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Pros/Cons of SP2 vs SP3 from My Perspective

dougpaw57

Member
Returned my SP3 today. Although it is a nice unit I can honestly say I am happier with my SP2. I find movies to be clearer and the smaller form factor easier to travel with and use on the road.

I find the Pro 3 to be as easy, or easier to travel with than the Pro 2. With the Pro 3 being thinner and lighter, but still only an inch wider, it's almost perfect. After owning an RT, Pro, Pro 2, and now Pro 3, I can state that for me the Pro 3 is by far the best.
 

r0b123

Active Member
Great thread. Although I don't own a SP yet, i've been contemplating on both and this confirms many things. If I had a SP2, the price alone wouldn't justify upgrading for a few upgrade bumps. But since I've been highly thinking of Sp3, it makes decision a bit harder due to the issues everyone is describing, be it bugs, or just general pros/cons.

At this point, I will only jump on the Sp3 if the price is truly right. i've been looking for 'back to school' deals, or just plain discounts and nothing is really jumping at me to get one. If MS can fix the issues but also lower the price along with a discount/offer, i would definitely buy one.
 

cdf3

Active Member
I have both the SP2 and SP3. My SP3 is now my go to device. Even though they didn't upgrade much on the inside, the upgrades on the outside more than makeup for it. The new kickstand angles make it more versatile than the previous model. I had to replace my SP3 with another one because of the kickstand. It worked well. I was just being picky, and wanted one with a stronger hinge. The screen size is a huge plus. I can now read PDF's in landscape or portrait. It always felt weird trying to read them in portrait mode on the SP2. I do notice that the fan will come on when the SP3 is doing heavy tasks. It didn't come on as much on the SP2. If you're doing light to moderate tasks, then the fan coming on won't be an issue.
Some are reporting throttling issues. I haven't noticed any speed difference between the two models. Some are reporting wifi problems while transferring data on wireless AC routers. I don't have a wireless AC router, nor do I transfer data from my SP3 to other devices. I'm usually on the Internet, and it works fine for me. The SP2 doesn't have this issue with wireless AC routers, because I was told the SP2 doesn't support wireless AC routers. If that's the case, then the SP2 would have this bug as well.
 
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jollywombat

Member
The SP2 supports N routers, as does the SP1, and pretty much any device made in the past 5+ years. You may be thinking of wireless AC, which the SP1/2 do not support, but the SP3 does due to the new wireless chipset.
 

cdf3

Active Member
The SP2 supports N routers, as does the SP1, and pretty much any device made in the past 5+ years. You may be thinking of wireless AC, which the SP1/2 do not support, but the SP3 does due to the new wireless chipset.

You're right. I typed the wrong type. Thanks for posting the correct wireless type.
 
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