On the fence about a Surface 3

[jlwinn771]

Hi,

I am looking for some advice from people that have used this machine. I currently have a MacBook Air as my main computer but I am looking for a secondary machine that is not a Mac. I am a college professor and use Microsoft office for classroom materials and I want something that is more productive than a mobile device like an iPad or other tablet but I don't want a 2 in 1. What attracted me to the Surface line was that it ran full Windows which is what I am looking for. Right now I am playing with a budget of about $4-$500 and was wondering if the Surface 3 base model is good enough for a secondary machine that I would use as a media device, to give presentations in class, edit power point and word documents, etc.? Or would I be better going with the Surface Pro 3?

Sorry this is a little long winded but just looking for some advice.

 

[jnjroach]

I would get the Education Deal and pickup the 4/64 model, it would do every thing you want it to do....

 

[revmike]

I concur wholeheartedly, I was on the fence as well, but I already had a Surface Pro2 and did not feel that the changes between the two were worth it, but I was wrong. I love the size and the display as well as the lack of weight. I would say go for it.

 

[TallSurfaceUser]

The Surface 3 is not fast enough to use in presenting, IMO. It is a great device but just not much lag if you are going to use it in front of a classroom.

I would buy (I did) a Core i5 SP3 on Ebay with 8GB of RAM. You can get them between $650-$750. Get one without a keyboard and buy a new SP4 keyboard off of MSFT website.

 

[revmike]

There are other s3 owners who posted in another forum who have had no problem using it as a class presentation device.

 

[jnjroach]

The Surface 3 is not fast enough to use in presenting, IMO. It is a great device but just not much lag if you are going to use it in front of a classroom.

I would buy (I did) a Core i5 SP3 on Ebay with 8GB of RAM. You can get them between $650-$750. Get one without a keyboard and buy a new SP4 keyboard off of MSFT website.

I use a Surface 3 to present all the time, both in live situations and with Skype for Business for remote presentations. No issues....

 

[Argus Tuft]

I would rely more on a laptop than I would my S3. If I owned a company that relieson presentations to grow my business, I would choose a laptop. By all means use a tablet, but use the tablet for things like note taking, and general (paper) notebook jotting down, but use a laptop for the final product.

 

[stammie]

For light and general work I find my surface 3 just fine, for more CPU intensive tasks it can't hold a candle to my SP4.
I would say that the biggest cause of lag I find on the S3 is the emmc storage so I'd probably advise to go for the 4GB/128GB model so you are less reliant on page filing.
Btw if you order one before the 17th of Jan from the Microsoft store MS are giving away free type covers with the order (US only I think)

Buy a Surface 3 and get a free Type Cover until Jan. 17

 

[Turbo4AWD]

Not sure if its still going on, but either Costco or BJ's offers the S3 pen/keyboard bundle very close to the price of just an S3 alone elsewhere.

 

[Steven Du Bois]

Don't know what I would do without the S3...right size machine for both a tablet and small laptop and also to become a desktop (slower) with the docking station...however the recent sales and black Friday deals make me feel like a fool for paying what I did even with the 10% discount...I said from the get go that it is not worth the price charged, but it has become a necessary tool for me in everything I do..however at the special rates, these are indeed good rates and I would suggest anyone on the fence to buy it, you will not be disappointed... In fact you even get used to the smaller screen until you need for real estate and use the docking station...again with that do not pay full price...that is much less on Amazon and other places...

Go for it...this is a solid machine I use to write, type, take lots of notes, read textbooks, research using Drawboard PDF to markup research, and even for downtime like right now...

 

[kristalsoldier]

I use to write, type, take lots of notes, read textbooks, research using Drawboard PDF to markup research, and even for downtime like right now...

I use it for all of the above, except, I don't use a KB with it. For me the S3 is a pure tablet and has replaced the iPad Air I used to use. But yes, I do find it is a bit unresponsive - well, more sluggish - at times. It is an excellent device regardless.

 

[LibbyLA]

I am a college instructor and I use my Surface 3 for every class but my first one (which requires recording my presentations, demonstrations, and voice, so I use my Core i7 Toshiba Portege). It works beautifully for presentations and I also use it instead of the white board. I just open a blank OneNote page and write away.