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Advice on buying SP4

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Wahine1949

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I am new to the forum. A few months ago I purchased a Surface 3 bundle that included the pen and the keyboard cover. I had always wanted a Surface, but found the prices to be too high. Well, I had problems with a driver and ended up returning it to the store on the advice of the Microsoft technician I spoke to. The store was out of stock and I was left "Surfaceless."

Now, there is a new bundle sale of the SP4: 4 GB, 128 GB SSD and Intel Core i5. It includes the keyboard cover. I am in love with the Surface tablets, but then I see all the mixed reviews and remember my recent negative experience with the Surface 3, and I am afraid to purchase it, especially since this one is about $500 more! Any advice from you experienced users? I will only use it for Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, email, and internet. Also, I love the pen and the crossword puzzle. I do not play games on my laptop and if I do, it's things like Free Cell or Sudoku (lame, I know).

The sale ends in a few days so your prompt responses will be appreciated!
 
Welcome to the forum Wahine

I must be honest (and it is just my opinion), but if all you want to do with word, excel, email, and intnernet, then there are probably far cheaper options available. The real selling point of the surface line is it's tablet functionality, and very much the use of the pen for writing (not just using it as a mouse). It sounds like money doesn't grow in your back garden so it might be worth thinking about, as it is a lot of money if you're not going to really take advantage of its capabilities.

That aside, I've had my SP4 since launch, and it has been a dream (other than issues arising from being on the windows insider program). There was a poll on this forum not too long ago, and unless I'm mistaken, the vast majority were happy with their SP4. You have to remember when going online and looking for opinions, few people will make a discussion saying that their new device works as advertised, but most people will be willing to start a discussion if there is an issue. As such it doesn't matter the product, you'll always always find more instances of issue than success.

If you can justify the money, I'd say just buy it from somewhere that has a solid returns policy. Some will just replace, but the better stores will just refund no questions asked.
 
Thanks so much for your prompt reply! Actually I also plan to use it for taking notes during the HOA meetings, as I am the secretary and need to prepare the minutes of each meeting. Also, I transcribe reports for a psychiatrist and when I travel (which is fairly frequently), I take my laptop so that I don't fall behind. My laptop is cheap, heavy and slow! I need a replacement and I just love the Surface! I like to watch series (Netflix and Amazon) on my 8 inch tablet. This would be an upgrade! I have checked other devices and don't like any of them. I love the keyboard and the pen. What can I say? I guess I can splurge on myself once in a while. It's a bundle that includes the keyboard cover for $899. What do you think? Worth it?
 
First of all, I am a Free Cell addict, so it's not lame. Free Cell HD works great both for touch and mouse use.
You'll find OneNote great for meeting notes. Not only for its ease of making pages and sections and moving pages around, but you can also record audio while you take notes and the notes are linked to the time they were taken during recording.
 
Wahine1949 said:
Thanks so much for your prompt reply! Actually I also plan to use it for taking notes during the HOA meetings, as I am the secretary and need to prepare the minutes of each meeting. Also, I transcribe reports for a psychiatrist and when I travel (which is fairly frequently), I take my laptop so that I don't fall behind. My laptop is cheap, heavy and slow! I need a replacement and I just love the Surface! I like to watch series (Netflix and Amazon) on my 8 inch tablet. This would be an upgrade! I have checked other devices and don't like any of them. I love the keyboard and the pen. What can I say? I guess I can splurge on myself once in a while. It's a bundle that includes the keyboard cover for $899. What do you think? Worth it?
Click to expand...

In that case I think the SP4 (or SP3! there really isn't that much of a difference between the two unless you're a power user who needs every ounce of horsepower available etc) would suit you great. As I say, myself and others have had no real issues, but that isn't to say that issues can occur, but internet reports rather skew the ratio.

Regarding price, I do not know much about the prices and deals available in the US, especially given current exchange rates, but it sounds like a good deal.
 
ScottyS said:
First of all, I am a Free Cell addict, so it's not lame. Free Cell HD works great both for touch and mouse use.
You'll find OneNote great for meeting notes. Not only for its ease of making pages and sections and moving pages around, but you can also record audio while you take notes and the notes are linked to the time they were taken during recording.
Click to expand...
Wow! I didn't know you could record audio while taking notes. That would be perfect! Thanks for the info. I too am a Free Cell addict and Free Cell HD sounds interesting. I am also a crossword puzzle addict and I love the crossword app on the Surface!
 
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