A quick report from Orchard Park, NY (just outside Buffalo, NY) on 6/6/2014 @ 5:00PM EST:
After work I checked with two local BB and neither had them on display. I stopped by the local MS retail store and they had two on display (i5/128GB) along side a dedicated staff member to answer questions. She was helpful and seemed to have some limited training on the device.
The increase in screen size is nice - I felt the original SP1/2 size was just a bit too small to be productive. At the same time, the slimmer depth prevented being overwhelmed by the extra screen dimensions. I held the tablet in various positions and grips just to get a feel for the new footprint and I can honestly say it felt great in-hand. A solid package that gave me no concerns at all.
The fit-and-finish was very impressive. The machining or casting process used to produce the housing was precise and has a premium look and feel. The expanded kickstand range of motion is incredible, especially if you have some interest in drawing with the pen. I can't get over how sophisticated the hinge mechanism is - it reminded me of robust landing gear from a plane. Very sturdy indeed.
The pen is nice - very nice. Response time was fast, with no noticeable lag. Pressure sensitivity was obvious and without issue. The pen profile, weight, balance, and appearance were all on the mark. The pen is something I hope to take advantage of for quick ideation and notes in the lab. The click-to-OneNote is super-convenient and I think this will be a huge differentiator.
With regard to the pen, I read an article by an artist on Penney Arcade who had an issue with the new placement of the Windows button on the right side of the screen. He said as a right-hander he would sometimes rest his hand on the button area while drawing, which resulted in a button press that exited the application. I thought this was an edge case situation, but I checked since I'll be doing a lot of drawing and writing with the pen. While testing with FreshPaint, this indeed happened and gave me heartburn. Oddly, testing in OneNote did not trigger an accidental app exit. I hope some configuration of button behavior comes about soon to avoid the complaints.
That's all I could test before returning home in time for family fun night.
My pre-order remains in place (i5/256GB) and I can't wait to get my own SP3!
-TS