro operating system. Many users mistrust Windows 8 and believe that the current operating system is unfortunate and very incomprehensible. In our opinion, this point of view was formed under the influence of the private opinions of some IT observers and just ordinary users who leave reviews on the Web. This preconceived notion has been replicated on the Internet. We are quite positive about Windows 8. Our opinion: try it and see for yourself.
Of course, the Windows interface in versions 8, as well as 8.1, which the Surface Pro 3 uses, has changed dramatically. However, all the previous functions and capabilities have not disappeared from it. It is worth using one simple trick to get started easier to navigate the system. This is a search.
To get used to Windows 8, you need to master search first. This is the easiest and most reliable way to find the function or program you want. The Search button is one of the charms that appear when you drag out a menu to the right of the screen with your finger, or move the cursor to the upper right corner of the screen. In Windows 8.1, the search icon is generally rendered on main screen(top right next to user profile and power icon). Search can find both programs and functions. For example, if you want to uninstall a program, then the phrase "uninstall the program" must be entered into the search. You will receive a link to the uninstallation panel. And if you enter "delete application", then the very first link will take you to the removal of tiled applications.
Search in Windows 8 has become more modern. He not only searches the contents of the computer, but also the Internet. Search is the main thing that you need to master when getting acquainted with the "eight".
Of course, Windows 8 also has some flaws. Striving to make an OS Windows universal Microsoft implemented a new tiled interface, but left the old desktop environment. However, a unified and logical system did not work out: touch tiles, "sharpened" for phones - one system, and a desktop with traditional icons - another. On the Surface Pro 3, the two systems live in one and give the user a lot of hassle. Many programs have two versions: tiled and traditional. Tiled applications designed for use on tablets and smartphones naturally have poorer functionality, and the user has to consider which version of the program he is installing. According to rumors, this flaw will be fixed in a future version of the OS. ... The developer promises to make a single, truly universal interface. This is one of the main tasks of the company now. The Surface Pro 3 is backed by regular updates, and is likely to be one of the first devices to receive Windows 9.
We tried to assess software The Surface Pro 3 is more from the point of view of the average user, rather than a specialist in "hardware" and operating systems. In our opinion, modern Windows 8.1 is still a functional and feature-rich OS. In any case, it will be easier to adapt to it than to switch, for example, from Windows 7 to Mac OS. Our opinion: Mastering Windows 8.1 on Surface Pro 3, if you haven't worked in it yet, is a matter of very short time and some patience.
Office
The complete Microsoft Office suite on Surface Pro 3 is free to use for only 30 days. It syncs with cloud storage OneDrive. Office needs to be downloaded from Microsoft website.
Office documents can be saved to Surface Pro 3's hard drive or to the cloud. Thanks to the cloud service OneDrive, if synchronization is configured correctly, they will be available on any other device on Windows (for example, a smartphone). You can also give access to them to other users.
Speakers and cameras
The tablet boasts excellent sound quality. The speakers are very well located - on the front panel. The improved stereo system, according to Microsoft, produces sound that is 45% louder than the Surface Pro 2. The speakers are really good. Supported by Dolby Audio technology, the sound is very clear and spacious at any volume level.
Cameras on Surface Pro 3 have also been improved. Front-camera shoots video in HD resolution. It is quite capable of delivering decent quality footage during video conferencing and Skype calls. The rear one can take 5-megapixel images. The camera lacks autofocus and the quality of the shooting is average, although the resolution is higher than that of the older Surface models. It is possible to immediately upload the received photos to the social network. The quality of the cameras will not be the first criterion for judging Surface Pro 3, although they could be better on a device as expensive as this tablet.
Performance and gaming
Our testing was carried out on a modification of the tablet, which is equipped with an Intel Core i5 processor and 256GB of internal memory. This is the mid-range model across the entire Microsoft Surface Pro 3 line, and we think for most users it will be optimal choice... This version of Pro 3 did not have any performance problems: waking up from sleep mode is very fast, applications open quite quickly, the device did not freeze.
All of the Surface Pro 3's specs are very modern and powerful, with the exception of the graphics card. To date, they have not yet figured out how to fit into thin tablet game video card(which is 3-5 times thicker than a similar device). Despite loud statements, the built-in graphics cores tablets are hard to compete with even the cheapest standalone graphics cards.
It was all the more interesting to find out what you can play on Surface Pro 3. We decided to take it right off the bat and ran the 3D Mark test on the tablet, which is the quality standard for determining the capabilities of desktop gaming systems. The test started and gave a crazy picture. However, the key performance indicator graphics applications- FPS. This is the number of frames per second that the game manages to outline. The higher the number, the smoother the animation looks. So the FPS was only 1-2 frames per second. It became clear that we would not be able to play Crysis 3.
After that, we significantly lowered the level of requirements and tried to play World of Tanks - a toy with less "heavy" graphics. Here we were pleased with the results. As you can see in the video (in the upper right corner), the FPS is about 40 frames per second.
Thus, you will not be left without games at all on Surface Pro 3. You can while away a lot of time playing WoT. In addition, such old action films as Counter Strike or Starcraft will go with a bang.
Autonomy
The first Surface Pro had very poor battery life. The device only worked for 4 hours without recharging. Surface Pro 3's battery life is significantly better. Although the battery life is highly dependent on what actions you perform on the tablet.
So, in the mode of average workload (work with some working programs, the included Wi-Fi module for Internet access), the device can hold out for about 7 hours. If you keep Wi-Fi off and use one program, then the autonomy will increase to 11 hours! If you set the screen brightness to 75% and enable continuous video playback, the Surface Pro 3 can last 6.5 hours. For a device with a huge display, a powerful processor and a professional version of Windows, the performance is excellent! The Surface Pro 3 surprised me with a long battery life, especially considering the capabilities of previous models.
The Surface Pro 3's tech is no doubt impressive. Although Microsoft calls its device a tablet, it has every opportunity to act as a complete work computer. Perhaps it can be called the absolute best Windows device. Both the operating system and the gadget itself are highly versatile and are quite capable of replacing both a tablet and a laptop.
The Surface Pro 3 is certainly ridiculous to compare, for example, to the iPad. This is a much more functional and versatile device - a tablet aimed at a business audience and professionals who create any kind of graphic content. That's why Microsoft set out to compete with another Apple product, the MacBook Air ultrabook. Although Surface Pro 3 does offer some advantages over it (touch screen and stylus, the ability to transform into a tablet, less weight), these advantages of the Microsoft tablet are unlikely to make buyers prefer it to the MacBook Air. Rather, you will have to choose between two different operating systems, and this is where Surface Pro 3 and the more popular and mainstream Windows OS have an edge. Therefore, if you choose between these two PCs, you should decide which ecosystem will be more convenient for you.
The Surface Pro 3 may indeed be a laptop killer, but not for everyone. For less money, you can buy an ultrabook with weaker parameters, less impressive design, without a touch screen and stylus. The opportunity for transformation will also be lacking. Perhaps, for some users, the price will play an important role. However, only in the case of you will get the Lightest, technically perfect, ergonomic, and more functional two-in-one device that will really replace a tablet and can act as a full-fledged laptop.