I think this is unlikely based on evidence of iPads purchased are predominately wifi only and that's currently a significantly larger market. The implication being low demand for cellular enabled tablets and low return on investment.
Buy Surface Pro 3 now or wait for 4
- Thread starter Pack3028
- Start date
Surface 2 not Surface Pro 2 right?
megatronium
Active Member
Totally agree. Also factor in the hit to battery life. The redesign and manufacturing process of adding a sim card slow. Adding a cellular antenna into the mix (GSM/cdma versions, finding internal room, added heat, and fact that cellular doesn't travel through metal or screens easily). Plus the fact Microsoft has enough driver issues with just WIFI, adding communication card with drivers, URGH. Adding several hundred for $$ to an already poorly spoken of high price.
If you think about it the surface pro is more of a laptop than tablet. This time even Microsoft leans that way (comparing to MacBook this time and moving from 10" to 12"). Now tell me how many laptops out there offer mobile broadband. Then add in the complications of the surface laptop being housed in a tablet (fully sealed metal body).
With the surface pro not selling well at all first 2 versions, and the pro 3 finally starting to show some positive numbers (yet still not selling on a massive scale like iPad), and high price (yet accurate and competitively priced yet still expensive), and factor in all the complications of making this happen. Then factor in warehouse and showroom stock it would take. Then take the actual amount of people that would buy this. What you are left with, is few sales, a lot of $ spent on updating design and implementing chip, and a whole 'lot' of sitting/unsold devices. I don't see the payoff.
Yes it would be nice and welcomed. But I for one wouldn't buy a cellular one. That's 1 more 2 yr contract/line, taking away from my avg 6.5 hours of battery, and costing me more $ for. Theres no way. I can tether just fine, and with 1 push of a button on a phone which gets all day battery with/without tethering.
So how does that tethering work? I heard it's quite Expensive for the data use.
Tethering just means you are using your phone as a wifi hotspot. It costs whatever your network provider charges when you use your phone.
Emmanouil Bagiartakis
New Member
wait for the SP5 to arrive and get the SP4 on sale
i hope microsoft will never discontinue surface.They can discontinue windows instead if they necessarily have to discontinue something.
surface and onenote must stay forever
Pack3028 buy a Surface Pro 3 NOW!!!!
Michael Lovett
Member
There's no guarantee that the SP4 will have addressed the problems of the SP3, or that it won't add it's own set of (frustrating) problems.
My vote: if you are interested in this kind of platform, now is as good a time as any.
Overall I like my SP3 a lot and it *has* replaced my laptop.
Now, if the darned thing could just connect more reliably to wi-fi routers, I'd be happy as a pig in you-know-what.
M
My vote: if you are interested in this kind of platform, now is as good a time as any.
Overall I like my SP3 a lot and it *has* replaced my laptop.
Now, if the darned thing could just connect more reliably to wi-fi routers, I'd be happy as a pig in you-know-what.
M
Pig in a blanket?
stonerwinst
New Member
I completely agree with the comment about WIFI. I would wait until the next version and see if the WIFI issues are resolved. It's really unacceptable given the cost of this device and basic requirement of a working WIFI.
Id suggest if WIFI is such a big issue for you, seek alternatives.
I know some will adamantly resist solving the problem themselves and do nothing besides complain so if that's you stop reading now.
There are dozens of USB WIFI adapters in all sizes and speeds and many are pretty cheap. Disable the onboard WIFI and plug in your favorite USB adapter that works with the Routers you encounter. Done, next.
I really haven't had problems so apparently the Routers I encounter are working fine with then SP3. However in time past with other devices I have had problems and I used to carry two USB WIFI sticks from different vendors. 99% of the time one or the other would connect to whatever was available and I'm onto productivity.
If you prefer flog the horse you're on. Yeah I wish for better but I'm not going to waste time monkeying around with it if I can easily do better with a readily available solution.
I know some will adamantly resist solving the problem themselves and do nothing besides complain so if that's you stop reading now.
There are dozens of USB WIFI adapters in all sizes and speeds and many are pretty cheap. Disable the onboard WIFI and plug in your favorite USB adapter that works with the Routers you encounter. Done, next.
I really haven't had problems so apparently the Routers I encounter are working fine with then SP3. However in time past with other devices I have had problems and I used to carry two USB WIFI sticks from different vendors. 99% of the time one or the other would connect to whatever was available and I'm onto productivity.
If you prefer flog the horse you're on. Yeah I wish for better but I'm not going to waste time monkeying around with it if I can easily do better with a readily available solution.
BearFlag
Member
After doing some research it seems like it's better to just get the Surface Pro 3 instead of waiting for the Surface Pro 4.
I came to this conclusion based on two things:
1) It doesn't seem like the dimensions will change in the Surface Pro 4: http://www.winbeta.org/news/surface-pro-4-will-come-same-physical-dimensions-surface-pro-3
2) The new fanless Intel Core M processors are a downgrade for performance in laptops: http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/intel-core-m-5y70-broadwell-tested-benchmarked/
Therefore if the dimensions will stay the same and the performance will suffer then might as well buy the Surface Pro 3. My only question is how much of a savings will we get for Black Friday?
I came to this conclusion based on two things:
1) It doesn't seem like the dimensions will change in the Surface Pro 4: http://www.winbeta.org/news/surface-pro-4-will-come-same-physical-dimensions-surface-pro-3
2) The new fanless Intel Core M processors are a downgrade for performance in laptops: http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/intel-core-m-5y70-broadwell-tested-benchmarked/
Therefore if the dimensions will stay the same and the performance will suffer then might as well buy the Surface Pro 3. My only question is how much of a savings will we get for Black Friday?
