i would buy a fanless SP

[mtalinm]

interesting speculation: Microsoft May Release a Fanless Surface Pro 2

I'd trade in an instant, if it made the existing machine thinner & lighter. i am totally fine with current battery life; they could even cut it a bit if it meant shrinking by half a pound somehow.

 

[GoodBytes]

Yea, it doesn't work that way.
Surface mini and Surface 1 and Surface 2 are all fanless. While the mini is not out, it's doubtful that it will be.

Sadly, Microsoft can't take a magic wand and go, "Fanless!" and poof, we have a Surface Pro fanless.
To make it fanless, it would need a MUCH MUCH MUCH larger heatsink and more air vents, making the device MUCH more thicker, and MUCH more heavy, as copper is heavy. Not to mention, much more expensive as well.
OR, not do that, and about a couple of minutes of usage, the system will throttle down to the slowest speed supported, due to the overheating protection system kicking-in. And then you'll complain that the performance you are getting is slower than the slowest Atom you could buy, and complain on how that is not what you paid for.

The only solution, is that Intel releases a processor, not of 15W (what it is now) not of ~10W (next gen... maybe.. rumor), but rather ~5-3W, like ARM based CPUs in tablets, at the SAME time (as we have Atom CPUs), provide serious performance. And that is also, not a magic wand trick. No Ultra-Low voltage super slow models either, and certainly not Atom, as both are crazy slow processors.

But if you don't care about performance, then why don't you get the Dell Venue 11 Pro? The Atom base model is fanless already.

 

[kristalsoldier]

Agreed! Might be easier to include an active digitiser with the Surface 3 (and the Mini) and operationalize the Metro version of Office.

 

[jnjroach]

The Haswell Y Variant SoC supports fanless implementations, HP and Sony have both released Ultrabook Hybrids that use the SoC using x86 (32bit) Windows 8.x. It also supports Connected Standby (Windows 8.1 Update 1 supports it now in x64). The ULX Haswell "Y" are clocked lower, battery life takes precedence over performance.

 

[kevinlevrone]

interesting speculation: Microsoft May Release a Fanless Surface Pro 2

I'd trade in an instant, if it made the existing machine thinner & lighter. i am totally fine with current battery life; they could even cut it a bit if it meant shrinking by half a pound somehow.

The only solution, is that Intel releases a processor, not of 15W (what it is now) not of ~10W (next gen... maybe.. rumor), but rather ~5-3W, like ARM based CPUs in tablets, at the SAME time (as we have Atom CPUs), provide serious performance. And that is also, not a magic wand trick. No Ultra-Low voltage super slow models either, and certainly not Atom, as both are crazy slow processors.

From my knowledge, Dell already makes a fanless (EDIT: the i5 version is not fanless). Venue 11 Pro with Core i5-4300Y which is about the best low-power Haswell available. However, it is only 60% as fast as the 4300U. I think it may work for some, and Microsoft may release it. But at a significantly lower speed (I couldn't use such a device for my work).

What I would have liked to see is the death of Surface 2 with ARM processor and arrival of the Surface 3 (both 8" Mini and 10.6" regular size) with the Bay Trail Atom (or even better, the new x64 Moorefield Atom) and full Windows instead of Windows RT.

Even more I would like Microsoft to launch a Surface 3 Pro with a larger screen and much smaller bezels (but not larger than 11.6"). This would keep the overall size the same as the current Surface Pro 2 while offering a larger screen.

 

[GoodBytes]

From my knowledge, Dell already makes a fanless (EDIT: the i5 version is not fanless). Venue 11 Pro with Core i5-4300Y which is about the best low-power Haswell available. However, it is only 60% as fast as the 4300U. I think it may work for some, and Microsoft may release it. But at a significantly lower speed (I couldn't use such a device for my work).

Exactly. Too slow. I guess it depends on ones needs to be fair. But one that would get a SP2 can assume that he seeks performance, weather for work, or ensuring the best smoothest experience possible.

Even more I would like Microsoft to launch a Surface 3 Pro with a larger screen and much smaller bezels (but not larger than 11.6"). This would keep the overall size the same as the current Surface Pro 2 while offering a larger screen.

But then you'll have a hard time holding the device due to the small borders, and the pen won't be as good on corners... which isn't the case already, due to Wacom pen technology limitation, unless Wacom some new improved technology in that regard coming up.

 

[kozak79]

I would love a Surface Pro 3 with a 13 inch screen, intel hd 5000 or better and a removable mSata drive, and atleast 12 gb of ram. It would be a true laptop replacement and I'd pay upto 2K for it. Fanless would only make it slower.

 

[GoodBytes]

I would love a Surface Pro 3 with a 13 inch screen, intel hd 5000 or better and a removable mSata drive, and atleast 12 gb of ram. It would be a true laptop replacement and I'd pay upto 2K for it. Fanless would only make it slower.

So just buy a laptop. 'cause that is exactly what you are asking.
In fact 8 years ago, we had Nvidia GPUs in 12inch devices. That was a time where CPU and GPU s were more power consuming as they were less efficient.
So it could be done now, and certainly 13inch Sop why settle with a cumming Intel HD 5000 which is marginally faster than the 4400, and everything continues to crash due the lack of actual full OpenGL and DirectX support, and horrible efficiency when pushed.

An example of the system you are asking is the Razer Blade 14inch laptop.
http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade/
14inch, ultra thin, 3200x1800 display, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M 3GB VRAM with Nvidia Optimus switchable graphics, quad core i7-4702HQ, wireless AC, good build quality, looks nice.


[video=youtube;VVFVxfCFTrI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVFVxfCFTrI[/video]

 

[kozak79]

I don't want a laptop, I want a device like the Wacom Cintiq Companion but with better specs and an mSata port. Something that I can use as a tablet, that has a Wacom Digitizer, and a removable keyboard. The SP2 is a perfect device for this, but the 10 inch screen leaves much to be desired.

 

[stranger4all]

For me the size is really good , i would just want a more durable and thinner SP3.

 

[CrippsCorner]

So just buy a laptop. 'cause that is exactly what you are asking.
In fact 8 years ago, we had Nvidia GPUs in 12inch devices. That was a time where CPU and GPU s were more power consuming as they were less efficient.
So it could be done now, and certainly 13inch Sop why settle with a cumming Intel HD 5000 which is marginally faster than the 4400, and everything continues to crash due the lack of actual full OpenGL and DirectX support, and horrible efficiency when pushed.

An example of the system you are asking is the Razer Blade 14inch laptop.
The New Razer Blade Ultra-Thin Gaming Laptop - 14" Notebook Display
14inch, ultra thin, 3200x1800 display, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M 3GB VRAM with Nvidia Optimus switchable graphics, quad core i7-4702HQ, wireless AC, good build quality, looks nice.


[video=youtube;VVFVxfCFTrI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVFVxfCFTrI[/video]

I love this machine. If I was going to get a laptop I think it would be one of those, or the Carbon X1.

 

[mtalinm]

thanks folks for pointing out that there are already fanless win8 systems out there, so this is not at all the stupid idea some might say it is.

whether a fanless system is "too slow" also remains a consumer decision. i personally would give it a shot if it approached the thinness and weight of the non-Pro Surface.

my prediction is that msft will deprecate (i.e., support but not release a new version of) the Surface 2 and RT in general. the Surface Mini will run "real" win81 just like the Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet 2, and the SP3 will be a fanless machine with the current non-Pro Surface form factor. at least i hope so.

and all those who wants laptops can buy laptops.