Finally bought a SP3 to replace the SP2

[kevinlevrone]

I can't say how happy I am with the SP3. I measured the screens and compared to SP2 it has 37% more surface area. The SP3 screen feels much larger than the SP2 and also the image seems more close to the screen surface, the overall display quality is better. But the best thing about it is the 3:2 form factor. I always hated to use a 16:9 or even 16:10 screen for my work (programming) but at that time there was nothing else available that ticked all the required boxes for me. Even now, there are very few hybrids with 3:2 or 4:3 form factor.

The thinness (which I didn't care for in my decision) is also a vast improvement. Combined with the new form factor, I can finally use the SP3 as a tablet without feeling some "awkwardness" related to thickness and screen space limitations. But my use as a tablet is about 10% of the time.

Black Friday brought out some good deals in SP3 + Type Cover 3 in Europe, so I took advantage of an i5/8GB/256GB to replace my (identicall specced) SP2.

Of course, there is a significant financial hit involved in the SP2 to SP3 process which makes many people reluctant to upgrade (including me), but in the end I think it was worth it. I can see myself using this for a long time (unless it breaks, of course - knock on wood). I can also see myself skipping the Broadwell Surface Pro refresh and going straight to SkyLake when available.

 

[benjitek]

When the SP4 comes out, look away from the light ;-) At least that's how I feel, I have the SP2 and really like the idea of a little more screen...

 

[mtalinm]

i waited a couple of months, too. thought there couldn't be THAT big of a difference, but oh my. agree 3:2 is the biggest difference. fantastic machine

 

[mitchellvii]

Makes one wonder why so few manufacturers are staying with 16:9 for a hybrid. 16:9 simply does not work in portrait and if you can't do portrait, what's the point of having a hybrid? Listening Lenovo?

If the Yoga3Pro had been 3:2 and included a stylus, I would choose it over the SP3 or even SP4. Lucky for MS Lenovo is dumb.

 

[daniielrp]

i waited a couple of months, too. thought there couldn't be THAT big of a difference, but oh my. agree 3:2 is the biggest difference. fantastic machine

Same, I gave it a couple of months, but I'm so glad I upgraded. The 3:2 screen, higher resolution just looks wonderful. The Weight/thinness wasn't a massive factor, but it really makes portability so much easier. The kickstand upgrade - awesome. The Pen? Feels so much better. The keyboard? The trackpad???

I see no reason to stick with a SP2 (except financial) but I didn't mine losing out a little bit in that area for what is a significantly better device.

 

[InspectHerGadget]

I enjoyed the SP2 and even preferred the pen. The compelling reason for me was the extra speed of the i7. The trackpad is good enough I don't bother carrying my Surface Mouse and extra screen real estate is good. I did prefer the more compact dimensions of the SP2 but then with the SP3 I rarely output to a desktop monitor except for long detailed jobs.

 

[Feoen]

While the SP3 is my first Surface device and first Windows tablet, I do agree about the 3:2 aspect ratio. I came from an Asus Transformer TF101 which was an absolutely lovely tablet for its time. But the SP3 aspect ratio makes watching movies a dream, while still not being overly cumbersome for writing on using the pen.

Also, I feel like the SP3's kickstand goes overlooked in every SP2 > SP3 review. The kickstand works so well on the SP3 that everyone forgets it is even there! I have no idea what kind of technology they used to make it work at any place in essentially 180 degrees, but it really makes a difference. I worried about it losing its strength, but I've had my SP3 since launch and it's still as strong as it was on day one.

 

[orl2222]

While the SP3 is my first Surface device and first Windows tablet, I do agree about the 3:2 aspect ratio. I came from an Asus Transformer TF101 which was an absolutely lovely tablet for its time. But the SP3 aspect ratio makes watching movies a dream, while still not being overly cumbersome for writing on using the pen.

Also, I feel like the SP3's kickstand goes overlooked in every SP2 > SP3 review. The kickstand works so well on the SP3 that everyone forgets it is even there! I have no idea what kind of technology they used to make it work at any place in essentially 180 degrees, but it really makes a difference. I worried about it losing its strength, but I've had my SP3 since launch and it's still as strong as it was on day one.

Glad you got yours! I picked up a i3 model from bestbuy, and they bundled the sp3 keyboard along with for 799.00. I had the original surface, and yes the screen size is a whole lot better. I guess Steve Jobs was right, a 16:9 on a tablet is awkward to use.

 

[GreyFox7]

Glad you got yours! I picked up a i3 model from bestbuy, and they bundled the sp3 keyboard along with for 799.00. I had the original surface, and yes the screen size is a whole lot better. I guess Steve Jobs was right, a 16:9 on a tablet is awkward to use.

I vary rarely use 16:9 in portrait. But yeah even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while

 

[kevinlevrone]

Today I had the chance to study the battery life a bit more on the SP3. Unfortunately, it seems to be a significant downgrade from the SP2. In fact, I think it's like 20-25% worse but I use Chrome as my browser, I guess I will have to try using IE more often. I don't think it goes for more than 4 hours whereas the SP2 goes for 6 hours sometimes. I do have all the updates installed. I suppose the increased screen area (plus more pixels) need more backlight and GPU power, so the drop is understandable. Fortunately I don't really care about battery life because my usage pattern does not involve this scenario.

 

[ptrkhh]

When the SP4 comes out, look away from the light ;-) At least that's how I feel, I have the SP2 and really like the idea of a little more screen...

I think SP4, as an even-numbered generation, would be like the SP2 vs SP1: the new internals inside the old body. Especially the fact that MS reassured us that all SP3 accessories will work with the next generation SP, pretty sure it would be SP1-SP2 all over again.

a 16:9 on a tablet is awkward to use.

I dont know who started the trend, but I would say 16:9 is not good anywhere but 27" monitor. On anything less than that, 16:10 or taller aspect ratio would be a lot better the way the SP3 is better than the SP2. On anything more than 27", 21:9 ultrawide would give multitasking, gaming, and movie-watching a boost.

I think it's like 20-25% worse but I use Chrome as my browser, I guess I will have to try using IE more often. I don't think it goes for more than 4 hours whereas the SP2 goes for 6 hours sometimes. I do have all the updates installed. I suppose the increased screen area (plus more pixels) need more backlight and GPU power, so the drop is understandable.

Youre correct, Chrome is very un-optimized compared to IE. This issue was brought to light again in Core M device reviews, where IE could play 4K video flawlessly, while Chrome stutters doing the same task. Not to mention the battery drain issue, which is unrelated to this. I would not recommend Chrome for battery-powered, touch, or high DPI devices, especially for a device that has all those 3.

 

[toaf]

i just am waiting for a power cover for the 3 or 4 befor i upgrade. the power cover seems to fix soo many power issues. i have yet to bring the power cord with me EVER. i get some good gaming in while my daughter is playing at playgrounds. i can easy get 6/7 hours of game time. (i have been adjusting things to make it last longer) it would not be posible without the power cover