Microsoft Surface Pro 3: A work PC in tablet clothing

      THROUGH EVERY ITERATION, Microsoft’s Surface Pro tablet has edged closer to becoming a laptop replacement. The newest model, the Surface Pro 3, takes several more small steps in that direction—along with one giant leap.You’ll immediately notice the larger display, which is 12 inches in diagonal width and 38 percent bigger than the screen of the Surface Pro 2. Its 2160-by-1440-pixel resolution, an improvement over the Surface Pro 2’s 1920-by-1080 resolution, is breathtakingly crisp. Just as important, Microsoft’s shift to a 3:2 aspect ratio adds 1.12 inches of vertical real estate to what already is a wider tablet. The result is a more luxurious, useful work space—and that’s critical when you’re multitasking in a desktop environment.
      Despite the larger screen dimensions, the Surface Pro 3 is slimmer than its predecessor, its designers having trimmed 0.23 inch of width and 0.24 pound from the Surface Pro 2. Yet Microsoft is still offering a full range of Core processors for the lineup, including a Core i7 that somehow manages to live happily in a 0.3-inch-thick slate.

A substantial investment

      Microsoft is shipping the Surface Pro 3 in five configurations. Our evaluation unit, containing a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage, costs $1300. The low-end Core i3 model costs $800, a price that’s competitive with full-fledged laptops. But a high-end Core i7 model costs more than $2000 after sales tax, and any future 4G connectivity options will boost prices even further. The new Type Cover costs another $130, and it’s a must-have. Microsoft also moved to a new charger, breaking compatibility with earlier models. And if you bought a docking station for the Surface Pro 2, it won’t work with the Surface Pro 3 due to a port reconfiguration.

Compared with the 10.6-inch Surface Pro 2 (left), the 12-inch
Surface Pro 3 offers a luxurious amount of space.

      Longtime Surface fans may be disappointed by those drawbacks, especially if they recently spent four figures on a Surface Pro 2. But if you’re in the market for a new laptop, you should seriously consider a Surface Pro 3 as your daily driver for work and play.

Just like that, it’s up and running

      The Surface Pro 3 boots fast—so fast that I initially thought I had left it in sleep mode instead of shutting it down. Yes, I’ve been reviewing a clean machine, and improved SSD technology plays a role, but boot-to-password was on the order of 3 to 4 seconds. (Hold the power button a bit longer than normal on first boot, however, as a quick press doesn’t seem to trigger it.) Microsoft claims 8 hours of battery life during casual use, but our in-house battery tests, which entail a continuous mix of scripted Office use and video playback, brought the Surface Pro 3 to its knees after 4 hours, 18 minutes. (The smaller Surface Pro 2 shut down after 4 hours, 44 minutes.)
      Our Core i5–based review unit always felt snappy and responsive. Microsoft describes the chip as a “tuned” version of the Core i5-4300U, the upgraded processor that Microsoft adopted midway through the Surface Pro 2 life cycle. The Surface Pro 3’s WorldBench 9 score, however, was just 72, whereas the Surface Pro 2 achieved a score of 74.
      Microsoft has moved to the faster 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard, which increases potential wireless throughput. The new tablet also has 5-megapixel cameras front and rear, enough for full 1080p Skype chats. As for ports, the Surface Pro 3 retains the MicroSD slot of previous generations, as well as the single USB 3.0 port and Mini DisplayPort connector. The upcoming docking station will include three USB 3.0 ports and two USB 2.0 connectors, as well as gigabit ethernet.

Improved digital-ink pen

      test unit included the latest Windows 8.1 Update. When you shut down the tablet, it asks you to “pull down” the window to turn it off, just as Windows Phone does. One serious omission on the software front: Whereas the Surface Pro 2 came with 200GB of free OneDrive storage, the Surface Pro 3 does not. Ditto for the year’s worth of Skype Premium calling and Wi-Fi access that the Pro 2 offered.
      The Surface Pro 3 ships with a chunky new N-trig pen that features what Microsoft calls decreased parallax;the digital ink “flows” more closely from where the pen touches the screen. And here’s a nifty trick—you can rouse the tablet from sleep by holding the button on the top of the pen, which launches a new OneNote note without requiring a password.
      Either you like digital ink or you don’t, and the Surface Pro 3 is still too heavy and awkward for long-term one-handed use. Microsoft wants you to use the Surface Pro 3 as a digital legal pad, but doing so requires setting the tablet down on a table.The pen’s storage loop in the new Type Cover also needs work, as it makes removing and stowing the pen too difficult. Securing the pen within the tablet would be a better solution—though perhaps unfeasible, given that the Surface Pro 3’s internals are already packed to capacity with components.

On a plane, on a train

      Surface chief Panos Panay has made “lapability”—how a Surface tablet stacks up against a traditional notebook when you’re resting the device on your lap—one of the selling points of the line. In the service of improved lapability, Microsoft has reworked the kickstand and the Type Cover for this model.
      The first generation of the Surface lineup included a kickstand that folded back to a 22-degree angle. Later, the Surface Pro 2 added a second, 55-degree angle. With the Surface Pro 3, the limitations effectively disappear. The tablet still clicks back to the 22-degree angle, but beyond that the kickstand and its “friction hinge” can support any angle up to 150 degrees. Microsoft says it has tested the hinge to hold up over repeated use.

The Type Cover’s redesign gives the Surface Pro 3 greater stability when you rest the tablet on your lap.

      The real key to so-called lapability lies in a tweak that Microsoft made to the Type Cover 3. Click it in, and it resembles the previous  generation’s keyboard. You’ll notice, however, a narrow strip on its
long, connected edge that uses a second magnetic connection. When you fold it down, this strip raises the keyboard to a slight angle, and it reinforces the Type Cover’s connection across the entire tablet. Earlier Type Cover designs feel flimsy on your lap, but the additional support of the Type Cover 3 stabilizes the whole unit. The Type Cover 3 works with earlier Surface models, too.
      When used Surface Pro 3 on a swaying commuter train, the new tablet-keyboard combination offered enough stability, flexibility, and headroom to make dismiss the old Surface Pro 2 combo immediately.
      However there are two bugs. First, after folded up the Surface Pro 3 and then reopened it, the touchpad wouldn’t work and the cursor vanished. Rebooting solved the problem. Second, when snapped the Type Cover 3 onto older Surface Pro 2 to check connectivity, it worked fine—but after reattached the Type Cover 2 to the Surface Pro 2, the Type Cover 2 failed to connect, even after several reboots. Another, older Type Cover failed to work as well. Microsoft says software updates will fix such issues with the covers.

Third time’s the charm?

      For all of the Surface Pro 3’s attractive qualities, you may be better served by exploring other Windows 8.1 options, be they hybrids or traditional laptops. These competitors may not have the Surface Pro 3’s gorgeous display, but they will likely cost a few hundred dollars less, boast longer battery lives, and maybe face the challenges of the airplane tray table with greater aplomb.
      That’s not to downplay what Microsoft has accomplished with the Surface Pro 3, however. The new model represents an improvement on all fronts. The original Surface wasn’t much of a tablet. The Surface Pro 3 certainly is.